Wear gloves, protective eyewear, boots, and long pants. And while a shield deflects most debris, trimmers can still send debris flying while they cut. String trimmers can easily break through skin. Instead, look for a model with a minimal gap, or one with an easy-to-remove cutting head so that you can quickly pop the head off and get rid of weeds. Best Cordless Electric: Milwaukee M18 String Trimmer. Best Corded Electric: Greenworks 18-Inch Corded String Trimmer. Best Gas-Powered: Husqvarna 128LD String Trimmer.

Best Budget: Black+Decker Besta510 Electric String Trimmer.

If there’s a large gap, be warned that tall grass will probably get wrapped around the shaft in that spot. Best Overall: Black+Decker Two-in-One Cordless String Trimmer/Edger. It’s a good option if you need a string trimmer and any or all of the additional tools, and you don’t want to buy each separately.īefore you buy any string trimmer, look at the cutting head, where it meets the shaft of the trimmer. For most models, you can also get a hedge trimmer, a pole saw, an edger, and a brush cutter, and even a cultivator attachment. This is an engine designed to accept different attachments, and it’s typically sold with a string trimmer head. With gas and some cordless string trimmers, you’ll have the option of buying a stand-alone tool or a powered base, also known as a split shaft. Below, we delve into these and other factors you should consider when shopping for a string trimmer. For the first time, battery-powered string trimmers-also called cordless string trimmers-now outsell gas models. Take note that electrics are better for the earth, and they’ve improved exponentially in performance in recent years. A small number of models have cords, usually only a foot long, so you’ll want to use them with an extension cord at least 50 to 100 feet in length. String trimmers-which are also sometimes referred to by popular brand names like Weed Whackers or Weed Eaters-have either a curved or straight shaft, and typically run on either gasoline or lithium-ion battery. A string trimmer can also clear a path through light brush. It can tackle tall grass and weeds, too-growth that might bog down a typical lawn mower. It’s the ideal tool for keeping the edges of your garden or walkway neat and tidy, and for manicuring around fence poles and tree trunks. A string trimmer gets into places that a lawn mower can’t.

Best string trimmer mower