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Greenworks 14-inch 40V Review

We weren't overly impressed with this string trimmer and didn't enjoy using it
Greenworks 14-inch 40V
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Price:   $249 List | $226 at Amazon
Pros:  Exceptional battery life, fairly effective at weed eating
Cons:  High-pitched, annoying, heavy
Manufacturer:   Greenworks
By David Wise, Michelle Powell, and Jenna Ammerman  ⋅  Sep 4, 2019
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62
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#5 of 7
  • Weed Eating - 30% 6
  • Ease of Use - 30% 5
  • Battery - 25% 9
  • Noise - 15% 4

Our Verdict

The Greenworks 14-Inch string trimmer overall failed to distinguish itself from the rest of the products in the group in the bulk of our tests, only standing out in our battery life metric. This weed eater isn't terribly expensive but can't quite compare with some of the better products, which don't cost that much more. However, it is a decent bargain option if you only have light-duty string trimming tasks.

Compare to Similar Products

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Awards  Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award Best Buy Award Top Pick Award 
Price $249 List
$225.79 at Amazon		$389 List
$389 at Amazon		$230 List
$209.95 at Amazon		$195 List
Check Price at Amazon		$120 List
$119.99 at Amazon
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Pros Exceptional battery life, fairly effective at weed eatingEasy to use, great battery life, low noiseQuiet, lightweight, easy to controlInexpensive, quietFantastic at weed eating, easy to use
Cons High-pitched, annoying, heavyNot the lightest tool around, priceyPricey, short reachNot the most powerfulRequires additional motorized head, decently loud
Bottom Line Scoring close to the bottom of the pack, we weren’t huge fans of the GreenworksIf you are looking for the best of the best when it comes to cordless weed eaters, we think it’s hard to beat this top-tier toolThis is a great all-around model with excellent battery life, but it has a shorter reachCosting a fraction of the top-tier models, this yard tool does a decent job of holding its own against much more expensive offeringsIf you already use EGO tools and just want a string trimmer attachment, the STA1500 won’t disappoint
Rating Categories Greenworks 14-inch... Makita XRU15PT 36V Husqvarna 115iL Black+Decker LST136 EGO Power+ STA1500...
Weed Eating (30%)
6
9
7
7
9
Ease Of Use (30%)
5
9
6
7
7
Battery (25%)
9
9
9
7
4
Noise (15%)
4
9
7
8
5
Specs Greenworks 14-inch... Makita XRU15PT 36V Husqvarna 115iL Black+Decker LST136 EGO Power+ STA1500...
Line Feed Mechanism bump bump bump auto bump
Cutting Path (in.) 14 15 14 13 15
Shoulder Strap Attachment Yes Yes No No No
Measured Sound Level from 36" Away 103 dBa 85 dBa 95 dBa 85.9 dBa 104.6 dBa
Measured No-Load Runtime 95 min. 88 min. 92 min. 43 min. 21 min.
Measured Weight 14.375 lbs 10.375 lb 10 lb 7.812 lb 12.375 lb
Nominal Voltage 40 36 40 36 56
Tested Amp-hours 4 5 4 2 2.5

Our Analysis and Test Results

While the Greenworks produced mediocre results in the vast majority of our tests, it did thoroughly impress us with its battery life, lasting two to three times longer than the bulk of the other string trimmers. It doesn't have a ton of power but this product would be a great option if you have vast expanses of easy-to-trim plants and don't want to have to stop and recharge the battery.

Performance Comparison



The Greenworks is a fairly inexpensive string trimmer but didn't...
The Greenworks is a fairly inexpensive string trimmer but didn't score all that well.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Likes


The Greenworks does a decent job at clearing away patches of grass and weeds that aren't too dense and can even cut through some of the burlier brush and plants if you take it in stages. The guard does a good job of blocking freshly-cut debris from getting thrown back at you and it has a bump feed mechanism to dispense more line. The shoulder strap attachment also makes it a bit more comfortable and less fatiguing to use.

We found the Greenworks to be a bit lacking when it came to cutting...
We found the Greenworks to be a bit lacking when it came to cutting through dense patches of grass and weeds.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The Greenworks truly shined in our battery life test, where we ran each trimmer under no-load conditions until they died, scoring based on the runtime achieved. This weed eater lasted for an impressive 95 minutes before calling it quits — easily one of the longest runtimes of the entire group. It also has both a low and a high power mode, so you can adjust the speed to the task at hand.

The Greenworks 14-inch string trimmer has two different speed...
The Greenworks 14-inch string trimmer has two different speed settings but there isn't a huge difference between them.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Dislikes


Unfortunately, the Greenworks is significantly underpowered compared to many of the other models in the group, faltering with thick-stemmed weeds and dense patches of plants. Even worse, the guard frequently gets caught up tall grass when cutting thicker patches, which then become almost immediately tangled in the head and force the Greenworks off course. This guard also gets in the way when trying to trim tight spaces or make precision cuts.

The included shoulder strap does make the 40V Greenworks a bit more...
The included shoulder strap does make the 40V Greenworks a bit more comfortable to hold.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

This is one of the heaviest string trimmers of the group and feels particularly cumbersome and bulky to use.

This string trimmer is very heavy and hard to handle compared to the...
This string trimmer is very heavy and hard to handle compared to the other products in the review.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The shoulder strap does mitigate this a bit but doesn't do all that much.


We also thought the Greenworks is one of the least user-friendly models when it comes to replacing the line. The spring mechanism inside the head especially makes it difficult to keep the string where it is supposed to be and replace the cap without cross-threading it.

Even though the Greenworks is heftier than many other models, it...
Even though the Greenworks is heftier than many other models, it isn't all that powerful.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

This weed eater is also one of the loudest trimmers we have tested to date, with a particularly high-pitched tone that is quite grating on the ears.

Value


The Greenworks is an acceptable bargain buy but there are less expensive models that we vastly preferred.

Conclusion


If you need to cut copious amounts of sparsely spaced weeds and grass, then the Greenworks is a great choice. Otherwise, we would recommend an alternative option.

— David Wise, Michelle Powell, and Jenna Ammerman