We get a lot of grief for our bad weather. But the upside of so much rain is healthy gardens. Everyone knows grass grows faster when it rains. It’s because the rain is slightly acidic. So it activates natural nutrients in a way that sprinklers don’t. But there’s a downside.
This catalysed growth means more yard work! You’ll have to mow the lawn a lot more often, even for tiny backyards. But with so little room, you may not want the drama of a large lawnmower. So how can you identify the best petrol strimmer for your trims? Let’s find out!
Quick Pick: The Best Petrol Strimmer
The Best Petrol Strimmer on UK Market 2023
1. McCulloch Trimmac Trimmer
Two factors dictate the best petrol strimmer – height and weight. It needs to comfortable – even for the extra short or super tall. With an adjustable handle. McCulloch has you sorted on both fronts. The triangular handle is padded so it’s gentle in your palms, even with the ruddiest vibrations and the toughest grass. It has two levers so you can slide it up or down.
But while the foam tubing prevents hand injuries and muscle strain, this grass trimmer is quieter and milder than most of its rivals. That’s larger because of its anti-vibration system. This cuts down noise levels to a user-friendly 112dB. It’s a split-shaft device so the strimmer’s shank can be tweaked as well. It’s a bump strimmer meaning you tap the ground to rethread.
They call it Tap ‘n Go technology. A yellow button sits on the side of the strimmer head. Touch the ground to ‘tap’ the yellow button. The gadget has a 25cc engine that emits 600W. It’s not an everyday strimmer – the designer intended it for occasional trimming around tougher sections. Its see-through tank for easier refills – you can check the level at a glance.
This strimmer is just under 4kg so it’s on the lower end of the weight spectrum. It comes with shoulder straps to lessen the strain while you work. Maintaining your strimmer is just as convenient since you can access the air filter without any tools. Just snap it open to clean it out. It can be tricky to start this strimmer though. Try purging before you pull – it helps.
Purging means when you put petrol into the strimmer, pour it straight into the carburettor. It will still take a few tugs to do it. It gets easier with time – some new owners have had to pull the line a dozen times or more to get it started. This is a wide-blade strimmer – 41cm. So it has the lowest possible weight and the largest possible blade – a powerful combination!
This versatile strimmer has an adjustable triangular handle covered with a thick tube of foam padding. So your fingers won’t blister as much, even after hours of weed whacking.
Pros:
- It weighs 3.9kg.
- The cutting width is 41cm with two lines.
- It has automatic threading.
Con:
- The strimmer can be tricky to start until you get used to it.
2. ParkBrand Multifunctional 5-in-One Petrol Strimmer
If you’re a fan of Swiss knives, you will love this device. It’s marketed as a five-in-one yard work tool but it only has four functionalities – hedge trimming, grass trimming, brush cutting, and chainsaw. It will delight the tinkering guru but may frustrate the average user because all those bits and bobs are tough to figure out. And you do have to assemble it.
The manual that ships with this strimmer isn’t always accurate, so your best bet is to find a YouTube tutorial. T can guide you on putting your gadget together and using it effectively. Try to cycle through all the tools at least once – no point investing in all those parts then only using one or two. But first, the practicalities. It has a 52cc capacity and a 2.2kW output.
So this thing is loud. Get a good set of protective headphone or risk losing your hearing Also, be careful while cutting because the quick-release strap often comes loose and it’s easy to inadvertently tap the ‘stop’ button during use. That happens a lot. The strap is a problem because this strimmer is a hefty 16kg, so it’s tough to lug around without proper support.
While the multiple functionalities are impressive, using this equipment can be awkward. The pull cord is at the back of the device, behind the motor. So you’d have to hold your arms at weird angles to start the strimmer while it’s strapped to your back. And strapping it on with the blade and motor running is a good way to lose limbs so give yourself enough room.
This strimmer needs lots of clearance space. When you attach the chainsaw blade, it extends to 1.33m. But because the grass cutter has so many functionalities, it allows you to adjust the angle. Its motor spins at 7500 rpm and the shipping box includes a bottle to mix your fuel. You also get a tool kit with all the essential fastenings and attachments.
ParkBrand’s strimmer offers 3.4hp on four different blades, including a chainsaw. Its split shaft lets you seamlessly switch blades, pun intended. But the assembly process is complex.
Pros:
- This is a 52cc strimmer with a 2200W output.
- It has multiple attachments for additional garden tasks.
- The strimmer is approved by TUV and CE.
Con:
- With so many options and attachments, assembling your strimmer can be a chore.
3. Trueshopping Petrol Strimmer and Brushcutter (Our Top Pick)
Often, when a strimmer positions itself as a brush cutter and a grass trimmer, it’ll have split shafts and multiple blades. This upgraded Trueshopping model takes a different approach. It only has one blade, but that blade is forked, offering two additional cutting teeth. And this tri-tooth design lets it slice through the toughest species of grass, brush, and stubborn weeds.
To facilitate extreme chopping, the strimmer is fitted with a powerful 43cc engine. It’s a professional-grade tool so don’t risk it if you just want to putter around the yard. But for large, bushy spaces and seasoned landscapers, there are higher options (up to 68cc). If you just want to keep your yard neat and pest-free, you could opt for the milder 26cc model.
This petrol-powered weed whacker has a fixed length of 108cm. So if your height is lower (or higher) than average, test it first. You want to be sure it feels right in your palms. Otherwise, you may strain your muscles unnecessarily and hurt yourself trimming. It does have features that make it a joy to use – if you know what you’re doing. This tool does need experience.
The bike-style handle is a good example. It has a crossbar design with insulation at the palm-grips. This makes it easier to manoeuvre around tight corners. The design also reduces fatigue so you can work longer without needing a break. Especially since the fuel tank is on the larger side so it won’t need frequent top-ups. This is a 3.4hp device, so watch yourself!
Trueshopping took fan-fave features from their older models and tweaked them to make it better. If you’re a seasoned yard worker, this is ideal. But for a novice, test it at the shop first.
Pros:
- It has two lines and three cutting teeth.
- It cuts through grass, weeds, and brush.
- The strimmer doesn’t need much assembly.
Con:
- The head spins when you start the strimmer, which may catch you off guard. Be careful!
4. BU-KO Long Reach Multifunctional Petrol Strimmer
Here’s another contender for best Swiss knife imitation. The BU-KO strimmer has four blades and an extension pole. The three-tooth blade is best for brush while the serrated spiral works for timber and shrubbery. It has 40 angular teeth and spins at 7500rpm. The third blade is a 30cm chainsaw and the last blade is a 32cm two-sided steel hedge trimmer.
This strimmer has a 2-stroke 3hp engine whose ratio is 40:1 for petrol to oil. It’s a vertical cylinder with air cooling. Its throttles are positioned in the handle so you can manage it safely. It has a bevel gear and a centrifugal clutch. The primer bulb makes it slightly easier to start up your strimmer. But it still a few tugs to rev the engine, so don’t expect a miracle.
The fuel tank holds 1.2 litres. And in case you’re wondering, ‘strimmer’ comes from ‘string trimmer’ in reference to the nylon thread that helps you ignite the engine. The strimmer comes with a steel fork blade and a steel circular blade. But if you prefer nylon blades, you can swap these two out. That said, you can’t replace the chainsaw or hedge saw with nylon.
This is a long trimmer though. It’s about 170cm, which is already lengthier than any trimmer we’ve looked at. And it has an extension pole that can double the reach of the strimmer (340cm). The hedge trimming blade is an inch wide with teeth on both sides. But because hedges present challenging angles, you can adjust this one up to 270°. And you get extras!
Apart from four blades and an extension pole, this gadget also comes with heavy-duty gardening gloves, a fuel bottle, and safety goggles. Plus a harness so you can strap it to your shoulder. It even comes with a chain for your (chain)saw. And a toolkit to help you clean, repair, and maintain the strimmer. With all those add-ons, this is a solid purchase.
BU-KO is work-horse strimmer. The elongated blades and extension poles offer impressive reach. So this is a good choice for topiary. And it’s flexible enough for standard trims.
Pros:
- The extension pole stretches the strimmer to 3.4m.
- Its strimmer head has 4 lines.
- It comes with a 12-month warranty.
Con:
- The instruction manual is hard to follow, so find a video tutorial online.
5. Ryobi Petrol Strimmer and Brushcutter
If you’re looking for something simple and no-frills, Ryobi is it. It does what you need and not much else – no bells or whistles. So what can it do? It can cut a wide swathe with its 43cm blade. So you’ll whack your weeds quicker. But with a blade this big, you may have a hard time squeezing into corners and dodging your lawn edging. It’s good for open fields.
Its lime-green engine will pull your eye at the store. It’s a 25.4cc model that weighs 6.6kg. That’s about mid-range so it doesn’t come with a harness. But even lightweight strimmers get strenuous after an hour of cutting, so get a shoulder strap if you need it. They’re not expensive. You can try out different styles and sizes to find one that suits your proportions.
This strimmer has an old-school full-crank engine, which lasts twice as long as contemporary half-crank engines. They have more power and are better balanced because of where the starter is positioned (at the back). But it’s harder to reach rear starters while wearing shoulder straps – possibly why this brush cutter comes without one. Its shaft is split.
Ryobi is a bump strimmer. Meaning you rethread by bumping it against a firm spot on the ground. And while it’s a simple no-fuss machine, you can enhance it using Expand-It accessories. They’re compatible with most Ryobi models but double-check the model numbers just in case. Some attachments from decades ago can still fit the latest Ryobi.
The feature we love most on the Ryobi is its ergonomic handle. It’s oblong and padded so it’s easier to use than other handle designs. And the head of your strimmer has Reel Easy technology that makes it easy to refill the tank and rethread the string. Also, because this weed whip has a full-crank engine, it only takes two or three tugs to start the engine.
The manufacturers describe this weed trimmer as ‘hyper green’ and it will certainly get you excited. The engine is an older style so while it lasts longer, finding spares may be an issue.
Pros:
- It has a 25.4cc engine.
- Its Reel Easy technology makes re-threading simple.
- The strimmer has an extendable split shaft.
Con:
- The strimmer doesn’t come with shoulder straps.
6. Costway Petrol Strimmer
When you first spot, you may think this is the same as the Ryobi. But it has key differences. The head is adjustable so you can flip it 180° as needed. This makes it easier to trim corners, edges, and other inaccessible areas. The flexible head is especially helpful for shrubs, branches, and overhead trimming. You can angle it to slip between thorny tangles.
This angular head works in tandem with the strimmer’s telescoping feature. This specifically facilitates high cuts. And whether you’re trimming over your head or closer to your feet, the safety guard stops grass, twigs, and stones from flying around and hurting you. Spinning debris can still stab bystanders though, so clear the area before launching projectile dirt.
And while it’s sometimes marked as 5.4kg, that’s the net weight before adding the head or any attachments. With a full tank and necessary accessories, it clocks closer to 7.3kg. So get strapped to avoid hurting your knees and back. The handle is similar to the Ryobi, but its shape is elliptical rather than oblong. And the handle has a knob for easy shaft locking.
This strimmer detaches for storage. The locking knob is the point of separation. You might spot it and think this brush cutter has alternate blades. But it only comes with one, so keep that in mind. The blade in question is 43cm and quickly slices a 6m path. But because the shaft is curved and you can turn its angle, you can still get away with using a single blade.
This strimmer is effective against tougher grass varieties like Manila and Bermuda. These grass species often damage lawnmowers because they’re so rigid. But Costco’s strimmer can saw right through them. And the baffle is sturdy enough to do be dented by those ruddy stalks. The fuel tank holds half a litre of petrol and the air filter has a dustproof casing.
This 2-stroke strimmer with a 430mm-long cord that’s 2mm thick. It uses an oil-petrol mix of 1:40 but it can get loud. Plus it heats up quickly so be careful to avoid scorching yourself.
Pros:
- The strimmer emits 800W and spins at 7500rpm.
- You can adjust the heads up to 180°.
- It’s a lightweight model with a reinforced baffle.
Con:
- It heats up during use so you should probably wear heavy gloves.
7. Einhell Brush Cutter and Grass Trimmer
The red shade and bike bars will pull your attention and hold it. But before you dash to swipe, let’s look at this strimmer a little deeper. If you have a tiny back yard that you can clear in half an hour, you’re golden. But if your lawn is larger and your grass is tougher, get a different model. Now for the good. Einhell has a 2-stroke 52cc engine and padded handles.
You won’t have to build your triceps starting this strimmer. It has Quick-Start electronic ignition and an automatic choke. The grass trimmer does have a split shaft, but that’s more for portability than for shifting blades. And it’s on the heavier side at 8.9kg with a 42cm three-tooth blade. The bike-style handles have conveniently placed control knobs.
These include a clutch you can use to ‘freeze’ the blade when your equipment is idling. This model is low on vibration so it’ll be quieter than its rivals. The strimmer is just under 1m long and its blade and guard are a foot wide. This is a complicated tool though. You can tell because it ships with three different spanners … and two of those are Allen keys.
Plus two drive/pressure plates. So you’ll be doing a lot of screwing to get your weed whacker working. The shaft and handles are lightweight aluminium. The strimmer is a two-line system that feeds automatically. It also has double bearings on its crankshaft. The blade spins at 7200rpm and you can either use the two-line spool or the three-tooth blade.
The colour on this device is sure to draw attention. It has a powerful motor and fuss-free starting. But it’s not intended for heavy landscaping. It’s best for small maintenance tasks.
Pros:
- It uses digital ignition.
- The centrifugal clutch offers fine control.
- The fuel tank holds 0.9 litres.
Con:
- Despite the powerful engine, this is best for brief spurts and soft grass. It overheats and may fall apart or collapse if you work it longer than an hour.
Buying Guide
Petrol strimmers can be fun to use. Just strap it on your back and stroll across the yard whirring away. They’re generally cheaper than lawnmowers, and they use up less energy. But your progress will be slower. So strimmers are best for small gardens with awkward angles. Let’s explore some important factors to consider as you hunt down the best petrol strimmer.
Cutting Ability
Petrol strimmers aren’t necessarily good for the environment. But they’re ‘stronger’ than electric devices. Check the engine capacity in cubic centimetres. The bigger the number, the higher your strimmer’s ‘chopping force’. Low settings are fine for soft grass. But if you have shrubs, reeds, heavy thatch, weeds, or tougher variants (like crabgrass), you need more cc’s.
Fuel capacity plays a role here too. Just like a car, higher cc’s mean more fuel use. So the bigger your strimmer’s fuel tank, the less often you’ll need to refill it. Ask your hardware store what’s the best tank size for a garden your size. The third factor in cutting power is blade size. Bigger blades work fast with less effort. The typical range is 20 to 40cm.
Design Options
Strimmers use nylon lines to ignite the engine. And this often cuts during use. On some models, the strimmer automatically feeds more of the line so you can proceed uninterrupted. On others, you have manually refit more nylon. Pick the option that suits you best. Weight is a design factor too. Some heavier models have shoulder straps to lessen your labour.
Check the shape of the shaft. Curved shafts are ideal for wide-open spaces. Straight shafts are good for corners, edges, flowerbeds, and treelines. Split shafts are a bit like vacuum cleaners since you can swap attachments as needed. If you opt for a split shaft strimmer, look for one with adjustable blade widths. This makes it easier to manoeuvre tricky parts of the garden.
Strim and Trim
Based on what we could find out, we recommend the Trueshopping Strimmer. Here’s why:
- This model has a 43cc engine.
- Its output is 1.25kW at 1.7hp.
- The strimmer has a medium-weight metric at 7.4kg.
- Its blade is 32cm wide and has three cutting teeth.
- The gadget is certified by GS, CE, and EMC.
- The device is designed with a crossbar.
- The petrol strimmer uses a two-line system.
- It’s especially efficient for edges and corners.
- This is a pro tool so it’s ideal for heavy-duty yard work.
What petrol strimmer do you currently use? Show us a photo in the comments!
