Everything You Need To Know About Ryobi Pole Hedge Trimmers Before You Buy

With the season warming up, you'll want to start tending to your lawn more often, and you'll be able to find many brands and tools to help with yard work at Home Depot. One of these brands is Ryobi, which is owned by Techtronic Industries and has a contract to be sold at Home Depot. Ryobi has many yard tools available in its 18V and 40V battery system, including an Expand-It line that has a head unit that can be used with several attachments.

Within both of these battery systems, Ryobi sells two pole hedge trimmers. The ONE+ 18V 18in. Pole Hedge Trimmer costs $150, while the 40V Pole Hedge Trimmer costs $220. Both can be found at Home Depot online and in-store, or you can always purchase it online from Ryobi's website. There are quite a few features between these two pole hedge trimmers that are different, but many aspects are the same. In this article, we'll explain both, so you can make a judgment call on which tool is best for your hedge trimming needs.

Both of these pole hedge trimmers can help make yard work a breeze, and they have many of the same specifications. Starting with what the tools are capable of, both the 18V and 40V have a straight shaft length of 96 inches and a blade length of 18 inches with dual-action blades to help reduce vibration, giving you more control of the tools. Additionally, their maximum cut diameter is the same at .625 inches as well as the cut strokes per minute, which is 3,000. The cutting capacity for both tools is 5/8 inch.

The 18V and the 40V also have a pivoting head, which works wonders when trying to reach weird angles or even cut fun designs into your hedges. When you purchase the tool-only options, you'll receive the same accessories for both, which include a pole extension and a shoulder harness/strap. In the end, these two tools are nearly the same, except for one major factor.

With all the similarities between the two pole hedge trimmers, why would you even bother opting for the more expensive one? There are two reasons to consider the 40V pole hedge trimmer. The first is that you're already invested in the 40V battery line. Purchasing the trimmer and battery from the 18V line may end up costing than the one that fits the battery you already have.

With that being said, if you're just starting out and want to figure out which Ryobi battery line would work better for you, it's worth comparing how many tools comprise each line. The 18V line has over 300 tools that can be used, while the 40V line only has 85+. 

Despite the smaller lineup that can use them, the more expensive 40V batteries do last longer than the 18V batteries. On the pole hedge trimmers, the 18V 2.0 Ah battery goes for 33 minutes, while the 40V 2.0 Ah battery will last 60 minutes.

Another factor to consider is the weight. Oddly enough, the 18V is heavier at 8.25 lbs, while the 40V is 7.8 lbs, but those are the weights without the batteries attached. Ryobi does not specify the weight of its batteries. However, in reviews for the 40V tool, customers have stated that it is a bit top-heavy and can cause some arm exhaustion. Lastly, another difference is the pole extension length. The 18V can go up to 9'4" while the 40V extensions up to only eight feet. In the end, it's up to you which version works best for your needs.