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- Bare tool is well priced
- Very light
- Extremely easy to use
- Noisy in use
- Loses its line quickly while edging
- Does feel slightly flimsy
Do you have an unruly garden? One that’s compact, and requires maintenance on a budget? If so, the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0 cordless trimmer is the answer. It blends all we like about the Ryobi ecosystem – ease of use, lightweight – with a price that’s hard to beat. Indeed with a price tag of £62 at time of writing, it’s harder to buy a grass trimmer as a bare tool for less.
It’s also worth noting that it can be purchased on its own, or for £260 along with the RY18LMX33A-0 mower. The mower kit alone costs £229, meaning that in effect, the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0 strimmer could be in your shed for just £30. Don’t forget, though, that you’ll be paying an extra £109 on a 4.0Ah battery and charger set, as tested here.
After testing, I’m happy to report that the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0 has more on its side than simply a bargain basement price tag; it can comfortably stand among the best cordless grass trimmers on its other objective merits. Here’s why.
What do you get for the money?
If you purchase the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0 as a bare unit, you get a compact and lightweight trimmer with a 23cm cutting path and a pommel handle which means it’s surprisingly easy to swing in tight spaces.
Of course, if you’re not already part of the Ryobi ecosystem, you’ll be spending £109 on a 4.0Ah battery and standard charger set. Ryobi frequently offers a range of deals, so if you can, sit tight and wait for one to come around.
It uses what Ryobi calls EasyEdge which means the cutting head can quickly swivel from the horizontal to vertical to allow trimming of edging, and the supplied 1.6mm line feeds out automatically through a single hole, feeding a little more as required. That’s handy, but it does mean you won’t really have much of a clue how much line you’re using.
The boom is constructed from lightweight metal, and the two sections push-fit together and secure in place with a button. It does feel a little flimsy compared to more expensive trimmers, though. The handle is finished in Ryobi’s trademark green hue, and the battery connects underneath. There’s no shoulder strap, but at just 2.0kg – including the 4.0Ah battery – it’s not really necessary.
Unlike some strimmers, the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0 doesn’t convert into a brush cutter, and its 1.6mm line
and lightweight stature means it’s best suited for lighter duties.
How easy is it to use?
Like much of Ryobi’s range, the RY18LT23A-0 is at the more straightforward end of the market. That means assembly is pretty straightforward. The guard attaches with two screws (you’ll need to supply your own screwdriver), and the two halves of the boom push together with a push-button latch.
However, when I assembled it, the push-button mechanism worked loose, and I had to relocate it. Once that was overcome, it didn’t present any issues, especially as it’s compact and light enough to store intact. I like that there’s a small hanger to allow it to dangle on a hook on the wall of your shed.
To start, you simply press the lock button to the left or right (easy to use whether you’re left or right handed), squeeze the trigger, and release to stop. Otherwise the only button is to rotate the boom and cutting head through 90 degrees to switch from grass trimming to edging.
With a 4.0Ah battery installed, the Ryobi feels nicely balanced, and the pommel handle feels good to grip. Ryobi offers lighter 2.0 and 2.5Ah batteries, as well as a 5.0Ah unit, which could change things slightly. But the strimmer is so light, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter any problems.
Despite its tiny heft, it is quite loud in operation: I recorded 91dBA at ear level, making it among the noisier lightweight strimmers I’ve used. There’s not a huge amount of vibration, though, despite the lack of a rubberised grip on the handle. I recorded vibrations of 7.4mm/s so you’ll be cycling through batteries to get anywhere close to the maximum daily exposure limit.
The lightweight strimmer will likely be used for smaller gardens, so this shouldn’t be an issue, but anti-vibration gloves and earplugs may be the order of the day.
I ran the Ryobi under no load, and it took a very impressive 83 minutes to fully discharge the battery. Obviously you wouldn’t get that in regular use. It takes 120 minutes to charge using a standard charger, and it has four lights to show its charge level.
Swapping the reel is easy: simply press a recessed button on the side of the head to remove the grey cap, and the reel pulls straight out.
How well does it trim?
It’s not just a good strimmer for the price; it’s a good strimmer full stop. Yes, it doesn’t have the outright power of more expensive models, and I found that it struggled a little with thicker clumps of wet grass, but for getting close to walls to cut those straggly blades which few mowers can reach, it performs superbly. It cut neatly through some longer thickets (the result of sprinkling different grass seed a few seasons ago),
I found it extremely wieldy, and so light that occasionally it feels like you’re using a child’s toy – and that’s meant in a positive way.
Now, given that lightness, I didn’t have a lot of hope for its ability to cut the kind of scrub you’re likely to encounter behind your shed – so I was pleasantly surprised when it did a fairly good job. Nettles were hacked like they weren’t there, and it brushed off light scrub with ease. Yes, it struggled a little more with brambles, cutting a few thinner trailing canes, but didn’t make too much of a dent in thicker vegetation.
Edging was a little more of a mixed bag. It certainly transforms from cutting to edging orientation easily enough, and it’s easy to see where you’re going, but the thin 1.6mm line had a tendency to shear off as soon as it brushed my concrete path. Worse still, was the single line would snap close to the hole in the side of the head meaning I’d have to remove the reel and rethread it.
Should you buy the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0?
If you need a strimmer for light to medium duties and don’t want to break the bank, then the Ryobi RY18LT23A-0L makes a superb option. It’s small and light enough to be stored in the smallest of sheds to garden chests.
It’s delightfully easy to use, too. Yes, a bump feed would be nice, and it falls at the last when it comes to edging, which is a definite frustration. But for the money, its strimming ability for the typical homeowner with a small garden is first-rate.
