Dollar for dollar, the fully assembled Ryobi P2000 cordless string trimmer is one heck of a deal. This 2-in-1 trimmer/edger operates on both Ryobi's 18-volt nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion power supplies; batteries and charger are sold separately, but once you have them, you have a single battery platform that can power over 30 Ryobi One+ tools.

This unit has plenty of power to get trimming jobs done easily and efficiently. At 6.25 pounds (with lithium-ion battery), it's lightweight enough to easily transport to the far corners of your yard. Additionally, its well-balanced compact size makes it easy to maneuver and get into small places. Our testers -- including women -- were thrilled with how easy it was to handle.

The first things we noticed when handling this machine were its adjustable padded grip handle and telescopic shaft, which are designed to accommodate the comfort level of multiple users. Another noteworthy feature is the P2000's 2-in-1 shaft, which rotates so you can use this unit as an edger (an edger guide folds out). The pivoting trimmer head is an added surprise; just press a button and you can change the angle of the head to one of three positions -- trimming, edging or storage. This added convenience makes it easier to trim under obstacles and on slopes.

The P2000 cordless trimmer comes equipped with an auto-feed head that advances automatically with each stop and start of the switch trigger. The one snag is that this head is a single-line feed, which we feel doesn't trim as efficiently as a dual line. A single-line feed does, however, improve the run time on the battery and will get standard trimming and edging tasks done.

The Ryobi P2000 cordless string trimmer is an affordable machine that practically everyone should be able to use.


Pros: Interchangeable 18-volt battery system, lightweight and compact, adjustable padded grip handle, telescopic 2-in-1 shaft converts to an edger, fold-out edger guide, trimmer head pivots to one of three positions
Cons: Single-line design

Warranty
2 years