Greenworks 40V String Trimmer Review: Best Budget Cordless Trimmer
Last updated: 2026-09-18 · By NicheHive Editorial
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The Greenworks 40V 12-Inch Cordless String Trimmer includes a battery, charger, and a 3-year warranty at a genuinely budget price. Full review covering cutting performance, runtime, and where it falls short of pricier trimmers.
Most trimmers under $100 quietly leave the battery and charger out of the box price, which pushes the real cost well past the advertised number. The Greenworks 40V 12-inch doesn't do that.
At $80 to $100, the kit includes a 40V, 2.0Ah lithium battery, a charger, and a 3-year warranty, longer coverage than the 2-year terms typical of the EGO ST1521S and Worx WG183.
Performance is appropriately modest for the price. The 12-inch swath and 2.0Ah battery handle regular lawn trimming and light edging on a small to medium yard without issue, but they're not built for sustained heavy growth or a large property.
For buyers whose yard doesn't demand more, that tradeoff is a reasonable one, especially with the warranty length working in the trimmer's favor over time.
What You Are Buying
The Greenworks 40V 12-Inch Cordless String Trimmer is a budget-tier cordless trimmer built around Greenworks' 40V battery platform. The kit includes the trimmer, a 2.0Ah battery, and a charger, typically priced between $80 and $100.
The head uses a dual-line auto-feed system and the trigger is variable speed, letting you dial back power on lighter tasks to conserve battery.
Performance
Everyday lawn trimming: handles typical grass and light growth comfortably. The 12-inch swath means slightly more passes than a 15-inch trimmer on a larger lawn, but it's proportionate to a small to medium lot.
Edging: the head pivots for basic edging use, though the mechanism feels less solid than the EGO's or Worx's pivot design.
Battery runtime: the 2.0Ah battery is the smallest capacity covered in this category's lineup, adequate for a typical small-yard session but the first to run low on a larger property or in dense growth.
Build quality: noticeably more plastic in the shaft coupler and head housing than pricier models. It holds up fine for light residential use but doesn't feel as robust as the EGO's carbon fiber shaft.
What It Does Well
Including the battery and charger at this price is the trimmer's biggest advantage. Several competitors at a similar sticker price sell the bare tool only, with the battery adding another $40 to $60 at checkout.
The 3-year warranty is genuinely longer than most of the category, a meaningful hedge for a budget-tier motor and battery that are more likely to show wear over time than premium components.
What Falls Short
The 12-inch swath and 2.0Ah battery are the clearest limitations. On anything beyond a small to medium yard, or with any regular encounter with thick weeds, this trimmer runs out of both cutting width and battery capacity faster than the pricier options in this category.
Build materials are noticeably more basic than the EGO or even the Worx, though this is expected at the price and doesn't affect day-to-day function for light use.
Who Should Buy It
The Greenworks 40V 12-inch is right if: you have a small to medium yard, want a genuinely complete kit at a budget price, and value warranty length over premium materials.
Consider alternatives if: your yard is larger or has regular thick growth, in which case the EGO ST1521S or Husqvarna 128LD are better suited, or if you want a lighter trimmer with two batteries, where the Worx WG183 is the stronger pick.
See Also
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