Wouldn’t it be great if you could have one tool to do all your yard work? The Husqvarna Combi Switch 330iK is pretty close to that reality. It’s a battery-powered shaft that lets you swap out different attachments depending on what you need to do. It’s a nearly ideal scenario for small to medium-sized lawn owners who don’t have a lot of extra storage space or want to save money by not having to buy several different tools.
While it’s certainly possible to use some of the best string trimmers to both trim and edge your yard, it’s infinitely easier to use a proper edger to do it. And that’s what the Combi Switch offers. You can edge the yard to get those nice clean lines, then quickly switch it out for the string trimmer without having to grab an entirely different tool.
Aside from the edger and string trimmer attachments, you can also get a hedge trimmer, pole saw, and blower. The Combi Switch 330iK is powered by a Husqvarna 40-B140 36V 4Ah battery which is included with any of the bundles. I was sent the String Trimmer 330iKL bundle and the Edger 330iKE attachment.
Husqvarna Combi Switch: First impressions
The versatility of the concept of the Combi Switch was the first thing that hit me when I opened the box; only needing one tool head, with one battery, to power multiple tools, could be a game charger.
The box and packaging was almost entirely cardboard which was nice to see, with just a few of the smaller components and the manuals in a plastic bag. Once it’s out of the box, the only thing that needs assembling is the grip handle which requires a few screws. The handle is also fitted with a large screw head so you can quickly adjust it on the fly while using it.
The trimmer head needs two screws to attach the line guard and it thankfully comes pre-spooled. The edger requires two screws to attach the head to the shaft.
As soon as it was assembled, I knew this was a heavy-duty tool. The heft and feel of it is extremely solid and I already knew it was going to be so much better than my old, cheap, plastic string trimmer. The back end of the tool is plastic, but it’s very solid and not cheap feeling at all while the shaft and most of the other components are metal adding to the durability.
Husqvarna Combi Switch: price & availability
The Husqvarna Combi Switch 330iKL String Trimmer bundle I was sent is currently available for $419 from Husqvarna, Amazon, and Lowes (although we’ve seen it on sale for as low as $339 from Husqvarna and Amazon). That puts it about $80 lower than the similar Kombisystem from Stihl.
The Edger 330iKE attachment is $119 from Husqvarna, and for $129 at Lowes, (currently on sale for $99 at Husqvarna), while the 330iK tool head itself is $269 at Husqvarna, Lowes, and Amazon. The TA320 trimmer head by itself is $119 at Husqvarna, Amazon, Keep in mind that the only ones that include a battery are the bundles. These attachments are about on par price-wise with the attachments for Stihl’s Kombisystem, but I’ve seen the Husqvarna products on sale more frequently than Stihl’s.
Husqvarna also has a professional range of the Combi Switch which is the 525iLK. The only difference appears to be a bit higher rpm and a wider range of attachments. It’s also about $100 more than the residential lineup.
In the UK, you’ve got the 525iLK range but also the 110iL FLXi system which appears to be nearly the same as the 330iK but with slightly different attachments.
Husqvarna Combi Switch: Design
The design of the Husqvarna Combi Switch is basically much like any other string trimmer or edger power tool you might have used. The heavy battery and powerful motor makes it much heavier than more compact trimmers such as the Black + Decker LSTE525, but not quite as heavy as most gas trimmers.
The handle has two buttons on it, one for power and one for speed control. There are three speeds on the Combi Switch so you can adjust it to either get more power or more battery life. I never had a need to kick it up above the second speed to trim my lawn, and typically left it on the first setting. On this setting, I never drained more than about three-fourths of the battery life after both edging and string trimming my ~6,800 sq. ft. yard.
For both safety and to save battery, the Combi Switch will automatically turn off after about a minute or two without use. I couldn’t find a way to adjust this setting but it never really bothered me.
The trigger has a safety latch built into it which keeps you (or a curious toddler) from accidentally turning it on but it doesn’t take long before flipping it off as you pull the trigger becomes muscle memory. The loop handle sits below the operating handle and thankfully comes with a quick-release screw so you can adjust it easily.
About halfway down is where the Combi Switch’s superpower lies: a second quick-release screw with a latch where you swap out the attachments. Obviously, the idea is for it to be a quick and seamless experience to change the tools. Unfortunately, my experience was not quite seamless.
For some strange reason, about half the time when I went to change the tools, I had a very difficult time getting the new attachment to latch all the way in properly. I couldn’t see anything that might have broken off or gotten stuck in the latch, and the attachments came with grease pre-applied where the connection is, but I still had a few minutes of trying to get them to connect properly. Again, this didn’t happen every time which made it even more confusing.
It also happened with either attachment so it seems to be something to do with the design. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a deal breaker, because it would only take me a couple of minutes to get them connected, and it still worked perfectly fine afterward. But it’s still something worth noting.
Aside from that, I really appreciate having one tool to do almost everything I need around the yard. It makes storage and maintenance quite a bit easier.
Score: 4 out of 5
Husqvarna Combi Switch: key specifications
Husqvarna Combi Switch: Performance
I was quite impressed with the performance of the Combi Switch. The string trimmer cut very well around my yard and handled thicker grass and even weeds with no issues. The 18-inch cutting width was more than enough to make cutting larger areas of grass a breeze, but I had trouble getting the line to feed all the way out so it often felt like I was only getting about 10 or 12 inches of cutting width. Luckily a simple bump on the ground will extend more line, but it still never felt like it was fully extended. Maybe it’s just me.
It also comes pre-wound and their Rapid Replace trimmer head makes it easy to replace the line. You simply twist the bottom half of the trimmer head until the notches line up, pull the old line out, slide the new line in, and twist it back up.
I also really liked how well the edger did. Previously I had been using a more lightweight string trimmer to do my edging and it’s a night-and-day difference having a dedicated tool for the job. It was even powerful enough to cut the edge of my lawn back about another half-inch away from the curb which is just something I couldn’t do with my old string trimmer.
Both tools are, obviously, much quieter than their gas equivalents, and with earplugs or headphones, you won’t be bothered at all. The edger hit a noise level reading of about 80dB and the trimmer was a tad louder at 95dB.
I tried both tools on all three settings and suffice to say, that unless you are cutting some serious brush, you’ll hardly ever need the highest setting. Leaving it on the lowest, battery-saver speed was more than enough to cut the grass and get me through both tasks on a single battery. To completely edge and string trim my front and back yard takes me about 45 minutes and I rarely used more than half a charge doing a full cut.
When the battery finally does die, you can charge it up in about an hour and a half with the included charger. Storing is also nice as you can take it apart and store them all in about half the space you’d need when storing three separate tools. The only maintenance required is just to occasionally clean out any dried grass and debris from the tool heads and change the trimmer line and edge blade when needed. And when storing for the winter, only charge the batteries to about 80% and store them in a dry place.
Score: 5 out of 5
Should I buy the Husqvarna Combi Switch?
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How does the Husqvarna Combi Switch compare?
As useful as the Combi Switch can be, for smaller yards, you might just need a compact, lightweight string trimmer. For that, the Black + Decker LSTE525 is a solid choice. We even rated it as our best overall string trimmer. It’s lightweight, easy to use and store, and can handle both edging and string trimming making it ideal for small to medium sized lawns.
If you need something to tackle thicker weeds or even heavy brush, then the DeWALT 60V Brushless Kit is probably your best bet. Our reviewer appreciated the power and versatility of it as you can quickly switch from a string trimmer to brush cutter. It’s not quite as versatile as the Combi Switch, but it’s also better for a more specific use case.
Cordless power tools are convenient and arguably better for the environment, but sometimes you just need the power and longevity of a solid gas-powered string trimmer. In that case, you can’t go wrong with the Troy-Built TB25CB. It’s on the lighter side for a gas-powered trimmer, and it delivers plenty of power, but you’ll certainly need some good ear protection as it’s quite loud.
How I tested the Husqvarna Combi Switch
I received the Husqvarna Combi Swtich in two boxes. The string trimmer bundle arrived first and the edge attachment arrived in a separate box. Once assembled, I used both tools to edge and string trim lawn exclusively for about two months. In that time, it endured dozens of uses cutting grass ranging from approximately 0.5-1.5 inches.
Learn more about how we test.
