Compatibility of Ryobi expand-it attachments between petrol and cordless tools?

[Rogery]

I have a petrol driven set of Ryobi expand-it attachments (line trimmer, hedge trimmer, pole saw).  The petrol motor is starting to fail so I'd like to replace it.  My preference would be to swap over to a cordless option.  Do the petrol attachments fit any cordless motors?  Also is it possible to purchase just the motor part, either petrol or cordless, without purchasing a tool attachment with it?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Rogery. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about the Ryobi Expand-It range.

Those Expand-It attachments are suitable for any split-shaft petrol or battery-powered machine. 

I presume you'd want a 36V kit with the closest equivalent power to your petrol machine. We have the Ryobi 36V 2.0Ah 28cm/33cm Straight Shaft Cordless Line Trimmer Kit, or for longer runtime and brushless motor, the Ryobi 36V 4.0Ah 40cm Straight Shaft Brushless Cordless Line Trimmer Kit. We also have the Ryobi One+ 18V 33/38cm 4.0Ah HP Brushless Cordless Line Trimmer R18HLTR14 Kit, but that would be substantially less power than your current petrol machine.

If you want to stick with petrol, the Ryobi 25.4cc Easy Start Curved Shaft Line Trimmer would be the most cost-effective way to obtain the motor again. Motors aren't supplied separately, but even if they were, it wouldn't be a significant saving over purchasing a unit with the head attachment.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Rogery]

Hi Mitchell

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I clicked on the link for the 36V 4.0Ah 40cm straight shaft line trimmer and I noticed it seems to have a different mechanism for attaching the different tools than the petrol model that I currently have.  I just wanted to check the attachments were definitely compatible.

I am also thinking of replacing my current lawn mower with a cordless model.  Are the batteries that the line trimmer uses compatible with your lawnmower range?  If so, what model would you recommend.  I only have a smallish lawn but the buffalo grass does sometimes get quite thick.  Do you have a self-propelled cordless model?

thanks

Roger 

[MitchellMc]

They've improved the knob and fancied the bracket up a tad, @Rogery. There's been no change to the Expand-It range, and they suit this model. "The quick-connect boom clamp only needs 2 rotations to secure an attachment, and the bump feed head reloads in just 60 seconds. The trimmer is also compatible with Expand-It attachments".

The 36V batteries the line trimmer uses are compatible with the 36V lawnmowers. Remember, if you get a line trimmer kit with a 2.0AH battery, it will not run a lawn mower for long. We have the Ryobi 36V HP™ 46cm 6.0Ah Brushless Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit. You really need the included 6.0AH battery to power the self-drive and get a decent runtime on thick Buffalo. If you were to purchase the mower, I'd suggest you go for the Ryobi 36V 28cm/33cm Cordless Straight Shaft Line Trimmer - Skin Only.

Mitchell

[Rogery]

Hi Mitchell

I've checked the Expand-it attachments that I have and they all have the press button on the side of the pole rather than the top.  Will they still be compatible?

I've also had a look on the Bunnings website and it seems the Expand-it attachments when sold separately also have the button on the side.

cheers

Roger

[EricL]

Hi @Rogery

Thanks for double-checking your Ryobi expand-it attachments. @MitchellMc is currently on a break and will be back soon. In the meantime, Allow me to investigate further the compatibility of the locking press button at the side and at the top of the Ryobi unit. I don't want to make any assumptions concerning the fittings that you have. As soon as I have more information, I'll get back to you.

Eric

[Rogery]

How is the investigation going?  I'd like to get this sorted out so I can decide what purchase to make.

Roger

[EricL]

Hi @Rogery

Thanks for your patience. I'm currently waiting for a phone call back about the compatibility of the fittings. However, if you're close to one of the local stores, I propose bringing one or two of the expand it sets that you have and asking the garden specialist to test fit it on the cordless sets. You can then be sure that your old expand-it set will fit the new cordless unit. 

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of your expand-it set so we can see if all the units have locking press buttons? 

Again, thank you for your patience on this matter. 

Eric

[Rogery]

close up of pole saw attachment with button on sideexpand-it pole saw attachment

Here is the pole saw attachment I have.  As you can see from the photos the button is on the side of the pole rather than the top.

As I said in my previous post, it seems the Expand-it attachments you have on the website for sale as separate items, as opposed to complete tools, also have the button on the side - see a photo of the edger accessory that I've included below.

[EricL]

Hi @Rogery

Thank you so much for posting the photos of your Expand-it set. I managed to pass by my local store today and they had one of the Ryobi 36V 28cm/33cm Cordless Straight Shaft Line Trimmer - Skin only on display. The good news is that it has provisions for the locking press buttons for both the top and side as well. I've placed some images below for you to look at.

If you need further assistance, please let us know. 

Eric