I Need Advice on Buying a Strimmer

I would strongly recommend hiring one before you buy.

When you try it out, be sure to wear goggles, strong footwear and have a light scarf/bandanna wrapped round your neck to prevent "strimmer stripe" , a distinctive neck rash caused by high speed grass sap.

Thanks, Butterand Jam. I will do so.

Actually its not for me to use , its for my son . However he tells me now he owns a big petrol strimmer and will bring it over at the end of the summer.

You may need to start it off with a scythe 🤷.

To cut very long grass or weeds I cheat and use my cordless hedge trimmer with angled head, upside down. My cordless strimmer is not up to the job

Shysal that’s a great idea I have one of those I might give that a try. My strimmer drives me mad as it has plastic blades that ping off if you happen to touch the wall or flag stones.
Don’t buy a strimmer with plastic blades.

shysal

To cut very long grass or weeds I cheat and use my cordless hedge trimmer with angled head, upside down. My cordless strimmer is not up to the job

Shysal, I will (diplomatically)tell my son what you say .
Thanks.

I Googled images of strimmers but am none the wiser about the difference between a cordless strimmer and other sorts of strimmer. My son tells me has has "a big petrol strimmer" but I don't know if that means it must be a corded strimmer.

I take 'cordless' as meaning instead of having a lead and plugging it in, it's battery operated with a rechargeable battery. I have a Greenworks one and it's so much easier not having to get the extension lead out. The interchangeable battery also operates my lawn mower and leaf blower - very handy 🙂.

TheSunRisesInTheEast

I take 'cordless' as meaning instead of having a lead and plugging it in, it's battery operated with a rechargeable battery. I have a Greenworks one and it's so much easier not having to get the extension lead out. The interchangeable battery also operates my lawn mower and leaf blower - very handy 🙂.

That is what I initially thought 'cordless' meant, but now I think it refers to the machine's operating system.

I would strongly advise that if you have to use a strimmer then please check around the garden (particularly under hedges because of hedgehogs. The injuries caused by strimmers can be particularly nasty! Personally I would never use one.

I petrol strimmer is what most professional gardeners use and is usually the most powerful and efficient. I am sure it will do the job for you.
In this context cordless means battery powered, meaning no power lead. A petrol one is self contained with its own motor and petrol tank.

Ilovedogs22

I would strongly advise that if you have to use a strimmer then please check around the garden (particularly under hedges because of hedgehogs. The injuries caused by strimmers can be particularly nasty! Personally I would never use one.

What good advice! Now, I will have to think again. Besides hedgehogs there are also frogs and mice that may be in the long grass.

Also wear long trousers! Totally agree about checking for animals….nothing more mortifying than really injuring an animal.

Eww, that's made my toes curl under 😱🫣.

Since the advice from I love Dogs I have radically changed my plans for garden care to include no strimmer use at all.

I will not cut until late June by which time the early pollinators will have had the food from grasses, dandelions etc. Then do the first, high, cut by lawnmower, cutting carefully outwards from paths.

I hope to be able to persuade my son who does the actual work that this compromise is do-able.

We’ve had several strimmer and I have yet to find one with a line feed that works efficiently - always end up having to pull out enough line out of the cassette to do the job and it takes forever. I end up going back to my long handled grass shears.

Hello Caleo, we have a large garden and have always used petrol equipment including a large strimmer. However I have been really struggling with the weight of it but also starting it. Last year we bought a KRESS battery strimmer & it is fantastic. Includes 4 batteries so can have 2 charging while using. Not overly heavy and is a push button start. I cant recommend them enough. I am looking at changing other garden tools to battery powered. Im enjoying doing the garden again now it's easier.
Happy gardening.

tanith I was going to say that the strimmer I have with plastic blades is better than the type with a cord for cutting the vegetation! You're right, the blades do ping off annoyingly but are at least easy to replace. I've spent hours trying to untangle a cutting cord only for it to tangle again almost immediately.

Methinks a new design is needed!

Our cordless strimmer is very powerful and is a Riobi.

We have battery powered mower and strimmer from Ryobi. Plus a hedge trimmer and pruner. Three batteries that work them all. The pruner is never used, it's quite good for cutting bigger branches but useless for actually pruning shrubs back.

Do check for wildlife before a strimming session - I once sliced a frog in half - I was mortified.

Check weight of strimmer before buying. Mine is now too heavy to use.