A battery-powered string trimmer that has the oomph of a gas model is worth a look on that basis alone. Factor in that you can swap a blower, edger, or cultivator with the trimming head of the Ryobi RY40220, and it seems like a Home Depot deal that keeps getting better. But based on Consumer Reports' first look, this machine’s attraction depends largely on what you need from your outdoor power equipment—and how much green you’re willing to shell out for green gear.
While we haven’t expected cordless string trimmers to rival any but the lightest-duty gas-powered models, the Ryobi RY40220 is a head-turner. In limited testing in tall grass and weeds, its 40-volt lithium-ion battery and dual .08-inch lines appear to rival the power of midrange gas models such as the $100 Craftsman 71102, Craftsman 79102, and the Troy-Bilt TB22 EC. We also liked the Ryobi's bump-feed head, which allows for easy reloading without the need to remove the spool. One caveat is the Ryobi's weight, upward of 11 pounds, which is heavier than most battery-powered string trimmers in our string trimmer tests.
If you already have a Ryobi 40V battery and charger, the straight-shaft Ryobi RY40220 costs only about $100 online, about what you’d pay for a comparable gas model. But because the product line is fairly new, you're more likely to pay $180 at Home Depot for the total package with battery and charger, pricier than most of our recommended gas-powered trimmers but in line with most other cordless trimmers.
Choose attachments, and the price of your collection goes up. A curved-shaft trimmer attachment, the Ryobi RY15525, costs about $35. Curved-shaft trimmers tend to be lighter and easier to handle. A straight-shaft edger, the Ryobi RY15518, costs about $75 alone but is also sold online as a package with the trimmer (plus battery and charger) for about $240. A cultivator, the $90 Ryobi RY15550, should do for light garden weeding. But we’re less confident about the blower attachment, the $50 Ryobi RY15519, whose fan seems too small for anything more than clearing debris off your deck or walk.
Gotta go green? At first blush, this seems like a reasonable way to go. But a similarly priced gas-powered trimmer that scores well for edging in our tests, such as the above Craftsman and Troy-Bilt models, would cost $140 less than the Ryobi trimmer and edger. You can go a paler shade of green with a gas trimmer teamed up with a high-performing corded leaf blower such as the Toro Ultra Blower Vac 51609, which costs $25 more than the $50 Ryobi attachment but makes short work of leaf piles as well as debris. Check out our buying guides and Ratings for both string trimmers and leaf blowers before you shop.
—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)
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