Trimmers and Edgers Buying Guide

If you are serious about your lawn, you will want to look into purchasing a trimmer, an edger, or both. These tools can make the difference between a so-so lawn, and a lawn that shows care and love.

String trimmers are relatively new machines. They were developed in the 1970s by a man name George Ballas. He was frustrated by the back-breaking work of hand trimming the grass around his trees and invented a new lawn tool he called the Weed Eater. His first Weed Eater was made from an empty popcorn can he found in the trash and some heavy fish line. He punched holes in the can, knotted some fish line through it and rigged it up to his lawn mower. The centrifugal force of the spinning can made the fishing line rip through the grass without harming the tree, and a multi-million dollar business was born.

Now, there are several kinds of string trimmers available. They are generally lightweight, stick-shaped machines, with a spinning head at the bottom end. They are mainly used to cut grass or weeds around trees or other irregularly-shaped objects.

Trimmers can also be used to trim the edge of a lawn. However, they don't create the cleanest edge. So, if you want that professional-looking, extra-straight edge to your lawn, you should look into purchasing an edger along with the trimmer. If you are satisfied with less professional look, a trimmer alone is a versatile and smart buy.

As with all power tools, safety is an important consideration when operating a trimmer or edger. Those spinning strings cut through your skin just like they cut through weeds, so you want to make sure you are always fully clothed while operating a string trimmer. They can also throw small rocks into the air, so you need to wear safety glasses and closed-toe shoes. Depending on the area, you may want to use a dust mask as well.

If you can be hit by thrown rocks, so can any nearby children or pets. Always make sure they are out of range before turning on your string trimmer.

Be careful operating an electric trimmer in wet weather. If the power cord is nicked, you might receive a painful shock.

Also, you should always make sure the engine is off before you clean or adjust any part of the machine.

Trimmers are primarily used to cut grass or weeds. They are particularly useful for cutting around trees, benches, tables, or other strong structures.

There are various attachments made for string trimmers. These can make your trimmer more of an all-around gardening tool by using its engine to cut brush, blow leaves, edge the lawn, or cultivate ground.

Gas-Powered Trimmers Gas-powered trimmers can be easily recognized because they place the engine at the top of the shaft. They are the most powerful trimmers you can get and the best choice if you are working on a large area, or if you are going from jobsite to jobsite, as their engines will run for a long time on a tank of fuel. The drawbacks to gas-powered trimmers are that they tend to be noisier, vibrate more, and create noxious fumes.

Electric String Trimmers Electric string trimmers are going to be much lighter to lift than gas-powered ones. They tend to put their motors at the bottom of the shaft. They cost about half as much as the gas-powered trimmers. However, your range is limited to the length of your extension cord, and you need to consider the added weight of the cord when you are deciding which kind of trimmer to purchase.

Cordless Trimmers The most convenient trimmers are cordless ones, as you don't need to mix the engine fuel and you're not tethered to a power cord. Cordless trimmers run on batteries that can be recharged and they are very lightweight. The drawbacks are they are not as powerful as electric or gas-powered trimmers and that the batteries will run out after about half an hour of use.

Automatic Feed Trimmers Cutting grass is hard on the strings in a trimmer. After a while, they are going to wear out. Most trimmers are designed to spin out more string when you bump the head of the trimmer on the ground. An automatic feed trimmer makes that easier by automatically feeding the line when the machine senses that the string has broken.

Curved Shaft Trimmers Curved shaft trimmers are a popular choice. They tend to be lighter than straight shaft trimmers and a bit more convenient to use.

Straight Shaft Trimmers Heavier trimmers will tend to use a straight shaft, as the straight pole makes it easier for you to balance the machine. Straight-shaft trimmers are good for reaching underneath structures such as benches, tables, or decks. They are also good for cutting wide areas, as they easily swing from side to side.

Wheeled Trimmers If you have a very large area to cut, a wheeled trimmer is a good choice, since the wheels can take most of the weight of the machine. They tend to be a bit more expensive than other trimmers, but if you have a large area to maintain, or if you are doing professional landscaping, this trimmer will be an excellent investment.

Edgers Edgers are designed to create that well-groomed straight-edged look to your lawn. Power edgers are often heavy-duty machines. They are great if you have a lot of edging work, but for may be too complicated and unwieldy if you only have one pathway or a small lawn.

There are also some smaller edgers available. A T-handled edger can be more comfortable to use. Unless you have a very large lawn, this may be the better choice, as it is lighter and creates less vibration than the larger models.

Some string trimmers are designed to allow attachments. These can increase the usefulness of your trimmer. Make sure to check that the attachments are compatible with your particular trimmer.

Edger If you want that clean, straight line to your lawn without buying an edger, you can get an edger attachment for a string trimmer. This attachment will add to the weight of the trimmer, so it might not be practical for large areas.

Blower A blower makes your trimmer into a double threat. With a blower, you can clear leaves from your sidewalk in minutes.

Brushcutter Another way to expand the usefulness of your trimmer is to add a brush cutting attachment. This changes the string head to a small rotating blade. It allows you to cut small brush or grass that is too heavy to easily cut with trimmer line.

Cultivator The cultivator attachment is handy for breaking up soil and preparing new lawn or flowerbeds. As with all trimmer attachments, this is best for small areas. If you are cultivating a large plot of land, you'll want to use a more powerful machine.

Trimmer Line When you use a trimmer, the "string" or trimmer line takes quite a beating. Every so often, you will need to feed out new line (which is spooled around the head located at the end of the shaft). Once that is used up, you'll need to replace the line. Luckily, there are many companies that sell replacement trimmer line.

Line Heads Trimming line is attached to a round head that is spun by the motor in the trimmer. While the trimmer will come with a line head, having an extra head makes it easier to refill the line while you are working. Instead of having to re-spool the line, you can simply pop in a new line head.

Cycle Oil Cycle oil is mixed with gasoline in order to run gas-powered trimmers and edgers. The ratio of oil to gas differs from engine to engine. Be sure to follow the instructions in your owner's manual.

Safety Glasses Safety glasses are important to wear, especially when using a string trimmer. Trimmers tend to throw bits of plants and small rocks into the air. Without protection, you can easily be hit in the eye by the flying debris.

Ear Muffs Along with safety glasses, you should wear ear muffs to protect your hearing while using a trimmer or an edger.

Electric and cordless string trimmers start at about $40-$55. Gas-powered trimmers are more expensive, starting at $90 and going up to around $300. If you want a wheeled trimmer, expect to pay from $170-$300.

Edgers are even more expensive, starting at $170 and going all the way up to $1250. An inexpensive alternate to buying an edger is to get an edger attachment for your trimmer. These run from $50-$100, depending on the manufacturer. Other attachments, such as the blower or brushcutter, run in the same general price range.

Black & Decker
Craftsman
Echo
Homelite Consumer Products
Little Wonder
Makita
Poulan
Toro
Weedeater