Okay, and an hour later, I just ordered an 18V Ryobi disc sander. So maybe I’ll check out the 18V hedge trimmer.
I got sucked into the Ryobiverse a while ago–so long ago, in fact, that I have some of the old 18V non-lithium batteries with the blue labels, that’s how long those have been around. Still work, too. Actually, the old ones have been more reliable than the lithium batteries, go figure, but the form factor is a little huge. My current impact driver and drill and whatnot work fine with either the old bulky batteries or the more compact lithiums, just a little unwieldy.
Thank you both for your answers. Right now I have an old gas mower that simply needs replaced: it leaks fuel, the deck is rusty, and the wheels wobble. I also have a bunch of cordless Black and Decker tools (the 20v ones) that came in a set and they are absolute garbage. I’d like to get a string trimmer, a leaf blower, and of course the mower that can share as few different batteries as possible. The Ryobi 40v lineup looks rather expansive. Maybe the 40v lawn tools and the 18v. shop tools would be a good balance. Only two different batteries for pretty much everything I would need.
So I assume the Ryobi equipment has performed well for you over many years. I’ve never owned anything from Ryobi. I got the B&D stuff as a set because it was cheap and I kind of needed it right then. I’ve had old corded B&D tools in the past and they were bombproof. Thought the quality would be at similar standards. Man, was I wrong. Lesson learned. I’m willing to pay a premium if needed for something that will last a while. My B&D stuff lasted a season at best and didn’t do a very good job even when they were new.
The Ryobi stuff has been fine but bear in mind that this is strictly household use type stuff–I doubt it would hold up in any sort of heavy duty use. And I’ve had good luck with my B&D tools but I have to admit the quality has deteriorated over the past decade or so. Then again, that’s true of almost everything–mindless planned obsolescence is the norm so we can all drown in our own garbage. Yeesh.
I went with Ridgid stuff because it has a lifetime warranty, including for the battery. I used the battery warranty once already, though it was early in ownership.
The biggest downside is that Ridgid is only power tools, and not yard tools.
I believe Ridgid and Ryobi have the same parent company, but I can’t keep track of which 3 or 4 companies own all the different tool brands.
You nailed it. Ryobi stuff is very good for homeowner use. That’s what I stocked up with, then when I started working with tools every day, I traded up. Anyone who is not a pro should definitely go with Ryobi unless they have the money and desire to go all Tim “The Toolman” Taylor with a next-level brand.
Personally, I would go with the self propelled. Battery powered is the way to go if you are not going with a gas powered vehicle. My mom cheaped out and got a corded electric without self propelled. That thing was awful. Until we ran over the cord and it died.
One thing I really like is that it seems like Ryobi has intentionally sized their tool handles to help accomodate women’s hands. I have a 20 year old Ryobi corded circular saw and a newer cordless model and the new one is ergonomically way more comfortable than the old one. Same with the drill and impact driver–very comfortable for lady hands. Now I’m a tall woman with hands to match (I wear a medium size exam glove, for example) so I’m sure for smaller handed people even Ryobi wouldn’t help much but damn, it sure is nice not feeling like a little kid playing with daddy’s tools when I’m out fixing something.
Another thing they’ve done is make an attempt to keep the center of gravity, with the battery installed, in the vicinity of where you’ll be holding it. It’s nice to be able to have a loose grip on the handle and not have the tool flop out of your hand as well as using the tool and not having to fight to keep it where you want it.
One thing to keep in mind about battery mowers is that they typically don’t create a powerful updraft like a gas mower does. This means they aren’t as good as pulling bent-over grass, leaves, and clippings up and into the blades. If you’re mowing long grass, you may need to mow a little slower so that bent over grass that got pressed down from the wheels has time to pop up and that the long grass clippings have more chance to be mulched. If you mow quickly with a battery mower, you may end up with a more raggedy appearance.
FYI, if you’re thinking about getting some tools, Ryobi has a deal now at Home Depot where if you buy a battery kit (2 batteries and a charger, $99 for 18V, $199 for 40V), you get your choice of one of several tools for free.
I was in the store picking up the 18V hedge trimmer (without batteries, since I already have two), and a worker pointed the deal out to me, so I got the trimmer plus two batteries and charger for what I was going to pay for the trimmer alone. IOW, I got the batteries and charger for free.
You can see that through the plastic cover while mowing? I was paying attention last mow, and the only light I saw was 1 green light on the left side facing the back of the mower.
My one SIL bought what is supposed to be an “updraft” or some such blade for EGO. But so far it seems to just be serving as a decoration in his shed! 
Yes I can see it. I’ll try and get a photo tomorrow.
After several weeks of my new tools just lying around in the garage, on Saturday I installed a wall hanging system for them.
(Click on the picture to see the whole shot.)
To be honest, although the Ryobi Link storage system looks nice, it’s actually not as functional as it seems, and it’s also quite pricey for what it does. The 7-piece system I bought cost $50 on sale, and while I was installing it I saw that all my tools had little slots that would let you hang them from a simple nail or screw in the wall. 
I just got that blower (whisper 730cfm) and it is a BEAST! looking forward to trying it out on the leaves this fall. I get a lot of leaves.