Verdict
The Best 4Aggregated review·10 sources·updated May 23, 2026·checked July 19, 2026

Best String Trimmers

Top string trimmers and weed eaters for yard care ranked by aggregate score from 10 published reviews.

This guide aggregates 10 published reviews across 4 products; the thinnest-sourced pick rests on 2. How we rank.

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Quick answer

EGO Power+ ST1623T 16-Inch Line IQ 56V is our top pick for string trimmers — an averaged 4.7/5 across 3 published reviews at about $498. Runner-up: Ryobi RY402110 40V HP Brushless 17-Inch Carbon Fiber.

At a glance4 products
3 sources2 derived
$498Best for: Suburban homeowners with 1/4 to 1 acre who want gas-class power, hate refueling, and don't mind a heavier tool for the convenience of auto line feed.
$498 · Check Price on Amazon
2 sourcesall derived
Best for: Homeowners with half an acre to two acres who want gas-class cutting and don't already own an EGO battery platform.
Buy at homedepot.com
2 sourcesall derived
$350Best for: Landscapers, large-lot owners (1+ acre), and anyone whose weekly cut includes tall weeds, ditches, or pasture edges where battery runtime would be a constraint.
$350 · Buy at husqvarna.com
3 sourcesall derived
$89.99Best for: Owners of small to mid-sized suburban lots (under 1/4 acre) with maintained grass who prize light weight and the 3-in-1 conversion over raw cutting power.
$89.99 · Check Price on Amazon

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

The full ranking

How we rank →
EGO Power+ ST1623T 16-Inch Line IQ 56V
#1 · Top Score
Best for: Suburban homeowners with 1/4 to 1 acre who want gas-class power, hate refueling, and don't mind a heavier tool for the convenience of auto line feed.
EGO Power+ ST1623T 16-Inch Line IQ 56V
3 sources2 derived$498as of Aug 1
Why it's ranked here

A brushless 56V motor pairs with auto-feeding Line IQ and EGO's POWERLOAD spool on the ST1623T, so most owners go a full season without ever touching the head. Pro Tool Reviews ran it for over an hour on a single 4.0Ah pack and scored it 9.7/10. The trade-offs are a 12.6 lb working weight and a price north of $300. For a homeowner who wants gas-class performance without the maintenance, no other cordless trimmer matches this combination of cutting width, ergonomics and warranty.

Strengths
  • 16-inch swath with Line IQ auto-feed eliminates the bump-feed dance
  • POWERLOAD spool reload takes under 30 seconds with the included pre-cut line
Watch-outs
  • 12.6 lb working weight is on the heavy end of cordless picks
  • Line IQ can shed string faster than it feeds when trimming hard fence lines
Ryobi RY402110 40V HP Brushless 17-Inch Carbon Fiber
#2
Best for: Homeowners with half an acre to two acres who want gas-class cutting and don't already own an EGO battery platform.
Ryobi RY402110 40V HP Brushless 17-Inch Carbon Fiber
2 sourcesall derived
Why it's ranked here

Ryobi's flagship 40V HP Brushless string trimmer in the Whisper Series is the closest cordless approximation to a 30cc gas trimmer most homeowners will find under $300. Pro Tool Reviews scored it 9.4/10 and called out over an hour of runtime on the 6.0Ah pack. Size is the trade-off: at 72 inches and nearly 13 lb with battery, it's a commitment. For buyers who want adjustable 15-to-17-inch cut width and the option to drop in 0.105-inch line for tougher growth, the Ryobi is the sharpest mid-tier value in the cordless segment.

Strengths
  • Brushless motor delivers gas-equivalent power roughly matching a 30cc 2-stroke
  • Cutting width adjustable from 15 to 17 inches for fast cleanup of large lots
Watch-outs
  • Bare tool weight is still close to 9 lb, heavier than smaller-class cordless
  • 72-inch overall length can be unwieldy for shorter users
Husqvarna 525L 25.4cc Gas String Trimmer
#3
Best for: Landscapers, large-lot owners (1+ acre), and anyone whose weekly cut includes tall weeds, ditches, or pasture edges where battery runtime would be a constraint.
Husqvarna 525L 25.4cc Gas String Trimmer
2 sourcesall derived$350as of Aug 1
Why it's ranked here

At 9.7 lb dry, the Husqvarna 525L is the lightest 25cc pro-grade gas trimmer most homeowners will encounter, with the brand's X-Torq engine putting 1.21 hp into an 18.1-inch cutting swath. Pro Tool Reviews scored the closely related 525LS at 8.8/10 and ranked the 525LST third overall in their gas trimmer shootout at 89 points. Recoil is the soft spot, and you're still pumping mixed gas. For landscapers and homeowners running multi-acre lots in heavy growth, this is the trimmer that earns its keep all day.

Strengths
  • Pro-grade 25.4cc X-Torq engine produces 1.21 hp at 6,500 rpm
  • 9.7 lb dry weight is exceptionally light for a 25cc straight-shaft
Watch-outs
  • Pull-start recoil is the part most commonly cited as a weak point
  • Two-stroke fuel mixing required and emissions/noise rule it out for some neighborhoods
Worx WG170 GT Revolution 20V 12-Inch
#4
Best for: Owners of small to mid-sized suburban lots (under 1/4 acre) with maintained grass who prize light weight and the 3-in-1 conversion over raw cutting power.
Worx WG170 GT Revolution 20V 12-Inch
3 sourcesall derived$89.99as of Jun 7
Why it's ranked here

Owners of small flat suburban yards who care more about ease and weight than raw cutting power get the best value-tier cordless trimmer in the Worx WG170 GT Revolution. At 5.5 lb with battery clipped on, it's roughly half the weight of the EGO ST1623T or Ryobi 40V picks above, and it converts in seconds to a wheeled edger or even a mini-mower. The trade-offs are real: Gardening Products Review noted it struggles with anything thicker than quarter-inch growth, and the 12-inch cutting width forces more passes. On an under-quarter-acre yard with maintained grass, none of that matters and the lightness and 3-in-1 flexibility win the day.

Strengths
  • Just 5.5 lb working weight makes it the easiest pick on the wrists
  • Three-in-one design converts between trimmer, in-line edger, and mini-mower
Watch-outs
  • 12-inch cutting width is the narrowest of any pick here
  • Battery life around 30-45 minutes on 4.0Ah pack falls short of larger-format competitors
Reviews aggregated from
ProtoolreviewsTechGearLabConsumer ReportsOpereviewsLawngrowthThreerockProductanalogy

Spec comparison

4 products
vs
SpecEGO Power+ ST1623T 16-Inch Line IQ 56VRyobi RY402110 40V HP Brushless 17-Inch Carbon Fiber
Power Source56V battery (4.0Ah included)40V battery (6.0Ah included)
Cutting Width16 in15-17 in (adjustable)
Line Diameter0.095 in0.095-0.105 in
RuntimeUp to 60 minUp to 67 min
ShaftTelescopic carbon fiberStraight carbon fiber
Weight (with battery)12.6 lb12.9 lb
Line FeedLine IQ auto-feed + POWERLOADREEL EASY+ 3-in-1 bump-feed
Warranty5-year tool, 3-year battery, lifetime shaft5-year tool, 3-year battery

Frequently asked questions

What's the strongest pick among string trimmers?
EGO Power+ ST1623T 16-Inch Line IQ 56V holds the top score for string trimmers — 4.7/5 averaged from 3 published reviews. A brushless 56V motor pairs with auto-feeding Line IQ and EGO's POWERLOAD spool on the ST1623T, so most owners go a full season without ever touching the head. Pro Tool Reviews ran it for over an hour on a single 4.0Ah pack and scored it 9.7/10. The trade-offs are a 12.6 lb working weight and a price north of $300. For a homeowner who wants gas-class performance without the maintenance, no other cordless trimmer matches this combination of cutting width, ergonomics and warranty.
Is this string trimmer guide up to date?
This guide was last re-checked in May 2026. Prices, links, and source ratings are re-verified on a rolling basis, and the ranking updates when the underlying scores change.

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