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Battery Trimmer Comparison

Jun 10, 2025

Overview

A thorough comparison of six leading battery-powered string trimmers (Greenworks, Cobalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, DeWalt, Ego) and one gas model was conducted across five practical challenges to determine overall performance, power, runtime, and ease of use.

Tested Models

  • Greenworks 60V, Cobalt 24V, Milwaukee M18, Ryobi 40V, DeWalt 60V, Ego 56V, plus a gas-powered trimmer were included.
  • All trimmers used the same aftermarket string for consistency.

Edger Evaluation

  • Ego provided the best battery-powered edging with strong power and clean lines.
  • Milwaukee also performed well, exhibiting high torque and control.
  • Ryobi and DeWalt were underpowered, requiring extra passes.
  • Cobalt and Greenworks performed poorly, with weak power and frequent interruptions.
  • Gas trimmer delivered the overall best edging performance.

Obstacle Course (Restring & Lawn Speed)

  • Cobalt performed worst due to string feed issues and frequent stopping.
  • DeWalt had problems with the string wrapping around the head.
  • Greenworks was slow but functional.
  • Milwaukee was best among this group but still moderate.
  • Ryobi excelled in restringing speed and control, outperforming its edging results.
  • Ego's powerload tech made restringing fastest; it handled the course efficiently.
  • Gas trimmer was quick but required more effort in use and restringing.

Runtime & Charge Test

  • Milwaukee had the longest runtime (~1 hr 51 min), but also a long charge time.
  • Greenworks and Ego had efficient charge times (19–21 min respectively).
  • DeWalt and Cobalt suffered from long charge times (Cobalt: 2+ hours).
  • Gas trimmer ran for 40 min; refill time simulated as 22 min.
  • Greenworks led this challenge, followed by Ego.

Power (Straw Challenge)

  • Greenworks beat Ryobi; Milwaukee beat DeWalt; Ego beat Cobalt in the first round.
  • Greenworks surprisingly beat the gas trimmer; Ego narrowly beat Milwaukee in semifinals.
  • In the finals, Ego outperformed Greenworks to win the straw-power contest.

Power (Chicken Challenge)

  • Milwaukee and Ego excelled at cutting through chicken, with Ego slightly ahead.
  • Gas trimmer performed best overall in this test.
  • Cobalt was notably ineffective.

Overall Rankings & Recommendations

  • Last place: Cobalt (not recommended).
  • DeWalt and Ryobi: underwhelming, not recommended.
  • Greenworks: strong value and performance for the price.
  • Milwaukee: strong contender, especially with a spare battery.
  • Ego: clear winner; top performance and features; highest recommendation.

Decisions

  • Ego is the best overall battery-powered string trimmer.
  • Milwaukee is also highly recommended, especially with extra battery.
  • Avoid Cobalt and DeWalt due to performance and usability issues.
  • Greenworks is a good budget choice.

Action Items

  • TBD – Viewers: Consider Ego or Milwaukee for best results, avoid Cobalt/DeWalt, Greenworks if seeking value.

Full transcript