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Posted: 5/26/2024 10:58:02 AM EDT
Title sums it up. I'm looking for an electric weed eater. Preferably battery powered so I don't need to deal with a cord or dragging a generator around behind me. I've got about 4 acres. Wife gets mad that I mow around the trees but don't weed eat them, and she has a history of blowing up my good lawn equipment. So if I get an electric unit she'll do the weed eating.
I know battery powered units have come a LONG way since I last looked at them 10 years ago. I'm curious what brands or units are recommended as a good value. |
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I've been really happy with my 18v Ryobi. Had it for a very long time now.
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Big fan of EGO. Have several of their tools, including a string trimmer. Great stuff.
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Depending on your trees and landscaping, but no way would I tackle that much acreage with a battery unit. Besides, gas units are way cheaper.
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I like my Milwaukee m18 but the 12AH battery gives me about 40 min of heavy weed eating before I have to switch.
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If my 15 year old stihl fs45 ever gives up, I’m going Milwaukee M18 because all my other stuff is Milwaukee.
I Think they are all pretty decent nowadays. Anything my wife wants to do, she somehow needs my help, with the exception of weed eating. She can fuel it, mix gas, start it AND rewind the head with string. It’s bizarre |
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Lots of good option nowadays.
I have the Stihl Combi system with the battery head. It's very nice. I also have the Dewalt battery powered trimmer with $25 replacement head. It's light and powerful. I use it 95% of the time. Attached File |
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I got my EGO trimmer when I bought my EGO mower.
interchangeable batteries was a huge selling (buying) point does a great job, dual strings, easy to reload. I got a great deal on an EGO hedge trimmer, but basically to get the battery. the mower battery has more amp hours (and therefore larger/heavier) than the trimmers, but all three are in the rotation and like I said, interchangeable |
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I'm happy with my Dewalt 20/60 volt
I'm not trimming that many acres tho.... |
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Quoted: Lots of good option nowadays. I have the Stihl Combi system with the battery head. It's very nice. I also have the Dewalt battery powered trimmer with $25 replacement head. It's light and powerful. I use it 95% of the time. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174498/Screenshot_2024-05-26_111601_png-3223949.JPG View Quote This combo is on sale now for $199 @ Ace. Attached File Another Combo @ Ace Attached File |
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Got about 3 acres of lawn area I maintain. Been using 40v brushless ryobi for last 2 years, strong enough cut everything, can also run additional attachments. Do make sure whatever you get can take real string and not limited to some 0.85 shit.
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OP, are you already invested in battery tools? Milwaukee, DeWalt, Ryobi?
If so, check out the ones that use your existing batteries. |
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I got the Greenworks 80v from Costco on sale for $200.00. As powerful as my echo gas, has a quick feed line refill which is nice. About 30 mins per charge.
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I went with Ryobi because I already had the batteries. Had it for 4 years to trim a half acre. So far so good.
Just don't get the cheapest one. It works but it's too short and your back will end up hurting from leaning down. Pro tip. Change the battery every time you reload the string no matter what. Otherwise you get into a cycle of stop change battery, stop reload string, stop change battery etc. |
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Quoted: Depending on your trees and landscaping, but no way would I tackle that much acreage with a battery unit. Besides, gas units are way cheaper. View Quote At my last house, I had about 4.5 acres, including trees, retaining walls, house, barn, well house, and a perimeter fence all around the property that I trimmed periodically. My EGO handled it fine. By the time the battery died, I was ready for a break anyway. But I did have multiple tools, so I had multiple batteries, so if I felt like continuing, I could just swap and go. |
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Dewalt 60v, especially if you're into the Dewalt ecosystem.
Their 60v chainsaw is also awesome for occasional tasks. Kharn |
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I have been happy with my Dewalts. I have a 60 volt with metal blades for really nasty stuff and a 20 volt for normal usage. 5 acres but I do not weed eat everything every time I mow.
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The 40V Ryobi is probably your best overall value. Plus, re-loading the string is brilliant and easy.
You are going to want at least 40V with a 4 ah battery. There are good comparison videos on youtube. |
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Have a Stihl FSA 60 string trimmer that has exceeded all expectations for a cordless garden tool.
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I got a 20volt Dewalt a couple of years ago and I'm very happy with it. Go with whatever brand you already have batteries for.
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Quoted: Fixed. Seriously though, it is the best bang for your buck. A battery alone is only a little cheaper than a tool with a battery. Sometimes the same price if you catch a sale. View Quote Attached File |
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Quoted: Depending on your trees and landscaping, but no way would I tackle that much acreage with a battery unit. Besides, gas units are way cheaper. View Quote I have five acres and perhaps 200 trees. I use an EGO 56V unit. It uses 0.095 line. It works well. I only get about 30 minutes of actual cutting time. Unit is off walking between trees. Plus that is the smaller (2.5 AH?) battery. When it runs out of charge I recharge it and so other yard work. If it were that important I could buy a 5 AH battery. Replacing the line is very easy...even a 12 year old could do it. I am not going back to a gasoline unit. I will not buy an EV though. |
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Quoted: This is the way. I have them and they are solid. Great 2cycle replacements. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Big fan of EGO. Have several of their tools, including a string trimmer. Great stuff. This is the way. I have them and they are solid. Great 2cycle replacements. Going on year 5 with my blower and trimmer with one battery for both. Still works like the day I bought it. |
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The M18 one from Milwaukee is great. My only complaint is that small bits of grass can get into the head and prevent it from spinning to release more string. There's two Torx screws inside to disassemble and clean the head though, and it takes a little bit for this buildup to occur. This may have been fixed on newer models.
They're proud of their batteries though, and you're going to want the larger ones. |
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Quoted: Anything my wife wants to do, she somehow needs my help, with the exception of weed eating. She can fuel it, mix gas, start it AND rewind the head with string. It's bizarre View Quote She blew up my Shindaiwa backpack blower running straight gas in it. So she's restricted from gas powered lawn tools... |
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I was already deep into the Dewalt 20v & 60v line, so that's what I went with.
They work great. |
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Quoted: At my last house, I had about 4.5 acres, including trees, retaining walls, house, barn, well house, and a perimeter fence all around the property that I trimmed periodically. My EGO handled it fine. By the time the battery died, I was ready for a break anyway. But I did have multiple tools, so I had multiple batteries, so if I felt like continuing, I could just swap and go. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Depending on your trees and landscaping, but no way would I tackle that much acreage with a battery unit. Besides, gas units are way cheaper. At my last house, I had about 4.5 acres, including trees, retaining walls, house, barn, well house, and a perimeter fence all around the property that I trimmed periodically. My EGO handled it fine. By the time the battery died, I was ready for a break anyway. But I did have multiple tools, so I had multiple batteries, so if I felt like continuing, I could just swap and go. I’m sure a battery power would work *depending on your specific property*. We have brush and pines to cut. The brush cutter Makita I looked at this week was pretty damn pricey with all the goodies that you need. For roughly half that I bought an Echo. Runs great. Noisy and stinky, but powerful and a ‘recharge’ is only seconds from my mix can. |
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Ego here. I also use the blower to dry my cars. I have the blower, power head and string trimmer/edger attachments.
Attached File |
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Quoted: I have five acres and perhaps 200 trees. I use an EGO 56V unit. It uses 0.095 line. It works well. I only get about 30 minutes of actual cutting time. Unit is off walking between trees. Plus that is the smaller (2.5 AH?) battery. When it runs out of charge I recharge it and so other yard work. If it were that important I could buy a 5 AH battery. Replacing the line is very easy...even a 12 year old could do it. I am not going back to a gasoline unit. I will not buy an EV though. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Depending on your trees and landscaping, but no way would I tackle that much acreage with a battery unit. Besides, gas units are way cheaper. I have five acres and perhaps 200 trees. I use an EGO 56V unit. It uses 0.095 line. It works well. I only get about 30 minutes of actual cutting time. Unit is off walking between trees. Plus that is the smaller (2.5 AH?) battery. When it runs out of charge I recharge it and so other yard work. If it were that important I could buy a 5 AH battery. Replacing the line is very easy...even a 12 year old could do it. I am not going back to a gasoline unit. I will not buy an EV though. I cut and trimmed one of my vacant rental homes last week that sits on almost 2 acres. I know I had a solid 1:45 just on the trimmer. Trees, fence line, house, side walks, out buildings, power poles, road frontage etc. I’m sure a battery power would work for many situations. Not mine though. I’m still considering one for my lighter work and for my wife to run it. |
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I've got multiple chainsaws, FS250 brush cutters, a Shindy powerhead with weed eater / brush cutter / edger attachment, etc.
The electric will be strictly for weed eating around a couple dozen trees and maybe clearing a 40x60 sized area that's too rocky to mow around my storage building. |
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If you've already got battery powered hand tools, see if the manufacturer makes a string trimmer. Use batteries you already have.
If you don't, check out each manufacturer and see if they have other useful tools that can use the same batteries. For instance, Ryobi is having sales right now. Their 18V line has something like 300 devices that use the same battery. Not all are tools. |
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4 acres sounds like a heavy lift for an electric weed eater...
ETA: OP reply clarifies that it is for targeted use. Maybe it's not that bad. |
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Quoted: If you've already got battery powered hand tools, see if the manufacturer makes a string trimmer. Use batteries you already have. If you don't, check out each manufacturer and see if they have other useful tools that can use the same batteries. For instance, Ryobi is having sales right now. Their 18V line has something like 300 devices that use the same battery. Not all are tools. View Quote Im not a fan of this advice. Yard tools need way more power for longer periods of time than a drill or a nail gun etc. Keep them seperate. |
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EGO. The $300 one with a carbon shaft.
Runs circles around the Sthil it replaced. And I’m done before the Stihl would even be started |
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