Forget Expensive Equipment: The Best Budget Battery Lawn Tool Brand, Per Consumer Reports

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Homeowners who become frustrated with the steps required to maintain and keep gas-powered lawn care equipment running may consider battery-powered gear as an alternative. When comparing gas versus electric lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed trimmers, and similar equipment, gas machines deliver more power and run for longer periods of time, but require oil changes and regular maintenance. Electric machines, on the other hand, generate less noise, weigh less, and are easy to start.

If you're ready to switch from gas to electric lawn tools, you may find it to be expensive, as battery tools have a higher upfront cost than gas-powered tools. One way to save some money is to select a brand of battery-powered lawn tools that's well-known as being affordable. The experts at Consumer Reports recently named Ryobi as the best budget battery lawn tool brand. They gave Ryobi good marks for its ability to deliver batteries and tools at a reasonable price while maintaining a high level of performance.

Because some of these budget-priced outdoor power tools can have issues with low durability and reduced power, you want to pick the best possible option. In naming Ryobi as the best battery lawn care tool brand, the team at Consumer Reports tested its products in a variety of lawn care situations, measuring handling, power, and battery performance. Multiple Ryobi lawn care tools received "CR Recommended" designations after the testing process and when compared to other brands. By sticking with one brand and battery design with your outdoor power tools, you can share compatible batteries and chargers among them, saving even more money.

You can find a variety of Ryobi tools to whip your lawn into shape that run on batteries, including lawn mowers, string trimmers, and leaf blowers. In its testing of several Ryobi products, the Consumer Reports team reports that many of the products have no major performance flaws.

For example, in its review of the Ryobi TY401220 battery-powered lawn mower ($749 at Home Depot with two 40V batteries), Consumer Reports gave it high scores for its ability to mulch grass and disperse clippings evenly. The testing experts gave this lawn mower perfect scores in the categories of run time, evenness of the cut, and side discharging results, too. It didn't receive average or below-average scores in any of the Consumer Reports categories. It has a 21-inch cutting deck and can run for up to 70 minutes on the two batteries.

The Ryobi RY40HPLB01K battery-powered leaf blower ($299 at Home Depot with one 40V battery) also received a strong rating from Consumer Reports. It received perfect scores in the categories of power, sweeping capabilities, handling, and long-range noise. It was given an above-average score for close-up noise and an average mark for battery run time. Its only below-average category score came in the area of battery charge time. It delivers 800 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air volume movement.

Consumer Reports named Ryobi as the best budget brand for battery lawn tools, while naming Ego as the best overall brand and Makita as the best professional-level battery-powered lawn tool brand. The Ryobi models are generally cheaper than Ego or Makita's machines. For example, the Ryobi RY40HPLB01K leaf blower with 800 CFM airflow costs $299 at Home Depot, which is less than the Ego 56V leaf blower ($329 at Ace Hardware) that has a maximum 765 CFM airflow. Both models ship with one battery and charger. Makita offers a 40V 15-inch string trimmer for $519 at Home Depot, while Ryobi's 40V 15-inch model costs $159 at Home Depot. Both kits ship with one battery and a charger.

If you're trying to get an even lower price on your Ryobi tools, understand that you might not save much by shopping around. Home Depot is the official retailer and exclusive partner for selling this brand of tools. When you click "Add to Cart" to buy Ryobi tools on its website, you'll be redirected to Home Depot's website to complete the purchase. The listed price is the same on either website. Although it sometimes might be cheaper to buy Ryobi tools on Amazon instead of on Ryobi's website or at Home Depot, shopping on Amazon has some risks. Ryobi tools bought on Amazon come from third-party sellers, and the manufacturer might not honor the warranty on these tools.