In 2015 I evaluated RYOBI’s line of 24v outdoor power tools, and liked them all quite. This year they have actually released the bigger brothers to last year’s designs– the 40v monsters. Now back then I had what might only be referred to as a “best” experience with the 24v string trimmer– ultimately having to be exceptionally nit-picky to find any defects in its operation and style. I was able to discover a couple of issues though, however none were big enough to stop me from offering it leading accolades; mere little annoyances truly– so was RYOBI able to keep things beside best while looking after those small issues, or did they slip up by attempting to fix what wasn’t broken?
Much like before, the RYOBI 40v String Trimmer is made by Homelite under the RYOBI name, and as such it uses the same bright as hell lime green color that is related to the RYOBI name. Perhaps it sounds silly, but I actually like the intense green pigmentation more than a few of the colors of my other tools– particularly for outside tools. It is simply an individual choice though, and isn’t really shown in the last rating. Another thing that is the same is that no one else in my house appears to understand how a string trimmer works– even when it is as basic as an electric one– which has left me to be the one doing all the cutting yet once again.
That bit aside, let’s look into what is different, shall we? For beginners, the robust 40v battery is a huge enhancement over the old 24v design. Now with the one I evaluated in 2015, I had the ability to do my little lawn (remember it took me about 45 minutes to do it) on one charge, but couldn’t do far more. With a ramped up battery, I had to increase the lawn size– taking it from my city lawn to the rural lawn of my in-laws, a decent 3 quarters of an acre in size. Now I understand what a few of you are believing– a general bigger size doesn’t imply that much more weeds that you can’t get with a lawnmower– right? Well their whole lawn is surrounded by a fence that a mower can not get under. Top that with a garden island in the middle of the back yard plus a shed and swing set for the grand kids, and you can see that I had plenty to keep me hectic.
I had the ability to run the 40v String Trimmer for about 90 minutes prior to having to switch to another battery, which impressed me to no end. Not only that, however I didn’t complain about it getting heavy the whole time despite the reality that the batteries remain in reality heavier than the 24v ones (seems sound judgment there). There are a few various things that I feel cause this to occur– one had to do with better weight circulation. The 24v model was decently sized, however it was not balanced well when the battery was placed. The 40v model is a bargain longer however, and has the weight expanded better as a result. The 2nd factor I think I didn’t see the increased weight, is due to the fact that the battery holster is completely positioned that you can rest your elbow on it while running the trimmer. I am not completely sure if this was deliberate or not, but that takes the majority of the weight off of your wrists and puts it on your biceps and triceps– muscle groups more developed for a workout than your wrists. There is a place on the trimmer to connect a shoulder strap, but one isn’t consisted of for some factor– I have no idea how much of an impact it would have on more reducing weight strain, however it most likely would not hurt. The last big difference I discovered it that the trigger is now a safety trigger, requiring you to pull a trigger on the bottom and on the top of the handle at the very same time. This makes the trimmer a bit more secure in case you forget to put it away when done with it.
There are still a few other features that remain unchanged from the 24v version. Things like that you do not have to “bump” the bottom of the string trimmer to get more string out and the easy switch from trimmer to edger are right there like last time. I truly believed these were terrific in the 24v version, so I am especially happy that they didn’t eliminate them for no reason. While the general size of the 40v trimmer is bigger than the 24v one, it still divides apart in the middle for easy transport and storage. The String Trimmer has a good fast detach– just a couple of turns and it is all taken care of. There is one final thing that is primarily the same, which is the charger. It may have a different shape to manage the larger 40v battery, but it still takes an extremely short quantity of time to charge a battery from dead to complete– they state ninety minutes, but in my experience it took more like seventy.
Editor’s Score:
[ranking:5/ 5]
Perfect
The Bottom Line: Just like in the past, this is as ideal of an experience that I have actually had with a string trimmer– only now it is larger, badder, and longer long lasting than ever before.
Pros:
- Lasts a lot longer than the 24v model, makings it best if you have a bigger yard to look after
- Still exceptionally peaceful in relation to the other trimmers that are out there
- Every con I listed on the 24v variation has been totally taken care of
Cons:
- They put a location to attach a shoulder strap, but do not include one for use for some strange reason
- Honest to God I can not note a single other con with this model– it works THAT great (which is more than I have ever stated for other product).
Like all other RYOBI tools, you can get a 40v String Trimmer of your own at the Home Depot for $169.00— I believe the Home Depot’s site needs updating however since it is not noted on it (although the String Trimmer is available in stores).
