Buyers Guide to Grass Trimmers

When considering which grass trimmer to buy, there are a number of key factors to take into account and options available.

There are three core types of grass trimmers available each of these has their own benefits;

• Petrol
• Electric
• and cordless (battery powered)

Petrol grass trimmers are often more powerful, making them suitable for large gardens and thicker, denser grass. However they are noisier and do require more maintenance than conventional electric grass trimmers. The electric grass trimmer is the most commonly owned trimmer in the UK and runs off the mains electricity found in your home.

The third and final variety is cordless or - battery operated. When buying a cordless grass trimmer, consider the run time of the product i.e. ‘will you manage to do the whole garden before the battery runs out?’ If not, are additional batteries available to purchase so you can leave one on charge while you use the other?

Head Type

This feature typically comes with two options. A fixed head is the basic, and often the cheapest grass trimmer you can buy. The other version is a pivot / tilt head. This is beneficial as it allows you to create a neat cut, down the side of your grass. Other grass trimmers take this a step further, allowing the grass trimmer to lie flat, then letting you cut underneath bushes, trampolines.

Cutting Width

In basic terms, the larger the cutting width, the more grass you will cut at a time. While this will do the job quicker, it may not be the best option. If you have a garden with lots of delicate flower beds to cut around, a smaller cutting width is best, to avoid damaging your plants.

Single or Dual Line

A dual line will have two cords that will cut the grass, while a single line will only have one. An additional line will cut the grass quicker and is most suitable for thicker, longer grass.

Line Diameter

If you have thick grass, a thicker line is recommended. Thinner lines may struggle to cut the grass and take longer. If the grass is maintained and cut regularly, a thinner line is more than suitable.

Spool Feed

A spool is where the cutting line is stored and comes with two options. You can buy a grass trimmer that feeds the line automatically or one that you have to pull manually. Manual feed machines tend to be the cheapest grass trimmers.

Comfort

If you’re tall then you will want to make sure that you buy a grass trimmer with a telescopic shaft. This allows you to adjust the height preventing you from having to bend over when cutting the grass.

Plant Guard

Most good grass trimmers come with a plant guard which protects your flowers and trees if you get too close to them whilst cutting the grass.