Craftsman V20 Weedwacker Review (2024)

The most powerful tool often costs an arm and a leg, and usually, all you need is a model like the Craftsman V20 Weedwacker that can get the job done, once a week for half an hour. This inexpensive string trimmer is easy to service, relatively quiet, and does an excellent job of trimming tight corners or hard-to-reach zones that your mower cannot reach. This model does not have enough power to get through thick, tall strands of grass, and you will also need to pop in another battery for jobs longer than a half-hour. Despite that, the average suburban yard can achieve above-average good looks with some help from this inexpensive and effective trimmer. For tight budgets with light trimming needs, this is the trimmer to get. Our review of the best string trimmers shows how it stacks up versus competing products.

Editor's Note: We updated this review in July 2023, to include additional testing commentary and photos.

For folks on a budget (and who isn't?), the Craftsman V20 Weedwacker is a rock-solid option. While this string trimmer will not be able to reclaim your backyard from the jungle, it handles basic tasks with ease. Its 35-minute run time is plenty for the delicate edging work your mower leaves behind, and at 7 lbs, the whole family can get in on the yard work.

Performance Comparison

Performance

When it comes it comes to the task of rendering undesirable plants into rakeable detritus, the V20 Weedwacker is up to task for grasses, dandelions, or even very young bamboo shoots. It has plenty of power to eat through short, thick grasses, though it gets tangled if the grass is too thick and too tall. The low-speed setting is excellent for detailed edging (e.g., around sprinkler heads), and you can turn the head sideways to clean up bushes and hedges, so long as the branches are very thin. It also does a nice job of cutting close to the ground.

Trimming up areas of grass that are challenging to reach with a mower is a common expectation for string trimmers. The V20 was more than capable of handling small areas of our yard, but we would avoid using it for larger jobs.

The V20 Weedwacker is not the most powerful trimmer in the game, and we would not recommend it to a professional landscaper. It gets tangled in tall, thick stands of weeds, and the battery life is fairly short. Additionally, the oversized guard gets in the way of some detailed work.

Light-duty detailing around yard decor, or edging along pavers and pathways, is one of the areas where the V20 excels. We loved the rotating head for a more comfortable position (as opposed to holding the trimmer sideways), although we did struggle to see where we were cutting.

Ease of Use

The V20 Weedwacker is tailored for at-home DIY yard maintenance, so it is easy to carry, easy to use, and fairly easy to service. There is not a shoulder strap attachment, but at a scant 7 pounds, our testers felt comfortable hanging on to this string trimmer as it whacked its way through the grass.

The ergonomic telescoping pole makes operation comfortable for all but the tallest of users and helps minimize the space it takes up during storage. We also found that the guard does an excellent job keeping flying debris below knee level.

The V20 has a button to feed the string, and when it's time to replace it, it's relatively simple to pop the cap off the spool head, as there is only one line to feed. The spool head will eventually wear out as it's dragged and scraped across the ground, and Craftsman offers an inexpensive replacement.

The single string is easy and intuitive to load, and the telescoping pole helps adjust the trimmer to your preferred height.

Battery

Our independent testing reveals a 35-minute battery life per charge. This isn't an impressive amount of time in a professional setting, but if you refer to your property as a “yard” rather than an “estate,” we're willing to bet you can cut those pesky weeds around the gas meter and over by the deck posts with time to spare.

One advantage to the small battery size is that it is compatible with other Craftsman 20V tools that are already in your garage.

There are models that will keep on trimming for more than twice as long as the V20 Weedwacker, but they also cost quite a bit more.

Noise

We measured 81.5 decibels at ear height from this tool, which is one of the lowest sound readings of any trimmer we've tested. For reference, 85 dB is around the same volume as the subway going by or standing next to a diesel truck. Subjectively, it has a medium-high pitch, and the string thumps fairly loudly when we first turn it on. Thankfully it steadies out after a few seconds and becomes noticeably quieter.

Although the V20 has both low and high power modes, the loud start-up sound was present on both.

You'll want to wear ear protection if you're using the V20 Weedwacker for more than a few minutes, but you won't bother the neighbors if you're doing yard work at a reasonable hour.

Should You Buy the Craftsman V20 Weedwacker?

The Craftsman V20 Weedwacker offers decent performance at a bargain price. This string trimmer is a great value, making it very attractive to anyone shopping on a budget. It is up to basic trimming tasks and is perfect for small yard and lawn jobs.

What Other Cordless String Trimmers Should You Consider?

If you need some serious weedwacking power, we recommend the Ego Power+ Powerload with Line IQ ST1623T or the Makita XRU15PT 36V. Both of these models are full-size string trimmers that are up to any task in your yard or field. Although they're quite a bit heavier, they're able to slice through more weeds with a high level of precision and comfort. For better performance at an excellent price point, the Black+Decker LST136 offers extra power and edging capabilities.