Worx WG170.2 20V Power Share GT Revolution 12-inch string trimmer review

The Worx WG170.2 is a cheap string trimmer, but that doesn’t automatically make it a bad one. It isn’t the best string trimmer that I’ve tested, but it has surprisingly good performance for the price, with adequate cutting power for light foliage, and offered a couple of features that made it more useful for navigating tight spaces and trimming small lawns. However, the 12-inch cutting width means that it clears less with each pass than other larger trimmers, and the lightweight battery only provides for just under 30 minutes of cutting at a time.

Worx WG170.2 string trimmer review: design and build quality

The Worx WG170.2 feels like a cheap trimmer. It’s made out of plastic except for the metal shaft. However, this shaft telescopes, so you can adjust the height of the trimmer to match your height or fold it down for storage.

There are a lot of other adjustments you can make on this trimmer as well. The angle of the handle can be shifted, and the entire trimmer head can be tilted 90 degrees and locked into place. This angling makes it easier to use this for edging, where the trimmer head has to be vertical.

Another nice idea is a small, clip-on wheel that clips onto the back of the trimming cover. This allows you to wheel the trimmer along when edging, which makes it easier to handle.

While most string trimmers use a bump of the base to let out more line, the WG170.2 uses a button on the top of the handle. Press this when the motor is disengaged, and more line spools out the next time you start the motor. It seems a bit hit and miss, though: it sometimes took two or three tries to get more of the single trimming line to come out.

The single trimming line that the WG170.2 uses comes from a small spool stored under a cover. To replace the line, you have to swap the entire spool out, or manually rewind it. The spool also holds just 10 feet of line, so you’ll be swapping out the line more often than with other trimmers. That’s a bit of a pain to do, but there is one plus here: this trimmer comes with two spare filled spools, and there is a holder on the control handle that can store a spare spool. So, if you run out partway through trimming the yard, you can swap out the spool without having to head back to the garden shed. 

The trimmer uses a 20V Power Share battery, which means that it can be used on any Worx device that can take this battery type. That includes chainsaws, lights, leaf blowers and sanders amongst others, which is a plus if you have other Worx tools.

Worx WG170.2 string trimmer review: performance and accessories

The WG170.2 didn’t have great performance. I found that it was powerful enough to cut through grass and light foliage, but it choked on anything thicker than a quarter of an inch or so, or anything with stem tougher than grass. So, larger weeds and plants are either going to be beyond the capabilities of this trimmer or will take a long time to cut through.

I also found that the button that let out more line didn’t seem to work every time. Sometimes it required two or three presses to get enough line out to start cutting properly again.

On the plus side, this string trimmer is very adjustable. You can change the angle of the cutting head, the angle of the handle and the length of the shaft, so you can get comfortable while trimming. That’s more adjustment than most offer, and this makes it easier to use.

When you are using the trimmer in its normal horizontal orientation, the clip-on wheel also works to keep the trimmer at a fixed height, so this can double as a lawnmower when required. If you only have a small area of grass, this could save you the need for a separate mower, using the trimmer to both mow and edge your lawn.

Worx WG170.2 string trimmer review: verdict

There are definitely things to like about the Worx WG170.2. It is very easy to adjust the trimmer, and the tilting head makes it more flexible as a trimmer and edger. The wheel is a simple idea that works rather well, so it can double as a mower for small areas. However, this string trimmer isn’t very powerful, and the small battery does not last that long. So, it might be a good pick for small areas that need clearing, edging, and trimming, but it would struggle with larger areas and thicker weeds.