Ryobi 18V String Trimmer Review
Written by Todd Fratzel.
Ryobi Model P2002 – Lithium 18V 12″ Cordless String Trimmer
The folks at Ryobi were kind enough to send us another ONE+ cordless tool to review. This time they sent the Lithium 18V 12″ cordless string trimmer. We’re not new to the ONE+ battery system as we recently reviewed the Ryobi 18V Compact Drill which also uses the same battery system. In fact, one of the readers of the drill review asked about this string trimmer so we got our hands on one and the following is our review.
Ryobi P2002 Features
- Auto Feed Line Head – Causes no bumping
- Fold out edge guide
- 3 Position Trimmer
- 2 in 1 Rotates for Edging
- Gripzone™ Overmold for Added User Comfort
- Adjustable Upper Shaft To Fit User Height
- Battery: 18V Lithium-Ion
- Cutting Swath: 12″
- Line Size: .065″ Single Line
- Shaft: Adjustable With 180º Rotation and Pivoting Trimmer Head
- Weight: 7.5 lb.
Ryobi 18V Cordless String Trimmer Review
I’ve been using gas powered string trimmers for years. Gas powered string trimmers get the job done but they are loud, require regular maintenance and they are quite the polluters. So the thought of having a cordless string trimmer instead of those noisy ones is very appealing if it can get the job done.
Note: We received the cordless trimmer along with the cordless leaf blower. This review only focuses on the string trimmer.
Power
The Ryobi P2002 has good power for basic yard trimming. The trimmer had no problem trimming around trees, walkways and the asphalt driveway including some fairly tall grass. While this trimmer won’t be able to effectively mow down a foot high grass covered hillside it is very capable of regular trimming.
Battery System
The ONE+ 18 volt battery system is the heart of this tool. Being able to use the battery with any of the 40+ Ryobi cordless tools is a HUGE bonus in our opinion.
The High Capacity 18V Lithium-Ion battery that comes with the cordless string trimmer performed very well. The trimmer was tested for over 45 minutes with no noticeable drop in power. The battery charged in about 45 minutes with the Ryobi P113 battery charger. At first we thought maybe a 2nd battery would be nice but after trimming a large yard on one battery charge it doesn’t really seem like it’s a needed feature.
Ergonomics
The swivel head is a great feature that makes switching from trimming to edging quick and easy. The adjustable front handle is at a good height and fairly similar to most standard string trimmers. This string trimmer weighs about half what a standard gas powered one would weigh so it’s a huge fatigue saver!
If there is anything about the P2002 that we’d recommend changing it would include two items:
- The length of the trimmer could be a bit longer. The trimmer is shorter than other gas trimmers that we have experience with. The shorter length is tough for some that’s tall.
- The lock-out safety button can be a bit difficult to push at times. It could probably be moved slightly to make it easier to depress prior to switching the unit on.
Overall Thoughts
At $119 the Ryobi P2oo2 18V Cordless String Trimmer is a great value especially when you consider that the battery can be used on any of Ryobi’s 18V tools. If you’re in the market for a cordless string trimmer for basic yard trimming then this model is a great fit. While this tool isn’t made for serious brush cutting it did perform very well around the house. The P2002 is a very good, light weight, low maintenance, quiet, environmentally friendly string trimmer.
You can buy for $119.00 it at The Home Depot or online here.
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That’s great that the battery lasted so long! That’s the major hurdle for these cordless trimmer / edgers. I just got my hands on the B&D version. They have a lot of the same features but the battery charge and run time were a little disappointing. Great review!
I was also really impressed by this trimmer. The lithium battery is the secret and, I would suspect, give it a real edge over other cordless trimmers using NiCad batts (like the Black and Deckers?).
The Ryobi is more than adequate for my yard, and I was even chopping down some pretty heavy weeds (including bamboo shoots!). I’ve trimmed the whole yard TWICE now on one charge. No more loud, heavy, tough-to-start two-stroke gas trimmers for me.
The hundred-dollar question is: how quickly will the battery performance diminish over time? Just like any rechargeable battery, they tend to degrade and hold less charge over time. These batteries aren’t cheap to replace. If the battery performance drops off after 6 months, I don’t think I would recommend this trimmer. Time will tell. So far, so good!
mirak – Thanks for the input. I think the battery should be ok as it won’t see anywhere near as many repetitions as other 18V tools like drills.
Got one for Christmas. Live in San Diego and have used it twice. Great performance, except one major detail. The auto feed doesn’t work. I don’t recall inserting the spool myself or it came preassembled with the spool in place. The string is wound in the correct direction and the spool could only be inserted one way.
Please advise.
Mike – I’d recommend taking it out, re-winding it according to the user manual. They do come shipped that way so maybe it just needs to be tried again. Good luck.
Can you buy the string and wind it on the spool yourself without having to buy a new spool ?
Yes. See the manual here: http://www.ryobitools.com/product_manual/file_url/532/P2002_887_trilingual.pdf