American Gardener YardStick 9-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Electric Light Line Trimmer #YS18

I attached the battery to the unit and took it outside to do some trimming. The unit performed all the trimming functions that I required rather easily. I basically used it to trim around areas that I was not able to get to with a riding lawn mower, in a rural residential property that is basically about 2 acres in size, with lots of mature oak and pecan trees. I trimmed around the bases of some very large trees and also underneath a long stretch of rail fence. It performed just like a typical, light-duty trimmer. The fact that it is cordless is a definite convenience. The total time I was using it easily exceeded thirty minutes. The trimmer was still going strong and the battery did not exhibit any signs of weakening after that time. And I basically held down the trigger most of that time, to avoid having to depress the trigger lock button on the side to get it started again.

This is a very good alternative for someone looking for a home trimmer. It is very convenient to use. No gas, and no power cords. I have no doubt that the battery can be recharged in an hour. You also have the option of ordering an extra battery for the unit, in case you have a big job to do. The manufacturer claims that a full charge will last for twenty minutes of trimming. I believe a new battery will easily exceed that rating. Mine beat that rating today, on its first day of operation. And, nickel-cadmium batteries have a reputation for being rugged and dependable, as well as lasting a very long time. I have power tools that are over 12 years old that uses nickel-cadmium batteries, and they are still taking a recharge. However, keep in mind that this is a light-duty trimmer. The rather short string of the trimmer does not cut a very big path, so it may take a long time if you have a big trimming job to do. The unit has more than enough power to trim weeds, grasses, and other soft green plants. The issue might be the length of the string.

It is rather tiring to have to hold down that trigger though. And yes, the spring on the trigger is a bit on the stiff side. So you will probably get tired holding down that trigger for any long period of time.

The box includes the trimmer, an 18-volt rechargeable battery, and a one-hour fast charger. I highly recommend this trimmer to the homeowner who is looking to avoid the hassle and the maintenance that a gas-powered trimmer presents. I also prefer this to a corded unit, as it is rather a lot of hassle to be dragging around a heavy gauge electrical cord. Please keep in mind what I said about the heavy trigger though. Perhaps that is just peculiar to this particular unit. However, if it is not, then prepare to give your wrist/gripping muscles an exercise in endurance.

I would not necessarily recommend buying an extra battery. Save yourself some money. The one battery that came with the unit should be more than sufficient to do a small, residential property. There are other tools by American Gardener that use this same battery and charger combination. I believe their 18-volt hedge trimmer also use this same battery pack. Which make this unit an even better deal for those who have hedges to trim.


Lightweigt - Easy to Use   April 2, 2004
Renae Sterling (AR USA)
40 out of 40 found this review helpful

This is the one! Lightweight, easy to use, well balanced. Didn't vibrate as much as my old electric cord weedeater. Power lasts long enough for most jobs and it is great to be able to reach parts of my yard I couldn't before because my cord was not long enough. I'll even use this one more often because it is so easy to put in the battery and go, no more unraveling the cord, dragging it around the yard and around trees, moving it from outlet to outlet, and then and wrapping it up after the job is finished. This trimmer is well made and has an excellent user manual. The battery charges up fast, less than an hour. And each time I've used it I've gotten over 20 minutes of use without any perceptible power loss (didn't have enough weeds to use longer). Also since the battery needs to stay above 40 degrees the battery and charger can be easily placed in the house during winter while the timmer is out in the shed. I'm very pleased. Other features include adjustable post (and again the freedom of cordless work).

I did consider the American Gardener YS24 24-Volt YardStick Cordless Edger and Trimmer because of its excellent reviews but quickly realized that its 10.9 weight would be too much for me. And I hoped the quality other reviewers mentioned for that model would hold for the smaller lightweight model .

Many of the reviewers for the 24-volt machine expressed disappointment in the Toro 51460 7" 12-Volt Cordless Trimmer the other unit I initially considered because it less expensive and the reviews on that page were mostly positive. It was a gamble for me to buy it without a review but a gamble that I think worked out beautifully.


Convenient, no maintenance, and effective.   March 30, 2004
citan-uzuki (Georgia, USA)
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

I bought this unit because I got tired of dragging out the orange, heavy duty electrical cord just to use my electric string trimmer. This unit uses an 18 volt rechargeable and interchangeable nickel-cadmium battery pack for its power source. It has the portability of a gasoline powered unit, but without the constant need to have to maintain a gas engine.

I live in a rural residential property, covering slightly more than 2 acres. This property has plenty of mature oak and pecan trees. It also has a long split rail fence on one side. In other words, there are many places that I cannot cut with my riding lawn mower. I use a string trimmer to trim the grass around the trees and also underneath the fence.

I have had this unit for almost two weeks now. So far, it has done a good job of trimming those areas mentioned above. The battery charger, as advertised, can easily charge the battery pack in one hour. The run time for this unit is 20 minutes, however, I was able to exceed that rating quite easily. Probably because the battery is new. I suspect that a nickel-metal hydride battery pack (which is not available) would extend the run time. However, nickel metal hydride cannot be recharged as many times as nickel cadmium. I expect the nickel-cadmium battery pack on this string trimmer to last a long time (I have power tools that contain nickel-cadmium batteries that are over 12 years old, and the battery packs are still taking a recharge). The 18 volt battery pack on this trimmer can also be used with other American Gardener cordless equipment. I have not checked the cost of purchasing an extra battery pack. Probably, the cost would be comparable to the batteries used by power tools. I would not necessarily suggests buying an extra battery, unless you really have a lot of trimming to do.

There's really very little to say about the performance of the trimmer. It functions just like any other trimmer. There's nothing revolutionary or anything to rave about how it works. The unit is light and easy to carry. It trims and that's about it.

The one minor consideration is the trigger. The trigger on the unit has a fairly strong spring. So it can be somewhat tiring to hold down the trigger for long periods of time. The fact that the unit is new could have something to do with it.

I highly recommend this unit to anyone looking to purchase a cordless string trimmer. Please keep in mind that this is not a heavy duty unit. It will trim grass, weeds, and other soft vegetation. In short, it will be fine for typical residential applications.


Limited Use Only!   November 1, 2004
Reesdale Farm (California)
15 out of 21 found this review helpful

It works great, but you can't find replacement spools anywhere (especially from Amazon.com). Do NOT buy this product, because when your spool runs out, so does your service from Amazon.com


Good for the money   July 16, 2004
C. E Leskanic (Norfolk, CT USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I purchased this because my wife couldn't handle the larger gas trimmer I have. It does a great job on "LIGHT" weeds and grass. If you looking to cut heavy weeds or brush save your money. It does an excellent job on what it's designed for. The trigger design isn't the best and could be improved. I also purchased another battery because it only runs strong for about 20 minutes. It's quite, light, inexpensive and pretty easy to use. Just make sure that you're going to trim grass or light weeds. For that it's a good buy. I have yet to receive the extra line spools I ordered from Amazon. If I can't get replacement line spools then this product would be worthless.