Ryobi Vs Milwaukee Weed Whackers: How To Decide Which Is Best For Your Lawn

Having a capable weed eater to elevate your lawn is important, especially if you have a large yard or find yourself battling difficult portions of brush or aggressive weeds. Among the best power tools ranked, Ryobi and Milwaukee are known for their quality. But how do you decide the best brand for your needs? Digging a little deeper can help reveal what each tool has to offer: the answer may depend on the size of your lawn.

Right out of the gate, Ryobi's 4.6 star-rated brushless brush cutter and string trimmer is a solid option for many property owners. It costs $389 and comes with two-in-one and brush cutter heads, which may offer ease of use in its applications. You'll get about an hour of runtime from this 40V battery-operated string trimmer. It also comes with a number of features aimed at increasing comfort and control, including a harness and bike-handle design to help guide your trimming. 

On the other hand, the similarly rated Milwaukee M18 FUEL lithium ion brushless cordless string trimmer retails at $399. It comes with edger, hedge trimmer, and pole saw attachments to help with difficult and easy jobs alike. While the battery life is not clearly listed in the product specifications, some customers say it lasts long enough to trim an entire yard and then some (depending on lot size). In addition to its attachments, the Milwaukee trimmer comes with an M18 RedLithium battery and rapid charger. The decision will ultimately come down to your yard and the tool that helps you tackle it better, so looking deeper into specifications, features, and reviews can help to provide clarity.

Ryobi's best weed whacker comes with its Reel-Easy bump-feed head, supposedly giving you the ability to reload in less than a minute. Customers rave about its ability to tackle hard jobs, saying, "Don't underestimate the 40V version, it worked like a champ! The battery lasted longer than we expected, and it performed better than the other two (non-Ryobi) we have." Weighing under 11 pounds, this trimmer is a solid option for users who have a large property. Its battery and voltage can beat back thick growth. Plus, you'll be able to finish more trimming with fewer breaks.

Milwaukee's Easy-Load trimmer head facilitates quick line-loading in less time than Ryobi's — under 30 seconds. It also ramps up its power quickly, going full throttle in less than one second. While the Milwaukee trimmer doesn't have a harness or specialty handle, it is designed to be balanced so that you can use it for longer without discomfort. 

Customers love its strength when faced with difficult property: "I have an acre of land and it cleared it out with no issue. The only problem is the battery life is about 40 [minutes]." Since they cost roughly the same and bear many of the same features, deciding which tool is better for your yard is fairly nuanced. That being said, if you have a large plot of land to clear, Ryobi's strong battery life, harness, and modified handle design may make it a superior product. Whatever product you choose, however, each comes with a three-year limited warranty, giving you protection for a substantial amount of time.