Getting the best strimmer means ensuring it has the right features, weight and price for you. We've tested a range of cordless and corded strimmers, putting them through their paces across arange of grass and terrains, to help you find the right one for your garden. Handle types. There are two types of strimmer handles. The most common is a round, circular handle on the shaft of the strimmer, called a loop handle. It makes the strimmer easy and comfortable to control, and on the best models, it can be slid up and down the shaft, so you can adjust it to your height. Alternatively, there are ‘steer’ handles - two handles rather than a loop. These offer more control and let you use a comfortable scything motion when you cut, but they take up room, and can be a little more expensive. They’re also far more common on brushcutters and petrol strimmers than electric or cordless strimmers, so you might not find steer handles on many domestic models. Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.

Plus, there is some sort of argument about having a head full of metal having more rotational mass, thus possibly causing clutch issues down the road from overworking, esp when used on a smaller trimmer that is much more suitable for every day trimming, as opposed to a larger one that has the ability to use blades (which kills you when used for normal trimming every day..). Straps and safety harnesses. A shoulder strap or safety harness is an excellent bonus feature. It takes some of the weight of the tool, making it more comfortable to use, and also helps balance it, for better manoeuvrability and a more precise cut.

You will need to choose blades that will be suitable for your particular machine as there are differences. Stihl replacement blades are very different from those used on Bosch trimmers. Even Bosch have different blades for their ART 23-18 LI grass strimmer’s from their ART26LI and ART26 Accutrim models. For an example take a look at the Art 23 versions here. The ART 23-18 LI Plastic Blades Mainly the type of garden or area that needs to be maintained will determine what type of trimmer you’ll need. Once determined and your trimmer has been chosen then you’re pretty much tied into which line you can use. So choose your equipment wisely.

This is a lightweight and powerful cordless strimmer with a telescopic shaft. Even with the large 4.0 Ah battery installed, it weighs just 3 kg, which earns it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for large areas.

Each strimmer has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, handling, performance and value for money. Every strimmer in our round up below has scored a minimum of four out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence. As to solve your dilemma, we use mostly really small 0.065 line every day. This is enough to cut what you want it to, yet avoid accidental damage. This is much smaller and lighter line than most here would normally use (0.080 is a commonly loved size). We also keep a machine spooled up with 0.130 just in case we need it, but we really only use that for brushcutting ( works like a charm, MUCH better/faster than using blades..). We are always using the 0.065 line for trimming/cleaning up the edges on asphalt and concrete driveways and walkways (I have even cut new garden edges with it) and we still only seem to go through minimal amounts of it. Metal blades come in a variety of shapes. The most common are the 3 arm versions and the multi-teeth type which resemble a circular saw. See a popular example here which is the Silverline 675319 strimmer blade.

Hypothetically, you could use a strimmer to cut a lawn, but it would take a long time. Strimmers are much less efficient at this task than lawn mowers, and it’s more difficult to get an even cut. It’s a cordless version that uses a 14.4 NiCad battery. If you want to learn more about cordless strimmers, go here. Medium Type WorkMoving on to commercial use there is a selection ranging from 3.3 to 4mm sizes mentioned earlier. These include serrated, twisted and also brush cutter blades. These will make light work of undergrowth such as brambles and thistles etc. Learn more about the strimmer blades available in this post. What Strimmer Line to Use – Just Common Sense This heavier gauge would also be suitable to maintain areas that have longer grasses and weeds to keep in trim. LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry Performance. Focused on blade shape and material, cutting width and efficiency, and smoothness and precision of cut. We also assessed power and any extra functionality. Cutting head. The cutting head is the most important feature on a strimmer. It should be adjustable, so you can change the angle of the cut to cope with inclines and fiddly jobs. In most models, the head turns 90°, so you can trim along the edges of paths and flowerbeds. In the very best models, the cutting head also has wheels to help guide along edges and support the weight of the strimmer.

There are many choices of line available to us these days. They come in various colours, shapes and sizes. In fact enough to make the head spin for those just getting into using a grass trimmer. Don't these things have to have been tested and certified as being suitable for purpose? Personally I can only see this ending very badly for you or some poor member of the public!! Construction has commenced on the new multimillion pound headquarters for Avant Tecno UK at Suffolk Business Park in Bury St Edmunds. It's all good until a piece of that wire breaks off. You could be injured or worse yet, you could seriously hurt somebody else. Seems like I've read warnings with new line trimmers that specifically say NOT to use wire.Electric corded strimmers. Corded strimmers use a power cable connected to mains electricity. Depending on the length of the cable, these strimmers are more suitable for smaller gardens, but you can expand their reach with an extension lead. They’re also more dangerous than cordless strimmers because you run the risk of accidentally cutting the cable.