Tag: Brushless

Posted on

What Does Brushless Mean On A Weed Eater? (Answered)

Brushless motors on weed eaters means that it is a motor that operates with less friction, more torque, and a cooler operation. Brushless motors last longer and are great innovations.

Brushless motors are big deals when it comes to weed eaters. Practically every “high-end” weed eater has a big advertisement about brushless motors.

Back in my day, we didn’t have brushless or brushed or anything fancy – we didn’t even really have electric motors. But this new generation of battery-powered weed eaters is different. 

They pack a serious punch and have a price that makes you really think twice. 

Is brushless worth it? How does it compare to gas? All that and more answered.

What does brushless mean on a weed eater?

Brushless as advertised on a weed eater refers to the motor. Brushless motors are designed differently to leverage frictionless magnets to power a motor. 

Weed eaters with brushless motors tend to last longer, be more durable, and provide more torque. When you see brushless listed at the top, you can know that this is a higher quality electric motor than traditional brushed motors. What you also might notice is a higher price point compared to other weed eaters – including some gas-powered weed eaters.

In my opinion, brushless weed eaters are worth the additional cost as they will last significantly longer than others.

How to instantly improve your weed eater

Upgrade your weed eating game with the ultimate GrassKicker Weed Eater String! While weed eaters and lawn edgers are great tools, it’s not complete without the right string. Our specially crafted line is designed to enhance your weed eater’s performance and give you flawless edges around your yard and garden.

Don’t settle for subpar string that breaks easily and leaves ragged edges. Our team has scoured the market and combined the best colors, shapes, thicknesses, and materials to create a superior line that cuts more cleanly and lasts longer.

With GrassKicker, you can take pride in your perfectly manicured lawn and make a lasting impression on your friends and family. And who knows, your envious neighbors might just start dropping by more often! Don’t wait, elevate your weed eating game with GrassKicker Weed Eater String today! Click the link now to buy.

Brushed vs Brushless Weed Eaters

Brushless weed eaters have a frictionless, efficient motor design that leverages magnets instead of the friction electron transfer required from brushed motors. 

You may notice that brushed motors get hot, don’t last as long, and are overall found on weaker, smaller lawn tools. Brushless motors provide a cooler running motor, are more durable and efficient, last longer, and provide more torque. 

When I was picking out weed eaters, brushless was the first non-negotiable I had on my list. I chose to pay more for brushless because I want a tool that will last longer and won’t get so hot.

Brushed motors are often found on lower-end weed eaters and corded weed eaters (often one in the same).

Are brushless tools better?

Brushless tools are better for those looking to have more efficient lawn tools with a longer life. They are not better for those looking for cheap lawn tools that will simply get the job done. Many first time homebuyers settle for brushed, corded weed eaters just to check the box.

In my opinion, making a minor investment in brushless tools will pay off in the long run. Having to replace the tools entirely in half the time as you would with a brushless tool can quickly cost you way MORE than you would have paid to just buy a brushless weed eater in the first place.

Gas vs Brushless Electric Weed Eaters

When it comes to gas vs electric weed eaters, it’s important to weigh out the pros and cons. Both are great options, but in my opinion – built for different audiences.

Here are some pros to brushless electric weed eaters compared to gas-powered weed eaters:

  • No fumes
  • Super easy to start
  • No maintenance
  • Can use the batteries to power other tools
  • Extremely simple

But gas-powered weed eaters have benefits, too. Some of their benefits include a longer run-time and more power.

My gas-powered Stihl weed eater.

I think the gap is narrowing in power between the two, but a really nice brushless weed eater with power comparable to gas is pretty expensive. Most can be found for around $200 or $250, but some can be north of $350.

3 Best Brushless Weed Eaters

I’ve used a ton of really good brushless electric weed eaters, but here are a few of my favorites:

EGO Power+ST1623T 16 inch 56V Weed Eater

This weed eater was the number one choice of ours on our list of best EGO weed eaters. There are a bunch of reasons why, but mostly because it has an awesome mix of price, power, and ease of use. 

It has this cool Powerload technology from EGO that allows you to simply drop some weed eater string in, and it will automatically wind it up for you. Kind of nice. 

But what really sticks out is the 16 inch cutting swath. This is technically in the commercial category and will be an absolute freak of nature when it comes to power. This is our favorite. 

You can grab this one on Amazon for a really good price.

Makita XRU15PT1 Weed Eater

The Makita XRUP15PT1 weed eater is an equally dominant weed eater but with a slightly smaller cutting swath at 15 inches as compared to the EGO’s 16 above. One big differentiator in Makita’s favor is that it takes the 18V batteries that can be found on so many other Makita tools, including Makita’s mowers.

This weed eater works really well for large yards and is my favorite Makita weed eater that compares to commercial landscaping power. It is definitely on the pricier side, but will truly last a long time. It of course has a sweet brushless motor and is backed up by Makita’s ridiculous power. 

You can grab it at Home Depot or at Amazon (I suggest trying to price compare using our links).

Dewalt 20V Max Brushless Cordless Weed Eater

Yes, we were extremely surprised, too, when we put together our list of best Dewalt weed eaters. We honestly weren’t expecting much when we tried these out but WOW – they were seriously powerful.

Of course Dewalt is a household name in the power tool space, but they have truly mastered electric tools and translated that into the lawn care space. Similar to the Makita weed eater above, the Dewalt 20V Max weed eater is a really high quality weed eater. 

We like Dewalt’s because you can buy the tool-only version if you already have a Dewalt 20V Max battery and save a ton of money. 

These are on sale at Home Depot and can also be found at Amazon (where it was cheaper). 

My experience with brushless weed eaters

I’ve used a ton of electric weed eaters and a whole lot of brushless ones. Every time I’ve used a brushless electric weed eater, I’ve felt a difference in torque and sustained power.

They outlast brushed weed eaters, are bigger and more powerful, and don’t get hot when I use them.

I’m super bullish on the future of brushless tools and brushless weed eaters specifically. While I’d like to see the price come down on these tools, I suspect most folks will have these in their garage.

What to look for in a weed eater

Weed eaters AKA string trimmers come in all shapes and sizes. They aren’t highly complicated pieces of equipment, but they do have a few nuances. Here is how we evaluate a weed eater at The Lawn Review.

Feel

Obviously this is subjective, but feel is everything to me. I have had weed eaters in the past where the handle is off to the side, making me torque my shoulders and back. If you can, get as many adjustable pieces as possible to make this customizable. It doesn’t seem like you use a weed eater for a long time, but the work is precision work that requires a steady hand and focus.

Motor

Brushless motors are a non-negotiable when it comes to battery powered weed eaters. Without a doubt,  they are the best option to ensure you have maximum torque, more durability, and a longer life. These things are top notch performance and will be the only option when others start to catch on.

Curved vs Straight shaft

 I always, always, always prefer straight shafts. They are so much easier to use and control and are much longer than curved shafts. Curved shafts are good for clearing out a small piece of land unable to be mowed. But if you want to actually do some good trimming and edging, a straight shaft is much better. Curved shafts are difficult to maneuver and to create a straight line for edging. 

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

Our jobs.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

Posted on

Ryobi Brushless vs. Brushed Motors: Difference Explained (2024)

Ryobi brushless and brushed tools are big names in the lawn tool space. Brushless motors are superior technology that allows for cooler running motors, better durability, and more efficient torque.

Although it may be hard to figure out from the box or product description, there’s actually a huge difference. Today, I’ll walk through what the difference is and make some product recommendations from Ryobi for their brushless motor line of tools. 

My goal is to make this not overly technical, but just give you the quick and dirty explanation that can help you decide whether or not to spend more money.

In short, YES – it is worth it to spend the extra money for brushless lawn tools. If you want to know why, keep reading or skip ahead using the below links:

Brushless vs brushed Ryobi tools

I’m trying to avoid getting too technical here, so let me break down what brushed vs brushless motors do and how this impacts Ryobi tools.

Brushed motors (Regular) from Ryobi

Brushed Ryobi motors have an internal, stationary magnet surrounded by a mobile rotor. The brushes make physical contact with the rotor to transfer the electricity from the battery to the rotor. It essentially causes the rotor to move by changing which side of the motor is magnetic.

It sounds complicated, but here’s what you need to know:

  • The brushes making physical contact with the rotor means that there is increased friction
  • With increased friction, you get heat
  • Heat is going to generally wear down things like plastic and other parts inside of lawn tools
  • This leads to a reduction in lifespan and durability of the product
  • It’s also less efficient than brushless because you are losing energy to heat instead of to power

On a positive note, up until a few years ago (and still to this day), most products are brushed. It’s been the standard for a long time. I have a hedge trimmer from the 90s that’s brushed and still works fine because I barely use it.

But in general, these aren’t as reliable and will get bent out of shape over time and ultimately stop working. 

Ryobi’s Brushless motors

Brushless motors flip the engineering of brushed motors on their head. Basically instead of having the mechanical action of the brushes, a different type of current is used to cause a magnetic field that rotates and moves the magnet. 

It’s almost like an invisible motor, totally driven by an electric current and magnets instead of manual transferral of voltage. 

For those that aren’t nerds, here are some of the impacts:

  • More torque due to no heat loss 
  • Cooler running motor
  • Longer life

Which is better – brushed or brushless Ryobi tools?

It’s pretty clear that Ryobi’s brushless tools are better than their old brushed motors. If you aren’t convinced by the increased power of their new brushless lineup, you should be convinced by the durability. 

Brushless motors are akin to the lithium-ion battery instead of the old nickel hydride batteries. They last a lot longer and perform way better. 

Our favorite Ryobi Brushless Lawn Tools

We’ve written a ton of reviews about some of Ryobi’s best brushless tools. Let me save you some time and give you the best from each category.

Best Ryobi Brushless Blower

Ryobi came out with a new 40V Brushless Whisper series blower and it is sweet. We put it in a head-to-head challenge we called the Ryobi vs EGO blower battle. 

Ain’t it a beaut?

Here’s what we love about the Ryobi 730 CFM 40V Brushless Whisper blower:

  • It’s quiet – well, kind of. It makes a different noise which definitely isn’t loud but also isn’t the best sound in the world.
  • This Ryobi brushless blower has a really cool handle that allows you to control the speed and set a cruise control with your thumb
  • It also has a turbo button that takes it all the way up to 730 CFMs or 190 MPH. That’s pretty dang fast.
  • The Ryobi 40V comes with two 4.5 Ah batteries and a charger.
  • Total time to charge the leaf blower from completely dead to fully charged was 53 minutes. Not bad!

It’s easily the most powerful handheld cordless blower that Ryobi offers. You can grab it from your local Home Depot or grab it on Amazon for a great price.

Best Ryobi Brushless Mower

We did a full ranking of the best Ryobi lawn mowers and found the Ryobi 20 inch 40V Brushless Smart Trek Self-Propelled mower was the best. They have a few mowers that look just like this one and even have a newer model, but I really like this one from 2022 because of its simplicity and price.

Coolest looking one.

Here are a few things I liked about this one:

  • Brushless motor (duh)
  • I like that it is black and not neon yellow
  • The self propelled function works really well
  • It is extremely lightweight and easy to maneuver
  • This Ryobi mower has some really easy-to-use tools
  • You can use the 40V battery with everything

This one is also available on Amazon for a really good price, but can also be bought at Home Depot if you want the newer model.

You can also see how this Ryobi 40V mower compares to the Greenworks 48V mower.

Best Ryobi Brushless Weed Eater

When it comes to Ryobi Weed Eaters, we loved the Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V brushless 13 inch weed eater. This brushless weed eater from Ryobi comes as a part of their 18V ONE+ series of tools, which is a great collection for the homeowner with a small to medium sized yard. 

This is the one.

Here’s why we picked it over a bunch of Ryobi weed eaters:

  • It has a decent sized cutting width at 13 inches. Many of the smaller ones are at 10-11 inches  which is frankly too small to do any kind of edging work. 
  • It’s one of the only Ryobi weed eaters with a brushless motor
  • It’s super easy to handle with it’s large D-shaped handle
  • This one is well-balanced which means you won’t torque your shoulder when carrying it around

This one is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a brushless Ryobi weed eater. I got mine at Home Depot when I first moved into my house, but you can also get it on Amazon for a great price.

Best Ryobi Brushless Pressure Washer

I probably go a little over the top with my recommendation here, but I am blown away by this Brushless Ryobi Pressure Washer. 

Pure power.

The Ryobi 3000 PSI 1.1 GPM electric pressure washer won both our best Ryobi pressure washer AND best electric pressure washer rankings. It’s a beast. Here’s why I am obsessed with it:

  • Best-in-class pressure for an electric pressure washer at 3000 PSI
  • Large soap tank
  • Nozzles built into the tip that allows you to just rotate the tip to change the angle
  • Big never flat wheels

It’s truly top-of-the-line when it comes to electric pressure washers. The fact that it has a brushless motor and will last longer than the others is a huge bonus.

This one is a legend and can be bought online at any local Home Depot for a great price. 

Final words: Ryobi’s brushless vs brushed motors

Like I said at the beginning, brushless motors make a difference and I highly recommend going with them if you are a DIYer. 

If this is your first time buying a lawn tool and know you won’t use it often, you can get away with it being brushed and probably be fine. I would buy cheap and have low expectations, however.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

This is our job.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

About Ryobi

I’m sure you already know a ton about Ryobi or at least own a few of their tools. They are HUGE in Home Depot. We love Ryobi products and have written extensively about dozens of their tools. Here are a few of our favorite Ryobi products:

Ryobi tools are fan favorites mostly because they are good-enough quality, are relatively low cost, and make just about every tool under the sun, which allows you to reuse their batteries and save a ton of money. 

Some of their awesome tools – the backpack sprayer.
Exit mobile version