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Greenworks 14-inch 40V Review

We weren't overly impressed with this string trimmer and didn't enjoy using it
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Price:   $249 List | $200 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

(change comparison)
 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award  
Price $249 List
$200.02 at Amazon		$479 List
$389.00 at Amazon		$230 List
$229.95 at Amazon		$200 List
$178.33 at Amazon		$119 List
$109.00 at Amazon
Star Rating
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Pros Exceptional battery life, fairly effective at weed eatingCuts through weeds like a champ, convenient to operate, quietQuiet, lightweight, easy to controlSuper convenient to use, runs on the quieter side, edges cleanlyFantastic at weed eating, easy to use
Cons High-pitched, annoying, heavyPriceyPricey, short reachGuard gets in the way, so-so 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 want the best of the best, the XRU09Z should be one of the first options you considerThe 115iL is a fantastic all-around string trimmer that just isn’t quite as comfortable to use as the top productsThe WG191 did quite well in almost all of our tests, falling just a bit short of the top productsThis is a great choice if you already have the EGO POWER+ Power Head
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Rating Categories Greenworks 14-inch... Makita XRU09Z 36V Husqvarna 115iL WORX WG191 56V... EGO Power+ STA1500...
Weed Eating (30%)
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
6
10
0
9
Ease Of Use (30%)
10
0
5
10
0
9
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
7
Battery (25%)
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
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5
10
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4
Noise (15%)
10
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4
10
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8
10
0
7
10
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7
10
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5
Specs Greenworks 14-inch... Makita XRU09Z 36V Husqvarna 115iL WORX WG191 56V... EGO Power+ STA1500...
Line Feed Mechanism bump bump bump button bump
Cutting Path (in.) 14 13.75 14 13 15
Shoulder Strap Attachment Yes Yes No Yes No
Measured Sound Level from 36" Away 103 dBa 88 dBa 95 dBa 88 dBa 104.6 dBa
Measured No-Load Runtime 95 min. 69 min. 92 min. 36 min. 21 min.
Measured Weight 14.375 lbs 9.938 lb 10 lb 9 lb 12.375 lb
Nominal Voltage 40 36 40 56 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 score all that well.
The Greenworks is a fairly inexpensive string trimmer but didn't score all that well.

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

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

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

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

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

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