We also did considerable edging where sidewalks meet lawns.įor battery-powered trimmers, our primary goal was to assess power and run time. However, our most severe testing occurred along the sloping bank of a sand floor drainage basin in southern New Jersey, where we use the trimmers to cut down knee-deep weeds and wild flowers. We use the machines on ordinary suburban lawn grasses such as blue grass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues in a variety of suburban and rural locations. We test our gas-engine and battery-powered string trimmers in identical fashion. Scroll through our reviews to see the machines that withstood our rigorous test. Whether it’s powered by a gas engine or a battery and brushless motor, every machine here gave a good account of itself in our testing. These trimmers are heavier and more expensive than cable-driven trimmers, but they will stand up better to cutting heavy weeds and light brush. Also, if your needs are closer to the heavy-duty end of the work spectrum, buy a machine that powers the line head with a solid steel drive shaft and not a cable. If you need weed-trimming power above all else, they will provide it, particularly if you equip the trimmer with a heavy-duty line. The gas-engine machines here are pro-duty and take a 50:1 gas-oil fuel mix. If noise reduction is important to you, a cordless string trimmer is your obvious choice. A benefit that a battery-powered trimmer provides that a gas trimmer can’t touch is that it’s quiet. Although cordless string trimmers still lack the raw weed-slashing power of professional-grade gas-engine machines, they have narrowed the performance difference. Many people are looking to cordless string trimmers powered by a lithium-ion battery to meet their needs, especially in suburbia. Trimming a large and diverse rural property requires a far more robust power tool than if you live on a 1⁄4-acre lot. The harder you work the string trimmer, the tougher the machine you need to buy. Read on for quick info on the best string trimmers from our testing, then scroll down for buying advice and in-depth reviews.Ī string trimmer spins a line head by means of either a gas engine (in almost all cases burning a gas-oil fuel mixture) or it uses a lithium-ion battery and a DC motor.

Equipped with an Aero-Flex trimmer attachment, a string trimmer can function as a mini mower for cutting grass and weeds in difficult areas such as on steep banks and ditches. You’ll be glad of this come winter because pavement with a neat edge is easier to clear of snow compared to one that is overgrown. The notch keeps grass and weeds from growing over the pavement’s edge. With a deft hand they can be turned sideways to cut a notch along sidewalks, patios and drives. They can cut down tall grass and weeds to keep border areas under control, either prior to mowing or as an alternative to mowing. Either way, the results should be a neat landscape. Some people mow then trim, others trim then mow (particularly those who bag the clippings).

A string trimmer is the indespensible power tool that puts the finishing touches on a yard by shaving off grass that a lawn mower can’t reach.

Ego lawn trimmer