EGO Power+ ST1502SA String Trimmer Review (2026): The 56V

Why you should trust this review

I trim weekly along a 200-foot fence line, two driveway edges, and a long flower bed border, so this trimmer did not sit on a shelf between tests. I bought it; EGO did not provide it. The ST1502SA came in fall 2025 and ran across the full spring 2026 test cycle, which is enough real use to expose any weakness in the line feed or the shaft.

To keep the judgment grounded I compared it directly against a Greenworks 60V and a Worx WG170 GT Revolution on the same trim duty, on the same growth, on the same days. That side-by-side matters more than any spec sheet, because a trimmer only proves itself against alternatives doing identical work.

How we evaluated

I measured trim runtime per 2.5 Ah charge across three full sessions rather than a single run, since one session can mislead. I timed line reload from an empty bump head to the first cut, because that is the number that actually defines your downtime. I judged cut quality on both knee-high weeds and standard fence-line growth so the test covered the easy and the hard cases.

I also ran a shaft flex test under deliberate load to expose any weakness in the carbon fiber, and I tracked operator weight comfort across a continuous 25-minute trim session, since a trimmer that is fine for five minutes can become a chore over a real morning’s work.

Cut quality and torque

On knee-high weeds the 0.095 line cleared without bogging, which is the single most important thing a trimmer can do. Cheap trimmers slow down the moment the line meets resistance, and that stalling is what turns a quick job into a frustrating one. On standard four-inch growth the cut was clean and even, with no ragged tips left behind.

The brushless motor is the reason. It maintains line speed under load, so the cut stays consistent whether you are skimming a tidy fence line or pushing into a heavy weed patch. The honest trade is line consumption: the 0.095 line clears tougher growth than thinner line would, but it also eats through faster than 0.080 line on heavy brush, so you will reload a bit more often in the rough stuff.

POWERLOAD line feed that actually delivers

The headline feature works exactly as advertised, and it is the reason I would pick this trimmer over most rivals. You drop a length of line into the head, push the button, and the head winds it evenly in about fifteen seconds. Anyone who has fought a manual spool, threading, winding, and clearing the inevitable jam, knows that the old way could swallow four or five minutes and your patience along with it.

What impressed me more than the speed was the reliability. After a full spring of regular reloads, the POWERLOAD system has never jammed once. A clever feature that fails after a month is worse than no feature at all, so the fact that it kept working flawlessly through a whole season of weekly use is what moves it from a gimmick to a genuine reason to buy.

Build and ergonomics

The carbon fiber shaft is the quiet star here. It stays stiff under load, with no noticeable flex even when I leaned into heavy growth during the flex test, and it is lighter than the aluminum shaft on the older ST1502LB. That combination of stiffness and low weight is exactly what you want, because flex wastes your effort and weight wears out your arms.

At 9.4 lb with the battery installed, the trimmer stayed comfortable across the full 25-minute continuous session, and it was light enough to hold one-handed for fast edging passes. That balance is what lets you trim a quarter-acre lot without your shoulders reminding you about it the next day.

Battery and the platform argument

The included 2.5 Ah pack ran forty-five minutes on standard trim duty and thirty-two minutes on heavy weed clearing across three test runs, which is honest and predictable: the harder the work, the shorter the runtime, with no surprises. For most homeowners forty-five minutes covers a typical trim session twice over, so battery anxiety never entered the picture during my testing.

The pack also fits every other EGO 56V tool, and that is the argument that pushes the ST1502SA past a standalone alternative like the Worx for serious owners. If you already own EGO batteries, or plan to build out the platform, the trimmer slots into a system rather than living as an island. The 56V line also offers 5, 7.5, and 10 Ah upgrade packs if you ever need to run longer between charges.

Who should buy the ST1502SA?

Buy the EGO ST1502SA if you trim weekly and value fast line reload, if you want real torque for heavy weed clearing rather than just light grass, and if you already own or plan to invest in the EGO 56V platform. For that owner this is the most refined cordless trimmer I have used.

Skip it if you only trim for ten minutes a week along one short fence, where a simpler tool will do the job for less, or if you are on a tighter budget and a Worx WG170 covers your needs. The ST1502SA earns its place on refinement and the platform, not on being the cheapest option.

The verdict

The EGO ST1502SA is the cordless string trimmer I now keep by the garage door. The POWERLOAD line feed turns the worst chore of trimming into a fifteen-second non-event and never jammed across a full spring, the carbon fiber shaft is light and rigid, and the torque clears real weeds without bogging. The 0.095 line wears faster on heavy brush and the tool sits above the 40V class on price, but for weekly trimmers who want gas-beating performance in a light, well-built package, this is the one I recommend, and as part of the 56V platform its long-term value only improves.