String trimmers

Some of the latest electric trimmers perform better than ever. But gas models are still tops overall for tall grass and weeds.

A string trimmer can pick up where a lawn mower leaves off. It provides the finishing touches, slicing through tufts of grass around trees and flowerbeds, straightening uneven edges along a driveway, and trimming stretches of lawn your mower or tractor can’t reach. While capable trimming and edging has required spending $100 or more for a gasoline-powered model, several plug-in trimmers provide both for less.

Edging is an especially demanding job that involves slicing vertically into the ground. Dual cutting lines like the ones on most gas-powered trimmers helped the best electrics edge and trim shorter grass about as well as the best gas models. But even the best plug-in trimmers can’t match the best gas models in tall grass and weeds.

Faster starts, fewer tangles, and easier handling are among the string-trimmer features you’ll find as manufacturers improve these tools. Some gas models from Echo, Stihl, and Troy-Bilt use a spring-assist system that makes pulling easier. More gas models also offer simplified 1-2-3 starting: Push the primer bulb, flip the choke lever, and pull the cord. Models that use it typically started with just one or two pulls. You can also avoid cutting-line jam-ups with a fixed-line head that uses two precut pieces of cutting line. Lighter weight for electric and gas trimmers is another plus.


WHAT'S AVAILABLE



Black & Decker, Craftsman (Sears), Toro, and Weed Eater are the major brands of electric string trimmers, while Craftsman, Homelite, McCulloch, Ryobi, Troy-Bilt, and Weed Eater are the big names in gas-powered models. Leading high-end gas-trimmer brands include Bolens, Echo, Husqvarna, John Deere, and Stihl.

Gasoline-powered trimmers. These are better than electrics at cutting heavy weeds and brush, and are often better at edging. They also go anywhere, so they’re the best choice if you’ll be trimming far from a power outlet. On the downside, gas trimmers are heavier than electrics, weighing about 10 to 14 pounds. Most have a two-stroke engine that requires a mixture of gas and oil. These tend to pollute more than four-stroke engines, which burn gasoline only, and entail pull-starting and regular maintenance. Gas-powered trimmers are also noisy enough to make hearing protection necessary. Price range: $50 to $200; $70 to $150 for most.

Electric corded trimmers. These are the least expensive and usually the lightest; many weigh only about 5 pounds. Some work about as well as gas trimmers for most trimming. All are quieter and easier to start than gas trimmers—you simply push a button rather than pulling a starter cord. The power cord limits your range to about 100 feet from an outlet, however. Models with the engine at the bottom of the shaft can be more difficult to manage than those with the engine located at the top, near the handle. Corded electric trimmers are noisy enough to make hearing protection a necessity. And even the most powerful models are unlikely to handle the tall grass and weeds that the best gas-powered trimmers can tackle. Price range: $20 to $100.

Electric battery-powered trimmers. Cordless trimmers combine the free range of gas trimmers with the convenience of corded electrics: Easy starting and stopping, no fueling, and no exhaust emissions. They’re also the quietest overall. But they’re weak at cutting and run only about 15 to 20 minutes before the onboard battery needs recharging, which can take up to a day. They also tend to be pricey and heavy for their performance (about 10 pounds). Some models have the motor at the bottom of the shaft, where it can be even harder to handle than it is on lighter corded versions. Price range: $30 to $100 or more.


HOW TO CHOOSE



You don’t have to invest in a pricey, professional-grade trimmer unless you need its metal-blade capability for cutting saplings and other woody waste. Most of the gas trimmers and even some electrics we tested can handle the grass and tall weeds that account for most trimming.

Determine whether a gas-powered or electric trimmer fits your needs. Then keep these points in mind while shopping at the store:

Consider the landscape. Trimmers with a straight shaft can reach beneath shrubs more easily and are less likely than curved-shaft ones to spatter you with clippings. Curved-shaft trimmers trade those benefits for easier maneuvering and, often, less weight—a plus for shorter users and those with less arm strength.

See how it feels. While a lighter trimmer tends to reduce fatigue, weight isn’t the whole story. Good balance can be just as critical. To check it, adjust the front handle for comfort and hold the trimmer in the cutting position with both hands. Its weight should feel evenly distributed or slightly heavier at the top.

Also check that all the controls are smooth and easy to reach. If you’re left-handed, make sure a gasoline-powered trimmer you’re considering has a deflector that routes the hot exhaust gases rearward. Most now include one.

Check the gap. Tall grass and weeds can slow a trimmer by wrapping around the top of its cutting head, especially if there’s a gap between it and the mounting for the grass-debris guard. Models with a smaller gap or a protective sleeve around the shaft avoided that problem in our tests.

Consider your neighbors. If they’re close by, you may want to choose a corded or cordless electric trimmer. Nearly all the ones we tested are significantly less noisy than gasoline-powered models. If you opt for gas, protect your ears with earmuffs or plugs.

String trimmers are ___ accessory garden tool and can be used for trimming ___ hedges, string trimmers are lightweight machines that you can hold above your head for ___ long time without discomfort. With trimmers you can cut small bushes, trim ___ hedge, reach hard to get spots in your garden, and of course grass and weeds.

___ string trimmers are so known as they feature ___ high-speed nylon string with which ___ cutting work is done. As ___ string cuts ___ grass or ___ small bush, ___ string wears out, ___ new piece of string takes its place, and ___ work goes on.

For continued work, it is essential that ___ machines in ___ string trimmers should be lightweight, string trimmers are so lightweight that they are often used as machines for small toy aircrafts.

Gas or Electric String Trimmers

String trimmers are available in gas power or electric power. ___ electric ones are lightweight and are easy to operate except for ___ power cable that has to follow ___ trimmers to every place in ___ garden.

___ gas-powered one is powerful but is heavy and polluting, particularly ___ two stroke variety. ___ four stroke engines do not cause as much pollution as ___ two stroke ones but are heavier than ___ two-stroke and thus it is not preferred. ___ two stroke engines and four stroke engines make more noise than ___ electric ones.

String trimmers require regular maintenance and part replacement, ___ parts of gas trimmers are available in market easily and as such presents no problem to its operation.

Cost of String Trimmers

String trimmers are cheap garden accessories and ___ cost is upwards of $50. ___ spare part consumption in all ___ trimmers is on ___ heavier side and thus ___ trimmers are ___ bit hard on operating costs. But if your intension is to have ___ neat garden with least effort, ___ string trimmers is ___ only answer apart from doing ___ work manually. Manual work is also not cheap if you consider your own cost in dollars per hour.

What To Look for When You buy ___ trimmer

When you buy ___ trimmer ___ things you should look for are.

1. ___ good balanced shaft and machine combination. If you do not get ___ balanced combination. you will be tired early than expected.

2. ___ engine should be lightweight and easy to start.

3. ___ noise level should be low so you may not have to face sound pollution.

4. ___ spare part should be easily and readily available at all places.

5. ___ controls should be available within reach of your fingers preferably ___ thumb. This will make trimming work easy and not too tiring.

6. ___ good and easy string feed action. ___ string trimmer is as good as ___ string feed action and this action should be easy and as required by ___ trimmer.

All ___ above requirements are met by string trimmers and you can purchase good trimmers with peace of mind. ___ guarantee given by ___ manufacturer will further ease your mind.

Apart from ___ lawn mower, ___ edger and trimmer is likely to be ___ tool used almost as much. Not many lawn mowers will be capable of reaching everywhere, since most garden lawns will butt up against ___ patio, wall, or have several trees on ___ property. As ___ result, ___ only way to maintain ___ lawn is by using ___ trimmer of some type.

___ basic lawn edger is equipped with dual blades and attached to ___ long wooden handle. These are relatively lightweight, require no gasoline, and there\'s no need for ___ cord to get in ___ way. If ___ blades are maintained dirt free and sharp, they will be able to adequately cut 35 feet of pathway in just ___ few minutes.

But they will need ___ lot of muscular exertion. For those gardening enthusiasts that enjoy pottering around outside, but are getting along in years, they may not be ideal. It\'s not going to be fun maintaining ___ trim looking lawn if ___ end result is sore arms and ___ stiff back.

___ next level up is ___ electric trimmer. Reasonably priced and simple to use, they remove difficult to reach grass by carving it off with ___ swiftly spinning plastic string. ___ cartridge head that holds ___ trimmer line is quick to replace, can last for up to several months and costs under $10 to replace.

___ further benefit over ___ manual edger is that they can often be used in ___ variety of positions, and in situations that ___ manual tool is unable to work. If you lawn is adjacent to ___ outbuilding, for example ___ shed, it can often be tough to use ___ pole trimmer to eliminate ___ grass. But ___ automatic feed trimmer will work perfectly in there conditions. It will not do any damage to ___ shed and rapidly removes ___ grass.

___ further style of power trimmer uses ___ small gas powered motor. They tend to be rather noisy, but ___ main setback is really ___ weight. They are much heavier than their electric trimmer counterpart. On ___ plus side, they are not fitted with ___ cable to drag behind.

As you will not be restricted by cable length there are no limits to where it may be used. If you have ___ huge garden, or have ___ need to tidy up certain spots that are not equipped with ___ nearby power supply, using ___ electric powered trimmer can be ___ problem. In these situations, ___ gas powered trimmer is ideal.

___ gas powered edger will also be equipped with much more power. So if you are plagued with thick weeds, overgrowing brush, or other debris that you want to cut down to size, this model will do ___ job. Although, slightly more expensive, they will last for years and ___ cost will be worth ___ effect saved.

String trimmer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
String trimmers powered by an internal combustion engine have the engine on the ... and spawned a back-formed verb "to strim" = "to use a string trimmer on" ...
A string trimmer , also called a line trimmer , edge trimmer , Weedeater (a brandname), Weedwhacker , Weed Whip , weedy , whipper snipper , strimmer , garden strimmer , or bush cutter is a powered ...
A string trimmer, also called a line trimmer, edge trimmer, Weedeater (a brandname), Weedwhacker, weedy, whipper snipper, strimmer, garden ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_trimmer

String Trimmers: Reviews, comparisons and prices
ConsumerSearch.com reviews string trimmer reviews; best string trimmers include
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Consumer Guide: Electric String Trimmers Product Reviews
Electric string trimmers have nearly the power of gas trimmers without the worry
of fuel. Read Consumer Guide's product reviews to find the best model for ...
Electric string trimmers have nearly the power of gas trimmers without the worry of fuel. ... If you're looking for power that approaches that of a gas trimmer without having to deal with fuel ...
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String Trimmers Reviews: Product Reviews Comparison Reports
ConsumerSearch.com reviews string trimmer reviews; best string trimmers include Echo GT-201R ($180), Weedeater Featherlite SST25 ($90), ...
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The Fastest (and Toughest) String Trimmers on the Market - Popular ...
A lawn isn't finished until it's trimmed. The right machines can transform a
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