I didn't notice that much difference in vibration from my full crank gas Echo SRM-225, but then again I wasn't using them back to back. I do think it will have more vibration than the older Ryobi string trimmers that have the motor down at the cutting head, because there's a rotating drive shaft running through the handle on this one. Next time I cut the grass, I'll make sure to run my gas trimmer and this one back to back and give an update.
I tested the brushless Ryobi back to back with my Echo SRM-225 gas string trimmer this weekend. Unfortunately going just by feel, the Echo actually had less vibration than the Ryobi. I took some vibration measurements using my phone as well, and I'll try to post an update video soon with more details.
Trimmers with commercial grade engines tend to be much better balanced and vibrate less, but ultimately it helps to wear padded gloves if trimming for very long, which is something you cannot do with a cordless trimmer anyway, unless you have a huge investment in spare batteries. The absolute worst for vibration are the cheapest small gas models with the string head that has string only coming out one side. All cordless trimmers will have much less vibration than those.
Outside of my main zero turn riding mower, I am moving to all battery powered yard tools. Once my trimmer comes tomorrow. I will have 4 amp 18v batteries and 3 chargers, so I should be good to do whatever I need to do. I went with the 18v system for all of my tools. Hopefully that will be plenty of power for a regular homeowner.
Thanks for your review. I stood in front of it (at the store), watched your review and then bought it. It’s looks good. First non-gas trimmer I’ve ever gotten. I bought a spare battery too.
Thank you so much for this awesome video. I've had this same unit for a while and was a little unclear on the instructions for the line replacement. One trimmer I had was so difficult to deal with, I replaced it with a blade & that was a problem when you trim around a lot of small rocks, it throws twice as much debris into your legs. As you describe this trimmer is super EZ & a great tool.
this caught my eye the other day because of the straight shaft and the gearbox on the head, not a curved shaft like most homeowner weedeaters. Glad to know its a good product. they have a battery powered riding mower now too.
Agreed - by placing the motor in the back and having a gearbox at the head, the trimmer is less likely to get debris or moisture in the motor and have a premature death. I saw the battery powered mower in person last time I was at my local HD. However, it's way too expensive and unproven for me to consider taking the plunge on that. It's twice the price of some of the cheaper riding mowers out there that offer similar or greater cutting width. At least this trimmer is still around the same price point of mid-range gas powered trimmers.
Yeah but their electric riding mower is $2700 and a flimsy piece of junk. Getting a $300 used gas riding mower would outlast it, mow about 40% faster (wider deck) and use fairly standardized parts in stock at local dealers. I can "barely" see a good case for a cordless push mower but riding mower? Not so much.
Have owned one of these for close to three years, great trimmer. I went from the .080 line to .065 line, got about 15 more feet of line in the head, and saw hardly any difference in performance or quality of cut. I use mine every week and found the "low" power setting to be great, and got about 30 to 35 minutes of run time. Got a 6 amo battery and saw about 45 minutes of run time.
That thing looks pretty sweet. It appears to have better power than the 40v one I tried a couple years ago. I think I'll have to get one this summer. Thanks for the review.
Yeah, I'd been on the fence for a long time about cordless string trimmers. I figured I'd let the first few generations get all the kinks and performance issues worked out, and I'm glad I finally decided to try this one.
Great review. Very thorough. Answered everything I needed to know. Even your comparison between different manufacturers was helpful. The video was a bit long, but I can't see how you would have been able to shorten it with how thorough you were, so no complaints here about that. I liked the review so much, I subscribed. Good job and thanks.
My bump head for my 137R which is still working fine wore out after 16 years of use 9 months a year only because I bumped it on concrete as after the head had some wear it sometimes would not catch on grass especially if wet and it spools out faster. And they have a replacement for around $6. The 137r which is corded also has a high low which allows better control and also is needed for use with the blower head. I never use it on high blasts everything into next week.
I've made some modifications to mine. I relocated the string cutter to get a larger diameter cut and faster tip speed. I'm also using 12 ft. of .095 rhinotuff string in it (10 ft. of .080 is the maximum length and diameter) It works great with the larger than recommended diameter string (plenty of power!)
I own this same trimmer and I really like it but after only 4 uses it started giving me problems. It first started on the 4th use when I noticed the head would continue spinning after releasing the trigger. The head wasn't spinning at full speed, just a slow spin. I took the battery out and put it back in and had the same problem. The battery was down to just one bar so I charged it and tried again but this time it didn't work at all. One thing I noticed was when I initially insert the battery the head turns just a little, so I held the trigger as I inserted the battery and the trimmer spun right up to speed but as soon as you let go of the trigger again it wouldn't restart on the second squeeze. Needless to say I returned it to Home Depot for a hassle free exchange after 52 days of ownership and I hope I don't have anymore problems with the new one. A word on the exchange, the new one came with a different charger, the first trimmer came with an P118 Dual Chemistry IntelliPort Battery Charger the second one came with a plan jane charger and I had to go back to Home Depot and get my old charger from them! Check the box first, they tell you which chargers they come with and my store had both.
Well my new exchanged trimmer started doing the same thing after just one use! It pissed me off so much I returned it along with the 18 volt cordless edger and the two new 4ah HP batteries I just ordered. Ryobi has NEVER been known for making high quality stuff and that hasn't changed. I'm done with Ryobi's 18 volt ONE+ system. @@DoresoomReviews
I just bought this trimmer. 2 major problems to an otherwise excellent trimmer. 1- vibration, this shouldn't vibrate as much as my old gas trimmer. It's a straight shaft but they still use a flex cable to link the motor to the head. When your spinning at a higher RPM the shaft has enough play inside to wobble around. Is this setup better then having the motor in the head?? 2 - in order to connect the to halves of the trimmer together you have to tighten down two screw heads that press on the inner metal on the lower half of the trimmer. The metal gets weakened over time and your trimmer won't stay together.
Agree with you on the vibration. It wasn't super noticeable at first, since when I reviewed this it was the first mow of the season. But back to back with my Echo SRM-225, it's really apparent the Ryobi vibrates a lot more.
I have a gas powered Ryobi expand-it trimmer, so am used to the vibration. It has the exact same driveshaft and flex cable as the 18v brushless. For the expand-it accessories to work, it needs the motor at the top and the flex cable. However, since the 18v doesn't support the expand-it accessories, the only advantage of having the motor at the top is that it keeps the motor up out of the dust. Agree on the crappy way the top and bottom join with just the screws pressing on the metal. The expand-it connection is much better with a spring loaded locating pin and a clamp that goes all the way around the shaft. Don't know why they didn't use it on the 18v brushless unless it was a marketing decision to avoid taking sales from their 40v expand-it trimmers. The expand-it accessories actually do fit into the 18v brushless trimmer, but they just have a round tube without the rectangular stampings. Hard to securely clamp them in. The drive shaft socket and square end on the flex cable seem to be exactly the same. So far I have just tried the expand-it blower and just held it in by hand, but it seemed to work fine. May have to work up some kind of clamp so I can use my expand-it blower and hedge trimmer with the 18v brushless.
The variable speed does not add inefficiencies it just adds cost haha. When the 9 amp hour batteries come in stock you should pick one of those up for this thing and itll make it a beast! Great video man!
excellent video! I was thinking about getting one of these or the Milwaukee but the price for the Milwaukee is just to high for what I'm using it for. another good review great job
Yeah, for routine yard work this Ryobi is awesome, and comes in at a great price. If you're clearing heavy brush though, it looks like the Milwaukee will get you a lot closer to gas powered (I haven't used the Milwaukee myself though).
You mention the guard bogging down on the grass a bit, so I wondered, is it possible to reposition the guard slightly further up the shaft? ALSO,.. I thought you would trying the line feed system while running it to see how good it was. Alas, no mention made of this. One more thing,.. it would have been good to hear your thoughts on the slower speed setting,.. again no mention made of this. Still scratching my head on the tool and may need to see a few more reviews to get the full picture.
I don't think the guard can be moved - it needs to stay where it is so it can cut the line to length. The line feed system works great. The only line I had tangle in it was a star shaped cross section. Hexagonal and round line worked without problem. I don't ever use the slow speed setting. It felt like it made me slow down how fast I swung the head, and the only reason to use it is to conserve battery. I have plenty of those, so zero need for slow speed. I've switched to EGO since this review just because I wanted all my OPE on the same platform. If you're definitely going Ryobi 18V, I'd take a look at the brushless 18V power head for their Expand-It system that came out after I did this review.
I bought a milwaukee battery trimmer and it has been a POS ever since. It only runs 10-15 min on low and they replaced the battery 2 times and still a pain! I have 2 ryobi trimmers but they need new motors. Might try this.
It is a pretty good trimmer with plenty of power. After using it for the past year and a half, my only real complaint is that it has relatively high vibration.
Very nice review one comment though. You do *_not_* want to buy an extra 4Ah battery. Why? Because you can get two for the same price! I fail to see any logic in Ryobi's pricing scheme, but that's how they roll.
You're right, and I have no idea why they price them that way. My local HD actually has the two pack at $89 right now, and the single for $99. They're even right next to each other on the shelf, so they'll never sell the single battery packs.
That's an awesome deal! Of course you didn't get the 4Ah, or even the info-lithium batteries, but you can't get a combo like that anywhere else for that low a price - not even a Power Fist kit ;-p
Excellent review!!! I was impressed with the first run with mine and checked for reviews and no need for me to post after seeing yours. Side note, the vibration worried me at first but you didn't mention it in your review. Did you experience heavy vibration on your first run? And if so, did it get better or worse? It wasn't unbearable and did seem to get better as the first run ran for me. Just curious.
The vibration is definitely is on the higher side for this string trimmer, but not enough that I think it's uncomfortable. I only really noticed when I ran it back to back with my gas Echo, which has less vibration. I haven't noticed a change in vibration level with mine though.
Mine runs for 10 min. then overheats and shuts down. Like a blow dryer that runs to long. The one I bought yesterday at Home Depot did exactly the same thing. That's 2 in a row. Taking it back this afternoon for a different Brand name. Called Ryobi and they say they can do nothing, and never heard of the problem before. Then when i explained i have seen other people say the exact same thing they hung up on me.BTW, I already have a ton of Compatible Ryobi gear/batteries. Mine was used for my yard only (not in an abusive manner) In a typical deeded community , so the grass is not high.
I've never had that issue before. What type of the One+ batteries were you using with it? It could be an overtemp shutdown for the battery if you're using a slim pack like the P102 or P107. Otherwise I have no idea.
Doresoom Reviews The unit model was p2009. I tried it with three separate fully charged batteries(not slims , but all where identical batteries) the batteries never heated up, but both units did.When i say heated up, I don't mean smoke and high heat. I am talking about a clear and obvious shut down that was not battery related. All the batteries where near full charge when it shuts down. I even brought the unit inside in the air conditioning to get it cool. Ten min. was until the 1st shut down. After that the time got shorter and shorter.Down to 2 min.even with a full charge.
I just bought this model yesterday so I have high hopes. I did buy the OLT1830 only last week but it was faulty from the start, it kept feeding out too much line and the line trimmer blade did not trim it to the correct length. I had to take it back and get a refund.
I am trying to decide between this model and the 40v "Expand-it" trimmer. Both are almost identical in price and include 4.0ah batteries. The selling points of each one are (a) the 18v's brushless motor, and (b) the 40v's line of separate attachments. Are there any other significant reasons to choose one over the other?
If you're not into either battery system, and only plan on using Ryobi for lawn maintenance, I'd go with the 40V hands down. That battery platform is specifically designed for outdoor power equipment and will offer better runtime and power. If you think you might want to invest in the 18V lineup for other Ryobi hand tools as well, I'd go with the 18V brushless. You'll definitely need extra batteries though, so plan on another $100 to $120 for a 2 pack of 3Ah or 6Ah batteries.
@@DoresoomReviews Thanks! I went with this 18v model, mainly because I won't be doing too much heavy-duty trimming and the replacement/upgrade batteries are a lot cheaper. Oddly enough, the parts have changed slightly -- that wingnut that secures the "grass deflector" is now a flat-head screw. Very confusing because the box still uses an image of this original design, but it still assembles easily enough.
Why are you bumping up & down (helicopter style) on the grass as compared to sweeping back and forth like you would do with a gas trimmer? Is it lack of power or some problem with the string trimmer?
Without re-watching the video, I think I was avoiding the string catching on really thick clumps of grass and pulling the trimmer head sideways. I've used this without problem in pretty heavy weeds, but it still doesn't have quite the power that a gas trimmer will.
Does this Ryobi Brushless trimmer have the 2 extra contacts where the battery plugs into? You showed the brushless circular saw and it had 2 extra battery contacts for the new 6.0 and 9.0 batteries coming out. Thanks!
Surprisingly it doesn't have the extra contacts. I have the Ryobi brushless hammer drill, chainsaw, string trimmer, and circular saw. The only ones out of those four that have the extra contacts are the drill and the saw. That's weird, because the drill was the first 18V brushless tool they introduced, if I'm remembering correctly. Maybe it's an outdoor power equipment tool line decision not to have them?
I haven't used the 40V myself, but Fernbark has done an excellent comparison between the 18V brushless and the 40V on his channel: ruclips.net/video/icVnhGpNSrA/видео.html I like having the same 18V battery platform for both outdoor power equipment and regular power tools though, and Ryobi 40V is just OPE.
@@DoresoomReviews if I remember correctly the 40-volt unit can take the heavier string and also the interchangeable tool heads. I have a collection of Ryobi attachments and I am torn between the 18-volt because it's lighter weight and I have arthritis in my shoulders, and 40 volt which weighs is almost as much as my 4 stroke Ryobi string trimmer trimmer. For those of you that have never used the 4-stroke Ryobi things that I like about it are it is for stroke, the exhaust tone is less annoying than two stroke and it does require separate gas supply from my regular mower. The one thing I dislike about it is it leaks oil. I haven't figure it out why it leaks but it has since I got it. It's not quite as powerful as two strokes but in my applications over the years I haven't really needed the difference in power.
I can't tell much of a difference between the 4Ah and 6Ah performance, other than runtime. I did end up with the tool overheating during heavy use with the 9Ah battery though. It just stopped working until it cooled down, even when I switched out batteries. So it can't keep up with what the 9Ah can output if you're going through really heavy weeds.
Still works great. I've found that it's possible to overheat it while using a 9Ah battery in very heavy weeds, but other than that, no complaints on performance. As for ergonomics, I can tell vibration is a little higher than most other string trimmers I've used. It's mostly evident when I use them back-to-back though. I did just replace it this year with a 56V EGO string trimmer though, since most of my other OPE was on their platform. The extra power that one had made me comfortable getting rid of my gas string trimmer altogether.
Higher Amp hour batteries can supply more current, and therefore more power. I think I've covered the topic pretty thoroughly in these videos: ruclips.net/video/8WidbNunPXY/видео.html ruclips.net/video/kKmW_M6FNtw/видео.html ruclips.net/video/Qf3_WJqg8mg/видео.html ruclips.net/video/SDIoKAiESNQ/видео.html
I do still recommend it. The only complaint I've really noticed with extended use is that the vibration for the Ryobi is noticeably worse than my Echo SRM-225 when I use them back to back.
Id get this vs the non-brushless models. In fact, I am getting one. Just wish it'd work as good with the smaller p107 batteries I already have for my drill, circular saw, and angle grinder. But after cutting off sway bar end links with my angle grinder, it'd probably work decently with the smaller battery. I was able to cut both off with the smaller battery. I'll be comparing prices of the combo kit with large battery, vs without. If I need to spend extra for the larger battery, if my smaller ones don't last long, vs the combo...well, purchase decision is pretty obvious. Probably get the combo, and sell the charger in eBay, since my current charger is a better model than what this comes with.
Were you doing continuous running at full speed the whole time? I was walking from spot to spot in my yard, without the trimmer running 100% of the time as I mentioned. So maybe 66% duty cycle. Could be that running continuously heats the battery up it loses efficiency too.
why do they bother to make two speeds nothing but junk. another ornament for my garage. they can take ryobi products and send them where the sun don,t shine just another waste of money. @@DoresoomReviews
I wonder wats the price for this for just the bare tool I need to upgrade my hybrid one hopefully they start making brushless tools like a grinder also good thing I got 2 4.0 batteries
I'm not sure how much of a price break they'll offer if they do decide to provide a bare tool option, but I'd guess the bare tool would be priced between $109 and $139. It looks like their older One+ models top out around $79 bare tool. I couldn't find any string trimmer kits that came with a P108 to compare, but I did find their P261 impact wrench for $119 bare tool, and $129 for the P1890 kit. That's a disappointingly low discount for skipping out on another $50 battery - I think I'd just pay an extra $10 for another spare at that point.
Well, I guess it's good to be wrong sometimes - Home Depot just listed it for $99 bare tool! www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-String-Trimmer-Battery-and-Charger-Not-Included-P2009A/300774133
Yeah, I've used the 6Ah and 9Ah in this too. With the 9Ah, I actually ended up overheating the string trimmer in thick weeds though. It shut down for 5-10 minutes, then it ran fine again.
Doresoom Reviews I have invested a lot in ryobi I just bought it I'm impressed and got a extended warranty so now I'm covered for three years from ryobi and 2 from Home Depot after the 3 years so hope it will last
Reputable power tool brands' lithium ion batteries have lots of protections built in, and are much more rugged than the cheap "hoverboard" batteries that make it on the news for spontaneously combusting. Still a good idea not to store them right next to fuel though.
A lithium battery fire can ignite *most* combustible materials as easily as gas or oil in their proper containers. Store the batteries in a metal ammo can if you like, but that's not a good place to charge them as the charger will have better ventilation sitting out in open air on a bench... maybe sitting in a large frying pan on the bench.
That's crazy you got two in a row with that problem. I wonder if the serial numbers on them were sequential - maybe they screwed something up in a production run.
got the same problem -new batterys 18 volt 0.4h and it is a piece of junk --it has all to do just to cut grass when it,n not cutting out ---never buy ryobi again
What model, since they have different energy storage capacities. This will work best with a P108 4Ah battery. Smaller slim packs like the P102 won't provide as much power or run time as the high capacity packs, although I'd expect it to go more than 3 minutes.
i was wondering about this ,i had Ryobi replace mine,it would run 5 min.and shut down with full battery,,replacement did same but i do have guard off,,will put it on and try thanks !!!!
I have two ryobi trimmers , I bought the bigger trimmer ladt fall the charger quit it won't charge. The smaller cordless the battery dies quickly. Sorry I bought these junk.
That was my original thought when battery powered string trimmers started being released quite a while ago. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this newer brushless one. Like I said in the video, for normal lawn maintenance of mowing every 1-2 weeks, I think this would be fine for my 1/2 acre yard if I had 2+ 4Ah batteries. Every now and then I get lazy and let it grow too much though, which is why I'm still keeping my gas string trimmer.
Most average urban home lots should be more than adequate with the 4A battery. Might even gets away with the 1.5 A battery. Remember it's a trimmer not a mower.
i have 3 old ones -24 volt -greatest unit ever made never had a problem with them when after so many years the motors burnt out --up until that happened you can, find batteries or motors for them --ryobi made sure when the unit died it couldn,t be re-paired. --ps there was a rebuilt battery on e-bay for 142 dollars. thanks again ryobi @@DoresoomReviews
Doubt it has more power with the bigger pack. All it means is longer run time. It has 2 sets because it's a 4ah and the 2ah only has one set because its half the ah. They are both still 18v one+ batteries
I've shown that different battery types on the same platform output different amounts of power multiple times on my channel. Here's one example for Ryobi: ruclips.net/video/Qf3_WJqg8mg/видео.html Here's one for M18: ruclips.net/video/Tgodx4h5gIs/видео.html
![[WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY] Ryobi 18v One+ 10" String Trimmer Review - 2021](/img/1.gif)
What's the vibration like on this? Struggle to use a fuel strimmer due to vibration causing pain after time
I didn't notice that much difference in vibration from my full crank gas Echo SRM-225, but then again I wasn't using them back to back. I do think it will have more vibration than the older Ryobi string trimmers that have the motor down at the cutting head, because there's a rotating drive shaft running through the handle on this one.
Next time I cut the grass, I'll make sure to run my gas trimmer and this one back to back and give an update.
I tested the brushless Ryobi back to back with my Echo SRM-225 gas string trimmer this weekend. Unfortunately going just by feel, the Echo actually had less vibration than the Ryobi. I took some vibration measurements using my phone as well, and I'll try to post an update video soon with more details.
Those are certainly interesting results. Thanks for doing that!
I just bought this trimmer today (June 3, 2018) I noticed substantially more vibration with it.
Trimmers with commercial grade engines tend to be much better balanced and vibrate less, but ultimately it helps to wear padded gloves if trimming for very long, which is something you cannot do with a cordless trimmer anyway, unless you have a huge investment in spare batteries. The absolute worst for vibration are the cheapest small gas models with the string head that has string only coming out one side. All cordless trimmers will have much less vibration than those.
Outside of my main zero turn riding mower, I am moving to all battery powered yard tools. Once my trimmer comes tomorrow. I will have 4 amp 18v batteries and 3 chargers, so I should be good to do whatever I need to do. I went with the 18v system for all of my tools. Hopefully that will be plenty of power for a regular homeowner.
Thanks for your review. I stood in front of it (at the store), watched your review and then bought it. It’s looks good. First non-gas trimmer I’ve ever gotten. I bought a spare battery too.
Thank you so much for this awesome video. I've had this same unit for a while and was a little unclear on the instructions for the line replacement. One trimmer I had was so difficult to deal with, I replaced it with a blade & that was a problem when you trim around a lot of small rocks, it throws twice as much debris into your legs. As you describe this trimmer is super EZ & a great tool.
U can also use tht .095 in this trimmer, it’ll just go through battery faster. Sadly
this caught my eye the other day because of the straight shaft and the gearbox on the head, not a curved shaft like most homeowner weedeaters. Glad to know its a good product. they have a battery powered riding mower now too.
Agreed - by placing the motor in the back and having a gearbox at the head, the trimmer is less likely to get debris or moisture in the motor and have a premature death.
I saw the battery powered mower in person last time I was at my local HD. However, it's way too expensive and unproven for me to consider taking the plunge on that. It's twice the price of some of the cheaper riding mowers out there that offer similar or greater cutting width. At least this trimmer is still around the same price point of mid-range gas powered trimmers.
Yeah but their electric riding mower is $2700 and a flimsy piece of junk. Getting a $300 used gas riding mower would outlast it, mow about 40% faster (wider deck) and use fairly standardized parts in stock at local dealers. I can "barely" see a good case for a cordless push mower but riding mower? Not so much.
Have owned one of these for close to three years, great trimmer. I went from the .080 line to .065 line, got about 15 more feet of line in the head, and saw hardly any difference in performance or quality of cut. I use mine every week and found the "low" power setting to be great, and got about 30 to 35 minutes of run time. Got a 6 amo battery and saw about 45 minutes of run time.
Thorough review, thanks for walking through the setup and use. I think this will be my next trimmer
That thing looks pretty sweet. It appears to have better power than the 40v one I tried a couple years ago. I think I'll have to get one this summer. Thanks for the review.
Yeah, I'd been on the fence for a long time about cordless string trimmers. I figured I'd let the first few generations get all the kinks and performance issues worked out, and I'm glad I finally decided to try this one.
Great review. Very thorough. Answered everything I needed to know. Even your comparison between different manufacturers was helpful. The video was a bit long, but I can't see how you would have been able to shorten it with how thorough you were, so no complaints here about that. I liked the review so much, I subscribed. Good job and thanks.
This is the best weed wacker I have owned. I combine my battery with my ryobi lawn mower.
Thank you for a great review and demonstration. I bought one today and this answered all my questions. Trying it out tomorrow.
Fyi lithium ion batteries have a controller board. The board has temperature sensors. This prevents over heating and controls the charge cycle.
My bump head for my 137R which is still working fine wore out after 16 years of use 9 months a year only because I bumped it on concrete as after the head had some wear it sometimes would not catch on grass especially if wet and it spools out faster. And they have a replacement for around $6. The 137r which is corded also has a high low which allows better control and also is needed for use with the blower head. I never use it on high blasts everything into next week.
I've made some modifications to mine. I relocated the string cutter to get a larger diameter cut and faster tip speed. I'm also using 12 ft. of .095 rhinotuff string in it (10 ft. of .080 is the maximum length and diameter) It works great with the larger than recommended diameter string (plenty of power!)
Great info!
I own this same trimmer and I really like it but after only 4 uses it started giving me problems. It first started on the 4th use when I noticed the head would continue spinning after releasing the trigger. The head wasn't spinning at full speed, just a slow spin. I took the battery out and put it back in and had the same problem. The battery was down to just one bar so I charged it and tried again but this time it didn't work at all. One thing I noticed was when I initially insert the battery the head turns just a little, so I held the trigger as I inserted the battery and the trimmer spun right up to speed but as soon as you let go of the trigger again it wouldn't restart on the second squeeze. Needless to say I returned it to Home Depot for a hassle free exchange after 52 days of ownership and I hope I don't have anymore problems with the new one.
A word on the exchange, the new one came with a different charger, the first trimmer came with an P118 Dual Chemistry IntelliPort Battery Charger the second one came with a plan jane charger and I had to go back to Home Depot and get my old charger from them! Check the box first, they tell you which chargers they come with and my store had both.
Definitely sounds like something was wrong with the first one. Glad you got a hassle free exchange!
Well my new exchanged trimmer started doing the same thing after just one use! It pissed me off so much I returned it along with the 18 volt cordless edger and the two new 4ah HP batteries I just ordered. Ryobi has NEVER been known for making high quality stuff and that hasn't changed. I'm done with Ryobi's 18 volt ONE+ system. @@DoresoomReviews
I just bought this trimmer. 2 major problems to an otherwise excellent trimmer. 1- vibration, this shouldn't vibrate as much as my old gas trimmer. It's a straight shaft but they still use a flex cable to link the motor to the head. When your spinning at a higher RPM the shaft has enough play inside to wobble around. Is this setup better then having the motor in the head??
2 - in order to connect the to halves of the trimmer together you have to tighten down two screw heads that press on the inner metal on the lower half of the trimmer. The metal gets weakened over time and your trimmer won't stay together.
Agree with you on the vibration. It wasn't super noticeable at first, since when I reviewed this it was the first mow of the season. But back to back with my Echo SRM-225, it's really apparent the Ryobi vibrates a lot more.
I have a gas powered Ryobi expand-it trimmer, so am used to the vibration. It has the exact same driveshaft and flex cable as the 18v brushless. For the expand-it accessories to work, it needs the motor at the top and the flex cable. However, since the 18v doesn't support the expand-it accessories, the only advantage of having the motor at the top is that it keeps the motor up out of the dust.
Agree on the crappy way the top and bottom join with just the screws pressing on the metal. The expand-it connection is much better with a spring loaded locating pin and a clamp that goes all the way around the shaft. Don't know why they didn't use it on the 18v brushless unless it was a marketing decision to avoid taking sales from their 40v expand-it trimmers.
The expand-it accessories actually do fit into the 18v brushless trimmer, but they just have a round tube without the rectangular stampings. Hard to securely clamp them in. The drive shaft socket and square end on the flex cable seem to be exactly the same. So far I have just tried the expand-it blower and just held it in by hand, but it seemed to work fine. May have to work up some kind of clamp so I can use my expand-it blower and hedge trimmer with the 18v brushless.
I know this is a late reply but I ended up returning it. I purchased the kobalt 24 volt max brushless model for the same price as the Ryobi.
Ignore my question re edging. I watched your excellent review one more time. Thanks!!
The variable speed does not add inefficiencies it just adds cost haha. When the 9 amp hour batteries come in stock you should pick one of those up for this thing and itll make it a beast! Great video man!
Thanks for a really thoughtful and thorough review. Much appreciated.
Great review!
Thank you. You covered everything in detail and answered all my questions.
excellent video! I was thinking about getting one of these or the Milwaukee but the price for the Milwaukee is just to high for what I'm using it for. another good review great job
Yeah, for routine yard work this Ryobi is awesome, and comes in at a great price. If you're clearing heavy brush though, it looks like the Milwaukee will get you a lot closer to gas powered (I haven't used the Milwaukee myself though).
You mention the guard bogging down on the grass a bit, so I wondered, is it possible to reposition the guard slightly further up the shaft? ALSO,.. I thought you would trying the line feed system while running it to see how good it was. Alas, no mention made of this. One more thing,.. it would have been good to hear your thoughts on the slower speed setting,.. again no mention made of this. Still scratching my head on the tool and may need to see a few more reviews to get the full picture.
I don't think the guard can be moved - it needs to stay where it is so it can cut the line to length.
The line feed system works great. The only line I had tangle in it was a star shaped cross section. Hexagonal and round line worked without problem.
I don't ever use the slow speed setting. It felt like it made me slow down how fast I swung the head, and the only reason to use it is to conserve battery. I have plenty of those, so zero need for slow speed.
I've switched to EGO since this review just because I wanted all my OPE on the same platform. If you're definitely going Ryobi 18V, I'd take a look at the brushless 18V power head for their Expand-It system that came out after I did this review.
Seems like a good deal. Wish it would take the different heads. That is the only reason I haven't switched from my 4 stroke.
Good review!!
They now have also come out with 6ah batteries too. Correct me if I’m wrong!
...yep. ruclips.net/video/Qf3_WJqg8mg/видео.html
Great video. Buying mine this week
- Nice shirt!
- Flight Medic from SC
Glad you like the video!
I got that AMTC shirt a few years back when I worked for a helicopter vibration diagnostic company. Small world!
I bought a milwaukee battery trimmer and it has been a POS ever since. It only runs 10-15 min on low and they replaced the battery 2 times and still a pain! I have 2 ryobi trimmers but they need new motors. Might try this.
This trimmer is amazing!!
It is a pretty good trimmer with plenty of power. After using it for the past year and a half, my only real complaint is that it has relatively high vibration.
Very nice review one comment though. You do *_not_* want to buy an extra 4Ah battery. Why? Because you can get two for the same price! I fail to see any logic in Ryobi's pricing scheme, but that's how they roll.
You're right, and I have no idea why they price them that way. My local HD actually has the two pack at $89 right now, and the single for $99. They're even right next to each other on the shelf, so they'll never sell the single battery packs.
I just bought a combo drill and impact driver with two batteries and a charger in Canada which is way more expensive for $99
That's an awesome deal! Of course you didn't get the 4Ah, or even the info-lithium batteries, but you can't get a combo like that anywhere else for that low a price - not even a Power Fist kit ;-p
Excellent review!!! I was impressed with the first run with mine and checked for reviews and no need for me to post after seeing yours. Side note, the vibration worried me at first but you didn't mention it in your review. Did you experience heavy vibration on your first run? And if so, did it get better or worse? It wasn't unbearable and did seem to get better as the first run ran for me. Just curious.
The vibration is definitely is on the higher side for this string trimmer, but not enough that I think it's uncomfortable. I only really noticed when I ran it back to back with my gas Echo, which has less vibration. I haven't noticed a change in vibration level with mine though.
Mine runs for 10 min. then overheats and shuts down. Like a blow dryer that runs to long. The one I bought yesterday at Home Depot did exactly the same thing. That's 2 in a row. Taking it back this afternoon for a different Brand name. Called Ryobi and they say they can do nothing, and never heard of the problem before. Then when i explained i have seen other people say the exact same thing they hung up on me.BTW, I already have a ton of Compatible Ryobi gear/batteries. Mine was used for my yard only (not in an abusive manner) In a typical deeded community , so the grass is not high.
I've never had that issue before. What type of the One+ batteries were you using with it? It could be an overtemp shutdown for the battery if you're using a slim pack like the P102 or P107. Otherwise I have no idea.
Doresoom Reviews The unit model was p2009. I tried it with three separate fully charged batteries(not slims , but all where identical batteries) the batteries never heated up, but both units did.When i say heated up, I don't mean smoke and high heat. I am talking about a clear and obvious shut down that was not battery related. All the batteries where near full charge when it shuts down. I even brought the unit inside in the air conditioning to get it cool. Ten min. was until the 1st shut down. After that the time got shorter and shorter.Down to 2 min.even with a full charge.
Definitely sound like defective units then. Ryobi must be having a quality control issue with these.
Same thing with me taking mines back tomorrow aswell weed eater sucks
I just bought this model yesterday so I have high hopes. I did buy the OLT1830 only last week but it was faulty from the start, it kept feeding out too much line and the line trimmer blade did not trim it to the correct length. I had to take it back and get a refund.
I am trying to decide between this model and the 40v "Expand-it" trimmer. Both are almost identical in price and include 4.0ah batteries. The selling points of each one are (a) the 18v's brushless motor, and (b) the 40v's line of separate attachments. Are there any other significant reasons to choose one over the other?
If you're not into either battery system, and only plan on using Ryobi for lawn maintenance, I'd go with the 40V hands down. That battery platform is specifically designed for outdoor power equipment and will offer better runtime and power.
If you think you might want to invest in the 18V lineup for other Ryobi hand tools as well, I'd go with the 18V brushless. You'll definitely need extra batteries though, so plan on another $100 to $120 for a 2 pack of 3Ah or 6Ah batteries.
@@DoresoomReviews Thanks! I went with this 18v model, mainly because I won't be doing too much heavy-duty trimming and the replacement/upgrade batteries are a lot cheaper. Oddly enough, the parts have changed slightly -- that wingnut that secures the "grass deflector" is now a flat-head screw. Very confusing because the box still uses an image of this original design, but it still assembles easily enough.
Why are you bumping up & down (helicopter style) on the grass as compared to sweeping back and forth like you would do with a gas trimmer? Is it lack of power or some problem with the string trimmer?
Without re-watching the video, I think I was avoiding the string catching on really thick clumps of grass and pulling the trimmer head sideways. I've used this without problem in pretty heavy weeds, but it still doesn't have quite the power that a gas trimmer will.
Does this Ryobi Brushless trimmer have the 2 extra contacts where the battery plugs into? You showed the brushless circular saw and it had 2 extra battery contacts for the new 6.0 and 9.0 batteries coming out. Thanks!
Surprisingly it doesn't have the extra contacts. I have the Ryobi brushless hammer drill, chainsaw, string trimmer, and circular saw. The only ones out of those four that have the extra contacts are the drill and the saw. That's weird, because the drill was the first 18V brushless tool they introduced, if I'm remembering correctly. Maybe it's an outdoor power equipment tool line decision not to have them?
Doresoom Reviews Thanks for the info!
Excellent review!!
Thx!
I see they also have a 40 v trimmer for about the same price...is this more powerful?
Any thoughts on the 18 vs 40?
I haven't used the 40V myself, but Fernbark has done an excellent comparison between the 18V brushless and the 40V on his channel: ruclips.net/video/icVnhGpNSrA/видео.html
I like having the same 18V battery platform for both outdoor power equipment and regular power tools though, and Ryobi 40V is just OPE.
@@DoresoomReviews if I remember correctly the 40-volt unit can take the heavier string and also the interchangeable tool heads. I have a collection of Ryobi attachments and I am torn between the 18-volt because it's lighter weight and I have arthritis in my shoulders, and 40 volt which weighs is almost as much as my 4 stroke Ryobi string trimmer trimmer. For those of you that have never used the 4-stroke Ryobi things that I like about it are it is for stroke, the exhaust tone is less annoying than two stroke and it does require separate gas supply from my regular mower. The one thing I dislike about it is it leaks oil. I haven't figure it out why it leaks but it has since I got it. It's not quite as powerful as two strokes but in my applications over the years I haven't really needed the difference in power.
Have you tried this now with the HP batteries designed to work with brushless motors and what kind improvement does it provide if any? Thanks, Jason
I can't tell much of a difference between the 4Ah and 6Ah performance, other than runtime. I did end up with the tool overheating during heavy use with the 9Ah battery though. It just stopped working until it cooled down, even when I switched out batteries. So it can't keep up with what the 9Ah can output if you're going through really heavy weeds.
@@DoresoomReviews Thanks for the update
What is a brushless trimmer? Saw that notation on the outside of the box at a Home Depot?
It has a brushless motor, which is more efficient and powerful than a standard brushed motor.
excellent review
Thank you for this!
Glad I could help!
Great review thanks.
My handle broke today have you replaced yours by any chance?
I don't have mine anymore. I used it for a few years with no problems, then switched to EGO since all my other yard equipment was on that platform.
ok, its now been three years since you've had it..... so how is it NOW?????????????
Still works great. I've found that it's possible to overheat it while using a 9Ah battery in very heavy weeds, but other than that, no complaints on performance. As for ergonomics, I can tell vibration is a little higher than most other string trimmers I've used. It's mostly evident when I use them back-to-back though.
I did just replace it this year with a 56V EGO string trimmer though, since most of my other OPE was on their platform. The extra power that one had made me comfortable getting rid of my gas string trimmer altogether.
Maybe I missed it but how do you use it as an edger? Do you just rotate head and/or whole unit?
Turn the whole unit on its side. To help make it easier to hold, loosen and rotate the forward handle 90° before tightening it back down.
18 volts is the power the amp hours will determine run time not power, that is just how electricity works
Higher Amp hour batteries can supply more current, and therefore more power. I think I've covered the topic pretty thoroughly in these videos: ruclips.net/video/8WidbNunPXY/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/kKmW_M6FNtw/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/Qf3_WJqg8mg/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/SDIoKAiESNQ/видео.html
I think mine is defective. It wont cut anything.
Since it has been a year do you still recommend this cordless string trimmer?
I do still recommend it. The only complaint I've really noticed with extended use is that the vibration for the Ryobi is noticeably worse than my Echo SRM-225 when I use them back to back.
Id get this vs the non-brushless models. In fact, I am getting one.
Just wish it'd work as good with the smaller p107 batteries I already have for my drill, circular saw, and angle grinder.
But after cutting off sway bar end links with my angle grinder, it'd probably work decently with the smaller battery. I was able to cut both off with the smaller battery.
I'll be comparing prices of the combo kit with large battery, vs without. If I need to spend extra for the larger battery, if my smaller ones don't last long, vs the combo...well, purchase decision is pretty obvious.
Probably get the combo, and sell the charger in eBay, since my current charger is a better model than what this comes with.
After hearing runtime with the larger p108 battery, I'll be getting the combo and sell the charger.
I have the entry level 18V old brush trimmer. Little to no vibration. Adequately for most urban homes.
Very Nice 👍
I only got 10 min out of a 4ah battery. Dont see how you got 24.
Were you doing continuous running at full speed the whole time? I was walking from spot to spot in my yard, without the trimmer running 100% of the time as I mentioned. So maybe 66% duty cycle. Could be that running continuously heats the battery up it loses efficiency too.
why do they bother to make two speeds nothing but junk. another ornament for my garage. they can take ryobi products and send them where the sun don,t shine just another waste of money. @@DoresoomReviews
I wonder wats the price for this for just the bare tool I need to upgrade my hybrid one hopefully they start making brushless tools like a grinder also good thing I got 2 4.0 batteries
I'm not sure how much of a price break they'll offer if they do decide to provide a bare tool option, but I'd guess the bare tool would be priced between $109 and $139. It looks like their older One+ models top out around $79 bare tool. I couldn't find any string trimmer kits that came with a P108 to compare, but I did find their P261 impact wrench for $119 bare tool, and $129 for the P1890 kit. That's a disappointingly low discount for skipping out on another $50 battery - I think I'd just pay an extra $10 for another spare at that point.
Well, I guess it's good to be wrong sometimes - Home Depot just listed it for $99 bare tool!
www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-String-Trimmer-Battery-and-Charger-Not-Included-P2009A/300774133
Does this have the 4 metal contacts inside the battery slot in the unit?
I don't think it does. For some reason Ryobi left those off of their brushless OPE - not even the brushless chainsaw has them.
@@DoresoomReviews Will the higher capacity batteries still work in this if that's the case?
Yeah, I've used the 6Ah and 9Ah in this too. With the 9Ah, I actually ended up overheating the string trimmer in thick weeds though. It shut down for 5-10 minutes, then it ran fine again.
Nice!
If home Depot install like this?
Not sure what you're asking, sorry.
I love it I will neve go back to gas love it and I have 13 4ah batteries it will be good use for me and all my ryo I tools
thatsalotofbatteries
Doresoom Reviews I have invested a lot in ryobi I just bought it I'm impressed and got a extended warranty so now I'm covered for three years from ryobi and 2 from Home Depot after the 3 years so hope it will last
Thanks!
I just don't trust Lithium batteries especially near where I keep oil and gas.
Reputable power tool brands' lithium ion batteries have lots of protections built in, and are much more rugged than the cheap "hoverboard" batteries that make it on the news for spontaneously combusting. Still a good idea not to store them right next to fuel though.
A lithium battery fire can ignite *most* combustible materials as easily as gas or oil in their proper containers. Store the batteries in a metal ammo can if you like, but that's not a good place to charge them as the charger will have better ventilation sitting out in open air on a bench... maybe sitting in a large frying pan on the bench.
Anyone have this unit cut out after 5 minutes of use? I'm using the 4ah battery too. I returned it got another unit and it did the same thing.
I haven't had that issue at all. I can run it continuously until a 4Ah is drained, and then pop in another one and just keep going.
Damn! I guess I will have to try a third unit
That's crazy you got two in a row with that problem. I wonder if the serial numbers on them were sequential - maybe they screwed something up in a production run.
got the same problem -new batterys 18 volt 0.4h and it is a piece of junk --it has all to do just to cut grass when it,n not cutting out ---never buy ryobi again
Mine dies out in 3 min tops on high
What battery are you using?
Doresoom Reviews lithium 18v
What model, since they have different energy storage capacities. This will work best with a P108 4Ah battery. Smaller slim packs like the P102 won't provide as much power or run time as the high capacity packs, although I'd expect it to go more than 3 minutes.
do you have the guard installed? mine had the same symptoms until I installed the guard and now it doesn't cut out at all
i was wondering about this ,i had Ryobi replace mine,it would run 5 min.and shut down with full battery,,replacement did same but i do have guard off,,will put it on and try thanks !!!!
I have two ryobi trimmers , I bought the bigger trimmer ladt fall the charger quit it won't charge. The smaller cordless the battery dies quickly. Sorry I bought these junk.
You should be able to submit a warranty claim on the charger.
What size battery are you using on the 18V one? I wouldn't use anything under 4Ah.
my sheetto willdo better than that
lol
in do respect ryobi rules, try to start gas one in the winter
Any weed whacker with a battery is only going to be useful on a backyard the size of a shoebox.
That was my original thought when battery powered string trimmers started being released quite a while ago. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this newer brushless one. Like I said in the video, for normal lawn maintenance of mowing every 1-2 weeks, I think this would be fine for my 1/2 acre yard if I had 2+ 4Ah batteries.
Every now and then I get lazy and let it grow too much though, which is why I'm still keeping my gas string trimmer.
Bonnie just enough to trim along a small fence line. Not everyone has a large yard
Fair comment.
I stand corrected.
Most average urban home lots should be more than adequate with the 4A battery. Might even gets away with the 1.5 A battery.
Remember it's a trimmer not a mower.
Very cheaply made I have the old-style it seems to be better quality this new one looks like garbage
I guarantee you this one is more powerful than the older models. What in particular don't you like about it?
i have 3 old ones -24 volt -greatest unit ever made never had a problem with them when after so many years the motors burnt out --up until that happened you can, find batteries or motors for them --ryobi made sure when the unit died it couldn,t be re-paired. --ps there was a rebuilt battery on e-bay for 142 dollars. thanks again ryobi @@DoresoomReviews
Doubt it has more power with the bigger pack. All it means is longer run time. It has 2 sets because it's a 4ah and the 2ah only has one set because its half the ah. They are both still 18v one+ batteries
I've shown that different battery types on the same platform output different amounts of power multiple times on my channel.
Here's one example for Ryobi: ruclips.net/video/Qf3_WJqg8mg/видео.html
Here's one for M18: ruclips.net/video/Tgodx4h5gIs/видео.html