Key features to look for in a grass trimmer

If you've decided what type of grass trimmer you want - whether corded, cordless or petrol - but need advice on what features you need, our experts can help.

Rotating head

This feature is especially important as it flips the cutting mechanism, which mean you can change the angle of the cut. The head usually turns up to 90° and allows you to trim both horizontally and vertically, perfect for edging.

You might also find some premium models with wheels on the cutting head. This helps you guide the grass strimmer along edges while supporting the weight of the strimmer.

Telescopic shaft

This is useful if you're sharing the grass trimmer with other people in your household and it allows you to adjust the grass trimmer to your height so you're not stooping as you work.

It can also be very helpful if you struggle finding storage, as you can shorten it to save space after use.

Make more of your garden

Secondary handle

Secondary handle will help you balance and control the grass trimmer during use. On some models the handle can be slid up and down the shaft and adjusted to your height. 

There are two main handle types. Bike handles are wide handles that let you swing the grass trimmer in a wide arc that are great for cutting large areas for longer periods of time, while loop handles give you a choice of working positions depending on whether you're cutting side to side or around obstacles.

Plant guard

As you'd expect from its name, a plant guard is a useful feature to look out for as it pushes border plants out of the way and protects the bark on trees from being damaged. This allows for a close cut without having to sacrifice any of your plants.

Battery life indicator

This can usually be found on premium cordless models, but it's an incredibly valuable addition to your machine. You'll never be surprised by an empty battery, as the screen allows you to keep track of the battery at all times during use.

You can normally find the indicator on the handle, but at times the indicator will be located directly on the battery.

Discover our 

Recently tested grass trimmers

Flymo18V UltraTrim

This cordless grass trimmer is powered by one 18V Power4All battery that can be shared across all tools within the Power4All Alliance. It's on the lighter side and has a telescopic shaft as well as an LED display that indicates battery capacity.

Flymo18V EasiTrim 250

Like the Flymo18V UltraTrim, this one is powered by Power4All battery, which is swappable and compatible with the rest of the Power4All range. Handy features include an automatic line feed, a rotating head and an LED display that indicates battery capacity. Unfortunately the shaft and secondary handle are not adjustable.

 

Husqvarna 215iL

This cordless grass trimmer weighs 4kg and has a telescopic shaft that can extend between 130-175cm, so you can adjust it to suit your height. It has a cutting width of 32cm, and uses a double line that has a bump-feed mechanism. You can choose between Normal and Save mode, depending on conditions and the type of vegetation you’re dealing with.

Mac AllisterMGT1827

The Mac Allister MGT1827 is a cordless grass strimmer that uses an auto-line mechanism with a single line. It has an adjustable shaft that can be extended between 100-130cm, and rotated to change the angle of the cutting head – which is equipped with a guide wheel – for jobs such as cutting the vertical edges of lawns and under low obstacles. You can adjust it by pressing a button on the head to rotate. The second handle is also adjustable.

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/key-features-to-look-for-in-a-grass-trimmer-aTG3Y0Y85d6b