Is The Ryobi 40V Weed Eater Any Good? Here's What Users Say

One of the best things about spring and summer is watching your garden grow and your grass become greener as it shakes off the winter. Unfortunately, weeds grow just as fast, which is why it's essential you're equipped with a solid Weed Eater. Ryobi sells multiple different string trimmers that are part of its 40V line of powerful cordless tools and lawn equipment. That includes 12-inch, 15-inch, 16-inch, and 17-inch models, though Ryobi's Weed Eaters don't just differ in size.

Some use high-performance brushless motors, and others are included in Ryobi's Whisper Series, which focuses on reducing noise. Some are part of Ryobi's Expand-It attachment system, which uses interchangeable power heads with the same motor and control mechanism for a more efficient lawn equipment setup. While these minor differences may offer a few pros and cons of their own, for the most part, you'll get the same experience with any of Ryobi's 40V string trimmers. They're designed and manufactured by the same company and all rely on the same power system, which uses hefty lithium-ion 40-volt batteries to power more than 85 different Ryobi products.

Ryobi's 40V equipment is generally more expensive than less-powerful tools such as those found in its 18V line, so you'll want to make sure you're getting a quality product before investing your money. One way to evaluate a power tool is by seeing how users who've already purchased and operated it feel about it. Here's what users have to say about the Ryobi 40V string trimmer.

You'll find plenty of positive feedback on Reddit for Ryobi's 40V string trimmers, with many users praising them and more than one redditor reporting that they've had "no issues" with the tool, even over the course of multiple seasons. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Home Depot customers have also weighed in on Ryobi's various 40V trimmers. The overall user scores of each tool are relatively close to one another, but the best-reviewed is the Ryobi 40V 16-inch Brushless String Trimmer, which has a strong 4.5 out of 5 average customer rating, with 90% of customers recommending the tool.

Many 5-star reviews mention that it's lightweight and easy to use, while others note that it's as good as, if not better than, a gas-powered Weed Eater. One review says, "No gas, no noise, no problems. I love it!" Another reads, "I was very skeptical switching to a battery-operated trimmer and that was gone in the first 30 seconds of use." This common refrain among the string trimmer's positive reviews isn't much of a surprise, as it's one of several Ryobi 40V electric yard tools that are comparable to their gas-powered counterparts.

In its video review of the same model, Shop Tool Reviews came away happy with the tool, saying that "performance-wise, the 40V HP 16-inch String Trimmer really fits the bill. It knocks down the weeds you need it to, even the ones that you think it may not." The reviewer does warn, however, that you'll want to instead use Ryobi's brush cutter attachment for small trees and other thicker vegetation. This review is certainly positive, but that doesn't mean Ryobi's 40V trimmers lack any bad reviews.

While it's a well-respected tool brand, there are some Ryobi tools that you should avoid — going by poor user reviews, at least. Ryobi's 40V Weed Eater isn't one of those tools, but even amongst its mostly positive feedback are some 1-star and 2-star reviews to take note of. On Home Depot's website, one of the Ryobi 40V trimmers with a lower overall user rating is the 12-inch model. It has a 4 out of 5 average customer score, which isn't that bad, though less than half of surveyed customers recommend the product.

Several 1-star reviews mention the same problem: the string will keep breaking, completely disrupting users' workflows. As one user puts it, "I spend more time removing the top and refreshing the string than I do using the Eater." A few disappointed customers say the tool outright stopped working fairly quickly, with one saying it started smoking "within 10 minutes." Even more concerning is a user who reports that on just the second time operating the tool, "the safety shield spun off, slicing open my shin."

You'll find similar issues on Reddit, including this thread, where both the original poster and a commenter say the 40V trimmer stopped working almost immediately. On other threads, there are complaints that the tool gets too hot after the motor runs for just a few minutes. One redditor adds that they, "have to let it cool for about 10 minutes or so, then try again, but it will only run for 15-20 seconds then quit again due to motor getting hot." This negative feedback is certainly something to keep in mind before purchasing one of Ryobi's 40V string trimmers, but it does make up a small minority of reviews overall.