Export thread

Ryobi has a new Li-Ion battery powered stick edger coming out this year, which AFAIK is the first ever battery powered electric stick edger. It is part of a modular system they call Connexion, which is similar to the Echo PAS system with a power head and bolt-on attachments. It's not yet available and not even mentioned on the Ryobi website.

Looks pretty nice! Are there any other attachments you know of?

lawn mower fanatic said:

Looks pretty nice! Are there any other attachments you know of?

Click to expand...

Those are the only attachments I could find, so I don't know. It would make sense for other types of attachments that fit on extension poles such as string trimmers to be available also as they are in the Echo PAS system. Until they appear on the Ryobi website it's hard to tell.

MowerMike said:

Those are the only attachments I could find, so I don't know. It would make sense for other types of attachments that fit on extension poles such as string trimmers to be available also as they are in the Echo PAS system. Until they appear on the Ryobi website it's hard to tell.

Click to expand...

OK! :smile:

Yesterday I ordered the stick edger with the 24 volt power head from Home Depot online for $149 + tax and free UPS shipping. I just received a shipping confirmation, and it should arrive by the end of next week. I'll update this thread when it arrives. Curiously, there is no mention of this product on the Ryobi website.

MowerMike said:

Yesterday I ordered the stick edger with the 24 volt power head from Home Depot online for $149 + tax and free UPS shipping. I just received a shipping confirmation, and it should arrive by the end of next week. I'll update this thread when it arrives. Curiously, there is no mention of this product on the Ryobi website.

Click to expand...

It looks like a good product; I don't know why it is not on their website!

MowerMike said:

......which AFAIK is the first ever battery powered electric stick edger.

Click to expand...

I just saw that in the OP you said that it is the first ever battery powered electric stick edger. I think you might be right that it is the first 100% stick edger, but there is also the WORX GT which is a trimmer AND edger. Amazon.com: WORX GT WG150.1 10-Inch 18-Volt 2-In-1 Cordless Electric Grass Trimmer/Edger: Patio, Lawn & Garden

lawn mower fanatic said:

It looks like a good product; I don't know why it is not on their website! View attachment 12285

Click to expand...

Yeah, me neither. Normally new products appear on their website before they appear in stores, but in this case it just popped up on the Home Depot website with no announcement or fanfare. Initially it was shown on the HD website as "out of stock online" and not available at any of my local stores, but then I noticed that someone had posted a review a few days ago, so I entered an order and it accepted it. The fact that I just received a UPS shipping notice tells me it's actually available and not just some mistake on the HD website.

lawn mower fanatic said:

I just saw that in the OP you said that it is the first ever battery powered electric stick edger. I think you might be right that it is the first 100% stick edger, but there is also the WORX GT which is a trimmer AND edger. Amazon.com: WORX GT WG150.1 10-Inch 18-Volt 2-In-1 Cordless Electric Grass Trimmer/Edger: Patio, Lawn & Garden
View attachment 12288 View attachment 12289 View attachment 12290 View attachment 12291

Click to expand...

Oh, for sure there are plenty of string trimmer / edgers out there, but this is the first blade edger. In fact, I have two convertible string trimmer / edgers by Weed Eater and Black & Decker, but I don't care much for how they work as edgers, when compared to a blade type like the Echo you recently purchased. I do have a B & D blade edger / trencher, but the cord is a real hassle, which is why I wanted something that was battery powered.

MowerMike said:

Oh, for sure there are plenty of string trimmer / edgers out there, but this is the first blade edger. In fact, I have two convertible string trimmer / edgers by Weed Eater and Black & Decker, but I don't care much for how they work as edgers, when compared to a blade type like the Echo you recently purchased. I do have a B & D blade edger / trencher, but the cord is a real hassle, which is why I wanted something that was battery powered.

Click to expand...

Yeah if I was going to purchase the WORX I would rather just keep my trimmer because that is what makes my PE-225 edger different than the electric edger....it has an actual blade (as you said)! :thumbsup: I didn't realize the edger you are going to get has an actual blade....I thought it was just like the others....now I think it is even cooler!

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yeah if I was going to purchase the WORX I would rather just keep my trimmer because that is what makes my PE-225 edger different than the electric edger....it has an actual blade (as you said)! :thumbsup: I didn't realize the edger you are going to get has an actual blade....I thought it was just like the others....now I think it is even cooler!
View attachment 12292

Click to expand...

Oh, I thought that it was understood that the term "stick edger" always meant that it was the metal bladed type. This one has a reversible 9" blade to double its service life and 4-position wheel depth adjustment.

MowerMike said:

Oh, I thought that it was understood that the term "stick edger" always meant that it was the metal bladed type.

Click to expand...

Yeah it usually is, but as you said it is the first electric edger IN THE WORLD, which means I was pretty used to seeing ones that just used string considering there was never one with a blade before! :confused2:

My first and last Ryobi tool.

Well, I got this thing yesterday and tried it out today after the rain that we've been having for the last two days came to an end. At first everything seemed great. I gave the battery an initial charge and it started right up. Took it outside today and did some edging at the curb and along the driveway. It seemed to do a good job and was not stalling out, but then suddenly after about only 10 minutes of use it stopped running. The battery had run down ! So I took it out of the tool and recharged it, which took about 30 minutes. I put it back in the tool and depressed the trigger and......nothing....nada....rien.....nicht ! Took the battery out, put it back in the charger and it indicated full charge, pushed the battery test button and all 4 LEDs lit up, even checked the battery with a voltmeter and it was good. Put it back in the tool and still not a peep. So I turned the blade on the motor shaft and it made a rattling sound and felt rough, which was not the case when I first got it. So, it seems like something went bad in the motor, and it was broken. Although I bought it online from Home Depot, I simply threw it in my car and drove to my local Home Depot store, which is only a few miles from my house and returned it for a refund. While I was there, I bought an Echo PE-225 gas edger and am happy I did. The Echo was only $80 more than the Ryobi and is a lot more powerful. I've heard bad reports on Ryobi quality, and this simply confirms it. :frown:

This is what it looked like before I put it back in its box and returned it to Home Depot:

Re: My first and last Ryobi tool.

MowerMike said:

Well, I got this thing yesterday and tried it out today after the rain that we've been having for the last two days came to an end. At first everything seemed great. I gave the battery an initial charge and it started right up. Took it outside today and did some edging at the curb and along the driveway. It seemed to do a good job and was not stalling out, but then suddenly after about only 10 minutes of use it stopped running. The battery had run down ! So I took it out of the tool and recharged it, which took about 30 minutes. I put it back in the tool and depressed the trigger and......nothing....nada....rien.....nicht ! Took the battery out, put it back in the charger and it indicated full charge, pushed the battery test button and all 4 LEDs lit up, even checked the battery with a voltmeter and it was good. Put it back in the tool and still not a peep. So I turned the blade on the motor shaft and it made a rattling sound and felt rough, which was not the case when I first got it. So, it seems like something went bad in the motor, and it was broken. Although I bought it online from Home Depot, I simply threw it in my car and drove to my local Home Depot store, which is only a few miles from my house and returned it for a refund. While I was there, I bought an Echo PE-225 gas edger and am happy I did. The Echo was only $80 more than the Ryobi and is a lot more powerful. I've heard bad reports on Ryobi quality, and this simply confirms it. :frown:

This is what it looked like before I put it back in its box and returned it to Home Depot:

Click to expand...

Can I ask A question, why did you buy the PE-225 from Home Depot rather than a dealer?

Re: My first and last Ryobi tool.

Ric said:

Can I ask A question, why did you buy the PE-225 from Home Depot rather than a dealer?

Click to expand...

Sure. Several reasons:

1) The Home Depot store is less than 2 miles from my home and they are an authorized distributor for Echo products. They carry service parts and the edger was delivered to me completely assembled off the rack in the store. It was just gas and go. They also have a no questions asked 30 day return policy. This is a very simple tool that I can and will service and maintain myself. Also, I was given credit for the returned Ryobi edger against the purchase of the Echo PE-225.

2) The nearest full service Echo dealer is 18 miles from my house and they don't stock this model, which is the least expensive Echo edger. If I do encounter a warranty issue in the future, they are obligated to perform the repairs regardless of where I made the purchase. More than likely anything that happens to this tool will be considered normal wear and tear, and will not be covered by the warranty anyway. I have experience with engine repairs, such that I can make any repairs that may be necessary.

If this were a Stihl tool, it would be a completely different situation, since they sell only through full service dealers, and there is one within 3 miles of my house.

looks to be a cool cutting blade on the ryobi. can you buy one of those to fit your echo?

metz12 said:

looks to be a cool cutting blade on the ryobi. can you buy one of those to fit your echo?

Click to expand...

I don't think so. The Echo blade is 8 inches long and the Ryobi is 9 inches.

Re: My first and last Ryobi tool.

MowerMike said:

......and they don't stock this model, which is the least expensive Echo edger......

Click to expand...

My dealer doesn't stock that model either but he was able to get it within 2 days! :thumbsup:

Re: My first and last Ryobi tool.

MowerMike said:

Sure. Several reasons:

1) The Home Depot store is less than 2 miles from my home and they are an authorized distributor for Echo products. They carry service parts and the edger was delivered to me completely assembled off the rack in the store. It was just gas and go. They also have a no questions asked 30 day return policy. This is a very simple tool that I can and will service and maintain myself. Also, I was given credit for the returned Ryobi edger against the purchase of the Echo PE-225.

2) The nearest full service Echo dealer is 18 miles from my house and they don't stock this model, which is the least expensive Echo edger. If I do encounter a warranty issue in the future, they are obligated to perform the repairs regardless of where I made the purchase. More than likely anything that happens to this tool will be considered normal wear and tear, and will not be covered by the warranty anyway. I have experience with engine repairs, such that I can make any repairs that may be necessary.

If this were a Stihl tool, it would be a completely different situation, since they sell only through full service dealers, and there is one within 3 miles of my house.

Click to expand...

This may sound like a rant but it really is not. I don't know who told you that they, a dealer is obligated to perform the repairs and or warranty work on equipment they don't sell because that is not true. A dealer is not obligated to do warranty work on anything he does not sell. I do know the only way the dealer I buy from will work on HD equipment is if you have Proof of purchase (sales receipt) and registration form in your hand and even at that chances are unless you have been there before and purchased something from them before they may tell you to take it back to HD anyway and I know that to be fact because I've seen the owner (my dealer) do just that.
That's the reason I've always said buy from a dealer because you get the warranty and service dept along with your purchase.

@Ric - I've heard the dealer arguments before, and frankly it's not worth it unless you are buying something that is high ticket and requires service that is too complicated for a homeowner to perform. The edger cost me $229, and is unlikely to need any repairs during the warranty period, but even if it did that's not enough money to really worry about. If what you are saying is true, then if you moved to another city far from your purchase dealer, then the dealer in that city would refuse to perform warranty work because you did not make a purchase there. If there were a dealer near my house, then I would have bought it there instead of Home Depot, because the price would be the same since Home Depot does not discount Echo products.

MowerMike said:

@Ric - I've heard the dealer arguments before, and frankly it's not worth it unless you are buying something that is high ticket and requires service that is too complicated for a homeowner to perform. The edger cost me $229, and is unlikely to need any repairs during the warranty period, but even if it did that's not enough money to really worry about. If what you are saying is true, then if you moved to another city far from your purchase dealer, then the dealer in that city would refuse to perform warranty work because you did not make a purchase there. If there were a dealer near my house, then I would have bought it there instead of Home Depot, because the price would be the same since Home Depot does not discount Echo products.

Click to expand...

The thing about dealers is they work together so going from one dealer to another isn't really a problem. They work much the same way as car dealers and buy from each other.

Well, after all this fuss about the failed Ryobi stick edger, today a brand new edger appeared at my door courtesy of Ryobi's Senior Product Manager. Seems that he read the negative review I had posted on the Home Depot website after I returned it to the store for a refund, and sent me an email offering to send me a new unit for free. I'm not sure how he got my email, but I assume that it was from the product registration, since I don't think Home Depot gave it to him. I have to give Ryobi kudos for this attention to customer relations, as I'm sure that most other companies would not have done the same. I charged the battery up and ran the edger for about 5 minutes w/o any problems, so it seems to be ok but time will tell. The stock battery is really tiny, only 33 Wh capacity, which is less than all my other garden tool batteries and only 6 Wh more than the batteries on my Bosch drill/driver. I find it laughable than on the box it says "recommended for up to 2/3 acre." I seriously doubt that it will run for more than 20 minutes on a full charge. Of course, Ryobi does sell a larger 24 volt battery with double the capacity, but that would set me back another $119, which would make the total cost about $40 more than the Echo PE-225 gas edger that I bought. Like the Echo, it does have a variable speed trigger, and 4 separate height adjustments with a small guide wheel at the front that makes it easy to keep a consistent cutting depth. It's definitely not meant for trenching, having far less power than the Echo, but does a crisp job edging. Still, it's a vast improvement over the corded B & D Edge Hog, which only runs at one speed and is a hassle to move around with an electrical cord.

MowerMike said:

Well, after all this fuss about the failed Ryobi stick edger, today a brand new edger appeared at my door courtesy of Ryobi's Senior Product Manager. Seems that he read the negative review I had posted on the Home Depot website after I returned it to the store for a refund, and sent me an email offering to send me a new unit for free. I'm not sure how he got my email, but I assume that it was from the product registration, since I don't think Home Depot gave it to him. I have to give Ryobi kudos for this attention to customer relations, as I'm sure that most other companies would not have done the same. I charged the battery up and ran the edger for about 5 minutes w/o any problems, so it seems to be ok but time will tell. The stock battery is really tiny, only 33 Wh capacity, which is less than all my other garden tool batteries and only 6 Wh more than the batteries on my Bosch drill/driver. I find it laughable than on the box it says "recommended for up to 2/3 acre." I seriously doubt that it will run for more than 20 minutes on a full charge. Of course, Ryobi does sell a larger 24 volt battery with double the capacity, but that would set me back another $119, which would make the total cost about $40 more than the Echo PE-225 gas edger that I bought. Like the Echo, it does have a variable speed trigger, and 4 separate height adjustments with a small guide wheel at the front that makes it easy to keep a consistent cutting depth. It's definitely not meant for trenching, having far less power than the Echo, but does a crisp job edging. Still, it's a vast improvement over the corded B & D Edge Hog, which only runs at one speed and is a hassle to move around with an electrical cord.

Click to expand...

It sounds like you had a better experience with Ryobi this time around, but as you said....time will tell!

It's now shown on the Ryobi website. Here's a promo image, that clearly shows that Ryobi is attempting to market to the female consumer, who presumably might be intimidated by gas powered garden tools.



Meanwhile, I've used mine several times now so far with no issues.

Hope to hear more comments from Mower Mike about the Ryobi stick edger as you put more hours on the unit. Unit would fit my position perfectly but I don't want a $150 garage filler. Really interested in the PE225 but am concerned about the weight, fueling, and ease of use for me at my age (78). Thanks for the great posts!

Helpless Henry said:

Hope to hear more comments from Mower Mike about the Ryobi stick edger as you put more hours on the unit. Unit would fit my position perfectly but I don't want a $150 garage filler. Really interested in the PE225 but am concerned about the weight, fueling, and ease of use for me at my age (78). Thanks for the great posts!

Click to expand...

It's worked out very well for me, such that I no longer use my Echo PE225 gas edger, except when redefining a trench. I'm getting more than 30 minutes run time on a full battery charge, and it is able to plow through thick St. Augustine w/o any problems. You just have to be careful to tip it and let it speed up before you begin each stretch. Also, it's better not to use it in wet and muddy conditions, since the blade guard will clog up quickly. After 50 or so uses, it hasn't missed a beat and nothing has fallen off or broken.

Thanks Mower Mike for your quick response about the Ryobi edger. A report like this is very valuable. Ryobi in my future is very likely. Again, Thanks!

Ryobi lithium batteries in terms of battery life, and echo control does have greatly improved.

MowerMike said:

It's worked out very well for me, such that I no longer use my Echo PE225 gas edger, except when redefining a trench. I'm getting more than 30 minutes run time on a full battery charge, and it is able to plow through thick St. Augustine w/o any problems. You just have to be careful to tip it and let it speed up before you begin each stretch. Also, it's better not to use it in wet and muddy conditions, since the blade guard will clog up quickly. After 50 or so uses, it hasn't missed a beat and nothing has fallen off or broken.

Click to expand...

My 225 clogged up to I simply cut the part of the guard on the grass side of the guard off doesn't clog any more

Update on the Ryobi stick edger - Still working great and battery is still good, but the blade has worn out. Ryobi does not list a replacement blade for this product, but I found out that the 9 inch blade for the Ryobi gas edgers works just fine. It's sold at Home Depot for $7.99 under the model No. AC04203, and has 638006008 LY stamped on the blade, same as the old blade on my cordless edger.

that's a lot of money for an edger blade lol I buy my echo blades for 1$ a piece plus shipping I usually buy 50 at a time and spend 65 total I know they are lesser quality and don't .last as long but wow

exotion said:

that's a lot of money for an edger blade lol I buy my echo blades for 1$ a piece plus shipping I usually buy 50 at a time and spend 65 total I know they are lesser quality and don't .last as long but wow

Click to expand...

Sure, they're a lot cheaper when you buy them in bulk like that. :laughing: When I bought a 2-pack of blades for my Echo PE-225 at my local dealer, they came out to about $4 apiece, and Home Depot is even more expensive. The Ryobi blades have a lot of fancy serrations and are thicker than the standard Echo blades, which is probably why they cost more. Anyways, I'm just a homeowner, and get about a year's worth of use out of a blade, so it's no big deal to me.

Thanks for review and updates.
I'm going to give this edger attachment a go, as I picked up the 40v trimmer recently, and happily it performs better on floritam (st augustine hybrid) grass than expected. The battery has more than enough power to trim on one charge to fit my yards needs, so hopefully the edger will complete the task as effectively with the remaining battery juice.

so I had just created a new thread about this edger, when I posted it the forum sw was nice enough to show me this thread... I bought a new edger over the winter for $79 I finally got around to testing it and it has worked very well. I was very happy to hear the the original posters experience was positive after all. Gives me hope mine will work out as well. I had not ready anything on the box about the connexion system tho' I am looking forward to this when new attachments come out.

For those of you who might be interested, Home Depot has the stick edger including 24 volt battery and charger on sale for only $109 through 4/2/2014.

Ryobi 24-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Electric Edger-RY24310 at The Home Depot

The price has dropped another $20 to only $89 ! That's only $9 more than the cost of just a battery.

Ryobi 24-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Electric Edger-RY24310 at The Home Depot

MowerMike said:

The price has dropped another $20 to only $89 ! That's only $9 more than the cost of just a battery.

Ryobi 24-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Electric Edger-RY24310 at The Home Depot

Click to expand...

Very cheap! :thumbsup:

lawn mower fanatic said:

Very cheap! :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

When I bought my first one, it was $149 !

MowerMike said:

When I bought my first one, it was $149 !

Click to expand...

You probably wish you waited to buy it. :wink:

lawn mower fanatic said:

You probably wish you waited to buy it. :wink:

Click to expand...

Haha, I'm sure you remember my good fortune when my first one broke after only 10 minutes use, and I returned it to Home Depot for a full refund. I got my second unit from Ryobi for free, which is the best price of all !

MowerMike said:

Haha, I'm sure you remember my good fortune when my first one broke after only 10 minutes use, and I returned it to Home Depot for a full refund. I got my second unit from Ryobi for free, which is the best price of all !

Click to expand...

Free is even better!! :thumbsup:

My new old Ryobi 40 volt blade edger

So, it’s been about 4-1/2 years since the last post in this thread, and the my 24 volt Connexion blade edger has finally died. The motor is still good, but the 24 volt battery has pretty much given up the ghost, and will only charge enough to power the edger for about 30 seconds. Normally, the solution would be to simply purchase another battery, but alas Ryobi has completely abandoned their 24 volt battery lineup, and replacement batteries are nowhere to be found. The only alternative appears to be the Ryobi 18 volt blade edger, but it seems really wimpy by comparison, so it seemed like my only real choice would be a attachment style like the Ryobi Expand-It system with a top mount power head. Being a short person, this type of system is awkward for me to use. But then a lightbulb went off in my head, and I realized that another better solution was available. My old Ryobi Connexion blade edger is also compatible with a 40 volt battery, using a 40 volt battery holder instead of the 24 volt battery holder that was supplied with my unit. I already have a 40 volt battery that was supplied with a blower that I bought 4 years ago, and unlike the 24 volt battery is still holding a full charge. I was unable to find a source for the RY40001 40 volt battery holder, but I did find a tool only 40 volt Connexion string trimmer that uses the same battery holder for under $70 at Home Depot online. Although I have no use for the string trimmer portion, this is still less than the cost of the 24 volt battery when it was still available. Additionally, the 40 volt battery has nearly three times the capacity of the old 24 volt battery, offering both longer run time and faster motor speed. If Ryobi had any sense, they’d resurrect this edger and bundle it with the 40 volt battery holder.

I've got the Ryobi 18V version of this edger … never knew hey offered a 24V version until now. It could definitely be more powerful but if I go slow it works acceptable for me and can get all my edging done on 2 4Ah batteries.

Tried out one of the Ryobi Xpand-It Edger attachments (my brother has one) with my attachment capable 40V Greenworks Brushless String Trimmer head, and now appreciate the 18V Ryobi even more.

The blade turns the opposite direction on the Xpand-It throwing the cuttings back at you instead of forward and away from you like the 18V Ryobi. They have a mud flap to block the debris, but that drags on the ground and is irritating.

Also you would assume the 40V Greenworks would have felt more powerful, but that was not the case … probably due to the fact that this Xpand-It attachment was originally designed for a gas powered head with more torque. It likely had a little more power compared to the 18V Ryobi, but was more difficult / awkward to use which I think is mostly due to the rotating direction of the blade that just seems to work sooooo much better.

I don't own any 40V Ryobi, but I agree that they should come out with a 40V version of this edger, that would be much better than 18 or 24V.

Doug