Is Milwaukee's Pricey M18 String Trimmer Worth Buying? Here's What The Reviews Say

Having a high-quality weed whacker makes it easy to get razor-sharp garden edges and trim hard-to-reach grass around trees or fences. If you've shopped around for one, you've likely stumbled upon the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless String Trimmer and wondered whether it's worth buying. Well, while it isn't the most budget-friendly option, it's a superb value thanks to its well-rounded feature set. It's considered a solid investment by both amateur users and professional landscapers, with over 7,500 5-star reviews on Home Depot.

The trimmer's higher price point is balanced by its integration into Milwaukee's swappable tool and accessory ecosystem. Few other brands make string trimmers alongside an ecosystem. Milwaukee's M18 FUEL series also stands out thanks to its focused technology trio. This includes the REDLITHIUM optimized batteries, the proprietary POWERSTATE brushless motor, and the REDLINK PLUS Intelligence, which controls both the battery and tool to prevent overloading. 

The trimmer is well-designed, easy to use, and offers powerful performance. It's also a terrific choice for those who intend to buy additional M18 FUEL series tools in the future, whether for yard or home maintenance.

As mentioned earlier, this trimmer's most exciting feature is its accessory ecosystem, formally called the M18 FUEL QUIK-LOK Attachment System. With it, you can quickly switch between the trimmer and other M18 FUEL tools, including a pole saw, edger, cultivator, brush cutter, or hedge trimmer. So, it lets you disconnect the whacker head and swap on another tool in seconds, allowing you to tackle all your yardwork without skipping a beat. Additionally, this tool uses the M18 FUEL rechargeable lithium-ion battery series, which is also swappable between that series' other tools and ranges from 1.5Ah to 12.0Ah. This gear is also compatible with the company's modular packout storage system.

The string trimmer works comparably to a gas-powered weed whacker when it comes to torque and battery life, delivering more than a 31cc gas motor. One user said, "This trimmer is awesome. As soon as I pull the trigger, it's at full power. After trimming my front and back yard, I barely knock off a bar on my 5ah battery pack." This instant throttle response gives you full control over the tool's speed, going up to 6,200 RPM with a 16-inch cutting distance.

Milwaukee also took safety and comfort into consideration when creating this trimmer. The power button is nicely integrated into the trigger, running only when you grip it. Furthermore, the motor sits in the back, so the trimmer is balanced and easy to use, even during long stretches of crucial lawn care tasks. Plus, it ships with a three-year tool warranty.

The whacker inarguably offers many great features, but its biggest downfall is its price, coming in at $299 for the tool, plus another $109 for the lowest-capacity battery (or another $299 for its highest-performance battery). While there are pricier options out there, they're aimed at pro landscapers; the M18 FUEL trimmer is pretty pricy for consumers, especially when you tack on extra batteries.

Some folks have also noted the guard size for being too small, leading to debris kickback, with one user stating, "The guard is way too small. No matter what you do or how you hold the trimmer or what speed you use, you get absolutely blasted by all the debris." Perhaps the most peculiar pitfall of the M18 FUEL string trimmer, however, is that it is only available at limited locations. Milwaukee only has partnerships with the retailers it chooses to work with, including authorized distributors like Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and select smaller hardware stores here and there.

Overall, the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless String Trimmer is easy to say yes to, thanks to its useful accessory ecosystem, durability, and hefty power. If you, for example, just bought a house and are gathering tools every homeowner should have, this trimmer is a worthwhile entry point into Milwaukee's fantastic ecosystem that'll let you share batteries and power heads. However, if you don't care about the ecosystem, it doesn't make much sense to pay for it; a less costly option is likely a better fit.