Skil 40V 14 In. String Trimmer and 460 CFM Blower Combo Kit

First impressions and setup

Skil’s 40V combo pairs a 14-inch string trimmer with a 460 CFM blower on the PWRCORE 40 platform. Out of the box, assembly is quick. The blower’s tube clicks on and off the housing with a simple quick-release, which also makes storage easier. The trimmer goes together without fuss and arrives pre-spooled with 0.080-inch twisted line. Build quality feels solid for the class: molded plastics are tidy, switches have positive detents, and both tools carry an IPX4 rating, which I appreciate for early morning dew and light drizzle.

The included 2.0Ah battery is compact and keeps the tools light and nimble. The 60W charger is modest but adequate for a single-battery kit.

Ergonomics and controls

• Blower: The molded D-style handle gives a secure grip, and the tool balances well with the battery installed. The variable-speed trigger is responsive, and a dedicated turbo button is positioned for quick bursts without changing your grip. The tube length and nozzle diameter lean toward hard-surface cleanup rather than deep leaf piles, which suits most driveway, patio, and sidewalk work.

• Trimmer: The straight shaft and 14-inch cutting swath strike a good balance between reach and maneuverability. There are two speed settings to prioritize runtime or power, and the head uses a dual-line bump feed. Skil’s Twist Load system is one of the simpler reload designs: feed the line ends through the eyelets, center them, and twist the head to wind. No disassembly, no line wrestling.

Noise and vibration are low for both tools. Neither is featherweight, but the balance is right, and I had no hotspots or fatigue after typical suburban-yard sessions.

Performance: string trimmer

In low speed, the trimmer is more capable than I expected. It cuts standard turf and edging along concrete cleanly while sipping power, and the twisted 0.080-inch line leaves a neat finish. For taller grass or slightly tougher weeds, bumping to high speed gives you the authority you need without feeling overcaffeinated. The 14-inch swath is efficient; you can cover a lot of ground without losing control in tight spots.

Line advancement is consistent with a light tap, and I didn’t experience the “melt and jam” some heads suffer when hot. The head releases line predictably, and the guard does a decent job managing debris. While 0.080-inch line is appropriate for this tool, it’s worth noting that very woody stalks or thick brush are outside its lane; this is a homeowner trimmer intended for routine lawn maintenance, not clearing a neglected fence line.

Performance: blower

The blower’s 460 CFM and 120 MPH specs put it in the capable homeowner bracket. On hard surfaces, it corrals clippings, dust, and dry leaves efficiently at partial trigger. For scattered leaves across a lawn, I found running near full trigger with occasional turbo bursts made quick work of typical fall tidy-ups. Turbo is useful, but like on most cordless blowers, it will drain the battery faster if you lean on it. For wet mats of leaves or deep piles, you’ll want patience, strategy (work in layers), or a bigger battery.

I like the control range: you can feather airflow for delicate areas, then ramp up instantly. The tone is relatively low-pitched and less fatiguing than many small blowers.

Battery, runtime, and charging

With the included 2.0Ah pack, my real-world runtimes were:

• Trimmer: roughly 25–35 minutes of mixed use, mostly on low with bursts of high for thicker patches.
• Blower: roughly 15–20 minutes of continuous high-power use, longer if you feather the trigger and save turbo for short bursts.

Yard variables matter—grass type, growth, leaf moisture—but those numbers are consistent for a small-to-medium suburban property on one charge. If you regularly blow a lot of leaves or have a larger lawn, a second battery or stepping up to a 4.0Ah pack is the upgrade that unlocks the platform’s potential.

The 60W charger took about 75–90 minutes to bring a fully depleted 2.0Ah pack back to 100% in my testing, and partial charges are proportionally faster. It’s not a rapid charger, but it’s fine for one-battery routines or top-offs while you trim.

Weather resistance and durability

IPX4 on both tools is a meaningful safeguard for real-world yard work—think damp grass, light mist, and unexpected sprinkles. I used the combo on dewy mornings without issue. The detachable blower tube and the trimmer’s straightforward head design also make maintenance simple. Keep the guards clean, check the line length, and blow out grass buildup around the motor vents; these will run smoothly for a long time.

What Skil got right

• Practical power balance: The trimmer’s two-speed setup and the blower’s variable trigger/turbo scheme give you control over power draw and performance. You can trim borders precisely at low speed or muscle through thicker patches on high.
• Ease of use: Twist Load is genuinely quick. Reloading line took me under a minute after a short learning curve, which removes a lot of the friction that turns people off string trimmers.
• Storage and portability: The blower’s quick-release tube cuts the footprint on a shelf, and both tools are compact with the 2.0Ah battery installed.
• Battery platform: Sharing a single 40V battery keeps costs down and simplifies the system. If you expand within PWRCORE 40, the same packs run mowers, saws, and hedge trimmers.

Where it falls short

• Included battery capacity: A 2.0Ah pack is fine for light maintenance, but anyone with frequent heavy blowing or a larger lot will want more capacity or a second pack.
• Not a brush-clearing setup: With 0.080-inch line and a 14-inch head, the trimmer is aimed at lawns, not aggressive overgrowth. That’s expected in this class, but worth stating.
• Charger speed: 60W is acceptable for one pack, though users stepping up to 4.0Ah or larger batteries may want a faster charger if they cycle packs back-to-back.

Who it’s for

This combo makes the most sense for homeowners who want no-nonsense, cordless lawn maintenance for small to mid-sized properties. If your weekly routine is trimming edges, knocking down tufts around posts and beds, then blowing the driveway, patio, and walkways, the power-to-weight-to-runtime ratio lands in the sweet spot. If you regularly tackle thick, wet leaf piles or need extended runtime without swapping batteries, plan on adding a higher-capacity PWRCORE 40 battery.

The bottom line

The Skil 40V combo gets the fundamentals right: practical power, simple controls, easy line reloads, weather-resistant design, and a platform battery that slots into both tools. The trimmer feels confident and efficient across typical lawn tasks, and the blower’s control range makes it effective for most hard-surface cleanup and light leaf work. The main limitation is the included 2.0Ah battery; it keeps weight down and cost accessible, but it constrains runtime for heavy blowing sessions.

Recommendation: I recommend this kit for homeowners with small to medium yards who want a straightforward cordless setup that covers trimming and cleanup without fuss. Add a second or larger-capacity battery if your property or leaf load demands longer sessions, and you’ll have a flexible, capable pair of tools that fit neatly into a weekly maintenance routine.