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.