REASONS TO BUY
Quiet
Lightweight
Easy to control
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Short reach
Husqvarna 115iL Review
This is a fantastic all-around string trimmer that especially excels at maintaining large vegetated areas
RELATED: Best Cordless String Trimmer of 2023
Our Verdict
Just barely missing out on the top spot, the Husqvarna 115iL is an overall excellent cordless string trimmer that we didn't find all that much to complain about. It has plenty of power to slice through most things effortlessly — though it isn't the heaviest-duty weed eater that we have tested — and is extra maneuverable for making detailed cuts or edging along paths. The 115iL combines all that with great battery life, but we didn't think it was the most comfortable to use, mainly due to its short reach. It's a solid string trimmer if you already have other Husqvarna tools that use the same battery and you can get it cheap.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Husqvarna 115iL | |||||
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| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | Check Price at Amazon | $399 List Check Price at Amazon | $195 List Check Price at Amazon | $140 List | $129 List $139.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Quiet, lightweight, easy to control | Easy to use, great battery life, low noise | Inexpensive, quiet | Lightweight, relatively quiet, easy to service | Fantastic at weed eating, easy to use |
| Cons | Pricey, short reach | Not the lightest tool around, pricey | Not the most powerful | Not super powerful, short battery life | Requires additional motorized head, decently loud |
| Bottom Line | This is a fantastic all-around string trimmer that especially excels at maintaining large vegetated areas | Ergonomic and easy to use, this is one of our all-time favorite cordless yard tools to use when clearing weeds | If you are shopping on a budget and don't need an extra powerful tool, then this is the string trimmer for you | If you need a string trimmer in your tool arsenal but don't have much money to spend, this one is the one to buy | This versatile tool takes out dense vegetation with ease |
| Rating Categories | Husqvarna 115iL | Makita XRU15PT 36V | Black+Decker LST136 | Craftsman V20 Weedw... | Ego Power+ STA1500... |
| Weed Eating (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Battery (25%) | |||||
| Noise (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Husqvarna 115iL | Makita XRU15PT 36V | Black+Decker LST136 | Craftsman V20 Weedw... | Ego Power+ STA1500... |
| Line Feed Mechanism | Bump | Bump | Auto | Button | Bump |
| Cutting Path (in.) | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
| Shoulder Strap Attachment | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Measured Sound Level from 36" Away | 95 dBa | 85 dBa | 85.9 dBa | 84 dBa | 104.6 dBa |
| Measured No-Load Runtime | 92 min. | 88 min. | 43 min. | 35 min. | 21 min. |
| Number of Speed Settings | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Measured Weight | 10.0 lb | 10.4 lb | 7.8 lb | 7.0 lb | 12.4 lb |
| Nominal Voltage | 40 | 36 | 36 | 20 | 56 |
| Tested Amp-hours | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2.5 |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
This string trimmer just narrowly missed out on claiming an award and the overall top spot, mainly precluded by its lack of reach. Most people found that you had to hunch over when making precise cuts and have to have the business end a little too close for comfort but is an overall excellent product despite that. This isn't as much of an issue for anyone with a shorter stature and we would totally recommend this cordless trimmer to anyone who falls into that category with moderate amounts of lawn care to do.
Performance Comparison
The Husqvarna's lightweight and compact design made it easy to use, especially for our smaller-statured testers.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Likes
In particular, we found the versatility of this string trimmer to be quite an asset when weed eating. It's great for both precise work in small areas or around objects that you don't want to accidentally hit with the cutting string — things like the side of your house, lawn ornaments, birdbaths, yard lights, etc. We found the string guard to be perfectly matched to the power of the machine, providing both adequate shielding from freshly-cut weeds flying back at you and failing to get in the way when working in confined areas.
The small guard on the Husqvarna was surprisingly effective for its size.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It can also cut through large swathes of tall grass quickly and easily and is great for regular yard maintenance or the occasional large project. The 115iL is lightweight and well-balanced, weighing just about 10 pounds and is easy to carry around one-handed.
Its battery lasted for over 90 minutes in our no-load test and it has both a low and high power setting. It is also one of the quieter models, only registering about 95 decibels on our meter at a distance of 36" and has our judges thought it had one of the least annoying tones out of all the products we have tested.
Dislikes
While the 115iL usually has more than enough power, it does struggle a little with particularly thick-stemmed plants. It gets through them eventually, just takes a bit more time than some of the more powerful machines. This also means that you might want to pick a more powerful model if you are routinely going to be undertaking large lawn maintenance projects with lots of dense vegetation.
The 115iL had plenty of power for most tasks, but took a little longer to cut through burlier items.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It is fairly easy to install new string on the 115iL but the cover does tend to accumulate quite a bit of debris after being in use, so it usually requires thorough cleaning before you can put the new roll in.
The head of the Husqvarna 115iL comes apart easily for line replacement and maintenance.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The shorter reach on this trimmer can also make it quite hard to find an ergonomic position when using it — especially if you are on the taller side. The head doesn't extend very far and you will usually find yourself hunched over when making detailed cuts.
Additionally, the Husqvarna isn't super happy when held vertically for edging or other precision work, constantly fighting you and wanting to flip over. This is exacerbated by its hard plastic handle, which doesn't offer a ton of grip and isn't the most comfortable to hold.
The controls on the 115iL are easy to use, and switching between modes requires only the push of a button.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
While this cordless string trimmer does operate on the quieter side, it is exceptionally loud when it first revs up — as loud as the loudest models we have tested.
Value
This string trimmer isn't a great option when shopping on a budget, as it is one of the most expensive models that we have tested.
Conclusion
The Husqvarna 115iL is a great cordless string trimmer that scored above average in each of our testing metrics but just has a few flaws that precluded it from claiming the top spot. We wouldn't strongly dissuade someone from purchasing it unless they are exceptionally tall and have extremely heavy-duty trimming tasks, but there are better options out there for a comparable or slightly higher price.
—
Michelle Powell and David Wise
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