8 Best Weed Trimmers for Cutting Down Thick Brush and Grasses

Sharing is caring!

Weed trimmers also known as string trimmers or weed wackers are one of the most important tools for cutting grasses and thick brush.

Whether you have a lawn mower or not, there are certain types and sizes of grasses and weeds you can only cut with a trimmer

For instance, if your lawn is overgrown, it’s not advisable to use a mower to cut it, because the tall grasses will tangle will the mower blades and you’ll not get a clean cut which will do more harm than good to the lawn.

Instead, the first thing you want to do is cut the grasses down to a considerable level with a string trimmer. Only then can you use a mower to level it.

String trimmers are also ideal for cutting around obstacles like trees, flowers and other plants without harming them. They’re more maneuverable than mowers.

You can even use it to edge your lawn close to the pavement or sidewalk where your mower blades cannot get to. That’s why it’s very important for both gardening and landscaping projects.

Choosing the right weed trimmer can be quite tricky especially if you haven’t used one before. That’s why we took the time to put this article together, providing you not only a guide, but a thoroughly vetted list of the best weed trimmers out there.

But first, here are our top picks:

Our Top Picks

BEST FOR COMMERCIAL USE: Husqvarna 130L

BEST WITH ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENT: Echo PAS-225VP

BEST FOR RESIDENTIAL/PERSONAL USE: Dewalt DCST972X1

RUNNER-UP BATTERY-POWERED: Greenworks GST80321

MOST LIGHTWEIGHT NO-HASSLE UNIT: Makita XRU23SM1

Comparison Table

The Best Weed Trimmers

We’ve done the testing and research, considering factors such as shaft design, power source, engine type, handle design and even the trimmer head design, so that we can help you choose the best weed trimmer for your project.

Here we’ve listed 8 of the best ones we found.

Husqvarna 970514405 130L Gas Weed Trimmer

The Husqvarna 130L is one of the best trimmer I’d recommend for you if you’re looking to get a gas-powered weed trimmer.

I like it because it’s not too expensive. It’s moderately priced, and it gets the job done. It’s got a 2 cycle 28 cc engine that spins the trimmer head at a maximum speed of 8000 RPM. That will cut through any type of grass or brush you put it against.

It’s got a wide cutting width of 18 inches, so you can cover a wide area in just one pass.
Starting it up is easy and straight forward. You don’t have to pull the start cord several times. The engine even have an air purge feature to help you purge air from the carburetor if the engine is not starting up.

Additionally, the stop switch also reverts the engine to the start position, which makes it easier for you to start it up when next you want to use it.

The Husqvarna 130L is a straight shaft weed whacker, which is the most common shaft design, and the one I personally prefer. It’s easier to handle and maneuver.

The trimmer head is also very easy to reload. Simply align the new string, push it in, and twist to lock it in.

Overall, I’d say say this Husqvarna 130L has got everything you can ever need in a gas powered trimmer. It starts up easily, the trimmer head is easy to reload, it’s got a wide cutting width, and it’s very easy to handle and maneuver during use.

Related: 8 Best Dethatchers and Scarifiers for Your Lawn

Echo PAS-225VP Weed Trimmer and Edger Kit

The Echo PAS-225VP is one of the most versatile weed trimmers you can get today. It’s not just a trimmer, it’s also an edger. You get both a trimmer and an edger attachment when you get one of these, and you can interchange them whenever you want.

It’s got the power, it’s well designed, and it’s got everything you need to take care of any type of grasses in your yard.

The Echo PAS-225VP comes equipped with 2 stroke 21.2 cc engine that produces a maximum cutting speed of 8000 RPM, allowing you to cut through grasses and brushes with ease.

It uses the Echo speed feed 400 trimmer head which is very easy to reload, and arguably one of the best trimmer heads you can use right now.

The engine features the i-30 starting system which makes it easy to start up when you want to use it. The trimmer shaft is a straight shaft, but the edger shaft is curved.

The shaft also telescopes. That means you can adjust it according to your height or what you’re comfortable with.

All in all, I really like this Echo PAS-225VP. It’s powerful and it starts up really easy.

Related: This Yard Tool Auxiliary Handle Attachment Will Save Your Back

Dewalt DCST972X1 40V Cordless Weed Trimmer

If you want the hassle free operation of a cordless trimmer, one of the best I’d recommend is the Dewalt DCST972X1.

It’s a 60V straight shaft trimmer with a maximum cutting width of 17 inches, which is very wide for a battery-operated unit.

I really like this unit because it’s got a solid long lasting battery to back it up. You can run this thing for hours and it will keep going.

Also, this is not just a trimmer. You can use it to run other attachments like edgers and even hedge trimmers, and it will work flawlessly. You get a very versatile equipment you can use for a whole lot of projects in your yard.

Another big upside of the Dewalt DCST972X1 is that it’s one of the only battery-operated weed trimmers that can rival a gas-powered unit in terms of power. Yes it’s a battery-powered unit but it doesn’t feel like it. It works just like a gas model, and you can actually go head-to-head with a gas powered unit using this trimmer.

It’s got the runtime, and it’s got the power. So, if you’re holding off buying a battery-powered trimmer because you think it will not be as powerful as a gas powered unit, just think again.

Related: The Best Backpack Leaf Blowers for Yard Cleanup Projects

Greenworks GST80321 80V Cordless Weed Trimmer

This is another battery-operated weed trimmer I’d recommend in a heartbeat for anyone looking for a good trimmer for their yard. It’s the Greenworks GST80321.

I look for certain important features when going for a battery powered trimmer. I look at the battery. It has to have a good solid battery that can give you a very good run time. I also want it to be able to accept other attachments. If it can accept other attachments like edgers and hedgers, you can do a lot with it. The shaft design is also important. I like straight shaft units.

Lastly, it’s got to be powerful so it can cut through tough grasses easily. This unit meets all these requirements and more.

The greenworks GST80321 has all the features you need to really get down to trimming the grasses in your yard without any worry in the world.

It’s attachment compatible. That means if you have other Greenworks attachments like blowers, edgers and pole saw attachments, this will work with them.

So, overall, I really like this unit. It’s got a 16 inch cutting width; it’s got a big 80V 2Ah battery that gives you a very long run time, and the battery charges up very quickly.

EGO Power+ ST1623T Cordless Weed Trimmer

I’ve said it time and again, EGO Power+ is one of my favorite cordless tool brands, and I may have some bias towards them, but trust me when I say this particular unit I’m talking about here is worth looking at.

It’s the EGO Power+ ST1623T. I reviewed an earlier mode in the past, which is the EGO ST1521S which has a 15 inch cutting width. But this is a newer model which has an increased 16 inch cutting width.

One of the coolest thing about this unit is that it comes with 2 batteries. A 56V 4.0Ah lithium ion battery and an extra 56V 2.5Ah battery. So, always have a spare battery with additional runtime just in case the first 4.0Ah battery is not enough to get the job done.

It features a straight carbon fiber shaft which is very strong, and a wide head guide to keep dirt and grass clippings from flying towards the user.

The motor in the trimmer head is brushless, which means less energy wasted, longer run time and low vibrations.

This also has one of the easiest trimmer head reload system. There’s a little hole by the side where you push the line through, even it out making sure there’s equal lengths of the line at both ends, then you just push a button on the shaft close to the head, and the line will feed in automatically, which is pretty cool.

The shaft also telescopes. That means you can adjust it to whatever length or size you’re comfortable working with.

Related: Straight Blade vs Curved Blade Pruning Shear

Makita XRU23SM1 – Most Lightweight

If you want a very lightweight cordless trimmer that’s easy to carry around, produces no noise and requires the least maintenance possible, this Makita XRU23SM1 is the one I’d recommend.

Most of the cordless trimmers I’ve already talked about in this guide have better batteries and have larger cutting capacities than this one, but they’re heavier and a bit bulky.

This one is smaller, lighter and easier to maneuver. So, if you’re looking for something like this that will be easier on your hands, this Makita is the one to go for.

It’s got a small 13 inch cutting width, but it will get the job done too, especially if you’ve got a small yard to maintain.

It’s got an 18V brushless motor that turns the cutting head at a rate of 6000 RPM. This thing looks small, but it doesn’t lack power.

The battery is also very powerful. It’s an 18V 4.0 Ah lithium ion battery. A single charge will last you about an hour, which is all most people would ever need.

You can run it at a high or low speed, depending on what works for you. It comes with battery and charger.

Craftsman CMCST900D1 Cordless Weed Trimmer

Another really lightweight string trimmer you can go for is this Craftsman CMCST900D1. Trust me, holding this thing feels like you’re not even holding anything. It’s very lightweight. And it’s battery-powered. It’s a 20V cordless weedwacker weighing just 8.2 lbs.

The only downside I see is it’s small 13 inch cutting width, which might not be a downside for some people. It just works. You get a 20V 2.0 Ah battery and charger to go with it.

One more feature I really like about this Craftsman is its telescoping shaft. The shaft telescopes, so you can adjust it to whatever length you like. You’re not stuck with one single length.

Also you don’t bump the head to feed out more line. You simply push a button close to the handle, and the head will feed out more line automatically.

It’s also designed for edging. To edge, just turn the head sideways and just go to town with it. It works really well.

Overall, I really like this Craftsman CMCST900D1. It’s lightweight, it’s well-built, design is great and it’s very easy to maneuver.

Black+Decker LST140C

This 40V Black+Decker LST140C looks just like the Craftsman I talked about above. In fact, you don’t need anyone to tell you. It’s pretty obvious.

So, everything I like about the Craftsman above is still what I like about this Black+Decker.

However, this Black+Decker have some few advantages over the Craftsman above. The Black+Decker comes with a 40V 1.5 Ah battery which obviously holds more juice and provides more runtime than the 20V 2.0Ah battery that comes with the Craftsman. It’s also a bit more powerful.

The shaft telescopes and the line also feeds automatically without having the bump the head.

All in all, if you’re looking for a lightweight, easy to use cordless trimmer, this is one very good one to look at.

What to Consider When Choosing A Weed Trimmer

Here’s what we considered when choosing the trimmers in this list.

Power Source

Weed eaters or trimmers can be classified according to their source of power, whether it’s gas or electric. They’re also differentiated according to the type of shaft they come with and sometimes, the type of handle they have.

So, the different types include:

• Gas-powered
• Corded-electric
• Cordless or battery-powered

Gas Weed Trimmer

Gas weed trimmers have small gas engines that power them. They’re usually more powerful and ideal for heavy duty projects like cutting through thick brushes and grasses.

However, they require more maintenance because any fuel and oil-consuming engine needs to be serviced and maintained on a regular basis.

You also have to buy fuel regularly to power it.

Corded trimmer are also very powerful, but you need long cords to operate them. So, you’re limited by the length of extension cord you have. The cords can also get in your way, which is not really ideal.

But they don’t require much maintenance like the gas models. They’re also much cheaper than gas-powered and battery-powered units.

Cordless or Battery Powered Weed Trimmer

A cordless or battery powered trimmer is one of the best type you can go for. It does not require much maintenance like gas-powered unit and you’re not limited by an extension cord like corded units.

You just have to charge the battery, plug it into the tool and you can take it anywhere you want to work. They also don’t produce much noise like the gas-powered ones.

Shaft Design

The shaft of a trimmer is the long pole that supports all the components. There are 3 main types of shafts, which include:

• Straight shaft
• Curved shaft
• Telescoping shafts

Straight Shaft Weed Trimmer

Straight shaft trimmers are exactly what the name says they are. The shaft is straight with no bends. Straight shafts gives users a longer reach.

They are also more powerful because the straight shaft means a straight, direct drive transmission of power from the engine or motor to the line head.

This also results in less vibration because there’re less moving parts inside it.

A straight shaft trimmer is also very easy to get underneath obstacles, because the shaft is a straight one, so you can just get down and point the cutting head directly at whatever you want to cut.

Straight shaft trimmer also support more attachments. You can easily swap out the trimmer head and replace with an edger, brush cutter or hedger attachment.

However, they’re usually heavier, because the shaft is longer, and has heavier components in it. They’re also more expensive.

So, the advantages are:

• Longer reach
• More power
• Less vibration
• Better for getting underneath barriers like decks or lower tree branches
• Supports more attachments

Disadvantages

They’re heavier.

More expensive.

Curved Shaft

Curved shaft trimmers features a much shorter shaft curved close to the head. They’re usually smaller in size.

They’re also cheaper to purchase, because they’re small and mostly comes with smaller engines, so there’s not much that goes into them.

The main disadvantage of curved shaft string trimmers is that it’s more difficult to get them underneath obstacles or barriers because of the curved shaft close to the head.

For instance, you might try to reach some grasses under a deck but you can’t get to it because the curved shaft is taking too much space or too short or even at an awkward angle.

I personally, prefer straight shaft trimmers. That’s why all the units recommended in this article are all straight shaft.

So, here’re the advantages of a curved shaft. They’re:

• Smaller
• Lighter – Less weight
• Cheaper

Disadvantages

• Can’t get underneath barriers

Telescoping Shafts

Telescoping shafts are really just straight shafts, but they’re not just stiff un-adjustable shafts. You can adjust the length to whatever length you’re most comfortable with.

Starting It Up

Starting up a gas-powered trimmer can sometimes be a hassle. If you want something you can startup pretty easily all the time, you have to consider battery-powered units.

You get them started easily by simply pressing a button or moving a switch.

Frequently Asked Questions About Weed Trimmers