Ryobi 36V Brushless Whisper Line Trimmer Kit R36XLTR26

 Follow-up 8mo · After a few months of Spring growth, here are a few more comments on 36VRyobi Whisper Line Trimmer. First, battery charging: time with the charger in the Whisper Line-Trimmer Kit (with 6.0Ah Battery BPL3660D) is just under 2 hours. Charger manual says 110 minutes, which seems about right. On 'low' power, which as previously said, is strong enough, this gives about 40 minutes cutting time. The mathematics therefore works out that if you want to use the machine continuously you need 4 batterys (6.0Ah) and 3 charging points. However, given a 'hot' battery must be given 30 minutes to cool down before charging, you may want more, or accept you'll be running back and forth to the charger to start the process after cooling. Anything less than the 4x3 arrangement above, definitely means the lack of battery power will stop you, before the next battery is ready. Work it out, plan a rest or some other simultaneous job. Second: Wet Grass? If your line-trimmer / brush cutter is having trouble cutting wet grass, trade-up to a more serious machine. Unlike rotary mowers, wet grass is irrelevant for cutting with a brush cutter. However, where wet grass impacts the Ryobi 36V Whisper is in cleaning up afterwards. The complex baffled guard gathers caked-on wet grass like no other in lots of small corners, holes etc. Good maintenance habits, the operating weight and its silencing dynamics all demand that the guard is cleaned to some extent. So, either wait till the grass is dry, or allow more time to clean up. Ryobi's recommendation to use a stiff hand brush for cleaning is excellent - it works well - even on the socks, boots and pants-cuffs - at least with drier grass. Line feeding: Hmm! Number of issues. The 36V Whisper takes only a 2.4 mm line in the provided bumphead. Furthermore, it only holds about 1.5 metres for each outlet (albeit in one x 3 metre piece of line.) The Ryobi manual line-winder is fine. It loads well and pretty fast, though as the head gets older and dirtier, the winder gets stiffer to turn. (Note - If you try to load too much line (say 4-5 metres), the line sticks and won't bump out - necessitating opening the bumphead mid-oeration to fix it. Now the 2.4mm line on a 43cm cutting circle means that at the outer edge the line is moving very fast - faster than at 38cm and this is part of this machine's effectiveness. However, if you are cutting anything tougher than simple green grass, or cutting near fences or rockeries, the bumphead chews through line like spaghetti. The need to replace a full bumphead of line may well occur sooner than the loss of battery power! You can probably expect to get one full bumphead worth of line for each 40 minute battery cycle! And of course, they don't run out at the same time, so carry more line and feeder handle down to that lower paddock with you! Next, you can use any 2.4 mm line, and while Ryobi's twisted line is stronger, so does it cost lots more than other available nylon lines. But all line is pricy if you start chewing through a lot of it. The bumphead on my Stihl 2 Stroke holds about 3-4 metres for each outlet (7+ metres total) and will take almost any weight line. The line has to be replaced far less frequently and you can change the weight of line for the task being undertaken. Not so Ryobi Whisper. Other issues - weight and balance. As previously mentioned this machine is not light. But adding an extra half-bike handle ($25+ on the internet, easily fitted to shaft), at about 70 degrees off perpendicular to above the shaft, combined with a Ryobi harness works well in combination with the D handle. The Left hand bike handle offers the ability to stand up straight and put the weight onto the harness (shoulders) rather than on the back in a bent position. The D handle remains useful for specific slope detail work. The bike handle allows the relaxed swinging motion for flat areas. But note that the angle of the head for flat areas requires the shaft to be more horizontal (battery end lower) than with the D Handle position. To avoid the giant guard from impeding progress by hitting the ground, the angle of the half-bike-handle may need to be adjusted. Line v. Flailing Head v Blade. The Ryobi bumphead, despite contrary instructions can be replaced for non-Ryobi attachments, such as a flailing head type fitting, eg. a WeedWacka, (or a steel blade) with a Left Hand M8 lock-nut and cover plate kit. But remember before trying a non-Ryobi attachment, make extra sure that it is securely attached and easily spins quite clear of the big Guard, including its line-cutting blade. There will be no prize for getting this wrong, and no warranty either. However, the Ryobi bumphead does undoubtedy work best. For tough work, flailing heads is stronger than 2.4mm line, and may ultimately save a bit on line cost, but they are less effectrive on grass, not cutting smoothly. With a cutting circle of about 27cm, they don't cut as fast or as far as the 43 cm line. What about a Blade? I tried a smaller X-shape steel blade and it didn't work well. Sure, it cut small tree stems and bracken, but wasn't much use on anything else. They don't seem to spin fast enough and can easily stall the motor. The heavy motor end seemed clumsy with a blade attached. . Summary: The machine is undoubtedly quieter than petrol machines, a boon if you are trying to protect your hearing, or your neighbour's peace of mind. It is undoubtedly powerful enough to handle most jobs (but does struggle with head-high thickets of overgrown blackberries, bracken, weed sapplings and tough reed clumps.) The battery limitations can only be overcome by extra batteries and a double charger. You decide how long you wish to work before power stops - in 40 minute modules and 2 hour charging time per battery (plus cooling time). Line feeding will probably stop you almost as often as power. Balancing with a harness and additional half-bike handle adds versatility and comfort, best in combination with the D handle. A harness helps with the weight, but this machine does not get any lighter with use and age.