Reviews You Can Rely On

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 | $192.43 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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59
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#6 of 9
  • Weed Eating - 30% 5.8
  • Ease of Use - 30% 4.7
  • Battery - 25% 8.8
  • Noise - 15% 3.8

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  Best Buy Award Top Pick Award Best Buy Award Top Pick Award 
Price $249 List
$192.43 at Amazon		$195 List
Check Price at Amazon		$230 List$129 List
$129.00 at Amazon		$120 List
$129.99 at Amazon
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Pros Exceptional battery life, fairly effective at weed eatingInexpensive, quietQuiet, lightweight, easy to controlLightweight, relatively quiet, easy to serviceFantastic at weed eating, easy to use
Cons High-pitched, annoying, heavyNot the most powerfulPricey, short reachNot super powerful, short battery lifeRequires additional motorized head, decently loud
Bottom Line We weren't overly impressed with this string trimmer and didn't enjoy using itIf you are shopping on a budget and don't need an extra powerful tool, then this is the string trimmer for youThis is a fantastic all-around string trimmer that especially excels at maintaining large vegetated areasIf you need a string trimmer in your tool arsenal but don't have much money to spend, this one is the one to buyThis versatile tool takes out dense vegetation with ease
Rating Categories Greenworks 14-inch 40V Black+Decker LST136 Husqvarna 115iL Craftsman V20 Weedw... Ego Power+ STA1500...
Weed Eating (30%)
5.8
7.0
7.0
7.0
8.6
Ease Of Use (30%)
4.7
7.4
6.1
7.4
6.7
Battery (25%)
8.8
6.8
8.5
5.5
3.5
Noise (15%)
3.8
8.0
6.8
7.8
5.0
Specs Greenworks 14-inch 40V Black+Decker LST136 Husqvarna 115iL Craftsman V20 Weedw... Ego Power+ STA1500...
Line Feed Mechanism Bump Auto Bump Button Bump
Cutting Path (in.) 14 13 14 15 15
Shoulder Strap Attachment Yes No No No No
Measured Sound Level from 36" Away 103 dBa 85.9 dBa 95 dBa 84 dBa 104.6 dBa
Measured No-Load Runtime 95 min. 43 min. 92 min. 35 min. 21 min.
Number of Speed Settings 2 6 2 2 2
Measured Weight 14.4 lbs 7.8 lb 10.0 lb 7.0 lb 12.4 lb
Nominal Voltage 40 36 40 20 56
Tested Amp-hours 4 2 4 4 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