Need some cordless weed eater suggestions please

[awp_101]

After 4 years or so of use, it looks like the battery on my Ryobi weed eater is about to keel over so I'm about to be in the market for either a replacement battery or weed eater.

We're on a roughly 1/3 acre corner lot so there's lots of fence line to maintain. Battery run time and speed of recharging is more important to me than the ability to run off an extension cord as a secondary power source. I don't have a budget yet but inexpensive (as opposed to cheap) is always welcome. I haven't started looking yet so right now I'd cap it at $150 max but that's very arbitrary right now.

Thanks!

[Bratch]

If you like the weedeater I’d just replace the battery. We have a 40V and 80V Kobalt weedeater and have to replace the batteries every couple years. Last time we just bought a blower that came with a compatible battery. I think batteries dying is part of the game.

[Welder]

The only cordless one I've used is the Milwaukee M18, and I don't have anything to compare it to. It uses tiny line from the factory which isn't very tough, and I'm going to change that. Just ran out of line last Fall. I like that it's quiet and has good power which lasts a considerable time when a 12.0Ah battery is attached...about the same amount of time as a tank of fuel through my old 31cc Ryobi 2-stroke. The 9.0Ah batteries last awhile in it, too, but much under that would get annoying if you have much trimming to do.

It's about double your current expected buy-in price, and I didn't shop features when I bought it; I bought it because I'm heavily invested in M18 tools anyway and nothing else made sense. Plus I found it on closeout at my local hardware store for $200 last year with a 9.0Ah battery.

I thought it'd be a novelty, but actually I pick it up sooner than I pick up my Ryobi...no fussing with choke, I've got enough batteries to run it for a week straight, no loud 2-stroke, etc. It just needs heavier line.

[Spartan1980]

For what it's worth I have a Kobalt 40V lawn mower and blower. One battery between the two and it's still hanging. When it goes I'll buy a new battery. Normal residential lot so I have about a 1/4 to 1/3 acre?

I use the lawnmower for inside corners, planters and tight spots then a pass around the edges. Then I hop on the Toro Timesaver ZTR (residential grade). The ZTR is overkill but I can be done with all of it in about an hour if I don't dick around but I usually end up at about 2 hours. Weedeating and edging take longer than mowing. One charge leaves me with a little charge left over after two mowings. I'll eventually buy a Kobalt weedeater since I could use the same batteries and sell my Echo gas powered. It's sure nice to not have to go get gas, oil, etc.

[Coyotesfan97]

I have a DEwalt40V MAX XR String Trimmer that eats weeds pretty easily. It has good battery life and the batteries interchange with the blower I have.

[littlejerry]

The basic Ryobi 40v has served me well on 0.5 acres for the last 4 years. I have 2 batteries, it usually takes 0.5-1 full battery to trim the yard, and then 1 full battery to run the edger along the driveway and walkway.

[awp_101]

For what it's worth I have a Kobalt 40V lawn mower and blower. One battery between the two and it's still hanging. When it goes I'll buy a new battery. Normal residential lot so I have about a 1/4 to 1/3 acre?

I use the lawnmower for inside corners, planters and tight spots then a pass around the edges. Then I hop on the Toro Timesaver ZTR (residential grade). The ZTR is overkill but I can be done with all of it in about an hour if I don't dick around but I usually end up at about 2 hours. Weedeating and edging take longer than mowing. One charge leaves me with a little charge left over after two mowings. I'll eventually buy a Kobalt weedeater since I could use the same batteries and sell my Echo gas powered. It's sure nice to not have to go get gas, oil, etc.

I may go the Kobalt route because I do my yard a similar way (edge, trim, push mower for the edges and tight spots then riding mower). I have lousy luck with gas trimmers and I think the 15 y/o push mower died over the winter so going with a good battery system for everything but the riding mower makes sense.

[Pyromancer]

I've had the ryobi expand it-40 volt tools for about 5 years (Wacker, blower, hedge trimmer). Weed Wacker is great, powerful, and easy to string. Only problem is if you drain the battery too low it goes into sleep mode. System thinks the battery is dead, as it doesn't have a boost feature. Stock up on a spare battery and don't run them completely dry.

[Snapshot]

I was already using the Milwaukee M18 line of tools so went with that for a weed whacker. Certainly not the least expensive & the big batteries (which are nice both for runtime and balance) are also expensive. But it has been working well on my medium size suburban property for a couple of years, much handier than the gas powered Echo it replaced.

[mtnbkr]

I have the Kobalt 80v stuff. Not because I need 80v equipment, but because it's what Lowes puts on the deepest sales. I got my mower and string trimmer, with 3 batteries and two chargers, for less than I could get a 40v mower alone. I've had my mower and trimmer for 2 seasons, this will be my 3rd. Just today I bought a Ryobi edger attachment for the trimmer.

My parents (now just my mom) bought into the same ecosystem and have those two tools as well as the blower and chainsaw. Those tools have been in service for 4 years. Shortly after they bought the mower and saw, I used the saw to cut down several small to medium sized trees in their yard. I had to use all the batteries to down, limb, and cut the trunks into manageable lengths, but it did the job.

Bottom line, I'm impressed by the Kobalt 80v line. I certainly don't need that much power in my own yard, but when I use those tools at my mom's, I'm reminded they are a legitimate replacement for gas power even in a proper yard.

ETA: The best time to buy Kobalt 80v gear is in the late Fall through late Winter. Lowes puts the 80v stuff on deep sales during that time, especially just before Thanksgiving through mid January. I bought my string trimmer, with battery and charger, for less than the battery would have cost alone.

Chris