Troubleshooting Your Ryobi 18V Grass Trimmer - Solving 8 Common Problems - Home & Garden Essentials (2023)

Ryobi is one of our most popular garden brands.Tool. Their products are cheaper than many out there and generally work just as well as light to medium professional brands.

Of course, there is a downside to choosing these cheaper options. And it is that they often face small mistakes and problems. We've found this to be particularly true with the Ryobi 18v String Trimmer.

Luckily, many of the most common issues with this tool can be fixed in a few simple steps.

In our Ryobi 18V String Trimmer Troubleshooting Guide, we look at the most common issues with this tool and show you how to fix them.

1. Ryobi 18V trimmer will not start

If your Ryobi 18 volt brush cutter won't start when you pull the trigger, that's probably the problemdue to batteries, a connection problem or a mechanical problem. Luckily, most of them are easy to fix with a few simple steps.

Axis is not fully connected

If the spindle is not well connected at all points, the battery power cannot reach the motor to spin it.

1. Loosen the shaft connection.
2. Clear away any debris.
3. Replace and rotate until you hear the click.

The battery is not safe

If heBatterynot fully connected, it will not make sufficient contact with the terminals to start the motor.

1. Remove the battery.
2. Clean any debris from the battery and head connectors.
3. Replace the battery by pressing until you hear the click.

The battery is not charging.

If the above solutions don't work, your trimmer probably won't start because the battery doesn't have enough power to run the motor.

1. Remove the battery and place it in the charger.
2. The charge indicator light should start flashing. If you get an error message or the light doesn't turn on,see #6 below.
3. Wait until the battery is fully charged before trying again.

broken connection

Several wires connect the battery terminal and connect the handle to the motor in the trimmer head. If one of these connections is broken, the engine will not start.

The wire most likely to be severed is the white wire connecting the motor to the shaft. Luckily, this is an easy problem to check and fix.

1. Remove screws from cutting head to open cutting head.
2. Carefully lift one side and examine the internal wiring. The two black wires must be well connected as well as the white wire on the shaft and the red wire on the motor as shown in the image below.
3. Make sure all connections are secure, close the box and test.
4. If this doesn't work, there may be a loose connection in the belt. Remove the handle screws to open the handle.
5. Make sure all connection points (see image below) are securely connected.

Use:If none of these solutions work, chances are one of your components has burned out or isn't working properly. Contact the manufacturer for a replacement if the device is still under warranty.

2. Ryobi Cordless Line Trimmer Posts

Electric trimmers like this one stay put for a reason:a bit overheatedcausing one of the temperature sensors to shut down the device to prevent damage. Overheating is usually caused by a blocked vent around the battery contact pad, around the motor, or a problem with the motor itself.

dirty air vents

The 18V electric trimmer does not have an air filter like the petrol version. But it has openings around the motor and battery contact plate (on some models) that can become blocked by dirt.

1. Visually inspect for debris trapped in the gaps around the contact pad (just below where the battery connects) and around the motor (above the coil housing on most models). Manually delete what you can.
2. Use a vacuum with a brush to remove fine debris from both openings.

Defective motor or contact plate

EcleaningThe air vents do not help, there is probably a problem with the motor or the contact plate. The best thing to do here is to call the company, especially if the device is still under warranty.

If it's not under warranty, try these steps:

1. Identify which side is having the problem by looking for an obvious heat build-up after the unit has stopped. If the handle is hot, the problem is the battery contact or associated switch. If the head is hot, the engine is probably the problem.
2. Open the handle or motor head (whichever is overheating) by removing the necessary screws.
3. Inspect the part for obvious damage or malfunction. If everything looks normal, use a can of compressed air to blow off any dirt that may have built up.
4. Reattach the box and test.

If that doesn't work and the motor and battery contact appear to be in good condition, a workaround is to install an external fan to keep the problem area cool. There are manydo it yourselfOptions for it described on the Internet, includingthis simple trickthat uses two 24 voltsLover.

3. Walk a lot

A bad gas trimmer can be caused by a number of issues. Fortunately, with an electric drive, the causes are much fewer. In fact, a choppy Ryobi 18V trimmer that rattles, slows down and speeds up without intervention is likely to sufferSame problems as quitting completely.

If your trimmer is experiencing this problem, it is important to act quickly before the problem escalates and causes the tool to stall.

start withcleaningopenings as described above. If that doesn't work, open the engine compartment, grasp, clean and check the engine and battery contact.

4. Ryobi line trimmer head does not rotate

If the trimmer head suddenly stops rotating in the middle of use, or starts not rotating when the power is turned on, you likely have one of two problems. or thethe rope is tiedon the spool and physically preventing the head from rotating or the motor will not engage the trimmer head.

coil tied

A stuck spool can quickly overload the trimmer and damage the motor, so it's important to stop the trimmer as soon as the head stops spinning. From there, you can easily identify and fix the problem.

1. With the trimmer off, remove the line head.
2. Open the spool as if installing a new chain (see video below).
3. The tangled cord will be obvious. Unwind it by hand and spool the line properly, then put the spool back in and try again.

If you don't see any obvious tangles in the line, the problem is probably with the motor. You can purchase a replacement motor online from many retailers using your tool model number.

Use:If you don't see any obvious tangles in the line, the problem is probably with the motor. You can purchase a replacement motor online from many retailers using your tool model number.

5. Ryobi 18V trimmer cord does not work

There are several reasons why your automatic feed queue can fail or why you can't advance the line manually. Luckily, the solution to any problem is usually pretty simple.

Use:Make sure the trimmer is turned off before trying these solutions.

• The line is too short.If the cord was cut too short to engage the auto-retract, use needle nose pliers to manually pull the cord while pressing the power button.
• The line is tangled.If the line cannot be advanced manually, it is likely to become tangled. Remove the rope wrap and carefully rewind the rope.
• The rope is soldered to itself.If you can't easily unwind the string to wind it up (and it's not obviously tangled), try lubricating it with some silicone spray, replace the spool, and hand-wind.
• The electricity is gone.If there is not enough thread on the spool to fast-forward, replace it with a new spool.

If troubleshooting the column does not solve the problem, there may be a problem with the column housing. You can contact customer service to get a replacement part or order an aftermarket replacement yourself.

6. Ryobi Weed Wacker battery not charging

By far one of the most common problems with Ryobi products is the batteries not charging. If you see the flashing lights of death when you insert the batteries into the charger, the problem is most likely one of four common problems.

Batteries are too hot or too cold

If you have just removed the batteries from the trimmer after a long period of work, they may not charge because they are too hot. Try putting them in the fridge for about ten minutes and then try charging them again.

If batteries have been stored in theGarageor shed so that they may have become too cold to wear. Bring them indoors and let them warm up to normal room temperature before trying to charge them again.

Corroded or dirty connections

If the battery terminals or charging station are dirty, the battery will not charge. This type of charge failure does not usually cause flashing death lights because the charger does not register that the battery has been charged.

If the connectors are corroded, use a piece of fine sandpaper to remove the corrosion.

If dirt or debris is the problem, use a wire brush and alcohol wipes to clean it. Then try to charge the battery again.

defective charger

It is possible that the problem is not with the battery but with the charger.

To test this theory, take one of your batteries to your nearest hardware store and test it in one of their battery chargers. If it works, you might as well buy a new charger while you're there because yours probably failed.

Battery is in sleep mode

This is by far the most common cause of battery failure on Ryobi batteries (but also the most time-consuming to troubleshoot, which is why we've saved it for last).

If batteries are stored without a charge, the charge can drop so low that the charger cannot tell if the battery is working or not. To avoid damage, the charger will not connect to these batteries to charge them. Most chargers have a boost feature that overcomes this, but not Ryobi chargers.

If your battery has gone to sleep mode, you must restore it to its minimum energy level before charging it regularly. The easiest way to do this is with microloads.

1. Place the battery in the charger and count how long it takes for the lights to start flashing.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Put the battery back in the charger and start counting. Take it out a second before the lights start flashing.
4. Repeat this step several times until the charger flashes green and charges the battery normally.

If this doesn't work to revive your battery, there are other options to boost your idle battery. You can see our guide atHow to fix common Ryobi 40v battery problems.

7. The engine emits smoke

There are many stories about ryobi trimmers smoking at both the motor and the handle. When this happens on an older model it is usually aSigns of wear and subsequent engine damage. With newer devices, this is most likely a manufacturer error.

Since a smoking trimmer can catch fire, turn it off and remove the battery immediately if you see or smell smoke. Let the trimmer cool on the sidewalk or driveway away from combustible debris.

For new trimmers, contact the store where you bought them or the manufacturer immediately. It should be under manufacturer warranty and they will replace it. For older models, you can try replacing the motor, but be careful.

8. Grass is wrapped around the line head

Tall grass can easily tangle around the boom box and line head., causing it to stop. This is more likely when mowing tall, wet grass. Luckily, there are some tips you can follow to reduce frequency:

• Always trim tall grass from top to bottom.Instead of starting at ground level, move the trimmer back and forth across the lawn, removing a few inches on each pass until you reach the ground.
• Use higher speeds when mowing tall grass.This ensures that blades of grass are cut and discarded, folded and thrown into the carcass.
• Wait for the grass to dry up.Dry grass is much less likely to bend and suck into the wire compartment than wet grass.

If after completing this troubleshooting guide you are still having trouble getting your Ryobi 18 volt line trimmer to work properly, it may be time to buy a new trimmer. OurBattery cable trimmer reviewsto be able to help!