Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
Whether you call it a string trimmer, weedeater, or weed whacker, battery power is where the industry is heading. It’s a pretty easy transition from gas. Most models have plenty of power and the convenience of using a battery power source makes them a big win. In this roundup, we’ll give you our recommendations for the best battery-powered weedeater and give you some tips if you’d like to shop for something different.
We’ve actually tested all of these string trimmers and we’re only recommending the ones we’d use (or are using) ourselves.
The EGO Power+ 15-inch string trimmer with PowerLoad is unlike anything else currently on the market. Its carbon fiber shaft reduces weight while still having the strength to stand up to whatever you can throw at it. Hey, that’s what happens when a cyclist designs a string trimmer (thanks, Kyle)!
The PowerLoad head is what takes it to a completely new level, though. Just run your line through the head up to the center and hold the button while it winds itself in. It’s by far the easiest system we’ve used. It’s also the quietest we tested at 80 dB(A). Overall, it’s the best battery-powered weedeater in our book.
Read our full review here.
Husqvarna puts together a low-vibration, well-balanced design that’s one of our favorites to use compared to other battery-powered string trimmers. When you want to go quieter and extend your runtime, there’s an Eco mode that drops the RPMs down when you don’t need full power. It’s one of few string trimmers that offers a reverse direction button. That helps direct grass on a sidewalk when trimming. It also aids in unwrapping long grass that gets caught up in the trimmer head.
We also like the available battery options. You can pop a standard form battery in and work away. If you have a long stretch to trim or you’re swapping between multiple Husqvarna battery products, there are several backpack batteries available.
There’s a pretty crazy quirk with this model, though. It’s the loudest we tested according to our SPL meter. However, the tone of the noise is so unoffensive that made it sound like the quietest! Regardless, it’s the best battery-powered weedeater for professionals according to our crew.
Check out Husqvarna’s website for more details.
Makita’s XRU18 string trimmer boasts the power of a 30cc gas engine. It’s a power boost that we can immediately feel in the higher RPMs and ability to cut through thick, tall grasses. It also has a max cutting swath of 17 inches, giving you more clearing than most other battery-powered string trimmers.
Having 3 power modes is nice. It’s essentially the high and low for most battery models and then a power boost when you get into the thick stuff. The automatic reverse feature is nice, too. It spins the head in the opposite direction briefly to unwind long grass, then automatically switches back. All you have to do is release and reengage the trigger, not stop to push another button.
If power is your highest priority, this is the best battery-powered weedeater for you.
Stihl’s FSA 130 R uses a polymer housing to help keep the trimmer’s weight low and doubles down with a design that keeps the weight of the battery off of the tool. Instead, you can use a standard form battery with a specifically-designed belt or go for a backpack battery.
Check out Stihl’s website or visit your local dealer for more details.
Sometimes you get to a jobsite and you have to clear some overgrowth before you can access the part of the structure or property you’re working on. DeWalt’s 20V Max folding string trimmer is a great fit for that scenario. Its folding shaft makes it easier to store and it uses a battery system that’s compatible with more than 200 other 20V Max tools. It also includes a QuickLoad spool that makes line reloading much easier than manual heads.
The downside is that you’re not going to have the same kind of power that you get from the FlexVolt or other higher voltage systems. You can knock it for that, but it’s really not the point of the design. It’s a great option for electricians, HVAC techs, and others who might need to clear a small area around the equipment they’re working on.
Greenworks’ next-gen string trimmer for the 60V line does a nice job of reducing vibration compared to other residential models and it’s a nice balance of weight and cutting performance.
One of the standout features has to be the Load N’ Go trimmer head. Just feed your line through to the center and then twist the head to wind it in. It’s quick, easy, and much less frustrating than manually winding the line.
Buy it at Lowe’s: $189
A newcomer to the battery OPE field, Hart is kicking things off with an attachment-ready brushless string trimmer. It covers all the bases we expect to see on a residential model and is attachment-ready with a nice range of accessories from Hart. The connection is standard, so you can use other universal attachments if you already own them.
Ryobi’s latest Expand-It attachment-ready string trimmer boasts more power than previous models. It joins one of the deeper battery-powered equipment lines targeting residential users. The Expand-It system is impressive on its own, and it uses a universal connection, meaning you can use other universal attachments if you already own them.
Ryobi also features its Reel-Easy trimmer head that loads without having to take the head apart and manually wind your line.
Of course, we think our recommendations are great, but you might be thinking of other brands or models. That’s completely okay with us! We still want to help you out, so here’s a quick guide to give you an idea of some things to look for as you’re shopping.
Switching from gas to battery power typically has an upfront premium that leads to cost savings over time since you’re spending less on fuel and maintenance. Decide what your budget is and go from there.
The residential kits we recommend run $175 to $250 with bare tools being less expensive. If you’re running a commercial crew expect prices to start around $250 for the bare tool and run more than $400 for kits.
Look for combo kit options. Many of the residential brands offer them and you might be able to pick up 2 or 3 tools at once for a better value.
Brushless motors offer longer life, more run time, more power, and less maintenance than brushed motors. If you have a small yard, a brushed model might be okay. If you’re looking for legitimate gas replacements, you want a brushless motor.
Vibration control has come a long way for the best battery-powered weedeater models. All of the ones we recommend have acceptable levels, but a few of them really struggled in earlier generations.
When you pick up a weedeater and pull the trigger, feel for how much vibration makes it to your hands and how rough the drive seems to be. If it feels rough in just a few seconds of testing, it’s going to be miserable when you’re trimming the entire yard.
For residential string trimmers, 0.080-inch line is typically fine. If you have a larger lawn, tougher areas to trim, or you’re buying for professional use, get one with at least 0.095-inch capacity. The thicker line will hold up better and its higher mass can power through the tougher grasses better.
We like anything with 15 inches or more of cutting swath for residential models and 16 or 17 inches are ideal for Pro models. The higher capacity lets you trim a larger area around obstacles more quickly and gives you a little more wiggle room to maneuver on your mower.
Most residential lawns only require 15 to 30 minutes of time with the trimmer actually running and some are even less. Many string trimmer kits give you that, though some of the lower voltage systems can fall short of that mark.
If you have a larger lawn or commercial needs, consider picking up higher capacity batteries or moving to a backpack battery.
Ideally, you want to stick with one battery system for all your battery-powered lawn equipment. When you’re looking for the best battery-powered weedeater, check if all of the tools you use are compatible with the same battery. Even though you’re only buying one tool right now, you might want to add others later on.
Looking more broadly, having 2 or 3 batteries to finish your lawn is going to be less expensive than a different battery for every tool. Commercially, you need multiple batteries for every tool, so the savings are potentially multiplied.
Ever check out a “review” site and you can’t tell if they actually tested the tools or if they’re just “recommending” the Amazon top sellers? That’s not us. We won’t recommend anything unless we’d actually use it ourselves and we don’t really care who the primary retailer is. It’s all about giving you a legitimate recommendation and our honest opinion of each product.
We’ve been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the construction and lawn care industries. Our Pro reviewers work in the trades and have the skills and experience to know whether tools can perform well in the field.
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On the clock, Kenny dives deep to discover the practical limits and comparative differences for all kinds of tools. Off the clock, his faith and love for his family are his top priorities, and you'll typically find him in the kitchen, on his bike (he's an Ironman), or taking folks out for a day of fishing on Tampa Bay.
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Time spent refeeding the head How many feet of line Durability of the head before replacement Replaceability of the head with a better head (is this head a brand X head only, or is it PROPRIETARY—our head only, no aftermarkets accepted).
Based on your reviews I bought the Ego. It took me less than 2 mowing/trimmings to clean it up and return it. Horrible machine. I had a gas 4 cycle powered Husqvarna that had more power, was better balanced, cut better, and weighed less. The Ego never feed the line as advertised and it is annoying as heck to dismantle and re-feed it. It was awkward to hold/use and keep in a steady cutting path…like the balance and weight were all off no matter how I adjusted it; and it seemed like the head or cutting angle was hard to… Read more »
I am looking at getting the Makita reviewed in the article and that one is way overkill for my needs but the reason I want it over the cheaper Makita’s is I need the pole saw and some of the other attachments you can get to use with it. I already have 9 Makita 5 amp batteries so I am tied into the Makita systsem but I have 2 other brands of outdoor tools that I am slowly replacing so everything runs on the same battery system.
The ‘for Professionals’ evaluation should include Greenworks Professional.
My question is what other brand attachments can fit into KMA 130R?
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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros