Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Grass Trimmer

The Ryobi RY40210, 40-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless String Trimmer/Edger is a beast. I have struggled with a Black & Decker, Ni-Cad, cordless grass trimmer for the last 7 years. My main complaints were low-power and short battery-life. Still, I tolerated it because I enjoyed the convenience of cordless, no-gas, easy and less, time-consuming start-up times. My third complaint, however, is something I have with 95% of all grass trimmers: the string line doesn’t always feed properly and seems to disappear way too quickly. My prior, gas-powered trimmer was way too heavy and burdensome, so I actually considered getting another electric, corded weed trimmer. Then, I asked myself a question: Do they make a lithium, ion cordless grass trimmer that is as powerful and impressive as the Milwaukee Impact Driver and Drill I purchased last February? Wouldn’t a battery-powered weed eater that was powerful and long-lasting enough be the perfect solution? Do they make such a thing?

Battery Powered Trimmers vs. Electrical Cord Grass Trimmers

The Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Grass Trimmer is replacing my Black and Decker Hedge Hog which just doesn’t hold much of a charge any more. My initial guess was that it would be more difficult to keep a grass trimmer running long and powerful enough since it requires more consistent operation than a drill or impact driver. With a drill or driver, you’re using only quick bursts of power where-as a grass trimmer requires long, sustained operation. I did some research and was surprised to find that there are a number of lithium-ion powered grass trimmers on the market that advertise a full 20-40 minutes of uninterrupted, full-power, grass-trimming operation. My Ni-Cad, Black and Decker only lasted 10 minutes per battery and was never all that powerful at full charge. But, if I could get a high-powered, long-lasting cordless trimmer, I concluded that was the superior way to go! Besides, I really only needed a good 30 minutes of full power to get a flawlessly trimmed lawn…or, so I thought. That was before I discovered the 40-Volt RY40210 trimmer by Ryobi.

Long Lasting Lithium Battery Power

To tell you the truth, I am unsure how long this battery will last because I have yet to even come close exhausting it. I spent at least 45 minutes using it on full power the first day I used it. After 45 minutes, the battery indicator was still at full charge. Length of battery-charge was not the first thing that impressed me with the Ryobi grass trimmer, however.

40-Volt Lithium Ion Battery offers Unprecedented High Powered Performance

I was almost shocked by the high-speed growl when I first pulled the trigger switch all the way down on the RY40210. I cannot imagine a gas engine providing more horsepower. The Ryobi gives you an incredible amount of RPM – more than you’ll ever need for basic grass trimming tasks. In fact, I was so taken-aback by the sheer, raw power of the 40-Volt engine that it took me a while to actually learn how well it operates.

Setup an Operation of the Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Grass Trimmer

Thanks to my absent minded ways, the Ryobi grass trimmer did probably take me longer to assemble than the average person. Still, it was a relatively easy and pain free experience and I was up and running in about 25 minutes. The remarkable power of this unit fascinated me so much that I didn’t read the instructions as clearly as I should have. I didn’t realize that I needed to release the power trigger a full, 2 seconds in order to allow the string to feed. Consequently, I ended up losing all the string inside the reel. Dreadfully, I had to open the spool and that is when I had the old familiar mess of tangled line. Once I got the thing re-strung and working properly, I began to get the hang of using the machine properly. The Ryobi RY40210 pivots for edging and has a wheel to help guide you along the edge of your line. I must say it works far better than any other dual-purpose grass trimmer that I’ve used for edging in the past. As a grass trimmer, standard, long blades of grass and weeds are no challenge for the powerful 40-Volt motor of the RY40210. Nothing can get in the way of this machine. When I think back to those down the aisle at Home Depot, who picked out gas trimmers that cost $100 more, I can’t help but to think they made a huge mistake. All is not perfect with the Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium ION Trimmer, however:

I still have my doubts and concerns with the old-fashioned, spool and string. I get the cold sweats every time I have to think about re-stringing a weed trimmer. This one appears to be no different than the other one that I had problems with, but then again, that could be said about any trimmer. My other slight, complaint is the weight and size of the 40-volt battery. There is a reason it lasts so long and provides so much power and you can feel it on your back after you’ve used it for a significant length of time. On the other hand, could the weight of the battery possibly be any worse than lugging around a gas engine? Last, I am disappointed that Ryobi does not make a more powerful grass blower for use with the 40-Volt battery. It would be the perfect compliment to the extra charge that is still available to me after trimming the lawn. Ryobi does make a leaf blower that works with the 40-Volt battery, but actual users complain that the power of the unit is disappointing and completely under utilizes the strong capabilities of such a strong, impressive lithium ion battery.

Conclusion and Final thoughts on the Ryobi RY40210 Grass Trimmer

If not for the few complaints above, I would give the Ryobi 40-Volt Lithium Ion Cordless Grass Trimmer a perfect, 5 stars. Still, I cannot imagine a grass trimmer/weed-eater/lawn edger that would satisfy my needs better than this one. I’ll take a high-powered, long-lasting battery over a cord or gas engine any day. The Ryobi Lithium-Powered Weed Eater and Edger is one of the better outdoor tools I’ve purchased in many years. I highly recommend.