Product Review: Ryobi 40V Lithium Battery Powered String Trimmer

Gas Like Power. Can a Battery powered Trimmer really hold up to the power of its Gas sibling?

Ryobi recently launched a new line of outdoor products driven off of their 40V system, and one of them caught my eye in particular, their 40V Lithium Battery String Trimmer. The reason it caught my eye was because it claimed to have “Gas Like Power.” I had to try it out, and what better place to test out outdoor tools and equipment then on the farm. So here is a side by side comparison of the 2 Cycle Gas Trimmer, and the New 40V Battery String Trimmer.

At First Glance.

Overall length and size, are practically the same. The weight is are very close, but the 40V seemed to be much better balanced. It makes sense, since there is not a motor and gas located on the back end of the trimmer.

Both trimmers support the Expand-it attachment system. For me, the Expand-it accessory system is my favorite aspect across both trimmers. Adding the Expand-it accessories to you toolbox, you can handle nearly every job the outdoors has to throw at you.

The Test.

I put both trimmers through the same type of jobs. I started first with trimming the fence line the grass along the my drive way, as well as around the light poles that light the driveway. Next, I changed over the Expand-it edger, and edged the driveway. All other battery powered trimmers, only allow for the trim head to swivel and the string to edge. This does work well, however I noticed you go through a lot more string, with it hitting the driveway. The edger attachment comes with metal blades, a guide to keep you on track, and a wheel that can be adjusted for depth.

The Pros.

2 Cycle Gas Trimmer

• Power
• Run Time
• No Battery Charging Downtime
• Expand-it CapableThere is no questioning the power the Gas has. It has been a very reliable and capable trimmer over the past few years. I can typically get it started 3 to 4 pulls without serious issue. I was able to run longer with the gas motor, than the 40V battery powered trimmer.

40V Lithium Battery “Gas Like Power” Trimmer

• Power (Comparable to Gas)
• No Oil/Gas Mixture Required
• Quietness
• Easier Start
• Overall Balance
• Expand-it CapableComparable power to the 2 cycle Gas trimmer. The overall quietness of running the battery was a strong pro. You could definitely get a jump start on the day, trimming early in the morning without being weary of waking up the neighborhood. Since it is battery powered, there is no gas oil mixture required, which mean no extra trips to get gas or the oil mixture, as well as no need to maintain a separate Oil/Gas Can. Since there was no motor on the back of the trimmer, it did appear to be much more balanced across which was a lot nicer to handle in the long run.

The Cons.

2 Cycle Gas Trimmer

• Loudness
• Oil/Gas Mixture RequiredWhile the loudness of the 2 cycle gas trimmer is equivalent to any gas trimmer on the market, it is louder than the 40V Lithium Battery powered trimmer. Also, equivalent to any 2 cycle piece of outdoor tool or equipment, gas/oil mixtures are typically required, which means an extra trip to get gas an oil is needed, in order to even power the trimmer, as well as, maintaining a separate gas can in the garage.

40V Lithium Battery “Gas Like Power” Trimmer

• Run Time
• Battery Charging DowntimeWhile the power was completely comparable to the gas trimmer, the run time was a bit less. Edging for the first time of the season does require a little extra work, the trimmer did a fantastic job cutting through the grass, but not without the cost of using a little more battery. After trimming down the fence line, and edging the driveway, it was one light way from empty, so I through it back on the charge. No my job was done, so truly no complaint, but compared to the gas counterpart that still had gas in the tank for the next time.

The Review.

Overall I was completely surprised by the power of the 40V Lithium Battery Powered Trimmer. I would declare it held up to the name of “Gas Like Power.” The balance and quietness of the trimmer was a nice feature, that I appreciated toward the end of the job, when you’ve been looking down for the past 40 minutes, it was nice not to have the rumbling of a gas trimmer echoing out. I think this is definitely a draw between the two. If a little downtime from charging beats the runs to the gas station, then I absolutely recommend the 40V Trimmer. If you think Gas is the only way to go then the 2 Cycle is a fantastic choice. Again you cannot go wrong with either one, especially once you add a few Expand-its to the lineup. In all, the 40V Lithium battery powered trimmer definitely has a place here on the farm.sd

Well that is it for us here on the farm today. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and let us know what you think of these review, we would love to do more. Until next time, please have a great week and as always… Give Grace.