A Tesco guide to buying strimmers and trimmers
Buying strimmers and trimmers
Grass trimmers give lawn borders a neat finish, trimming awkward areas around hedges, fences and trees, and cutting down long grass and tough overgrown foliage.
Below are a few hints on selecting the right trimmer for your garden.
Cutting width
Grass trimmers work by sweeping the swathe head through long grass or weeds. The bigger the width of the trimmer, the more it can cut in one go.
For roughly cutting large grassy spaces or clearing areas overgrown with nettles and brambles, go for a wide cutting swathe for speed and efficiency. For trimming borders, edges and around shrubs on a fine lawn, a lightweight and manoeuvrable strimmer with smaller cutting swathe is more suitable, especially in tight spaces. A 180 degree rotating head allows the perfect angle for lawn edges.
Parts replacement
A garden trimmer has a line of nylon cord which spins and cuts through vegetation. Some garden trimmer models are fitted with a double cord for higher performance in more overgrown areas.
The cord can wear out or occasionally break by hitting a tough object. Many strimmers have an integral cord spool that can feed in more line if necessary. Some models can even replace the broken line automatically if required. The broken cord or empty spool will need replacing when the line runs out. Before replacing anything on the trimmer make sure you have switched off the trimmer first and the head has stopped rotating completely.
Height adjustment
Some trimmers have extendable shafts that allow users to adjust the height which makes them easier to handle and control. These trimmers have two handles that slide away from each other so you can adjust the handles height and distance. This makes them more comfortable to use, especially when trimming large areas or using for a lengthy period.
Ergonomic handles
As you're likely to be using the trimmer for lengthy periods of time, it's worth looking for one with an adjustable second handle to steady use and a wrist extension support for extra comfort.
Electric vs petrol vs battery-powered trimmers
Electric trimmers are cleaner, lightweight and easy to handle. They're ideal for when you're working in a small area near to a power source but the downside is the cord does make them restrictive and can get in the way. They're also less powerful than petrol trimmers and should not be used in wet weather.
Petrol trimmers are powerful and run for a long time. They are suited to larger gardens, overgrown and less accessible areas, as they do not need a power source close-by and there is no cord to get in the way. However, petrol trimmers tend to be heavier and bulkier, can be noisy and smoky, and need regularly topping up with petrol.
Like petrol trimmers, rechargeable battery-powered trimmers are more mobile and can also be used anywhere. Furthermore, they are lightweight, cleaner and less noisy than petrol trimmers. A disadvantage of battery-powered trimmers is that they are less powerful, and have a shorter running time of around 30-40 minutes from 5-7 hours of charging, so you might need an additional battery for a big job. Some brands use batteries that are interchangeable with other power tools from the same range.