Last month I had the opportunity to try out a battery powered string trimmer made by Dewalt. I have been looking for a battery powered trimmer for a while, for various reasons. Sometimes I like to be able to trim the grass without having to worry about getting gas, or mixing fuel. I would like to go out some days, before work, and trim without getting too dirty. I also would like for my wife to be able to trim the grass if I’m not able to. This led me to begin looking for a battery operated string trimmer. I wanted something that is easy to use, lightweight and has decent power and a decent cutting path.
I will start off by saying I am a fan of Dewalt products. I believe the quality of their tools speaks for itself. I also want to explain that I am not a spokesperson, or sponsored by Dewalt in any way. That being said, I was both pleased and dissatisfied with the Dewalt trimmer.
Power
I was a little surprised with how powerful the Dewalt trimmer was. I was able to cut through knee high grass on the low setting and some non-woody brush on high. In fact, I kept the trimmer on the low setting for the majority of the time I was cutting. I was pleasantly surprised that it handles much like a gas trimmer.
Run Time
For a battery operated unit, this trimmer is fairly efficient. I believe the battery life could be improved, but it would be an easy (yet expensive) remedy. Using a 5ah battery, I was able to trim for a straight 45 minutes. For the cost of the unit and the price of Dewalt batteries, I feel like run time should be a little better, but that could be remedied by buying another battery. I feel that having two batteries, or especially buying a 9ah battery, would give plenty enough trim time if you keep the trimmer on low.
Weight
The Dewalt trimmer not only had the power of a gas trimmer, it was also pretty similar in weight. While this didn’t bother me any (the grip is very ergonomic and I was able to adjust my grip to balance the trimmer well), my wife found it to be a little heavy, and the head of the unit threw it off balance. However, I found myself resting my elbow against the body of the trimmer and found it quite comfortable. My father in law even said it was a little heavy for him.
The Trimmer Head
This was my biggest displeasure with the Dewalt trimmer. The electric motor on this trimmer is positioned on the head, rather than the body, offering power directly to the head (a feature that I enjoy). With a larger battery or by resting your elbow on the body, this can be counterbalanced. The issue is, however, that the unit is prone to bouncing and kicking up rocks due to the shape of the head. The distance between the trimmer line and the bottom of the spool is about two inches. If you want a close cut, you will kick up a lot of rock (i.e. Washington County topsoil).
Cutting Radius
For a cordless trimmer, 14″ is very nice for a cutting radius. I am used to gas trimmers with a larger cutting radius, but the 14″ works. It’s a lot nicer than some of the smaller, 10″-12″ radius of other cordless trimmers.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed cutting with the Dewalt XR Brushless trimmer. It is everything that I want in a cordless string trimmer. The battery life could use a little tweaking, and I would definitely look into changing the head, but I really am impressed with it. The problem is, it is a bit much for my wife to handle. We decided to go a more economical approach, rather than buying a Dewalt trimmer. For now, I will stick with a gas trimmer for when I trim, and we plan on getting a smaller, lighter trimmer for her. For now, I can’t justify the cost of buying a cordless trimmer if my wife cannot use it as well.
If you enjoyed my review, let me know in the comment section. I always appreciate feedback, and I enjoy hearing from my readers. Let me know if a review section is something that I should do. Thank you.
Until next time,
The Historical Hillbilly
The Historical Hillbilly 