Buying a strimmer (or string trimmer, weed eater, whipper-snipper, depending on where you grew up) looks simple until you stand in front of 40 models at a garden centre and discover the cheap one is £35/$45 and the expensive one is £420/$500 and the staff cannot explain the difference. The price gap reflects real differences in power source, motor design, line thickness and feed system, all of which determine whether the tool lasts three seasons or fifteen. This article works through each decision in the order you should make it, with specific models and current retail prices at each price point, so you walk out with a strimmer that fits your garden and survives well beyond its warranty.
Power source: choose this first
The first decision is mains-corded, battery, or petrol. Each has a clear use case and they are not interchangeable.
Corded electric is the right choice for gardens under 200m² with an outdoor socket within 25m (80 feet) of the work area. Reliable, light (typically 2 to 3kg or 4 to 7lbs), and quiet. The Bosch EasyGrassCut 26 (280W, around £39/$48 at B&Q or Amazon) handles a typical residential lawn and edge with a 26cm cutting width. The Greenworks 21142 (18-inch corded, around £55/$70) is the larger option for half-acre lots if you have a long extension cord and do not mind dragging it.
Battery is the dominant residential choice in 2026 because brushless motors and lithium-ion batteries have closed the power gap with petrol while removing the noise, fuel mixing and pull-cord starting. Gardens up to 1,000m² (a quarter acre) are well served by an 18V or 40V tool. The Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-230 (around £90/$120 with battery and charger) is the lightweight choice for tidying edges and trimming alongside walls; it is not a brush cutter, so expect to retreat from anything thicker than ankle-high grass. The EGO Power+ ST1521S (around £230/$280) and the Ryobi RY40290 (around £220/$270) sit at the top end and approach petrol-level performance with 56V and 40V battery platforms respectively.
Petrol is now a specialist choice. It still wins on raw cutting power and unlimited runtime, which means it is the right pick for properties over half an acre, orchards, smallholdings and contractor work. The Stihl FS 56 RC-E (around £320/$380) is a workhorse with a 27.2cc 2-mix engine and the EasyStart system that takes most of the pain out of the pull cord. Downside: it weighs 4.9kg (10.8lbs), needs 2-stroke fuel mixing or pre-mixed Aspen, and is noisy enough that you will need ear protection. For most gardens, battery is now the better answer.
Brushed vs brushless motors
If you go battery, the next decision is motor type. A brushed motor uses carbon brushes that physically contact a rotating commutator to deliver current to the windings. They wear out, generate heat, and lose efficiency as the brushes degrade. A brushless motor uses electronic commutation, has no rubbing parts, runs cooler and lasts roughly three to five times longer. Brushless tools also draw less battery per minute of operation, so the same battery delivers 20 to 30 percent more runtime.
The cost difference is around £30 to £50/$40 to $65 at retail, and it pays back the first time you do not have to replace the motor. Any tool you plan to use weekly for more than a season should be brushless. The Stihl FSA 80 R (around £260/$320 bare tool, AP battery sold separately) is brushless and consistently tops independent reviews from BBC Gardeners’ World and Pro Tool Reviews. The EGO ST1523S is also brushless and has a carbon-fibre shaft that drops total weight to 3.2kg (7lbs).
Line thickness and feed system
The cutting line is plastic monofilament rated by diameter. Thicker line cuts heavier vegetation but draws more power and is incompatible with smaller spools.
- 1.3 to 1.6mm: light-duty, residential lawn edging. Use on small 18V and corded tools.
- 2.0 to 2.4mm: standard residential to medium-duty, the right choice for general lawn trimming, removing weeds along fences and tidying after a mow.
- 2.7 to 3.0mm: heavy-duty, used by 36V and petrol tools tackling brambles, nettles and overgrown ground.
- 3.3mm and above: brush cutter territory rather than grass trimmer; use a metal blade attachment instead.
Match the line to the tool. A bump-feed head that is designed for 2.4mm line will not feed 1.6mm correctly because the spool and exit eyelets are sized differently. Try to force the wrong line through the head and you end up with constant jams. Oregon and Stihl both publish compatibility charts for their replacement spools, available at Screwfix, Home Depot and Amazon.
The feed mechanism is the other half of the equation. There are three types: bump feed (you tap the head on the ground to release more line), auto feed (an internal mechanism extends line as it wears) and fixed line (you stop the tool and pull out new line manually). Auto feed sounds appealing but in practice tends to over-feed and waste line, costing more in spool refills over a season. Most reviewers including the team at Trusted Reviews and BBC Gardeners’ World now prefer bump feed for control and economy. A 30m refill spool of Oregon Magnum Gatorline 2.4mm costs around £14/$18 and lasts a typical garden a full season.
Shaft type, weight and balance
A split-shaft tool lets you swap attachments (brush cutter, hedge trimmer, pole saw) on the same powerhead, which is useful if you plan to grow into the system. A solid shaft is lighter and stiffer but locks you into one function. For most domestic users, a solid shaft is the better buy because the attachment swaps on multi-tools rarely justify their cost over time.
A straight shaft is mechanically more efficient than a curved shaft (less torque is lost through the drive cable) and lets you reach under hedges and shrubs without bending. Curved shafts feel more natural to hold and are slightly lighter, which suits shorter users and tight spaces. If you have any choice, straight shaft is the durable answer because the drive shaft is solid rather than a flexible cable that wears.
Total weight including battery should be under 4.5kg (10lbs) for comfortable one-hour use, and balance is more important than absolute weight. A well-balanced 4kg tool feels lighter than a poorly-balanced 3.5kg tool. Hold it in the shop before buying.
The features that look impressive and the ones that matter
Adjustable handles, variable speed triggers, edge wheels and shoulder harnesses are useful in different situations. Auto-feed line, gimmicky LED lights and brand-specific quick-charge claims often are not. The features worth paying for:
- Variable speed trigger: lets you run at low speed for light edging (which saves battery) and high speed for tougher growth. Almost every brushless model now has this.
- Adjustable telescoping shaft: matches the tool to your height and reduces back strain. Especially useful if more than one person uses the same tool.
- Pivoting head: the cutting head tilts 90 degrees to convert from grass trimmer to lawn edger, which removes the need for a second tool.
- Shoulder harness: essential for any session over 30 minutes with petrol or heavy battery tools. Cheap aftermarket harnesses cost £12/$15.
The five buys at five price points
For a clean buying decision, here are the picks at five price points based on independent reviews and current retail:
- Under £50/$60: Bosch EasyGrassCut 26 (corded 280W). Light, reliable, perfect for a small lawn.
- £80 to £120/$100 to $150: Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-230 with battery and charger. The point at which you stop dragging an extension cord.
- £200 to £260/$250 to $320: Stihl FSA 60 R or EGO ST1521S. Brushless, full-size, professional finish.
- £260 to £320/$320 to $400: Stihl FSA 80 R or Ryobi RY40290 (with 5Ah battery). Closest battery tools come to petrol performance.
- £320 and up/$400 and up: Stihl FS 56 RC-E petrol. Only if you have a large rural property or run a small landscaping business.
The most expensive mistake people make is buying twice. A £35/$45 cheap strimmer with a brushed motor and 1.3mm line will fail within two seasons of regular use, by which point you have spent more replacing it than the right tool would have cost on day one. A £220/$270 brushless battery strimmer with a 2.4mm bump feed head, a straight shaft and a pivoting edger function will still be running smoothly in 10 years. Match the tool to the garden, buy brushless if it is battery, pick a line thickness that fits the work, and you will not have to think about this purchase again until well into the 2030s.
