Best Lawn Edger: Ryobi Cordless OR Craftsman Gas Edger? Let's Find Out

We test the Ryobi RY40760VNM Cordless brushless battery-powered lawn edger machine against the Craftsman walk-behind lawn edger. Which lawn edger came out on top and looking sharp?
🛒 WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cardboard Cutting Tool shown at the end: amzn.to/3dGxTQp
🛒 Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 9 in. Lawn Edger kit with 4.0 Ah Battery, Charger
homedepot.sjv.io/0J6JvV
🛒 CRAFTSMAN 9-in Push Walk Behind Gas Lawn Edger
lowes.sjv.io/rnMe55
Jump to chapters of this lawn edger review video:
00:00 Introduction to Ryobi Cordless Walk Behind Lawn Edger
00:23 Unboxing and fast assembly of Ryobi Edger
01:01 Battery compartment and changing batteries
01:26 Comparing dimensions of Ryobi Edger vs Craftsman Edger
02:52 How to start up and operate Ryobi lawn Edger Tool
06:00 Edging with Ryobi and craftsman lawn edgers
06:15 Judging lawn edge cuts made by Ryobi and craftsman edgers
06:37 Disadvantages of gas edgers like Craftsman
09:04 How to establish an edge channel for your edger
09:53 Tough real-world testing of Ryobi lawn edger on the lawn with curb
11:24 More lawn edging, battery life testing
12:52 Blades used in the Ryobi Edger
13:47 Nitpicking the Ryobi Edger
15:09 Slicing the Ryobi Edger cardboard box

[@jeffostroff]

🛒 WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cardboard Cutting Tool shown at the end: amzn.to/3dGxTQp 🛒 Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 9 in. Lawn Edger kit 4.0 Ah Battery, Charger: homedepot.sjv.io/0J6JvV 🛒 CRAFTSMAN 9-in Push Walk Behind Gas Lawn Edger lowes.sjv.io/rnMe55kzbin.infogaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f6d2.png

[@dianecronin4583]

Thank you Jeff! As always you go into just write the amount of accurate detail so we can make an intelligent decision. We much appreciate it!

[@jeffostroff]

I appreciate that Diane!

[@fuyu5979]

Thanks Jeff for highlighting the Ryobi lawn edger. Ryobi rocks to non-believers n critics !!! Kudos for vid. Anticipating ur next one. Peace

[@twoweeledsoto6072]

Excellent review. Great ideas and tips.

[@TheHamHom]

Great review insights from a user's perspective. Very helpful.

[@jeffostroff]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrisreed26]

When I was a kid we had one of those old electric 1985 Black & Decker edgers..the orange and black. Lasted for over 20 years.. Earlier to that we had the old gas Western Auto edger..I always liked the old gas ones..I had a Power Trim brand aqua and orange I believe about 2004 that was my brother's..I think they were based out of Miami where he lived..I love that old Power Trim! I have a EGO battery powered blower that set me back $249 and it is the cat's meow! She blows like a cyclone! Love all your videos especially the condo collapse vids! I watched them all!! Cheers!

[@jeffostroff]

Good info, thanks!

[@3dawgs147]

Great review Jeff 👍👍

[@jeffostroff]

Glad you enjoyed it 3 Dawgs!

[@tmaddrummer]

Thanks and Blessings Jeff! (new sub). I'll take a serious look at the Ryobi, but if I should go with the gas engine, I'm considering a McLane Edger.

[@DouglasFenwick]

Fantastic video, thank you.

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@Garth2011]

I like the blade to go deeper into the soil and leave a nice clean groove next to the concrete.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, I did the same on my front yard, the depth control helps with that

[@Rodbuilder109]

The 4th position in the handle is for storage to keep it flat against the wall.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes I'm going to be finding a spot on my garage to hang in

[@wranther]

Yo! Jeff! My man! Did I hear correctly? Sure is awesome hearing and seeing you promoting that amazing RYOBI lawn edger!! I wonder how that would work cutting a trail thru the tumbleweeds that have blown up against the gate out between pastures up these parts tho? Just thinking out loud I suppose. Great demonstration!! -Bob...

[@jeffostroff]

9" blade. might have to weed whack some of them down first.

[@peterpumkineater6872]

The user is the key to using machine properly.

[@christopherrussellrussell9084]

Good job jeff

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Bro!

[@jimmarcum7362]

Jeff I thought Ryobi was going to step up their game this year with new lawn equipment A friend of mine gets about 4 years on his Ryobi lawnmowers before they quit running. HE is on his third push mower. He has a large quantity of batteries which are about the end of their life. He has way less than 3/4 acre to mow. They seem to last just until the warranty expires. He gave me the last one that quit running, they are not worth shipping back to the repair center. I fixed a safety switch which was wore out and got the mower running. I must say the cheapest POS electric lawn mower I have ever used. It is flimsy just like the edger. I am betting he will get just over three years on the new one too. Maybe it works in the thin grass in Florida, but not in Tennessee where you can watch the thick grass grow overnight after a good rain. After taking this one apart to fix the switch and looking at the new one, I am convinced nothing has changed at Ryobi. Pushing on the handle while mowing feels like the mower is going to crumple up and stop the blade. there is a blade slice thru the side of the plastic deck where he apparently rubbed up against a tree or something. I am going to direct him another brand, and he can use those batteries up on other Ryobi battery powered lawn tools he has. I would rather spend a little more and a get mower that doesn't feel like a child's toy.

[@jeffostroff]

So far I am a year and a 1/2 into my mowers I'm hoping that it works out

[@jimmarcum7362]

Jeff, The lawnmower that was given to me had a safety interlock switch to keep the electric motor from running when the handle was folded. His new mower does not have this switch. I had to take the top cover off to get at this switch. The cover is held on by tapered screws that just screw into the plastic of the bottom half. No machine screws nor nuts and bolts are used here. Not unlike a unibody car, the top cover adds rigidity to the mower deck. Several of these screws had loosened and one was missing. My mower has weak headlights which are useless and only serve to drain the battery as they burn all the time. A circuit board which drives the headlights, a heatsinked module that connects between the battery and brushless motor, lots of wiring harnesses going to the handle controls and safety switches is all that is under the cover. My back yard is not level and when pushing the mower uphill, the front of the mower wants to rise up. What I do like is it is very quiet, so quiet I can hear the wheels squeak. I do not have to wear hearing protection No vibrations at the push handle and instant start. I hope you get many years of service out of your mower. I will only use mine for mowing my small, level front yard. I already have an electric chainsaw, pole saw, hedge trimmer, weed eater and leaf blower that are going strong after five years, I am sold on them. It is going to be interesting on how long the mower will last. I may be surprised.

[@ex8280]

I talked to the guy at home depot when I picked up my echo pas225. He said he gets a lot of returns from Ryobi. The others are fine.

[@WhittyPics]

The Craftsman edger/weedwacker I had was alway a pain to start. I use a Kobalt edger/weedwacker now with a gas Ryobi head. I wonder if this battery one uses the same blade as the gas one? I keep a few extra blades on hand all the time.

[@WhittyPics]

I like my Kobalt mower which is made by Greenworks. They are fine for a small lawn. They may be a pain in the A$$ for someone that has a lot of grass to deal with. My batteries last about 30 minutes. If you are running a law care business, I don't think they are that suitable for all day everyday use

[@jeffostroff]

These are all standard size blades with standard sized arbors they probably are the same blade

[@jonathanh9674]

Probably a dumb question but is it okay that the moving blade is hitting the concrete as frequent as it did when he was demonstrating it in the video? Just got mine today and don’t wanna damage the blade

[@spacemanwho]

Anyone use the ryobi vs rotary scissors? Loved the video by the way ❤

[@ceeyaaa]

Great comparison analysis. Love it

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks I'm glad you liked it and thanks for watching

[@tammieparrish1580]

thank you

[@jeffostroff]

You're welcome Tammie!

[@cmo_rocks]

What's the cutting tool you used at the end for boxes?

[@jeffostroff]

🛒 WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool: amzn.to/3dGxTQp

[@jammosu6498]

Black & Decker Hedge Hog

[@pettypendergrass8596]

4:37 That lowest setting is for storage. You can hang it.

[@jeffostroff]

I might try hanging it, since it does not fold

[@ksh2678]

I have a question I'm in the market for an edger but I only have one arm Can the Ryobi be operated with one arm?

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, but if you have to stop to adjust the blade height, that could be problematic for you

[@dannisgarrett2111]

I like it.

[@jeffostroff]

was using it today!

[@nancyscott-smith636]

What's that cutter you were using?

[@jeffostroff]

LOL 🛒 WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool: amzn.to/3dGxTQp

[@Vicapr]

I thought the handle was adjustable to lay down flat. Couldn’t you hang it in that position?

[@jeffostroff]

IT sticks out too far

[@nancyscott-smith636]

What's that color you were using??

[@jeffostroff]

color? Of What?

[@declanfarber]

You should also test the Milwaukee QuikLoc edger, it’s a bit more intimidating.

[@jeffostroff]

I only will do 3 or 4 wheel edgers

[@declanfarber]

@@jeffostroff The Milwaukee is faster than the ones you tested, if you’re okay with the weight of it, and the strap needs some comfort-tuning. A few minutes and that’s it. Huzzah!

[@jeffostroff]

@@declanfarber What model number are you talking about from the walkgate? Milwaukee does not make a walk behind edger

[@declanfarber]

@@jeffostroff The Milwaukee QuikLok is not a “walk-behind” per se, it’s a shoulder-strap unit. Surely you’re familiar with it. It’s very flexible, more flexible than the wheel-based units, and it’s fast. I’m a big guy, so I don’t care too much about the weight. Some might.

[@markd9105]

I'm moving to battery everything.

[@jeffostroff]

I just reached that status when I sold that Craftsman edger

[@jimmarcum7362]

Jeff did Ryobi give you that edger? Or did you buy it? The carb on the Briggs is one of their worst designs. It uses a rubber/canvas diaphragm that by vacuum pulses from the crankcase pumps gas into the carb. Over the years it gets hard and does not pump the gas into the carb. New diaphragms are cheap and can fix the hard starting. They should had put a carb on there that had a float bowl. The primer bulb and diaphragm can easily replaced for less than 20 bucks. My Honda self propelled uses less than 2 1/2 gallons of gas each mowing season. Never buy a piece of lawn equipment that has the carb mounted on top of the gas tank and no float bowl and you will never have that hard starting.

[@jeffostroff]

I bought this ryobi edger at home depot it was not given to me call mine fact if you go back into lake July you will see I bought it on one of my live streams from home depot

[@Garth2011]

It shouldn't make any difference which machine is turning the blade to the grass. Both do the job, its all about the user experience, maintenance and cost to operate etc.

[@jeffostroff]

Yup! Glad to have sold that gas edger already!

[@joe112000]

I want one lol.

[@jeffostroff]

This is a fun edger to use

[@sonorousbelchpipe1021]

I did too, until I found out they're over $400. Yikes! And because of the lower weight due to lesser parts, they seem flimsy compared to the gas edger types. Still have a Sears Craftsman 3.5 hp gas edger that runs and cuts the best ever. Remember my dad using an old Black & Decker electric edger trailed by miles of electirlc cord. Out of curiosity, purchased the Hart battery edger from Walmart for about $300. Runs and sounds similar to the Ryobi. The same company makes both. The main difference is that the height adjust lever on the Ryobi is conveniently (key word here pertaining directly to the additional cost) located on the handle rather than next to the large rear wheel as on the Hart. The Ryobi height adjust is through cables whereas the Hart has a small lever aft of the wheel to adjust height. The Hart has a simple trigger pull run button with safety slide switch. That Hart alsi has a loop handle; the Ryobi does not. The loop handle might offer more hand guidance to the edger, if I can only get it from not rotating around the handle shaft. The loop handle uses a finger-tight butterfly nut to secure it in place. Due to the weight of the lower body which has the most mass, no matter how much I tighten the butterfly nut the unit tends to awkwardly torque rotate around the handle when lifted. The loop handle needs a more secure mounting. Also, if the neon green Ryobi color scheme does not appeal to you, the Hart offers a smart light blue/white/grey and black scheme which I prefer. The white dies pick up a lot of dust and discoloration though from use. But if you take care of your equipment, it will take care for you!

[@michaelm.1807]

Can't beat a Gas-Powered Anything...IMHO. 🙂😀😃😄😁👋🤞✌️👌👍☝️👏🙏

[@jeffostroff]

You saw what we all saw, we can't tell the difference. And it spins at 7900 RPM. Craftsman won't even publish their RPMs

[@CharmonPuhlmann-tf7ci]

12:25

[@mr.k4048]

Lol.........I'll keep my 10 year old B&D, thank you. My grass will not know the difference.....hahaha

[@jeffostroff]

yours is a plug in?

[@mr.k4048]

@@jeffostroff yes it is

[@susanadiasjohnson457]

👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@KursedSaffron]

he said that craftsman was years old! he also said they did just about the same job at an edge, so a brand new edger vs. old edger and they do the same? he also said the fumes were a problem but that's most likely because of putting to much oil and who cares about a little bit of fumes if your not right there breathing it all in you be fine, people for years have used gas powered lawn mowers and any machine with fumes and have been perfectly fine, and if you start with electric being "more environmentally safe" they create those electric machines in factories that produce pollution also pumping the primer bulb isn't even that big of a hassle it takes 6 seconds to prime and what if your batteries were to die? it takes hours to charge them while gas is instant. not saying this video is shamming gas powered engines it is just a review but people complain about the primer bulb taking 6 seconds out of your life while back then people used scythes to cut grass which was way more physically challenging.

[@KursedSaffron]

and there's nothing wrong with electric machines I have used them many time and have not had any problems, and honestly electric or gas powered is a persons choice I just prefer gas powered

[@chrisp.6056]

The Ryobi could be hung maybe

[@justmyopinion6486]

I think Ryobi paid for your opinion,To much hype on the bright green machine.

[@jeffostroff]

I think you are lying because I bought this myself at home depot and you saw me buy it on my livestream back in late July

[@joeblow8206]

Pro here. The best edger is a landscaper who knows how to use a weedeater correctly. Theyre faster than any actual "edger". If you ever see a landscape company with an edger on the truck they done know what they're doing. Never anything battery powered, ever

[@garyglenn3654]

Electric lawn tools SUCK! OK, maybe not!😂

[@jeffostroff]

So far all of my battery powered lawn tools are aweosme

[@extra3002008]

Until you have to replace the batteries! Very costly! Most toxic lithium batteries end up in the landfill- not very eco friendly. To each their own.