Choosing the best weed eater doesn’t have to be difficult – simply think about what purpose should the tool serve and take a look at our most recommended units currently for sale:
The best string trimmer in our opinion:
Our most recommended: Very popular and universal weed eater – easy to handle, lightweight and with solid power and battery time.
Best for the money: Our most recommended cordless weed eater for the money – quality unit, lightweight and also with solid battery working time.
* including battery and charger
Corded: The best electric trimmer in our opinion – lightweight tool with solid power and many useful adjustments for a good price.
* please note that the reviews on Amazon are mixed from several different tools
If you need a high quality tool for your normal-sized garden or lawn, this section is for you. These models are lightweight and easy to use, designed mainly for clearing hard-to-reach places that are not accessible by a mower. Plus they’re also suitable for edging and have enough power even for some occasional tougher weeds.
Compared:
Model | Type | Price | Our rating | For | Tilting head | Weight | Cutting swath | Line | Battery time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black & Decker LST136W | Cordless | Check here | 6.8 lbs | 13″ | 0.065 single | 40/20 mins** | |||
Black+Decker LST300 | Cordless | $76.88* | 5.7 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 20-30 minutes** | |||
GreenWorks 21272 | Electric | $50.36 | 7 lbs | 15″ | 0.065 dual | – |
* including battery and charger
** according to users
Best weed wacker for heavy trimming:
If you are not as interested in cleanup and cosmetic alterations, but rather need a heavy-duty machine that will eat through tall dense grass, blackberry vines or tough weeds without any problems (or if you want to clear a larger property), take a look at these units:
Our most recommended: High quality and reliable gas weed wacker – powerful, not extra heavy, easy to handle and able to use Husqvarna extensions.
Cordless with great power: Designed as a lightweight, less noisy and maintenance-free alternative to gas trimmers. Solid battery time and fast recharge.
* including battery and charger
Compared to other models:
Model | Type | Price | Our rating | For | Tilting head | Weight | Cutting swath | Line | Battery time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Husqvarna 128LD | Gas | $239.00 | 11 lbs | 17″ | 0.095 dual | – | |||
Hitachi CG22EAP2SL | Gas | 11 lbs | 17″ | 0.095 dual | – | ||||
EGO Power+ Trimmer | Cordless | $269.00* | 9 lbs | 15″ | 0.095 dual | 20-50 mins** | |||
GreenWorks 21362 | Cordless | $248.00* | 13 lbs | 14″ | 0.08 dual | 30-60 mins** | |||
Dewalt DCST920P1 | Cordless | Check here | 8.5 lbs | 13″ | 0.08 dual | ca 45 mins** |
* including battery and charger
** according to users
Best weed trimmer for cleanup:
If your main concern isn’t some heavy trimming, but rather giving your garden a clean, manicured look, these models won’t disappoint you. They offer many useful adjustments like a tilting head or guide wheel so you can cut even the most inaccessible places.
Our most recommended – thanks to the dual wheels and tilting head. It’s also lightweight, with solid battery time and a great edger.
* including battery and charger
Compared to other models:
Model | Type | Price | Our rating | For | Tilting head | Weight | Cutting swath | Line | Battery time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WORX WG175 | Cordless | —* | 6.2 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 25-50 mins** | |||
WORX WG163 GT 3.0 | Cordless | $135.99* | 5.3 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 2x 20 mins** | |||
GreenWorks 21332 | Cordless | $144.22* | 7.5 lbs | 13″ | 0.065 single | 35-70 mins** | |||
Earthwise CST00012 | Cordless | * | 8.1 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 20-30 mins** | |||
GreenWorks 21272 | Electric | $50.36 | 7 lbs | 15″ | 0.065 dual | – |
* including battery and charger
** according to users
Best weed eater / edger combo:
Most of line trimmers can also be used as an edger – either by using a sophisticated adjustment or simply by turning the unit upside down. If you plan to do edging more often, we have selected the best lawn trimmers with an edger adjustment for you:
Lightweight, with solid power and battery time and also great for cleanup thanks to the dual wheels and tilting head.
* including battery and charger
Compared to other models:
Model | Type | Price | Our rating | For | Tilting head | Weight | Cutting swath | Line | Battery time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WORX WG175 | Cordless | —* | 6.2 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 25-50 mins** | |||
WORX WG163 GT 3.0 | Cordless | $135.99* | 5.3 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 2x 20 mins** | |||
Black & Decker LCC420 | Cordless | $176.95* | 6.3 lbs | 12″ | 0.065 single | 35-40 mins** | |||
Toro 51480 | Electric | $64.99 | 7.5 lbs | 14″ | 0.065 dual | – | |||
GreenWorks 21272 | Electric | $50.36 | 7 lbs | 15″ | 0.065 dual | – |
* including battery and charger
** according to users
How to choose a weed eater?
Generally speaking, weed whackers are used for two main tasks:
- Cleanup after mowing – around paths, fence lines or in tight spots where the lawn mower isn’t practical. Most of the time you don’t need much power for these jobs, but mobility and ease of use is the key – that’s why cordless or electric grass trimmers are the best choice. Furthermore, they are often equipped with an edger adjustment.
- Cutting grass in rough areas – where the mower cannot be used at all (steep slopes, rugged terrain or high overgrown grass for example). Getting enough power is much more important here, so we are talking mainly about gas powered machines and sometimes even brush cutters (where the string is replaced by metal blade).
So we advise you to start this way – think about the most common tasks you plan using your cutter on and decide which type will the best option for you:
Some more things to consider:
Size of your property and obstacles on the way
- On a smaller garden, you can get by with a cheaper electric tool, but as the size of your lawn (and distance to power outlet) increases, you would appreciate the mobility of battery or gas trimmers.
- Also, a cordless one would be better than electric if there are many obstacles on your garden (trees, poles, furniture etc.) – you don’t want to deal with a tangled cord every few minutes 🙂
- Think about how much time would the landscaping take – cordless weed wackers are limited by the battery work time (usually 20-40 minutes) and spare batteries are fairly expensive. So for a large yard, a gas machine is ideal.
Prefer a certain brand?
If you already own some products of a particular manufacturer’s cordless lineup or just have a favorite brand, we have specific sections for you 😉
Need edger?
If you need to give your walkways a clean look and don’t want to buy a separate tool, getting a weed eater with edger adjustment is the way to go!