Grass Trimmer UK Full UK Buying Guide
In this article we review the best grass trimmers in the UK market. Most people have always had a love/hate relationship with grass trimmers or grass strimmers, as they are often called.
Yes, we typically need these for our gardens, and yes they are handy and quick. However finding one that works without having to constantly fiddle with it, has been a chore for many buyers. Line breaking is without doubt the biggest problem when using these. The design of this element has always been a problem.
People buy grass trimmers for one of two reasons.
- They use them either to keep the edges of a lawn looking neat and tidy
- They use them to reach parts of the garden, where a lawnmower simply can not get to, for general grass cutting or for getting rid of weeds and long grass.
That makes them a very useful tool to have for your garden. A good lawnmower can take care of most of the grass cutting, but the edges normally need to be tidied up. There are also parts of the garden, such as along the side of a wall, up against pavers, in and around trees and shrubs, where it is hard to get a lawnmower to do that work.
That is where a strimmer can be very useful. Strimmers are also useful in any garden where the grass has got completely out of hand. A lawnmower will really struggle with long wispy grass, and it could even cause the mower some pretty serious damage.
A good strimmer will get through this, but you will need to get the rake out after that. In this article we explain what types of grass strimmers are available on the UK market. We will also explain why these different types will suit different people.
This is a long and detailed review. We know that many of our readers are busy and just want a fast answer. The best electric corded grass strimmer is the Flymo 9669523-01 Contour XT Electric Grass Trimmer available at Amazon UK, and the best cordless grass strimmer is the BLACK+DECKER 18V Cordless 28 cm String Grass Trimmer.
- enda mclarnon
In most cases, home owners will either buy an electric strimmer or a cordless strimmer. Cordless strimmers are now the most popular simply because you don't have to worry about a trailing lead, or having to get an extension cord out to do your strimming.
Top 5 Electric Strimmers UK
Below we have listed the top 5 electric corded strimmers. This information is based on my summary of all the buyer reviews, that have been left on different websites. These reviews have been left by real life buyers.
They have bought the product, used it a few times and then taken the time to leave a review. Those are certainly worth looking at, before making any final buying decision.
Their ratings are based on a percentage mark out of 100%. We have summarised each product below, and also included a link to my more detailed review. If you click on any of the product names below, you can go straight to the main and more detailed review.
Strimmer Name | Power | Cutting Swathe |
|---|---|---|
280 watts | 23 cm | |
480 watts | 30 cm | |
300 watts | 25 cm | |
900 watts | 35 cm | |
700 watts | 33 cm |
Best Seller UK - Bosch 06008C1H70 Grass Trimmer EasyGrassCut 23
Average Price = £36-40
This model is one of the best selling models on the UK market and it is affordable and gets solid ratings.
It is small and lightweight and that will suit many people. It is also a good choice for people who only have small areas where a strimmer needs to be used.
This one has a lightweight 280 W motor and uses a semi-automatic line feed(the line feed is activated when the trigger is released)
It has a cutting diameter of 23 cm (about 9 inches)
Our Advice: This is a small strimmer, weighing just under 2 Kg, that is quick to assemble and very easy to use. The line on this is made of plastic and is very thin at only 1.6mm. That is fine for light grass but not for anything heavier than that.
It is one of the cheapest on the UK market, but just be aware that is has its limitations in terms of cutting. The cutting swathe is small at 23 cms and the line will break easily on tough weeds or heavy grass. To be able to cut through the heavy stuff you need a bigger motor and a heavier line.
The advantages of this strimmer are the price, the quick assembly, the semi-automatic feed and it does come with a Bosch 3-year warranty. For light strimming or doing the edges of your lawn this will do a good job.
Flymo 9669523-01 Contour XT Electric Grass Trimmer - Best for Light Strimming
Average Price = £50-£55
This model is suitable for trimming and lawn edges
Has a double auto feed system
Cable length: 10 m
It has a 300 watt motor and a cutting width of 25 cm
This one is really light to handle and suitable for most strimming tasks but is not suitable for heavier strimming
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 11,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: Most people will recognise the brand and at around £45 it is also good enough value for money. The advantages of this strimmer are that it has been designed for small to medium sized gardens. The 300 watt motor is the average size for a strimmer and likewise the cutting width of 25cm
You can use this for light strimming and also for doing the edges of your lawn. The line is thin at 1.5mm and the automatic double line feed is very convenient. It is also light as it weighs only 2.8kg.
Most buyers really like this, but the disadvantages of this model is that with a thin line, it will break on any type of thick heavy grass or weeds. It works well on lighter or less dense grass and also good at the edges of your lawn.
Bosch ART 30 Electric Grass Trimmer - Best All Rounder
Average Price = £60-65
This model is one of the best selling models on the UK market at this moment in time.
It is affordable and gets solid ratings.
This one has a 480 watt motor and uses an automatic twin line feed
It has a height adjustment between 80 - 115 cm
It has a cutting diameter of 30 cm (about a foot)
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 2,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: This is a good all round strimmer with a good size cutting swathe of 30 cm. It has a strong 480 watt motor which is plenty of power for strimming. It is easy to switch between trimming and edging functions with just one click of a button.
The advantages of this strimmer are that has an adjustable telescopic handle, along with an auxiliary handle all designed to making this strimmer easier to use. It does come with a Bosch 3-year warranty. It is ideal for light to medium strimming or doing the edges of your lawn, and on medium to larger gardens, this will do a good job.
Black + Decker GL9035GB Electric Strimmer - Best Heavy Duty Strimmer
Average Price = £75-£80
It does have solid buyer satisfaction ratings, so buyers think it is certainly worth the money.
This is a strimmer best suited to the tough jobs, and it is very robustly made to last for many years.
It also is excellent at getting the edges done, as it has a guiding wheel to assist with that.
It has one of the biggest motor sizes at 900 watts and a very good cutting swathe of 35 cm, again one of the biggest on the UK market.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 5,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: Most people will recognise the B&D brand and at around this price, it is one of the more expensive options. That said, with a cutting width of 35 cm and a 900 W power rating the strimmer is exceptionally effective to make light work of gardening tasks.
What buyers really like about this strimmer is it has a standard nylon spool that can easily cope with thick grass, dock plants and thistles. It also has a heavy duty attachment to deal with tougher woody stem plants.
Black + Decker GL7033GB Electric Strimmer - Best for Doing Edges of Your Lawn
Average Price = £65-95
Thanks to the high torque on this strimmer, it is particularly good at getting through tougher and thicker grass or scrub.
This strimmer uses a very powerful 700 watt motor and has a cutting swathe of 33 cm, so ideal for medium to larger gardens.
The wheel base makes it excellent at getting the edges done.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 5,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: Most people will recognise the B&D brand and at around this price, it is one of the more expensive options. That said, with a cutting width of 33 cm and a 700 W power rating the strimmer is very good
What buyers really like about this strimmer is the automatic line feed, high-speed action, the generous 33 cm cutting swathe and the long cable reach that allow you to get the job done faster. They also liked the wheel edge guide that ensures neater lawn edges every time.
Top 5 Cordless Strimmers UK
Below we have listed the top 5 cordless strimmers. This information is based on my summary of all the buyer reviews, that have been left on different websites. These reviews have been left by real life buyers.
They have bought the product, used it a few times and then taken the time to leave a review. Those are certainly worth looking at, before making any final buying decision.
Their ratings are based on a percentage mark out of 100%. We have summarised each product below, and also included a link to my more detailed review. If you click on any of the product names below, you can go straight to the main and more detailed review.
Strimmer Name | Power | Cutting Swathe |
|---|---|---|
18 Volts | 28 cm | |
18 Volts | 26 cm | |
18 Volts | 25-30 cm | |
18/20 Volts | 25 cm | |
BLACK+DECKER 36 V Lithium-Ion Strimmer with 2.0 Ah Battery | 36 Volts | 30 cm |
BLACK+DECKER 18V Cordless 28 cm String Grass Trimmer - Best All Round Cordless Strimmer
Average Price = £95-150
This is powered by an 18 Volt battery with a charging time of 2 hours but lasts for about 20 minutes of strimming
It is also powered by a high torque gear system that can power through even the toughest overgrown areas quickly without clogging
This strimmer has a 28 cm cutting swath for fast job completion over large areas
It has an automatic single line feed system, that helps save your time and effort
It comes with a battery and a charger.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 5,500+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: Most people will recognise the B&D brand and at around this price, you get the strimmer a battery and charger so that does represent very good value for money.
The charge time is slow but with one charge you can cut up to 2500 linear metres, so you can complete most garden tasks without having to stop to recharge. Buyers did like that this strimmer is very light. It is very convenient to be able to grab a strimmer like this, do a quick strim and then put it back in the shed. There is no need to worry about leads, extension leads etc.
Makita DUR181Z 18V Body Only Cordless Li-ion Line Trimmer - Most Reliable Cordless Strimmer
Average Price = £85-100
If you can afford this Makita model, then just go ahead and buy it, as we think it is the best cordless strimmer on the market.
Please be aware though that this strimmer is sold as a tool only option. That means you will also need to own a compatible Makita 18V Li-ion LXT slide type battery and a charger and that will push the price up a lot.
A Makita battery and charge cost around £100-110, so that would push the overall price up to almost £200.
If you already own a Makita battery, then this is the perfect choice for you. If not you will have to buy the battery and charger. The only benefit of doing that is that it will allow you to buy any cordless Makita tool as a tool only option, which will save you money in the long term.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 12,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: This is by quite a distance the best selling cordless strimmer in the UK, but it is an expensive option. That said buyers absolutely love it, and it gets fantastic buyer ratings.
It comes with a built in lock off lever, adjustable cutting head, loop handle and 5 position pivoting head to enable the user to adjust the cutting angle, allowing for trimming in confined spaces. It has an easy to change spool assembly with a simple bump and feed single line cutting mechanism.
Nylon cords are automatically fed out by tapping the cutting head onto the ground. The 180 degree turning head allows the trimmer to convert to an edger with a 260mm cutting swathe. It also has a telescopic swathe.
Ryobi OLT1832 18V ONE+ Cordless Grass Trimmer - Best Lightweight Cordless Strimmer
Average Price = £75 This strimmer is part of the popular Ryobi One+ system
It is very important to note that this is a tool only. In other words you either need to already own a Ryobi One+ battery and charger, or you will have to buy one of each.
If you don't own that it will make it an expensive purchase for a first time buyer. The compatible battery and charger are the RB18L40 battery (around £70) that will give up to 35 minutes working time and a RC18120 charger.(around £30)
So the total cost would be around £165 for the strimmer. However, that also means you can buy any other Ryobi tool as a tool only and save money in the long term.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 5,500+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: There are a lot of buyers for this particular cordless strimmer. If you already own any tools in the Ryobi One+ range, then buying this one makes perfectly good sense.
Buyers liked the adjustable cutting width of 25 or 30cm as it makes this strimmer more versatile. They also liked the "EasyEdge feature" for quick transitions between edging and trimming modes. Many buyers said they liked the telescopic adjustable handle as it provided comfort for any user height.
Finally they also commented on the 3-position head as it gave them better strimming options.
Terratek Cordless Strimmer - Best Value Cordless Strimmer
Average Price = £85 This strimmer comes with two batteries and charger and some extra blades making this a really good value for money cordless strimmer.
In terms of buyer feedback, this is not as good as the first two, as it doesn't strim as well as those. That said, if you only ever need to do some light strimming, then this will certainly do the task, and is a very good value for money bundle.
It only weighs 2 Kg so easy to move around and a battery takes 3-5 hours to charge but will last for around 40 minutes. You can also have the spare battery charging.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 6,000+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: This sells consistently and can be a really useful strimmer to have in your shed or garage. The two batteries really does make a BIG difference. It quickly converts from a strimmer to an edger and it has a nice cutting swathe of 25 cm.
You can adjust the height from 95cm to 115cm which is ideal for the taller gardener. Many buyers really like that they no longer have to mess around with complicated and fiddly wire spools. With this model you simply snap the replacement nylon blades into place and get cutting again.
Terratek also offer a 2-year warranty.
Bosch Home and Garden Cordless Grass Trimmer AdvancedGrassCut 36V - Best Heavy Duty Cordless Strimmer
Average Price = £180-220
This is a cordless grass trimmer powered with 36 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion battery
It can cut up to 3750 linear meters on one charge
It also has a high-torque gear system which can power through the toughest overgrown areas quickly and without clogging
It has a 30 cm cutting swathe - ideal for larger gardens
The power select option lets you choose maximum run-time (ECO mode) to save the battery energy or power (TURBO mode) when cutting thicker grass.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 100+ online buyer reviews
Our Advice: This is not cheap but does come with a battery and charger so you are good to go from the start. It weighs 3.5 Kg and is one of the most powerful cordless strimmers on the UK marketplace. It has a telescopic handle so as you can adjust the length and easily converts from a strimmer to a lawn edger.
Strimmer Buying Guide
We have included below a general buying guide for strimmers for people living in the UK. This is a short and helpful guide that will cover off the main buying features to look out for. If you would like to read something more detailed, then we have done a full buyer's guide for trimmers which you can read by clicking here.
Which Type of Strimmer Should You Buy?
These are called by different names such as trimmers, lawn edgers, weed whackers but they are better known in the UK as strimmers. There are essentially five different types of these available:
Hand Clippers/Shears
These are handy for doing small hedges, shrubs and lawn edges and are for the most part operated by hand, though some electric options are available. They can cut grass but you would be better of with garden shears.
Electric Strimmers
These are the most popular choice for strimming for UK gardeners as they are affordable, and work really well. For a long time these were really the only choice available, so be default they became very popular.
Cordless Strimmers
These are now the most popular choice for many UK home owners. These make use of a rechargeable battery, so no trailing leads, and that means you can take them anywhere. They are more expensive than an electric one.
Petrol Strimmers
The petrol version is also lead free, and they are more powerful than the electric or battery versions shown above, and used a lot by contractors and gardening landscapers
Petrol Strimmers with Wheels
Petrol strimmers with wheels are used by landscape gardeners, or anyone who needs to do heavy duty strimming and the wheels make these easier to move around.
Motor Size
The stronger and more powerful the motor that you have on your strimmer the better. All the work goes on at the base of this garden tool.
The spinning head at the bottom is powered by a shaft, and that is in turn powered by the motor. The more power applied to that the better, as it does a quicker and more efficient job.
Aside from that, as the motor is not working so hard, the life of your trimmer will be much longer. The motors on grass strimmers vary quite a lot. At the smaller end these are around 280-300 watts of power. Those are powerful enough for small gardens or for doing edges.
They then go all the way up to around 900 watts. A popular choice is the mid-point of around 450-500 watts. Those are ideal for medium to larger gardens. They are also much more efficient at getting through the really tough stuff.
Cutting Swathe
That is basically the radius or diameter of the circular cut at the bottom of the strimmer. The larger that is, then the faster it will cut.
Typically this is around 25-30 cm. The bigger this is then the faster you will be able to get the job done. We would recommend going as big as you can, if you have a medium to large size garden to get done.
Understand Line Feeds
The simplest advice we can offer here is to go for an automatic line feed. That simply means that when you power the strimmer on, line is automatically fed out to the bottom of the strimmer. It keeps things very simple to use.
The alternative to that is what is known as a bump feed. You basically bump the base of the strimmer on the ground. This action then releases more line. It is better if you want to be economical with your strimmer line.
Personally though these can be highly temperamental. They seldom work for long, and you end up having to tug at the line to get it out. That can get frustrating.
Doing Lawn Edges
Many gardeners will only use a strimmer to make a nice neat edge on their lawn. Some gardeners use it for that, but also to do their main strimming jobs. Either way, having a wheel on the base, allows you to keep the weight of the strimmer on the wheel, and off your arms.
It also helps you to focus on keeping the edge straight, and not about the pain in your arms.
As you can see there are plenty of choices to make when it comes to buying a grass strimmer. Bosch and Black& Decker are the most popular brands and familiar to buyers in the UK. They both have good customer service and with them it is pretty easy to find spare parts, which is we think, really important.
