As all gardeners know — whether you’re a green-fingered casual or landscaping professional – the secret to a beautiful lawn is blood, sweat, and tears. Well, that and tooling up with the best gear available.
Investing in good tools is absolutely essential. The lawn mower is probably the most important purchase a gardener will make, but the strimmer is a close second. Grass strimmers, also known as trimmers, keep your lawn edges, borders, and even the lawn itself tidy by cutting back weeds and long patches of grass. Basically, these products handle everything that your lawn mower can’t reach.
But unless you’re a gardening expert, choosing a strimmer can be tricky. Here’s some must-know info if you’re looking to buy a new strimmer.
Are there different types of lawn strimmer?
The main types you’ll have to choose from are electric strimmers that plug into the mains, cordless strimmers powered by rechargeable batteries, and petrol strimmers which give you extra power. The best option for you really depends on the size of your garden and its current state.
Corded vs. cordless strimmers – which are best?
It’s less a case of which is best and more which type best suits your garden and gardening needs. Corded strimmers are generally cheapest and best for casual use, but they’re slightly limited by the cord. You’ll need easy access to a mains outlet — and you must check that the cord reaches far enough to cover your lawn.
Cordless strimmers are built for convenience — lightweight and easy to handle around the garden. The main drawback is that you have to recharge them after use. Look for a model with battery power to match the size of your garden.
What are the benefits of a petrol strimmer?
Petrol-powered strimmers promise powerful strimming. If you have a large garden, or particularly tough grass and weeds to cut through, a petrol strimmer is likely the best option. They’re not always the best option for more delicate or detailed jobs, such as edging.
What is lawn edging?
Lawn edging is pretty much as it sounds — the art of keeping your lawn neat, tidy, and even styled. It can be surprisingly hard to do if you don’t have the right tools. Some strimmers are built for both regular trimming and edging, or may have a cutting head that converts into an edger.
What are the most important lawn strimmer features?
As well as edging, there are other handy features that can elevate a strimmer from good to great. They can include a telescopic shaft, adjustable handle, shoulder strap, and brush cutter for tackling brambles and shrubbery.
Another feature that can be a deal-breaker for some gardeners is an automatic line extension. The “line” is the thing that whips around quickly and does the actual business of grass cutting (though some strimmers use a blade). The lines sometimes break, so you need a system to replace the line mid-cut. Strimmers may have an automatic line feed, or can extend the line by you pressing a button — or even by giving the head a bump on the ground.
What is the best lawn strimmer?
There are plenty of impressive models out there from top brands like Bosch and Flymo. To help you find the right strimmer for you and your garden, we have lined up a selection of the very best models. We have considered customer reviews, specifications, and features to give you a clear idea of what’s out there.
These are the best strimmers in 2022.
