Cordless String Trimmers

blujax01

blujax01

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I tire of the alchemy involved with keeping a two-stroke gas powered trimmer up and running from season to season and decided to investigate battery operated (coal powered?) string trimmers.


Currently all of my battery ops are DeWalt 18V (drills, circular saw, sawzall, etc.) and of course, DeWalt does not make a trimmer.

What works and what doesn't?

Thanks in advance!

~ Alan :cool:
 
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My gasser finally gave up too.Ive got a cobalt (lowes) lawnmower that does better than I had expected it to.I should check out their trimmer.
 
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Cordless battery operated weed eaters don't have a very long life in the batteries for my usage. My neighbor bought one and wound up with 3 batteries and would use all 3 to do his fence lines and its not a large area. He went back to gas powered weed eater. I never changed from my old Ryan (forerunner to the Ryobi) and a Ryobi. Just my 2 cents.
 
I buy premixed fuel for mine. It can be started by use of a drill so I don't have to pull the rope starter. If I can keep my wife from running it wfo all the time, it might last a while.
 
After a lifetime of power tools and endless noise,I kind of like these quiet little tools [emoji4]
 
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After the 20th pull one day, the old Sears gas trimmer went to it's final resting place.

I purchased a Toro 24V about a year ago. So far so good. I'm using heavier string than came with it which lasts longer without having to let more out. Unlike the gas trimmer that I could just bang on the ground to get more string, the Toro requires the unit to come to a stop and restart to ratchet out more string. That part I don't like. Trimming my yard takes about 20min. Battery will do it about twice but I typically charge it each time. The unit rotates 90 degrees for edging which works ok as long as I can walk straight. I paid about $125 for it at Home Depot on sale with discounts blah blah blah... and a three year warranty. If it lasts three years I'll be satisfied to do without the gas.
 
The guy who maintains the area around my shop had a couple of cordless trimmers to help control the noise around his customers. Battery life sucked (24volts). So that was a very short-lived experiment. He's back to the straight-shafted gas Stihls. That's what I use too. I do have an old Tanaka that has an electric start. It's the coolest thing goin'. It's old, but still a beast. I keep a blade on it for hackin' on the nasty stuff.
 
Badquaker said:
I buy premixed fuel for mine. It can be started by use of a drill so I don't have to pull the rope starter. If I can keep my wife from running it wfo all the time, it might last a while.
Click to expand...

I have 6 different two stoke tools at my house. They all take about the same mix, so I took the middle number and make 2 1/2 gallons at a time. It keeps my mixture fresh that way.

What I do is use Steihl synthetic 2 stroke oil for everything now. I also use non ethanol gas that helps out.

Yes it’s a bit more but everything seems to start easier/run better. I have a lawn boy mower from the late 60s and that old timer was a bear to start before I switched to the Steihl oil.

I live out a ways in the woods and need the noisy ones as the battery things go dead or slow down too fast for me. I have no close neighbors to be bothered.
 
Stihl with 93 octane mix. Works every time and the string system is NOT a problem. Previous string trimmers drove me nuts with the string. Stihl makes great stuff.
 
NYlakesider said:
I have 6 different two stoke tools at my house. They all take about the same mix, so I took the middle number and make 2 1/2 gallons at a time. It keeps my mixture fresh that way.
Click to expand...

I don't need that much anymore. When I was still riding dirt bikes, I always had a five gallon jug of mixed gas on hand. Now, a single quart can of premixed fuel lasts me 6 months of use. The premixed stuff in an airtight can is cleaner, and stays fresher than anything I could mix in a jug.

The ability to electric start (drill with a clutch bit) has been the greatest godsend. After sitting unused for 4 months, I primed (flooded) the carb, held the throttle open, and spun it over until it fired off. Easiest "first start of the season" I have ever had.
 
Ya, the longer winters and cold up there can make it difficult! I forget because mine get maybe a 4-6 week break and then it's game time again.

If you've got more than the entry level 60x120 with the salt box in the center, gas is the only way to go. When I lived up there I also had a boat so when I winterized the boat, I winterized all the gas appliances. Dump out the tank, generously pour in some StaBil/gas mix, run until it quits and everything always started first or second pull in the spring. Don't forget to use the primer bulb when winterizing!!! I did "fogging" a couple winters (a little motor oil with the gas) but found the "heavy on the Stabil" to do the trick. I've got a corded that my wife insisted she have for when I'm out of town or don't trim the back patio area but, as I predicted when I bought it, there's only been one occasion that it got used.

I've had Toro, Echo, and Stihl. 5 to 7 years seems to be my rate of replace. I trim about 1/4 mile (no exaggeration)!

blujax01 said:
I tire of the alchemy involved with keeping a two-stroke gas powered trimmer up and running from season to season and decided to investigate battery operated (coal powered?) string trimmers.


Currently all of my battery ops are DeWalt 18V (drills, circular saw, sawzall, etc.) and of course, DeWalt does not make a trimmer.

What works and what doesn't?

Thanks in advance!

~ Alan :cool:
Click to expand...
 
I use two brands of gas trimmers : Echo and Stihl. Both are trouble-free, but my favorite is the Echo. I use only the pre-mix 50-1 fuel. I have a Ryobi battery powered unit that my wife likes because of it's weight, but it runs down very quickly.
 
I got fed up with the 2 cycle fuel mixing routine and finally went with a battery operated Black & Decker. I did a lot of research first because of previous experience with rechargeable lawn tools - the new lithium 36 volt (now 40) are impressive. I have quite a bit of trimming each week and it has never run down. I was so impressed that I also bought a B&D hedge trimmer which is equally fantastic plus I have 2 interchangeable batteries.

Amazon.com : Black & Decker LST136W 40V Max Lithium String Trimmer : Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ABIEdoWwL.@@AMEPARAM@@31ABIEdoWwL
 
I've had a Ryobi 18 v for last couple of years and am satisfied with it. The battery and I both run down at about the same time, so we work well together.......
I recently bought (on sale) a Ryobi 18v drill and circular saw. They all take the Plus 1 battery system so now I have a couple of batteries to use.
 
I have a Ryobi 40 volt. It will go 50 minutes and not miss a beat. Recharges in 90 minutes. Excellent product.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
 
I've used a Black and Decker electric trimmer for sometime now. Other than dragging a 100 foot extinction cord out, I've been very pleases with it. But I don't run out of battery before I'm done trimming.
 
Battery operated B&D gets my vote buy it on clearance online I think there 18volt.

I just purchased a B&D 20volt chainsaw & drill great tools. The drill has awesome power drills steel like butter.
 
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