With our recent Best Gas-Powered String Trimmer Shootout now done and dusted, and what with the recent influx of summer sunshine and torrential downpours in Florida, we’ve had plenty of time and opportunity to whack the everloving stuffing out of a whole lot of weeds. The grass has been growing thick and fast around here, so we’ve enlisted the help of a tool that comes from a company that loves to flirt with the line between homeowner and professional applications. The Ryobi RY253SS 2-Cycle string trimmer, exclusive to Home Depot, offers consumers a ton of flexibility at a great price. But, how did it perform? Let’s take a look.
Ergonomics
How comfortable of an experience is the Ryobi RY253SS? Let’s start with weight. Ryobi has designed this trimmer to be a light and maneuverable 12 lbs 10 oz. Sure, the differences in weight between most trimmers will fall between a few pounds, but you’ll notice the difference during the longer jobs. Rest assured that when you find yourself with an actual chore of a trimming job on your hands, this won’t be the trimmer that causes undue soreness in your arms the next day.
Noise factors in here as well. We measured the sound of Ryobi’s 2-cycle trimmer at the ear, and again at 50 ft. away. This trimmer generates 97 dB(A) at the ear and 76 dB(A) from a distance. Relatively speaking, this seems pretty quiet for a gas-powered motor, but you’ll still want hearing protection if you plan on using this for any length of time.
As far as the “feel” of this trimmer goes, we found a few things that we think holds the RY253SS back a bit. While it does feature a straight shaft, which we prefer, it will probably feel a little short for the taller folks out there. No one wants to lurch around the yard to get their weed eating done, but those of you over 6′ might have to make a concession here.
The Ryobi RY253SS, from a purely tactile perspective, feels ok. It has some cushioning around the auxiliary handle, and the throttle handle has some rubber overmolding around it as well. The throttle itself, as well as the safety switch, feel a little flimsy, and we have some questions about long-term durability here. The same thing can be said about the aux handle, which we can’t tighten down too much due to the plastic wingnut. These issues probably won’t factor in much for DIY usage, but the commercial guys might want to take note.
Fuel Efficiency
This category presents something of a mixed bag for ol’ Ryobi. On the one hand, the RY253SS has the second-best fuel efficiency of any of the models we tested, bested only by its 4-stroke brother.
The problem – and again, this will probably really only apply to commercial usage – is that this trimmer comes with a 12 oz tank. On a full tank, you can expect this trimmer to run for 35 minutes. This probably suffices for the guy that cleans up his lawn once a week, but for the guy who works multiple accounts over the course of the day, well, prepare to run back and forth to the truck fairly often to refuel.
We used the TruFuel Premix and 4-Cycle fuel for all of our string trimmer testing.
Feature Set
When considering rimmers for Pro use, we look for a few particular things. The Ryobi RY253SS includes these features from that list:
Serviceability
The Ryobi RY253SS does give us the capability of having it serviced. Eventually, you’ll want to get into the head and the shaft to apply more grease. This trimmer includes a service port in the head that allows for this.
Easy Line Fill
Ryobi implements their Reel-Easy line fill technology here. Basically, this allows the user to thread the string through the head, and then twist the head around to ratchet the string inside neatly. It’s not the absolute best system we’ve ever experienced, but it sure beats having to disassemble the head to manually wind the string in.
Attachment-Ready
We’ve heard mixed opinions of this feature from Pros; some folks prefer the jack-of-all-trades approach to string trimming and appreciate being able to attach different heads for different tasks. We tend to prefer a tool that fulfills one function really well. In either case, the Ryobi RY253SS has a straight, split shaft that allows you to use other attachments like a pole saw or edger head.
Ryobi RY253SS String Trimmer Features
- Full crank engine for 2X longer life
- Attachment capable: accepts universal brand fit attachments
- Zip start carburetor for easier starting
- Reel-easy bump-feed string head for faster reloads
- Dual 0.095 in. line
- Straight shaft for extended reach around and under obstacles
- Ethanol shield 2-cycle oil included
Performance
We put our trimmers through the ringer. Like I said earlier, the Florida summer has caused our grass to go bonkers, so we’ve got a ton of thick patches of Bahia to work with. We also tested in a “lighter gauge” grass to get a picture of what these trimmers can do in a more typical trimming scenario.
This test showed one of the bigger weaknesses of the Ryobi RY253SS. It handled a 5×5 square of the easy stuff in just under 12 seconds, and the thicker Bahia in just under 18 seconds. Far and away, this was the slowest trimmer we tested. While we have no doubts that the RY253SS will handle most trimming tasks eventually, you’ll have to be prepared to take your time.
We used .095 Echo Black Diamond Trimmer Line Review for all of our testing.
Value
Over the years, Ryobi has built a reputation for providing some of the best value in the (mostly) cordless tool world. The hop over to the gas-powered side of things hasn’t affected this string trimmer in any way, seemingly. The Ryobi RY253SS retails for $199 exclusively at Home Depot. This is by far the least expensive trimmer we ran through our shootout. In fact, most of our trimmers came in at almost triple the price of this one. It also comes with a 3-year warranty.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not this trimmer makes sense for you, ultimately, will come down to your expectations. Do you need a trimmer that works well for day-in, day-out demands? Do you need something with exceptional runtime and an overabundance of power? This trimmer probably won’t hack it for you.
However, do you need a solid string trimmer that can handle weekly chores on a yard with relatively few challenges? Do you appreciate a tool that can multi-task? Do you value fuel economy and overall bang-for-your-buck? The Ryobi RY253SS could definitely be the trimmer for you.
While we really can’t recommend this tool for the working Pro, we’re not entirely sure that’s who it’s meant for anyway. This tool will find a great home in the residential/DIY niche of the market.
Ryobi RY253SS String Trimmer Specs
- Engine Type: 2-Cycle
- Engine Displacement: 25cc
- Start Type: Manual
- Number Of Trim Lines: 2
- Recommended Line Diameter: 0.095″
- Line Advance System: Bump
- Max Cutting Swath: 17″
- Assembly Required: Yes
- Depth: 11″
- Height: 60″
- Width: 10″
- Shaft Length: 53″
- Warranty: 3-Year Limited
- MSRP: $199
