Finally got to use the Ryobi 40v mower and trimmer.
I bought the carbon fiber grass trimmer to try to reduce the weight. It's still as heavy as the Kobalt 40v but MUCH MORE POWERFUL with its brushless motor. I did way more than the normal grass whipping and ran the battery down to where it would not show anything with the battery button, but it was still spinning the whip. This a truly variable speed trimmer, ala like the old 2 cycle engine ones. The speed start/stop/variable speed button is easier to use than on the Kobalt. The Kobalt has a separate button you have to push to enable the start/stop button, like many other saws, etc. On the Ryobi, the "safety" is built right into the same button.
The registration of it on Ryobi's website was confusing. They show about a half dozen different 40v trimmer models. I went to HD site and brought up the one I bought. No model shown. I just entered the serial # for the one end. There seem to be separate serial #s for the other end as well as for the battery and charger. Sorta the same for registering the mower.
The 40v 21 inch "crosscut" mower worked great except the levers and start button are far too sensitive and safety oriented. I finally ended up zip tying one of the levers and wrapped a line with quick release knot on the other one. You can use either lever, but if you touch the other lever, the mower stops! Just a toggle switch in place of the button and no levers would be fine, folks, but the GUVMIT safety czars probably won't allow it.
I mowed about 1/3 the lawn and used about 1/4 of the battery power with my slow walking speed. My wife will have no trouble at all mowing all of it with her storming around at top speed almost running behind the mower. She mowed the other part of the lawn with the Honda while I was poking around on that 1/3. The Ryobi takes both 6 aH batteries, but you only have access to one at a time by resetting a red key to point towards the one you want to use.
The "crosscut" one also has a single lever for setting the cutting height. It only sets on the inch though, no half inch settings. The "crosscut" also has a 1 inch bigger big wheel in the back.
Batteries in a battery machine are just "gas". So, worst that could happen is I need to buy another battery or do my grass whipping a day before or day after the mowing and use its battery. It's only a 4 aH one though. The ones supplied with the mower are 6 aH.
