I need to buy a grass trimmer for my garden but have no idea which size and shape to get. It needs to be petrol and I'll be strimming around 200m linear metres of edge/fence line. Will the smallest petrol strimmer work or should I be looking at something bigger?
What size Strimmer/grass trimmer for a garden?
- Thread starter Amp34
- Start date
Is it literally just for the edge of you lawn? If so any petrol will be more than adequate you'd even be ok with one if the modern cordless jobs for that sort of work!
Mostly yes, where the grass meets structures and stone walls. Also a 50m2 area that will need trimming of weeds as well, but as long as I don't leave that area too long it should be small weeds only, although it can get a hectic in there at times.
I did wonder about the battery powered ones. They are cheaper, lighter and would be less maintenance but I'm sceptical if the batteries will last an hour at a time, which is why I mentioned petrol.
I did wonder about the battery powered ones. They are cheaper, lighter and would be less maintenance but I'm sceptical if the batteries will last an hour at a time, which is why I mentioned petrol.
Probably won't last an hour but honestly what your describing shouldn't take that long plus you could always do it two goes! I used to use a battery job to do the paths on a large allotment and it was fine no use for clearing massively over grown areas with thick brambles small trees etc but more than adequate for sir gentle trimming!
Well it would probably take at leat half an hour (several trees etc as well) but at timesI could easily see it taking an hour when you include other bits and pieces. I'd rather not far around by doing half then another half the next day. 
I'll have a look into the battery ones and see how they do, but I'd rather not end up regretting going battery.
I'll have a look into the battery ones and see how they do, but I'd rather not end up regretting going battery.
Well it would probably take at leat half an hour (several trees etc as well) but at timesI could easily see it taking an hour when you include other bits and pieces. I'd rather not far around by doing half then another half the next day.
I'll have a look into the battery ones and see how they do, but I'd rather not end up regretting going battery.
It's a difficult balance, battery products have improved massively in recent years, I've always had two drills a corded and cordless but not my corded very rarely comes out as the cordless is so good! Petrol strimmers are awesome but come with the hassle of petrol/two stroke oil and servicing!
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2007
- Posts
- 22,203
- Location
- Wilds of suffolk
Ah hour is pretty much a no go time limit on battery right now.
If you have to do it in one go then petrol is your thing, or you buy extra batteries. The batteries are expensive though, a 4AH will be around £50 or more
But 2 will do you as long as they are decent AH or fast charging. You may get away with 2x 2AH or so if they are fast charge. You MUST get LI-iON or they will take forever to charge
The smallest petrol will do you, but will probably drive you mad in an hour.
If your really serious buy something like this. 36 min charge time, 4AH battery. That battery may well do the lot, if not, 4AH in 36mins I mean thats a tea break and your good to go again
http://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-18v-4-0ah-li-ion-4ah-cordless-line-trimmer-lxt/2968f
If your trying to keep it cheaper buy 2 of these is an option. YOu end up with 4AH, but everything has redundancy, even the good makes things like the guards break and try getting parts 3-4 years later, they are either almost as much as a new complete strimmer or simply not available anyway. Which is why i am rocking a £22.99 cheapo strimmer
http://www.screwfix.com/p/mgtp18li-18v-2-0ah-li-ion-cordless-grass-trimmer/5071r
If you have to do it in one go then petrol is your thing, or you buy extra batteries. The batteries are expensive though, a 4AH will be around £50 or more
But 2 will do you as long as they are decent AH or fast charging. You may get away with 2x 2AH or so if they are fast charge. You MUST get LI-iON or they will take forever to charge
The smallest petrol will do you, but will probably drive you mad in an hour.
If your really serious buy something like this. 36 min charge time, 4AH battery. That battery may well do the lot, if not, 4AH in 36mins I mean thats a tea break and your good to go again
http://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-18v-4-0ah-li-ion-4ah-cordless-line-trimmer-lxt/2968f
If your trying to keep it cheaper buy 2 of these is an option. YOu end up with 4AH, but everything has redundancy, even the good makes things like the guards break and try getting parts 3-4 years later, they are either almost as much as a new complete strimmer or simply not available anyway. Which is why i am rocking a £22.99 cheapo strimmer
http://www.screwfix.com/p/mgtp18li-18v-2-0ah-li-ion-cordless-grass-trimmer/5071r
Soldato
- Joined
- 16 Aug 2009
- Posts
- 8,135
I'm not sure why people are so against petrol strimmers they last for years without ever going near a service centre (unless its a super duper cheapo model). Go to a machinery specialist rather than B&Q or other DIY as their range is rubbish.
Yeah, I bought a Stihl FS56, a decent bit of kit, off of my neighbour, who's a self employed gardener. Cost £150, so wasn't an uber bargain, but at least I knew its pedigree and would have a short warranty of sorts. In the event, it's approaching its third summer with me without ever being serviced or causing any problems. It even used year-old petrol last summer as the 5 litre can lasted for two years.
Really happy with it.
Personal experience obviously your millage may differ! I've found my petrol strimmer a pain it was bulkier than the electric and therefore harder to store with limited space and was always a pain to get going after a winter in storage. That Makita electric look very nice!
They are a bit more hassle and and usually (from what I've seen anyway) bigger and heavier. As someone that spend a fair amount of time when I was younger with a large petrol strimmer I'd rather get a nice light battery powered thing that doesn't cook your hand and make it feel like it's been vibrated off after 20 minutes.
Petrol has its place however - in the same way that petrol mowers have their place. As much as I'd be happy with an electric mower doing a quarter of an acre with one is pretty much a no go.
The other thing is how do the batteries hold up with time? There are plenty of used petrol and batter strimmers available - if the petrol ones start easily then even if they do break down they'll only cost pennies to fix, but I have no idea how long batteries will last - having to buy new batteries will pretty much negate buying used in the first place!
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2007
- Posts
- 22,203
- Location
- Wilds of suffolk
Modern li-ion recharge loads of times, your far more likely to have one of the more common issue with strimmers, such as the guard breaking than the battery dying
They are definately heavier petrol thats for sure, anything of a decent size will have a harness which is then even more faff.
Biggest factor for me battery are far quieter, yes they make noise at the cutting end but thats far further away from your ear than the motor
They are definately heavier petrol thats for sure, anything of a decent size will have a harness which is then even more faff.
Biggest factor for me battery are far quieter, yes they make noise at the cutting end but thats far further away from your ear than the motor
Ended up getting a petrol Stihl FS38 as I couldn't justify the extra cost of the battery versions (about twice the price). It's loud but significantly less vibration, noise and heat than the one I used to have.
Seems reasonable and easy enough for edging, just powerful enough for the back area (that ends up a lot messier).
Seems reasonable and easy enough for edging, just powerful enough for the back area (that ends up a lot messier).