OT: Battery Operated Yard Tools - Recommendations? Featured

Pleased with the Ryobi 40V version of the string trimmer, leaf blower and chainsaw...

Thanks.

Lots of people seem to like the Ryobi yard care set. My experience a the (really old) Ryobi 18V Plus One woodworking set was less than pleasing.

I inherited a kit from dad, didn't need it (had DeWalt then and now Rigid) but tried it anyway. I donated it real quickly. That makes me leery of the Ryobi yard tools, but I may be acting irrationally. Totally different technology and much newer.

I have been gas all the way for the last 35 years. Before that, corded, and that was a PIA.

I have had good luck with Echo and Honda products.

Stihl might be on my radar if the Echo gas line trimmer/edger engine quits and if the blower engine quits.

My issue with electric is that it would likely have to be recharged every time I use it. And I keep all of that in a store room with out electricity. AND I start with the trimmer and edger in the back yard so I would have to go to the garage and get the batteries first.

Looking Good! And I spotted the glue bottle. ;~)

Corded is a PITA. Gas would be a bigger PITA for the person I'm buying for.

Love my Honda-powered lawn mower and the 3 Honda vehicles in the family. (Had 5 at one point)

I have this weird habit of adding electricity wherever I need it. External receptacles on all 4 sides of the house, 3 walls in the garage, on the raised deck and under the raised deck, in the shed and outside the shed, back in the corner of the backyard.

I already added a receptacle in the shed where the lawn tools I'm considering will be stored (daughter's house) so charging the battery won't be an issue.

I recently bought a Ryobi string trimmer - just because I already had 2 batteries. One complaint - I knew about it when I bought it - is the auto-line-feed - which feeds out some line each time you start/stop. My trimming habits include many stops & starts so I devised a way to by-pass that feature. It would be nice if the tool was built with an option to disable it. Also - it has an annoying delay when starting - takes some getting used to. John T.

We have gone with EGO really happy with them, we have string trimmer, hedge trimmer, 18 inch chain saw and two leaf blowers, the last being a backpack blower my wife really wanted.

With all the newer lithium powered tools recommending a brand I can not say anything about others, I like EGO but started with that brand when they were the most available battery powered tools.

Do like them as no more mixing gas and oil for two cycle, and way better than dragging and extension cord.

The batteries on my Ego tools sit in the charge, the 5 amp hour battery runs the back pack blower for an hour easily. The batteries maintain charge when not in use.

I have the Ryobi Blower, pole saw and string trimmer (all 40v). Don't use the string trimmer that much, but the blower is comparable to a gas blower without the cantankerous little gas engine. The pole saw is super and I have cut 7 inch oak limbs with it with no problem. Would buy them all again.

Could you share your "disable" method? The trimming my daughter will be doing will also involve a lot of start and stops.

I guess I should have asked: "What model has that annoying feature?"

Looks just like this one but slightly different model number :

Our 40V Ryobi string trimmer features a bump feed...like most other string trimmers, the dual lines tend to "pinch" one another on the spool requiring occasional tweaking...

IF I kept my yard tools in the garage I would not think twice, maybe. I would be more concerned with one battery fitting all so that I only deal with one set up. My blower is not so much as an issue as the line trimmer and edger. Those would have to run at least 20 minutes.

I'm thinking tape around the trigger switch and removing the battery to turn it off.

Watch the temperature. Batteries (all chemistries) hate heat. Anything above about 80F will kill them in short order. It's a bitch with yard tools because you need them when it's hot. Storing them in a cool place is easy in the Winter.

I'm thinking it's not so sophisticated that the use of the on-off switch is directly involved with the feeding of the line on start-up. I'm guessing it's all mechanical, at the head - something that would fire as soon as the motor begins to spin.

Here's a different model - I think I'll try this on mine ..

That is the 18volt model...I upgraded to the 40V as the 18V is just not effective enough from my needs...