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- With a great string trimmer, you can cut crisp lines near fences and trees, edge beds, and obliterate weeds.
- The DeWalt 20V Max Lithium Ion XR String Trimmer is our top pick because it's as powerful as many gas-powered weed and yard trimmers but it's also lightweight, thanks to its battery.
If you take a quick look into my backyard, you'll see a generally well-maintained property with healthy grass, flowers blooming in the spring, tomatoes and cucumbers aplenty in the summer, and a few ugly black scuff marks marring the bottom of one panel of our otherwise lovely white fence. Those marks were caused by yours truly when I pushed the lawnmower too close to the fence in an attempt to save time while mowing last July. What should I have done instead? Yeah, you guessed it: Used a trimmer. The great irony here? At the time I did not own just one lawn and weed trimmer ... I had two.
Over the years, I've used more than a half dozen different brands of string trimmers, and I'm known as a pretty good edger in some parts. A bit of haste last summer notwithstanding, I know the primary value of a trimmer is the precision it offers. With a reliable weed- and lawn-trimming tool in your hands, you can make short work of all sorts of weeds and can even eradicate brambles, thorns, ivy, and other tougher types of flora.
You can also use your trimmer to mow swaths of lawn with ease, cutting near fences, around tree trunks and bushes, and even near flowers and edible plants, removing only the grass you want without damaging any other plant life or property around your yard. As for those crisp edges you'll create along the sidewalk, driveway, patio, and beds, why, they'll be the talk of the block. With some practice, anyway - initially, you'll probably cut some pretty funny looking lines. I know I did.
Whether you are already an old hand with a trimmer and are looking for an even more powerful tool or you are shopping for your first ever weed and lawn trimming device, we've got you covered. We've included different string trimmers that run on plug-in power, batteries, or gasoline, so you can choose which is best for your needs. One final bit of advice before you buy one of our picks: always wear safety glasses or some kind of protective eyewear when you use your string trimmer.
Here are the best string trimmer and weed wackers you can buy:
- Best string trimmer overall: DeWalt 20V Max Lithium Ion XR String Trimmer
- Best low-cost string trimmer: Black & Decker 2-N-1 Electric String Trimmer
- Best gas-powered string trimmer: Ryobi 2-Cycle Gas Straight Shaft String Trimmer
- Best battery-powered string trimmer: Greenworks 80V 16-Inch String Trimmer
- Best commercial-grade string trimmer: Husqvarna 17-Inch Straight Shaft String Trimmer
Updated on 04/25/2019 by Les Shu: Updated pricing, links, and formatting. Added related buying guides for gardening products.
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