Grass trimmers: How to buy the best grass trimmer Grass trimmers: facts and types

Grass trimmer

Grass trimmers are also known as Strimmers

If you’re striving to achieve the neat edges and borders of a well-manicured lawn then a grass trimmer is an essential addition to your tool shed.

Find out which are our Best Buy grass trimmers

What is a grass trimmer?

Grass trimmers (also known as Strimmers) are garden power tools that work by spinning a plastic line fast enough to cut through grass and weeds. They're typically used for finishing off the edges and borders of a lawn after it’s been cut with a lawnmower. 

Grass trimmers are also useful for cutting grass in places you can’t reach with a mower – up against walls and fences, along banks, or around trees and shrubs. They’re also useful for cutting longer grass than a lawnmower could handle or for tackling rough weedy areas.

This product is referred to as a grass trimmer, line trimmer, string trimmer and a Strimmer but it’s exactly the same piece of kit; Strimmer is the brand name coined by Black & Decker.

There are three types of grass trimmer – electric (mains powered), cordless (battery powered) and petrol.

A similar machine to a grass trimmer is a brush cutter. These are petrol powered and work in the same way, however they’re designed for more heavy-duty cutting of undergrowth and brush. Unless you have a large garden with a serious amount of dense vegetation to clear, we’d recommend sticking to a standard grass trimmer.

Power

Grass trimmers have varying power capacities. Generally speaking, the higher the voltage, wattage or engine size, the more effective it’ll be on tough jobs - and the higher the price. Before you buy, work out how much you will use your grass trimmer and the level of cutting tasks you’ll want to carry out.

Costs

Grass trimmer prices vary drastically; the cheapest we’ve seen is £9.98, yet you can pay upwards of £200 for a state-of-the-art petrol model. It’s worth noting that retailers such as B&Q, Homebase and Argos sell their own brands, which are usually cheaper than well-known brands such as Black & Decker, Flymo and Bosch. These DIY stores also offer combination deals on garden power tools during the spring and summer – such as buy a lawnmower and get a grass trimmer free – so it’s worth shopping around. Alternatively, you might find these products are discounted out of season, so look for a bargain in the autumn or winter.

Mains electric grass trimmers

Electric grass trimmers are mains-powered and come with a power cable. They’re comparatively inexpensive, easy to use and are a good choice for smaller gardens, though you may find the cable a bit of a hassle to work with.

Pros Inexpensive and easy to use

Cons The cable means you have to be near a power source.

Find out more about mains electric grass trimmers

Cordless grass trimmers

Cordless grass trimmers are battery powered. They’re flexible and great for more extensive jobs but use is restricted to one battery charge at a time.

Pros No cables to worry about

Cons Limited usage time

Find out more about cordless grass trimmers 

Petrol grass trimmers

Powered by a small engine, petrol grass Strimmers are powerful and good for larger gardens and more heavy duty work. You can use them anywhere and there’s no battery to restrict usage time. But, they’re the most expensive option.

Pros Powerful

Cons Expensive

Find out more about petrol grass trimmers 

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