DIY-Focused Hart String Trimmer Comes Attachment-Capable
Hart is pretty new to the residentially-targeted, battery-powered OPE landscape. Or, at least, it might seem that way until you learn that this (now) Walmart-exclusive brand is owned by TTI, who also makes Milwaukee and Ryobi tools . Knowing this, it probably should not have surprised us that the 40V Hart battery string trimmer performed as well as it did for our Best Battery-Powered Weedeater Roundup.
Pros
- Solid power
- Great runtime
- 40V platform and available attachment line runs pretty deep
- 5-year warranty
- Readily available at Walmart
Cons
- The most vibration from residential models
- Attachments a bit cumbersome to swap out
- Battery charger charges super slowly
Recommendation
The readily-available Hart 40V battery string trimmer gets the job done with plenty of power and runtime, and it offers a pretty deep stable of compatible tools and attachments. The design feels pretty basic, but with a 5-year warranty and the solid reputation of TTI tools, we don’t really have too many concerns about the build quality. This string trimmer should take good care of the homeowner with a small-to-medium sized lawn.
Hart HLST031 String Trimmer Performance
The Hart 40V battery-powered string trimmer uses 0.095-in. line to cut a 15-inch swath. This is pretty much the average cutting diameter and line for what we expect from capable battery-powered string trimmers. Going with .095-line, however, means that the Hart trimmer supports beefier material than the standard 0.08-in. line most entry-level string trimmers use. Your line will last longer, so you’ll use less of it and re-spool less often. We appreciate anything that helps improve our workflow.
Of course, the thicker line means having enough power to drive it at cutting speeds. As far as that goes, we tested the 40V Hart string trimmer on its High setting under no load. The brushless motor generated 5562 rpm, which put it at pretty much the same speed as most of the other residential models we tested.
The Hart string trimmer, with its kitted 4.0Ah battery, ran for just over 30 minutes on the high setting. Compared to other residential models, this runtime fell on the higher end of the scale.
Attachment Capable
The 40V Hart HLST031 lets you remove the trimmer head and hook up any number of different attachments. Cultivator, blower, and edger attachments are all available and sold separately. And, because Hart uses a universal attachment system, you can use products from a different platform. That just increases what’s possible with this system.
High and Low Speeds
Generally, we see attachment-capable trimmers give you a high- and low-speed setting to help you dial in the right power setting across a variety of different applications. That’s the case here as well. You can select your speed setting via the thumb switch on the top of the handle housing. Additionally, Hart includes a variable speed trigger for even more control.
Weight and Balance
Because the Hart 40V string trimmer can operate a variety of attachments, the brushless motor sits at the rear of the unit along with the battery. Generally, this means that the majority of the tool’s weight will reside at the back, throwing off the balance of the tool.
In this case, however, it’s not too big of a deal. This trimmer does feel a little back-heavy, but the motor and battery really aren’t trying to swan-dive into the grass. Instead, they provide an easy counterbalance for the lightweight head. In the long run, this helps you avoid arm fatigue.
The Hart string trimmer has an average weight for this type of tool—just under 12 lbs. with the battery attached. Some weight might be shaved off if Hart considered using an aluminum shaft instead of steel. Given the decent balance of the tool, however, we’re not quick to make that recommendation.
Easy-Load Trimmer Head & Guard
Manufacturers have all seemingly found a way to take the hassle out of loading string into the head. Hart’s version works pretty well. Simply line up the arrows on the trimmer head, insert the line, pull it through to the halfway point, and ratchet it back to a usable length.
The guard on the Hart 40V battery-powered string trimmer employs a wider design, which ought to protect you adequately from rogue lawn shrapnel. The tradeoff here is that it doesn’t provide the best visibility for edging applications, but Hart has an edging head to help with that.
Expectations and Considerations
Hart Tools clearly geared the 40V brushless string trimmer toward the homeowner as opposed to the Pro. As a design choice, this means you may sacrifice some build quality for the sake of a lower price tag. How does this tradeoff work out practically with this tool? We haven’t run long-term testing, but the 3-year warranty and TTI reputation help alleviate any major concerns about longevity.
The safety buttons, located on the sides of the handle, feel a little stiff. The plastic used here feels durable enough, and we liked that Hart employs an effective ambidextrous design. Engaging it just feels a little cumbersome. Overall, the Hart 40V string trimmer, with its “stormtrooper” color scheme, feels like a solid, but basic tool that gets the job done.
Using and Swapping Attachments
Swapping out attachments works like every other similar multi-head product we’ve used. The attachment head couples with the motor at the midpoint of the shaft. The attachment locks into place, and you tighten it down with the thumbwheel.
On some of the other tools we’ve used this system has been refined to the point of only requiring a half-turn of the wheel. Most push-button locking systems also work smoothly so attachments swap in and out in a matter of seconds.
With the Hart 40V trimmer that process took a bit longer. The thumbwheel requires a number of turns to really tighten down, and the push-button lock and coupling required just a bit of finagling. The system is ultimately effective, though it required more effort on our part than some other models (Ryobi 40V, Milwaukee Quik-Lok, etc) where the process had been more refined.
The Hart 40V string trimmer also displayed noticeable vibration coming from the gearing at the motor. This doesn’t cause us to question the longevity of the tool or anything, but it does mean that you’ll likely feel a bit more fatigued on those longer projects.
Charge Time
Finally, when it comes time to recharge your battery…well, it’s a good thing that we got so much runtime out of the battery because the recharge takes up a fair amount of the workday. The charger slides onto the top of the battery and trickle charges it back to full.
The upside to this is that the charger doesn’t take up a ton of space, and you can throw it into a drawer when not using it. The downside is that if you’ve got a larger property, you’ll likely want to invest in a second battery. Recharging the 4Ah battery with the included charger takes around 4 hours.
Pricing and Warranty
You can pick up the Hart 40V battery string trimmer, along with the 4.0Ah battery and charger, for $194 . This price is marginally lower than what you’ll find for similar 36/40V systems from most other manufacturers. But, the real deal-sweetener here revolves around the fact that you can find Hart Tools exclusively from Walmart, which is practically everywhere.
Hart also offers a 5-year warranty that punches in amongst the best. That drops to 90 days if the product is used for rental or commercial applications.
Recommendation
The readily-available Hart 40V battery string trimmer gets the job done with plenty of power and runtime, and it offers a pretty deep stable of compatible tools and attachments. The design feels pretty basic, but with a 5-year warranty and the solid reputation of TTI tools, we don’t really have too many concerns about the build quality. For the homeowner with a small-to-medium sized lawn, this string trimmer could impress.
Hart String Trimmer Specs
- Model: Hart HLST031
- Voltage: 40V
- Brushless Motor: Yes
- Kitted battery: 4.0Ah
- Line Speed: 5600 rpm
- Line: 0.095 in.
- Cutting Swath: 15-inch
- Attachment Capable: Yes
- Weight: 8.7 lbs, 11.79 lbs with 4.0Ah battery
- Warranty: 5-year tool warranty, 3-year battery warranty
- Price: $194
