Cordless String Trimmers Comparison 2023

Cordless string trimmers, also known as weed wackers or weed whackers, allow you to trim grass and weeds without the hassle of a cord. They offer freedom of movement and are much easier to use than corded models. I compared 9 popular cordless string trimmer brands to help you choose the right one.

How I Tested Them

I purchased all trimmers myself to ensure unbiased reviews. I tested them in real world conditions on a property with overgrown grass and weeds. Here’s what I looked at:

• Power – How well they cut through thick grass
• Cutting speed – How fast they mow down grass in a test area
• Weight/balance – Important for comfort during extended use
• Debris handling – Ability to block cut grass from hitting the user
• Line feeding – Ease of bumping out more line when it gets short
• Vibration – Less vibration reduces hand fatigue
• Run time – Battery life under constant maximum use
• Charger noise – Annoying charger fans or whines
• Charge time – Faster is better for less down time

I assigned each an overall grade at the end. Let’s look at how they performed.

Test Results

Power

To test pure power, I locked the trimmers in a vise and timed how long it took to cut through a 2×4 piece of wood.

Brand	Cut Time	Grade
Milwaukee	3.8 sec	A
Dewalt	4.1 sec	A
Makita	4.4 sec	A
Ego	5.1 sec	B
Ryobi	9.2 sec	C
Echo	10.1 sec	C
Greenworks	15 sec	D
Atlas	19 sec	D
Cobalt	22 sec	F

The Milwaukee and Dewalt delivered the most vicious torque. Makita and Ego also performed well. The rest struggled in comparison.

Cutting Speed Test

For this test, I used a 8 foot by 2 foot box to time how long each trimmer took to cut down overgrown 12 inch grass. Less time is better.

Brand	Time	Grade
Dewalt	68 sec	A+
Makita	80 sec	A
Milwaukee	85 sec	A-
Ego	89 sec	B+
Atlas	90 sec	B+
Echo	95 sec	B
Cobalt	111 sec	C
Ryobi	132 sec	D+
Greenworks	165 sec	F

The Dewalt blew away the competition with the fastest time by a large margin. Makita took 2nd place, while Milwaukee and Ego followed close behind. The Greenworks struggled mightily and stalled out repeatedly.

Weight and Balance

Excessive weight and poor weight distribution leads to fatigue over time. I graded each trimmer on how heavy it felt and how balanced it was during use.

Brand	Weight/Balance	Grade
Makita	Excellent	A+
Dewalt	Very good	A
Milwaukee	Good	A-
Ryobi	Good	A-
Cobalt	Decent	B
Echo	Decent	B
Ego	Poor	C
Greenworks	Very poor	D
Atlas	Horrible	F

The Makita felt incredibly lightweight and balanced. The Atlas felt like swinging a brick due to the heavy motor on the head. The Ego’s weight distribution was also poor.

Debris Handling

I looked at how well the debris shields protected me from flying grass clippings when trimming overgrown grass.

Brand	Debris Handling	Grade
Makita	Excellent	A+
Dewalt	Very good	A
Ryobi	Very good	A
Cobalt	Good	B
Milwaukee	Good	B
Greenworks	Decent	C
Echo	Decent	C
Ego	Poor	D
Atlas	Very poor	F

The huge debris shield on the Makita blocked virtually all clippings. The poor shields on the Ego and Atlas allowed lots of grass to hit me.

Line Feeding

I tested how easily the trimmers could bump out more line when it gets too short. Ideally they should feed out more line when the head is tapped on the ground.

Brand	Line Feeding	Grade
Dewalt	Excellent	A+
Milwaukee	Excellent	A+
Makita	Very good	A
Ryobi	Very good	A
Echo	Good	B
Ego	Good	B
Cobalt	Poor	C
Greenworks	Very poor	D
Atlas	Extremely poor	F

The Dewalt and Milwaukee could easily feed out more line, even when it was under 1 inch long. The Greenworks and Atlas struggled badly, requiring the line to be much longer before feeding.

Vibration

Excessive vibration can quickly lead to numb or tingling hands. I tested vibration levels with no line loaded to avoid interference.

Brand	Vibration	Grade
Makita	Very low	A+
Dewalt	Low	A
Ego	Moderate	B
Ryobi	Moderate	B
Echo	Moderate	B
Cobalt	High	C
Greenworks	High	C
Milwaukee	Very high	D
Atlas	Extremely high	F

The Makita was buttery smooth with almost no vibration. The Milwaukee and Atlas were jarringly buzzy and uncomfortable.

Run Time Test

To test real world battery life, I ran each trimmer at full throttle in a vise until the battery died. Longer run times are better.

Brand	Run Time	Grade
Ego	40 min	A+
Greenworks	31 min	A
Atlas	31 min	A
Cobalt	29 min	A-
Ryobi	23 min	B
Dewalt	17 min	C
Milwaukee	16 min	C
Makita	10 min	D
Echo	14 min	D

The Ego delivered the longest run time by optimizing its power usage. The Makita battery died shockingly fast compared to the competition.

Charger Noise

I listened for annoying whines or fan noises while each battery was charging.

Brand	Noise	Grade
Dewalt	None	A+
Milwaukee	Moderate	B
Cobalt	Very little	A
Atlas	Moderate high pitch	C
Echo	Very little	A
Ego	Loud	D
Makita	Moderate fan noise	C
Greenworks	Very loud	F
Ryobi	Loud	F

The Greenworks and Ryobi chargers were exceptionally loud, similar to a vacuum cleaner. The Dewalt was pleasingly silent.

Charge Time

I timed how long it took each dead battery to fully charge. Shorter charge times are better.

Brand	Charge Time	Grade
Ryobi	45 min	A+
Makita	49 min	A
Ego	49 min	A
Echo	57 min	A-
Dewalt	70 min	B
Milwaukee	82 min	C
Cobalt	145 min	F

The Ryobi charged lightning fast, with the Makita close behind. The Cobalt took ages to fully charge.

Final Grades and Recommendations

Brand	Overall Grade
Dewalt	A
Makita	A
Milwaukee	A-
Ego	B+
Ryobi	B+
Echo	B
Cobalt	C
Greenworks	D
Atlas	F

My top picks:

• Dewalt – Incredible power and cutting speed. Also lightweight and easy line feeding. The gold standard for cordless trimmers.
• Makita – Extremely smooth and comfortable to use. Large debris shield is a huge plus. A very close 2nd to the Dewalt.
• Milwaukee – Nearly as powerful as the Dewalt, but more vibration. Still an excellent performer overall.
• Ego – Great run time and decent power. Poor weight distribution hurts it.
• Ryobi – Surprisingly impressive for a budget brand. Great value for the performance.

I don’t recommend the Greenworks, Atlas or Cobalt models I tested. They struggled in most tests and I wouldn’t buy them again.

Let me know in the comments if this cordless string trimmer comparison was helpful! I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.