SKIL 40V Brushless 14-Inch String Trimmer Review LT4818-10

Skil 40V String Trimmer Offers Homeowners Brushless Performance

Exhausted from pull-starting your string trimmer? Or maybe you’re tired of dragging an extension cord around your house? The PWRCore 40 lineup features the Skil 40V Brushless String Trimmer and it might just be the solution for what ails you after the mowing is done.

Skil 40V Cordless String Trimmer Performance

Skil’s PWRCore 40 string trimmer features a brushless motor that spins its dual 0.080-inch line between 4800 and 6000 RPM using a variable speed trigger. All the speed control is in the trigger, just like a gas string trimmer, and there’s no high and low as you find on some cordless models.

If you’re new to brushless motors, they offer better efficiency and power transfer than standard brushed motors. In some tools, we see runtimes up to 50% longer and performance gains in the same range. They also tend to have longer motor life and don’t require the occasional brush changes that brushed motors do. You can learn more about the differences here.

When we first spun the head up to full throttle, it was surprisingly quiet. The combination of line and low vibration made 6000 RPMs sound like it wasn’t turning as fast as it was.

Taking it to an extremely neglected backyard and plowing through some knee-high bahiagrass, it was obvious that it’s a very capable cutter. Its 14-inch cutting swath helped us take down large sections of grass in preparation for a proper mowing.

There are some differences between this model and something you might spend more on, though. While it handled the tall grass well, Skil’s 0.080-inch line didn’t cut as quickly as the 0.095-inch line on EGO’s 56V Powerload model, for example. On the other hand, it’s noticeably stronger than lower-powered 18V and 20V models using the same line size.

Skil 40V Brushless String Trimmer Design

Weight and Balance

Without the battery, this string trimmer weighs a very manageable 6.8 pounds. Adding the 2.5Ah battery from the kit brings it up to just 9.3 pounds total.

The trimmer has a total length of 67 inches and balances its weight well. That’s a standard length for a residential string trimmer, but a couple of our taller guys had to trim at an angle and wished it was a little longer.

Easy Reload Head

If you’re still wrapping trimmer line manually, it’s time to upgrade. Skil includes their Twist Load dual-line bump feed head that makes line loading SOOOOO much easier! Just line up the arrows, run your line through to the halfway point, and then twist the head to load it. It solves one of the biggest string trimmer pain points and is totally worth it.

Heat Management

Heat is one of the biggest lithium-ion battery killers and Skil takes a different approach to deal with it. They have a temperature-sensitive wrap around each cell to aid in the cooling process. According to their data, you can expect up to 25% more runtime and twice the battery life compared to packs that don’t have this technology.

Additional Features

Straight shaft design
IPX4 water-resistant

Skil 40V Cordless String Trimmer Price

You can pick up Skil’s 40V string trimmer for $149.99. The trimmer comes with a 2.5Ah battery and PWRJump charger. At the time we’re writing this, it’s not yet available as a bare tool.

The PWRJump charger is a nice little bonus. With the 2.5Ah battery, it goes from 0% to 30% charge in just 15 minutes. If you have a little bit of trimmer left to do, it gets you back in the game to wrap up before that summer thunderstorm hits. A complete charge cycle takes about an hour.

Skil warranties the tool for an impressive 5 years.

The Bottom Line

Skil’s PWRCore 40 brushless string trimmer fills a need for a capable trimmer that doesn’t go overboard with its weight or price tag. Stronger than 18V/20V and corded models, and without the hassles of gas engines, it’s a good fit for homeowners that want a convenient solution but don’t have professional performance expectations.

Buy at Lowe’s

For more information on Skil’s 40V line up, click here