Please school me on basic beginner lawn care tools

+1 for the Ryobi One tool suite. I bought the weed eater, hedge trimmer, leaf blower, hardwood floor vacuum, and a drill. They all use the same batteries, which is super convenient. You can get through weed eating and leaf blowing on a single battery, while the hedges might require battery changes if you have a lot to trim.

I use a Kobalt 40V electric mower and trimmer, which have kept my yard looking nice for the year that I’ve lived here. The noise level is much nicer than a gas mower, and one battery usually gets me through the mowing and trimming.

For a small yard like yours, avoid gas-powered equipment. Modern battery-powered tools from EGO, Ryobi, and others are excellent and require minimal maintenance with no storage hassles.

I recommend buying used tools. Small engine items are straightforward and rarely change designs over the years. I got a powerful, self-propelled mulching mower for $150 from a small engine mechanic.