Dewalt vs Stihl vs Ryobi

[Neil Racki]

If you had to buy the following for a decent size backyard with garden and flower beds, what manufacturer would you recommend?

Lawn mower
weed wacker
leaf blower
chainsaw
hedge trimmer

Any and all thoughts welcome.

 

[The Burdened]

Dewalt is my battery platform. Usually have good deals at Home Depot.
I picked them over Makita because IIRC their weed whip was better for what I was looking for.

 

[Neil Racki]

Dewalt is my battery platform. Usually have good deals at Home Depot.
I picked them over Makita because IIRC their weed whip was better for what I was looking for.

Does the battery "platform" approach work? I guess my first question should have been gas v battery.

New house has a decent size back yard, flower beds, shrubs, large shed etc .. quite the step up from my townhouse tiny lawn

 

[TheAngryHank]

Ryobi is garbage
Dewalt isn't much better
I'd go milwaukee if they made the tools you are after so Stihl
I've used the stihl weed Wacker, it's good.

 

[Winger98]

Does the battery "platform" approach work? I guess my first question should have been gas v battery.

New house has a decent size back yard, flower beds, shrubs, large shed etc .. quite the step up from my townhouse tiny lawn

what do you mean "decent sized?" My yard is 7/10 of an acre. I have an 80v kobalt weedeater, chainsaw, and pushmower that works fine, though I have to recharge the battery once to finish mowing. If you have a yard any bigger than mine, I'd get gas and start looking at riders if you have an acre or more.

I've used the chainsaw and weedeater on my mom's 3 acre home and they work fine. The battery I use is 5ah, so it's a big battery. I trimmed a hundred or so trees with the chainsaw and the battery was still going. Cut up a large maple tree that fell in our yard and didn't need to swap batteries.

If you go battery, go all one platform. Makes it easy. Like I said, I own Kobalt and haven't had an issue. My advice, though, is to buy what you need. Then see if you need more or if you can make due with something else (like hand trimmers instead of powered hedge trimmers).

If you're looking for power tools (drills, saws, etc.) it's a bit of a different story but even then I think the big question is how much and how hard they are actually being used versus name brands. Personal experience is that we never use our toys as much as we think we will.

 

[Neil Racki]

Its a 9000 sq foot lot ... which is pretty damn big for being located 1 mile outside the DC line. Sounds like I shouldnt have any problem getting the lawn cut on one charge so that means going battery all the way.

Def going one platform.

Thank you all for your input.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...f6hNdqqDfIDB7YIi3pRoClJsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

^^ I think Im with this model for mower .. priced at $600 when the smaller version is $350 but reading reviews the battery life on the smaller one gives me pause.

Stihl appears to be the winner

 

[TheAngryHank]

Its a 9000 sq foot lot ... which is pretty damn big for being located 1 mile outside the DC line. Sounds like I shouldnt have any problem getting the lawn cut on one charge so that means going battery all the way.

Def going one platform.

Thank you all for your input.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...f6hNdqqDfIDB7YIi3pRoClJsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

^^ I think Im with this model for mower .. priced at $600 when the smaller version is $350 but reading reviews the battery life on the smaller one gives me pause.

Stihl appears to be the winner

If your longest span is less than 150 feet I'd just go corded tools. Get a 100' cord and a 50 , F barrettes/chargers that all will eventually die while working or die for good , batterie replacement cost almost the same as buying new again, maybe not the mower but you get the idea. I'm old school and run cords on everything but a small impact and drill.
I can't imagine a mower with a big blade cutting thick tall grass without murdering batteries plus your investment will be 1/2 with corded
..think of all the fun you can have running cords over and F-ing them up.

 

[HansonBro]

FWIW we bought the battery Stihl weed wacker last week. I finaly used it today and absolutely hate it.

Youd think you'd just squeeze the safety switch and the accelerator like the gas ones, but nope. They added a third switch that you have to push with your thumb. So you have to hold the first two switches in a weird position just so your thumb can operate the third switch as the actual go button. Its so f***ing dumb and my hand is literally cramping as we speak.

Do not recommend

Edit: ok so i went back and looked at the stupid thing and i got that thumb switch to lock somehow. Dunno how I did it though. Then was called for dinner. I'll figure it out ffs. Still stupid IMO

 

[Winger98]

FWIW we bought the battery Stihl weed wacker last week. I finaly used it today and absolutely hate it.

Youd think you'd just squeeze the safety switch and the accelerator like the gas ones, but nope. They added a third switch that you have to push with your thumb. So you have to hold the first two switches in a weird position just so your thumb can operate the third switch as the actual go button. Its so f***ing dumb and my hand is literally cramping as we speak.

Do not recommend

Edit: ok so i went back and looked at the stupid thing and i got that thumb switch to lock somehow. Dunno how I did it though. Then was called for dinner. I'll figure it out ffs. Still stupid IMO

yeah, that seems stupid. Mine just has a duel trigger which seems pretty common now.

 

[HansonBro]

I miss my gas Stihl =( worked fine when i put it away, but sadly my Dad was the first one to get to it this year. He couldnt start it so he just started taking things apart and made things worse. Stihl dealer said it would cost more to fix then its worth.

My life with Dad and his Parkinson's and dimentia *sighhh

 

[Neil Racki]

If your longest span is less than 150 feet I'd just go corded tools. Get a 100' cord and a 50 , F barrettes/chargers that all will eventually die while working or die for good , batterie replacement cost almost the same as buying new again, maybe not the mower but you get the idea. I'm old school and run cords on everything but a small impact and drill.
I can't imagine a mower with a big blade cutting thick tall grass without murdering batteries plus your investment will be 1/2 with corded
..think of all the fun you can have running cords over and F-ing them up.

Currently use a cord, lend it to a neighborhood kid so he can earn some summer money . I go through a lot of cords with that kid.

Honestly .. as someone whose always lived in apartments or townhouses .. finally moving into a single family home w decent yard and shed .. really wanted a ride one.

As a kid we had one and the speeds were a turtle or a rabbit.

Backyard is below .. its a push mower yard

 

[aqsw]

I'm a milwaukee guy for tools, and an Ego guy more lawn maintenance. Have the Ego mower, chainsaw, trimmer, snowblower, blower, and 400 watt inverter. Great products.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

+1 for corded.

more important than brand is what are the structural/adjustment parts made of? Look for a metal deck and metal height adjuster on a lawnmower, metal pole(s) on a trimmer, etc. Plastic in those places will wear out on you in to time regardless of the brand

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

+1 for chorded robot lawnmowers

 

[BB79]

Does the battery "platform" approach work? I guess my first question should have been gas v battery.

New house has a decent size back yard, flower beds, shrubs, large shed etc .. quite the step up from my townhouse tiny lawn

Battery is good for some tools, gas for others. My experience with a battery leaf blower (Milwaukee) is that they are battery eaters, unless you have a couple (very expensive) 9.0 or larger batteries. On a 5.0 battery I get maybe 8-10 minutes before it croaks. I also have to keep switching batteries as I go or they overheat. Once they overheat, you have to wait for them to cool down before they charge which can take hours. It's good for quick cleanups or blowing the water off a car after you wash it. When November comes I use my old gas one for the heavy leaf blowing.

Battery tools are convenient but have some drawbacks like this.

 

[Neil Racki]

Amazon.com

Went with the Craftsman 20 inch corded 13 ah for like $220

- figured Id go basic but see that its mostly plastic and kinda think Ill keep shopping around for a metal body one .. delivery is a few weeks out
- surprised I went corded .. really thought I would be going battery and had to pick one company for my "fleet" of future tools but yall and the internet agree = cord is better

Now Im not committed to one company I can just get the best corded leaf blower and chain saw out there

Thanks yall

 

[Hellcat]

I'm a milwaukee guy for tools, and an Ego guy more lawn maintenance. Have the Ego mower, chainsaw, trimmer, snowblower, blower, and 400 watt inverter. Great products.

I second this, I have all the Milwaukee QUIK-LOK yard tools and they get abused on a regular basis. I have ~2 acres and trust me when I say those tools get a workout. Recently bought the Brush cutter, it is a monster. Their tools are not cheap but in my experience they are darn close to Professional grade quality. Probably closer to Pro-sumer quality than Consumer.

 

[Hellcat]

Battery is good for some tools, gas for others. My experience with a battery leaf blower (Milwaukee) is that they are battery eaters, unless you have a couple (very expensive) 9.0 or larger batteries. On a 5.0 battery I get maybe 8-10 minutes before it croaks. I also have to keep switching batteries as I go or they overheat. Once they overheat, you have to wait for them to cool down before they charge which can take hours. It's good for quick cleanups or blowing the water off a car after you wash it. When November comes I use my old gas one for the heavy leaf blowing.

Battery tools are convenient but have some drawbacks like this.

Agree the smaller batteries are good for drills and and hand tools, I have an 8 amp/hr battery and it lasts a long long time. For the hard jobs like brush cutting the 8 amp battery lasts about 30 minutes. The small 2 amp battery last about 5 minutes (maybe less) in my leaf blower.

Amazon.com

Went with the Craftsman 20 inch corded 13 ah for like $220

- figured Id go basic but see that its mostly plastic and kinda think Ill keep shopping around for a metal body one .. delivery is a few weeks out
- surprised I went corded .. really thought I would be going battery and had to pick one company for my "fleet" of future tools but yall and the internet agree = cord is better

Now Im not committed to one company I can just get the best corded leaf blower and chain saw out there

Thanks yall

Buy a couple of back up cords, it's not if you roll over and cut it, it is when...

 

[Hellcat]

+1 for corded.

more important than brand is what are the structural/adjustment parts made of? Look for a metal deck and metal height adjuster on a lawnmower, metal pole(s) on a trimmer, etc. Plastic in those places will wear out on you in to time regardless of the brand

To add to this, the stamped mower decks will rust out a lot quicker than the engineered decks. If your goal is to buy one mower and keep it for decades, go with engineered (more expensive but better quality - cheaper in the long run), if you don't really care and plan to replace every 7 to 10 years go with stamped it is cheaper. I have a 20+ year old push mower (transmission driven) with a Honda engine, that fires up every year in the spring (and a zero-turn with an engineered deck), the push mower was originally pricy to buy ($800+) but it's does the job every time and in the time when other people have bought 2 to 3 push mowers, I've bought one. Honda's and Scag's are great brands but might be a little more than most people are willing to pay.

I'm a nut when it comes to lawn care, I could literally talk about it all day but the blank stares when I start to talk about lawn care on peoples faces tells me that 99% of the people out there dont give a hoot about lawn maintenance. For most people it is just a nuisance and a hated chore.

 

[Sniper99]

I miss my gas Stihl =( worked fine when i put it away, but sadly my Dad was the first one to get to it this year. He couldnt start it so he just started taking things apart and made things worse. Stihl dealer said it would cost more to fix then its worth.

My life with Dad and his Parkinson's and dimentia *sighhh

I love my Stihl blower in the winter, whne we moved into the neighborhood on a corner lot, I'd watch my neighbor blow the snow clean off his sidewalk right down to the concrete. Was blown away went over to him, he recommend the one above his and Ive been using it while my Honda push blower sits in the shed.

All our neighbors love us for having the clear sidewalks.

 

[TD Charlie]

It depends on how much use and abuse. My old black n decker drill doesn’t hold a charge well these days, and i just bought a house. Soooo new tools time

Ended up with 18v drill, leaf blower, string trimmer/edger, two chargers, 1.5ah battery and another 4ah battery. All Ryobi. Paid $215 all in. Couldn’t say no.

I beat the hell out of that black and decker drill. But i hated the trimmer in the same product line. I’ve used a couple Ryobi impact drivers and drills recently and liked them. For a very casual DIY guy, just about anything should do the job imo. I put a TV on the wall this afternoon, and fastened a couple 2x4 blocks around my laundry chute with the black n decker drill and just that started to feel weak on battery life.

 

[Neil Racki]

Ladders ... I need a ladder.

Mostly for gutter/roofs but also indoor needs like access to recess lighting etc

Im thinking the mightly giant

 

[TD Charlie]

Ladders ... I need a ladder.

Mostly for gutter/roofs but also indoor needs like access to recess lighting etc

Im thinking the mightly giant

I still use an old rickety 6 foot wooden ladder. It’s gonna kill me one of these days. Should probably invest in a newer, taller, not-wood model.

 

[sigma six]

I still use an old rickety 6 foot wooden ladder. It’s gonna kill me one of these days. Should probably invest in a newer, taller, not-wood model.

Been using the Werner fiberglass ladders for 30 years, they're all I need. For just keeping around the house, the mid-capacity blue ones would work just fine as opposed to the more expensive and beefier commercial models.

 

[HansonBro]

Been using the Werner fiberglass ladders for 30 years, they're all I need. For just keeping around the house, the mid-capacity blue ones would work just fine as opposed to the more expensive and beefier commercial models.

I use Werner as well. My 6' aluminum basically never gets put away. Light, easy to fold and perfect holes in the top for drivers or a hammer etc. Well thought out product