The best strimmers for tidying up your garden
A beautiful lawn doesn’t come easy. It takes, blood, sweat, tears, and the real equipment. That’s the same for everyone, whether you just dabble in gardening or you’re a pro landscaper. Even if you struggle with the blood, sweat, and tears bit, it’s certainly worth tooling up with the best gardening equipment you can afford.
Top of the list, of course, is a lawn mower. But it’s worth backing that up with a strimmer (sometimes called a lawn trimmer). If a lawn mower does the bulk of the worth, a strimmer is for the finer details. Strimmers are designed to trim the edges, borders, and even keep the lawn itself tidy by cutting back weeds and long patches. In other words, the strimmer takes care of the bits that your lawn mower can’t reach.
But unless you’re a gardening expert, choosing the right strimmer is harder than lugging a mower around. There’s plenty of jargon and spec that might not make sense — not to mention a selection of brands to choose from. But we’re here to help put you on the right (garden) path by recommending some top models. But before we get to that, here’s some helpful information about buying a new strimmer.
Are there different types of lawn strimmers?
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. Is it big and overgrown? In that case you’ll need power.
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 give you power. 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 for delicate or precision-perfect jobs.
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. This can add a touch of artistic flair to your gardening.
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.
What’s an automatic line feed?
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 line can sometimes break, so you need a system to replace the line mid-cut. Strimmers may have an automatic line feed, which replaces the line as you cut, meaning you do don’t have faff about with changing spools. Others replace the line with the press of a button — or 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 garden strimmers in 2024.
