Houselife Trimmer and Yard Tool Listings Compared by Battery, Blade and Air Flow

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Shoppers searching for a houselife trimmer want one answer before they buy: which Houselife yard tool suits the job and the battery they already own. The research record holds ten Houselife listings. Nine of them are yard tools this topic keeps, namely trimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers, combo sets and one mower. The tenth, a cordless snow blower, moves snow with an auger rather than with moving air, so it falls outside the blower type and is left out. Every kept listing says the battery and charger are not included, so the battery platform decides the real cost. This page sets out what each listing states, where its title, bullets and specification fields disagree, and what none of them shows.

Quick answer

• Seven of the nine kept listings name DeWalt 20V MAX batteries, and two name Milwaukee M18.
• The set holds one mower, three hedge trimmers or shears, one single-head string trimmer, two blower-only models and two trimmer-and-blower combos.
• Three listings have specification fields that disagree with their bullets: the blade length on two hedge trimmers, and the weight on one. This page follows the bullets in each case.
• Runtime, noise and warranty figures are the maker’s own claims. The references we opened do not confirm them.

What this set covers

The Houselife research record holds ten listings. Nine are types this topic keeps: one 14-inch mower, three hedge trimmers and shears, one string trimmer, two blowers, and two combo sets that pair a trimmer with a blower. The tenth listing, a 40-volt cordless snow blower, is left out. We read the topic’s blower type as the air-moving leaf and yard blower. A snow blower clears snow with an auger, so it is a different machine, and this is a judgment call that a reader could make differently.

Battery family named in the listing	Mower	Hedge trimmer or shears	String trimmer only	Blower only	Trimmer and blower combo	Total
DeWalt 20V MAX	1	3	1	1	1	7
Milwaukee M18	0	0	0	1	1	2
Total	1	3	1	2	2	9

Each combo counts once, in its own column. The battery family comes from the title or bullets, and those are the seller’s compatibility statements, not confirmations from a battery maker. Check the family before you buy.

The mower: a 14-inch deck with six heights

The mower is the only walk-behind in the set. It is a 40-volt-class model that the listing says runs on two 20V DeWalt packs. The bullets give a 14-inch cutting width, a 35 liter grass bag and a weight of 22 pounds. The battery compartment, the bullets say, takes at most two 4.0 Ah batteries.

The specification fields give a height range from 0.98 to 3 inches across six positions. The listing does not say how the steps are spaced. If they are even, 3 minus 0.98 = 2.02 inches of range, and 2.02 divided by 5 = 0.40 inch per step, because six positions leave five gaps. That arithmetic is ours, not a listed figure.

Illinois Extension suggests a mowing height of about 2½ to 3 inches for most home lawns, and it notes that other state university recommendations go as high as 4 inches. This mower’s top setting of 3 inches reaches the top of the suggested range. The HEINPRO mower in the same research pool tops out at 2.6 inches. The same Illinois page advises removing no more than one third of the grass blade in one cut. On a lawn 4 inches tall, that limit is 4 divided by 3 = 1.33 inches, so the cut should stop at 4 minus 1.33 = 2.67 inches. The top setting removes 4 minus 3 = 1 inch, and 1 divided by 4 = 0.25 of the blade, which sits inside the limit. A lawn grown to 4 inches can be brought down in one pass at this mower’s top setting.

The mower’s safety points are the same as for any electric mower. UF/IFAS notes that thousands of people each year are treated for mower injuries, most of them children and older adults, and it advises keeping children out of the yard while mowing. The Ohio State extension page says not to use an electric mower on wet grass. The Illinois page says mowing wet grass is never advisable. For the battery, the EPA says to tape the terminals and store each lithium-ion pack separately. Two packs means two sets of terminals to handle.

The hedge trimmers and shears

Three hedge trimmers and shears are in the set. Their listings differ on blade length and weight, and two of the three specification fields do not match the bullets.

Listing	Battery family	Blade size (bullets)	Blade or length field	Weight (bullets)	Other detail
22-inch hedge trimmer	DeWalt 20V MAX	22-inch dual-action blade	Blade length reads 22 feet	4.4 lb	5/8-inch cut capacity; 1400 rpm; dual safety switch
2-in-1 hedge trimmer and grass shear	DeWalt 20V MAX	9-inch hedge blade and 4.35-inch grass shear blade	Blade length reads 22 inches	1.5 lb	Quick-change blades; 1200 rpm; overload protection
18-inch hedge trimmer	DeWalt 20V MAX	18-inch blade	Blade length reads 18 inches	3.7 lb (field reads 16 oz)	5/8-inch cut capacity; dual safety switch

The bullets and specification fields disagree on the first two rows. The 22-inch model’s field reads 22 feet, which is almost certainly a typo for 22 inches, since the title and bullets both say 22 inches. The 2-in-1 model’s field reads 22 inches, but its bullets describe a 9-inch hedge blade and a 4.35-inch grass shear, and its cutting-width field agrees with the bullets at 9 inches. For that model, the bullets are the better guide to what you will get. The 18-inch model’s specification field gives 16 ounces, which is 1 pound. Its bullets say 3.7 pounds, a gap of 3.7 minus 1 = 2.7 pounds. We follow the bullets for weight, as we do for the blade lengths.

On weight, the 1.5 pound 2-in-1 model is 4.4 minus 1.5 = 2.9 pounds lighter than the 22-inch trimmer, and the 18-inch model is 4.4 minus 3.7 = 0.7 pound lighter. The 22-inch trimmer and the 18-inch trimmer share a model number on their specification fields, even though their blade lengths and weights differ. That is one more reason to check the live listing before you buy.

The Virginia Tech lawn care guide describes the two-hand hold as a safety feature of powered hedge trimmers, and it says never to run an electric hedge trimmer overhead. It also says to check all safety features before each use, and to disconnect power before clearing a lodged blade. The dual safety switches named in these listings are the maker’s own claim. The guide’s rules apply whatever the switch design. For a related comparison on another platform, see our Stihl HSA 45 cordless hedge trimmer roundup, and for a DeWalt pole model, see our DeWalt 20V MAX pole hedge trimmer roundup.

The string trimmers: one 16-inch head and the combos

Three string trimmers are in the set: one single-head model, and two inside combos. The single-head model is a 16-inch DeWalt-compatible trimmer. The bullets say its cutting width adjusts from 16 inches down to 14 or 12 inches. The head covers 16 divided by 12 = 1.33 times the width of a 12-inch head at its widest setting. The combos use 12-inch heads.

The 16-inch model is brushless and runs bump feed, with a 0.08 inch line on both ends. It has a dual safety switch and an anti-slip handle, according to the bullets. Its listing gives no weight and no speed, so its balance and power are harder to compare with the other heads than the combos’. The Virginia Tech guide says that automatic-feed and bump-feed trimmers may release more string than needed, which raises the chance of striking the operator. Check the string length often on any of these heads.

The automatic-feed M18 combo releases 0.4 inch of 0.055 line each time you start it, according to its bullets. Its pack holds six trimmer spools of 16.4 feet each, which comes to 6 times 16.4 = 98.4 feet of line.

The blowers: two blower-only models

Two blowers are in the set. One is a DeWalt-compatible 800 cfm model. The other is a Milwaukee M18 model at 600 cfm.

The DeWalt blower’s bullets and specifications give 800 cfm of air volume and a maximum speed of 300 miles per hour. It has one-touch cruise control and a continuously variable speed switch, and the listing includes a long tube for broad clearing and a short tube with a rubber-coated edge. Its weight is 3.9 pounds. The M18 blower gives 600 cfm and 150 miles per hour, with three speeds and a turbo mode, and it weighs 3.3 pounds.

The air figures differ by 800 minus 600 = 200 cfm, and the DeWalt model moves 800 divided by 600 = 1.33 times as much air. It also weighs 3.9 minus 3.3 = 0.6 pound more. Both weights fall under the roughly 7 pound figure that the Virginia Tech guide gives for hand-held electric blowers. The guide’s 100-foot working limit is for electric blowers on a cord, and neither of these is corded, so the limit does not apply. Run time becomes the limit instead, and neither listing gives a run time for the blower alone.

The guide’s safety advice for blowers applies to both. It says to be aware of pedestrians and others in the area and not to direct the blower toward them. For a DeWalt blower comparison with a different model range, see our DeWalt 20V MAX brushless handheld blower roundup.

The trimmer and blower combos

Two combo sets pair a 12-inch trimmer with a blower on one battery. The DeWalt combo’s bullets give a 4.2 pound electric weed eater and a 3 pound blower, and the specification field’s total of 7.2 pounds confirms the split: 4.2 plus 3 = 7.2 pounds. Its specification field also gives 8500 rpm for the trimmer and a battery average life of 30 minutes. The bullets do not say which battery size that average assumes, so the 30 minutes cannot be checked against the battery you own.

The M18 combo has a 12-inch trimmer with an automatic feed and a blower rated at 400 cfm and 130 miles per hour. Its bullets describe the blower as optimized specifically for dry debris. The listing also names a flower guard, a dual safety lock and a 180-degree adjustable handle. Both combos say the battery and charger are not included.

Both combo blowers are rated at 400 cfm, so air volume will not separate them. Choose between the combos on battery platform, and on whether you want the DeWalt’s 8500 rpm trimmer head or the M18’s dry-debris focus.

Batteries and charging: what the listings leave out

All nine kept listings say the battery and charger are not included, and each one names a battery family. Those are compatibility statements. The batteries do not carry across from one family to another, so the platform named in the listing decides which battery you need.

The mower’s battery limit is two 4.0 Ah packs, which is the figure the bullets give. The combo’s 30 minute average life has no stated battery size. The bullets for the 18-inch hedge trimmer and the 22-inch model give no battery size either. The EPA guidance on lithium-ion batteries, written for used batteries, says to tape battery terminals and to place each battery in a separate plastic bag before it is recycled. It says used batteries can still hold enough energy to injure or start a fire, and that a damaged battery should be handled according to the maker’s instructions. For a related battery guide, see our lawn mower battery voltage and amps guide.

Electric safety in practice

The Virginia Tech guide’s cord checks apply to corded tools, and none of the kept listings is corded. Its other rules still apply to these cordless tools. Check the safety features before use. Hold a powered hedge trimmer with both hands. Do not run one overhead. Disconnect power before inspecting, repairing or clearing a jam. Keep bystanders away from blowers, and keep children out of the yard while mowing, as UF/IFAS advises. The Ohio State extension page adds that an electric mower should never be used on wet grass.

How we chose

• Scope: the Houselife listings in the research record, ten in all. Nine kept, and the snow blower dropped as a different machine type, as explained above.
• Source material: the title, bullets and specification fields, as written. Where they disagree, we follow the bullets and say so in the text.
• Order: by battery family, then by tool type, so each family’s tools stay together.
• Combos count once, in their own column, so the totals add up to nine.
• Left out: prices, ratings and sales figures. The research record holds none of them, and this roundup does not use them.
• Safety points come only from the extension and EPA pages in the reference list, and each is a general rule for the tool type.

The nine listings, one by one

What we could not verify

• Runtime, coverage and battery average life are the listings’ own figures. The references we opened do not measure any Houselife run time.
• The one-year warranty and the noise level of 65 dB come from specification fields. We did not check either against a Houselife document.
• The battery families come from the listings. We did not check any of them against a battery maker’s documents.
• The 18-inch hedge trimmer’s weight conflicts between its specification field and its bullets. We cannot tell from the listing which figure is right.
• The 22-inch and 18-inch hedge trimmers share a model number on their specification fields, and the listings do not explain why.
• One combo’s specification field gives a wattage, which does not suit a battery tool. We did not use it.
• The 2-in-1 hedge trimmer’s blade-length field disagrees with its bullets, and the listing does not say which is current.

FAQ

Do any of the Houselife listings include a battery or charger?

No. All nine kept listings say the battery and charger are not included, so the battery family named in the listing decides what else you need to buy.

Why is the snow blower not in this roundup?

It clears snow with an auger rather than moving air, and this roundup keeps air-moving blowers. Read the topic as a yard and leaf tool comparison, not a snow-clearing one. If you want snow clearing, a separate comparison is the better page.

Can the 40-volt mower run on any 20-volt battery?

The listing says it needs two 20V DeWalt packs, and the battery compartment takes at most two 4.0 Ah batteries. Check the pack size and count against the compartment limit before you buy.

Are the 22-inch and 18-inch hedge trimmers the same tool?

Their bullets name different blade lengths, 22 inches and 18 inches, and different weights in the bullets, 4.4 pounds and 3.7 pounds. They share a model number on their specification fields, so the listing data cannot settle which model you would receive. Check the live listing before you buy.

What should I check before using a trimmer and blower combo?

Check the safety features of the trimmer before use, and hold the trimmer with both hands. Keep bystanders away from the blower, and do not point it at people or pets. Check the string length often, because automatic-feed trimmers may release more string than needed.

Bottom line

Pick the battery family first, then the tool that fits the job the listing describes. The mower suits a DeWalt owner who has two 20V packs and wants a bag-equipped cut that can reach 3 inches. For hedges, the 22-inch model gives the most reach, and the 2-in-1 model gives the lightest hand tool, but in both cases check the live listing, because two of the blade-length fields disagree with the bullets.

Sources

• Virginia Tech Extension, Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide (BSE-50): two-hand operation of powered hedge trimmers, overhead use, automatic and bump feed string release, electric blower working range and pedestrian rule
• UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Lawn Mower Care and Safety: mower injury figures and keeping children out of the yard
• University of Illinois Extension, Mowing Your Lawn: suggested mowing height of 2½ to 3 inches, the one-third rule, no mowing of wet grass
• US EPA, Used Lithium-Ion Batteries: taping terminals and bagging batteries, used batteries still able to start fires, damaged battery handling
• Ohio State University Extension, Power Lawn Mowers (AEX-591210): no electric mower on wet grass