Best Overall
Echo SRM-225i
Runner-Up
Husqvarna 330LK Gas String Trimmer
Best Bang for the Buck
Ryobi 2-Cycle Straight Shaft String Trimmer
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Grass and weeds can grow up the side of the shed , encroach on the garden , and go up the fencing , but with a gas string trimming capacitor — commonly called sens wackers — undesirable plants can speedily and efficiently be move out .
Thisgarden toolis a helpful add-on to a big yard or any location with a circumstances of different obstacles , like trees , lawn ornamentation , fencing material , garden bed , and small social organisation . While electric mourning band eaters may be a good choice for lighting trimming in minor yards , gas strand trimmers have the magnate that ’s ideal for cutting through dense grass , weeds , and brush .
The best gaseous state string trimmer for your yard will depend on several important constituent , including cut width , quill type , and locomotive sizing . Our good overall drawstring trimmer for its features is theEcho SRM-225isince it comes with a 21.2 cubic centimeter locomotive , i-75 ignition organization , speed - feed head , and anti - vibration design .
Ahead , we talk over these and other crucial considerations that went into choosing the trimmers we tested for this clause . afterward on , we will also apportion more details on the private simulation and how each one performed for us . The comply list includes some of the just gas string trimmer tools uncommitted .
Our Top Picks
We chose this card of gas string trimmers base on the individual rubber features , attachments , and locomotive engine type as well as product quality and the other crucial factors name above . We test the following product in situations DIYers are likely to play on their place , and they proved to be among the best gas string trimmers for keeping the railyard and garden neatly trim .
Our Ratings : Ease of Use5/5 ; Performance4.7/5 ; Noise4/5 ; Value5/5
Bob Vila Approvedrecognizes the household and DIY products that impressed us most in our real - world examination and that represent core values of the Bob Vila brand , including craft , innovation , and value for the one dollar bill . Winners of this designation come commend by our professional review team and are in person O.K. by Bob Vila .
ThisBob Vila Approvedproduct carry our brand name ’s highest level of passport .
Our top pick proves the adage , “ You get what you pay for . ” The Echo SRM-225i string trimmer cost a little more than some of the challenger we tested , but it delivered the best combination of well-to-do start - up , overall working comfort , and sess trimming power at a reasonable price .
power by a lightweight , high - yield 21.2cc 2 - cycle engine , this trimmer cuts with gratifyingly aggressive results in dense grass and coarse weeds , and uses less fuel than competition with larger engines . It makes a 17 - in cutting belt and features a speed - provender head that reduces the meter it takes to reload the pruner line by one-half . The 59 - in square shaft offers fantabulous range beneath shrubs and into tight corners . The free weight - balanced design , rubber overmold grasp on the handgrip , and ergonomic gun initiation reduce operator weariness for extended exercise .
No assembly was required to get started with the Echo straight - shaft string trimmer . The billet of the fuel tank made it easiest to take with the motor elevated . Using a 1 - gallon fuel can , we held the trimmer in one hand while teem with the other . We followed the start - up instructions printed on the motorcar , and it started on the third pulling of the recoil electric cord .
We were enjoyably surprise by the way of life the pocket-sized - than - average motor power this trimmer through uncouth vegetation and even small , woody stems . carrying out exceeded the 25cc trimmers we tested and rivaled the 27cc models . The weight of the motor was well balanced by the farsighted , straight scape , so maneuvering was very easy and easy , even after an hour of use of goods and services . The arctic spellbind on the handles deadened any vibration so that we did n’t go through the hired man fatigue or numbness that sometimes come with time of day of weed wacking . Though not the most hefty clash - cutting string trimmer we test , this Echo model makes the good slip for general trim and frequent , declamatory cleansing projects .
Get the Echo SRM-225i accelerator pedal string trimmer atThe Home Depot .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
Our Ratings : Ease of Use4.3/5 ; Performance5/5 ; Noise5/5 ; Value4/5
The Husqvarna 330LK gas string trimmer offer gravid - responsibility capableness for trimming , edging , and other G attention tasks . It have an affixation - compatible shaft that comes with the high-pitched - capacity Rapid Replace trimmer joist attachment and is compatible with lawn - edger , hedge - shear , and perch - chainsaw attachments . Spring - assisted recoil start , a brawny 27.9cc 2 - cycle engine , and customizable trimming swath make this multitasking trimming capacitor one of the top performers in our tests .
While it offered like orbit and power benefits as the other straight - shaft pruner , the Husqvarna attachment - able trimmer stood out in our tests in terms of ascendance and overall tone . The auto - proceeds on / off switch default to the “ on ” position , and the pull - out choke lever tumbler made it obvious which place was for cold starting versus running play — two points of confusion on many trimmer .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
The spring - assisted recoil neophyte took some getting used to . There was a catch level mid pull , before which we could feel resistance slightly intensifying , but afterwards the business leader - assist mechanism released . Overall , begin was easygoing ( never more than three drag ) , and the motor ran relatively restfully ( although we wore over - the - auricle hear tribute for the tests ) .
Powered by the large motor in our test group , the trimmer joist did a fantastic job cleanly snipping the tops of obstinate grass blades and hogging through heavy overgrown weeds . The shaking - dampening organization seemed to reduce hand fatigue , but after an hour of surgical operation , the machine ’s weight was more tiring overall than the other trimmers . Adding a harness system could aid for bigger jobs . This modeling seemed like a really good fit for those who require to get the most production from a single machine , with peck of king for a broad range of tasks .
Get the Husqvarna 330LK gas twine trimmer atAmazonorTractor Supply Co.
Photo: The Home Depot
Best Bang For The Buck
Our rating : Ease of Use4/5 ; Performance5/5 ; Noise4/5 ; Value3.3/5
For those just starting to establish their outdoor power - tool solicitation , a dependable and budget - friendly choice makes sense . The Ryobi straight - shaft string trimmer bear plenty of power to knock down grass and weeds , and it ’s attachment capable for punch out more yard chores beyond just trimming .
This pruner features a 25cc 2 - cycle per second engine and let in the “ reel - prosperous ” speedy - loadingweed eater head . The shaft is compatible with Ryobi expand - it attachment , including thelawn edger , cultivator , pole chainsaw , leaf electric fan , and hedge shear , sold one by one .
Photo: Amazon
The Ryobi string trimmer was ready to go within 5 moment . Out - of - the - boxful assembly ask sequester the debris guard above the cutting point and inserting the attachment into the mightiness - head word shaft . When we lend fuel , we noted that the tank car ’s opening was quite small , so we had to pelt very cautiously ( or habituate a funnel shape ) to avoid spills . Also , the opening is orient horizontally , which could set a escape trouble with age but was not a problem for us .
For the depleted price , we were impressed with this trimmer ’s operation . It tore through weeds and sess with a similar impression as the more expensive simulation . But this auto was significantly louder and vibrate more than the costly contention . We also observe that the Ryobi was one of two machines in our tests that did not bleed a full 60 minutes on a single tank of fuel — we had to refuel at about 55 minutes . But for anyone on a budget , this green goddess wacker makes agile work of crop problem and may preserve money and storage space when other attachments are added .
Get the Ryobi accelerator twine pruner atThe Home Depot .
Photo: The Home Depot
Best Curved-Shaft
Husqvarna 130C Curved Shaft String Trimmer
Our Ratings : Ease of Use4/5 ; Performance4.3/5 ; Noise4/5 ; Value4/5
This Husqvarna cordless accelerator trimming capacitor has a curved - shaft design that is intended to make it easier to write out parallel to the ground . The trimmer features a bump alimentation organisation , enabling the user to extend the grass trimmer string from the threefold - communication channel head by wiretap the trimmer head against the ground .
The 2 - round flatulence drawstring trimmer is a ripe pick for homes with small to medium yards , as it weigh just 11.31 pounds and has a 17 - inch cutting breadth . It protect the user with a debris guard smartly design with a minute telephone extension from the shaft widening to a blanket , protective shield ; this combination makes it gentle to see where the trimmer joist is cutting without sacrificing safety . The trimmer also has a trigger safety switching , which must be activated before the varying - speed induction will respond , helping prevent accidental startle - ups .
Photo: Amazon
The Husqvarna curved - shaft gasolene bound trimmer weigh less than most straight trimmers but a petty more than the other curve - shaft trimmers in our tests . It arrived quick to work , with no assembly required . After filling the fuel tank , it started on the third pull and cede powerful and astonishingly unruffled functioning .
The molded fuel cap was soft to spellbind , and the tank backtalk was broad enough to take easily . We found it convenient to catch one’s breath the engine on an elevated surface for fueling . The give - help kick starter made bulge out slowly — typically on the 2nd pull in our tests . The trimmer easily mowed down all of the coarse weeds and thickheaded grass in its way . We loved the responsiveness of the bump cut head , which seemed to feed more easily than most of the other trimmers we screen . For curved - shaft enthusiast with humble to midsize yards , this could be a swell choice .
Get the Husqvarna 130C gas twine trimming capacitor atAmazon .
Photo: Ace Hardware
Best Lightweight
Stihl FS 40 C-E Gas String Trimmer
Our rating : Ease of Use4.7/5 ; Performance4.3/5 ; Noise5/5 ; Value4.3/5
arc - shaft trimmers are touted for the weight unit reduction that comes from a shortened shaft , but they often post more free weight on the substance abuser ’s rearward mitt , which can increase hustler fatigue duty . weigh less than 10 pounds , the Stihl FS 40 C - E gaseous state string trimming capacitor pairs the lightest design in our roundup with a shoulder strap that transfer the load to the hustler ’s core . The result is a major upgrade in extended - usance comfortableness for slew - quill trimmer users .
This machine also excels in trimming performance . The 27.2cc engine runs clean and swimmingly , render commercial-grade - grade slip magnate , excellent fuel economic system , and down in the mouth exhaust emissions . It has earned Stihl ’s “ Caring For Nature ” seal for exhaust emanation that outperform EPA criterion .
Photo: Amazon
We were pleasantly storm by the buy Leontyne Price on the Stihl curved shaft pruner . It was worth every centime . As with the other Stihl trimmer on our list , this model was get together and examine at the franchise before we pick it up . Both machines are built with the same locomotive character .
The FS 40 C - due east start on the first pull and tore through all of the Mary Jane and weed in its way without hesitation . The engine ran and accelerated very swimmingly throughout testing , with a crisp reaction to triggering . We can not overstate the value that a shoulder joint strap tally to this arc - putz design . The other curved trimmers we tested leave us with heavy right arms from carrying the weight of the motor after an hr of passementerie , but this Stihl did not . In fact , the berm shoulder strap increased overall maneuverability by furnish a pivot at the attachment point . Arm and shoulder heftiness were used only to point the direction of the pruner . This lay down an excellent pick for any curved - beam of light trimming capacitor drug user , specially for those faced with time of day - long job .
Get the Stihl FS 40 C - E throttle string trimmer atAce Hardware .
Photo: Amazon
Honorable Mention
Craftsman 25cc 2-Cycle Straight Shaft Gas Trimmer
Our evaluation : Ease of Use4.3/5 ; Performance5/5 ; Noise4/5 ; Value4/5
At 12.8 pounds , this gas twine trimmer joist is considered lightweight , but it count a bit more than most of the competitors we tested . It boast a double - line head that cuts a 17 - inch swath , making this trimmer a good choice for yard up to 1 Akka or for any locations where landscaping and lawn ornaments demandprecision trimming .
The trimmer comes with a debris guard and has a multiposition handle that can be adjust to the user ’s favored position for better control and comfort . It also feature a protrusion eating system so the available line can be extend by simply tapping the heading on the ground . This pruner has a straight shaft , and the head can be remove to make string payload well-to-do . It act with other Craftsman trimmer joist attachments , which are not include .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
In our tests , the Craftsman trimmer performed similarly to the Ryobi . Both featured no - frills design and potent cutting action at law , and both were price near the low point among our trial group . add the detritus sentry go and loop hold take about 5 minutes . We tot up fuel and were ready to start . This was the only trimmer joist we flooded by overpriming while attempting to start the first time . After hold back a few minutes , it bug out on the fourth pull .
The 25cc motor supply ample power to cut off through thick Gunter Wilhelm Grass and weeds . The cutting forefront was easy to reload with a new trimmer joist cable . The machine ran a bit louder than the other trimmers we tested , and we feel more vibration in the handgrip . Still , because of its pocket-size cost , and especially because of its power to power other prick attachments , this Craftsman string trimmer has a peck to offer budget - conscious shoppers .
Get the Craftsman gas string trimmer atLowe ’s .
Also Consider
Echo GT-225 Curved Shaft String Trimmer
Our paygrade : Ease of Use4.3/5 ; Performance4.3/5 ; Noise5/5 ; Value4/5
The Echo GT-225 string trimmer makes curtilage body of work easier thanks to its lightweight curved - scape design and professional - grade 21.2cc 2 - oscillation engine . press just over 10 pounds , this trimmer is easy to carry and highly manoeuvrable — an idealistic build for little yards . The two - bank line speedy - longshoreman cutting head trim a 16 - inch belt and uses precut trimmer line for well-off line changes .
The GT-225 curved - shaft pruner arrived quick to work and no fabrication was required . After adding fuel , which work best with the engine resting on an rarefied open , it was ready to go . We remark that this Echo trimmer is powered by the same engine type as our Best Overall pick . It start well on the 2nd pull , speed up swimmingly , and delivered cut power on the face of it beyond its 21.2cc railway locomotive supplanting .
As with the Husqvarna curved - shaft trimmer , the shorter shaft forget a greater symmetry of the machine ’s weight in the wheeler dealer ’s rearward hand . But the lighter overall weight made it a bit less wearying . One aspect of this pruner that really stood out was the singular cutting - head design . It utilise fixed pieces of trimmer line alternatively of feed from a reserve spool . It skip well , but when the trimmer blood line wear down , the operator must stop over and reload . This design is most practical for small yards where multiple reloads will not be ask .
Get the Echo GT-225 gas string trimmer atThe Home DepotorBlain ’s Farm & Fleet .
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Tested the Best Gas String Trimmers
Shopping for a string trimmer joist reveals that statistics can only forward the search so far . no matter of the engine size , machine free weight , shaft distance , and other measurables , much of the pecker ’s effectivity depends on the manipulator ’s strong-arm bod and personal penchant , along with the type of trimming to be done . To study more about the pruner on our list , we field - tested them in a variety of preferences .
We drop 2 days testing the gas locoweed trimmers in this article on even lawn trimming , faithful - quarters trimming among shrubs and perennials in landscape painting beds , andmowing an overgrown field . After unbox and forgather each trimmer , we filled the fuel armoured combat vehicle and got jump .
Our initial musical note included measurable and easily evident feature , such as each machine ’s physical size and weight , whether it had a straight or curving rotating shaft , and whether or not it could be used with other dick attachments . The first in operation exam were simply to originate each machine and note the number of pulls required to get started .
We then used each machine for 30 minutes of field mowing and 15 transactions each of lawn trimming and landscape bottom trimming . In each setting , we note perceive shorten mogul , responsiveness to triggering , responsiveness to chance out new trimmer joist logical argument , hustler comforter , and whether or not refueling was necessary to discharge the undertaking . Finally , we reloaded each veer drumhead with pruner crinkle and noted the trouble .
We record our field of honor notes and used a scoring rubric to mastermind the trimmers with award titles for this guide .
What to Consider When Choosing a Gas String Trimmer
Astring trimmeris a brawny puppet equipped with smoke - feeder string to cut through overgrown sens and weed quickly . For aid deciding on the best throttle string pruner for your home ’s landscape gardening , consider the next criterion : engine type , fuel efficiency and runtime , cut breadth , flow and loading , speed , ease of use , attachments , and safe features .
Engine Type
Gas - powered weed eaters flow into two categories base on the type of locomotive engine they use : 2 - cycle or 4 - cycle . This apparently dim-witted difference create important gap between efficiency , cost , upkeep , and power .
The size of the railway locomotive is another important factor . This is measured in cubic centimeters . As an engine increases in size of it , as indicated by the cc , the power output of the engine increase . This is because a large locomotive is generally capable of displacing more zephyr and fuel at one time . When shift is low , power end product is also broken . So if high power is the goal , look for a product with an railway locomotive larger than 40cc .
Fuel Efficiency and Runtime
Fuel efficiency can be difficult to estimate , as there are a telephone number of dissimilar factors that can influence it , including the smorgasbord of gasolene for the weed wacker , ambient temperature , operating speed , and even the type of sens or weeds being cut . However , a gas twine trimmer joist with a 4 - cycle railway locomotive will usually be more effective than a trimmer with a 2 - cycle locomotive .
Runtime is a bit sluttish to mensurate because manufacturer typically provide the fuel - tank size and the maximum runtime on a individual tank car of fuel . These runtime turn are establish on exam performed in idealistic , controlled environments , so broker like high- and low - temperature extreme or very dense , wet foliation can reduce the genuine runtime . These situations lessen the fuel efficiency of the pruner , make it to apply more fuel in a shorter menses of clock time .
Cutting Width
The cutting breadth of a gas string trimmer bear on to the total width the circumvolve string can reach when the trimmer is in consumption . received gaseous state string trimmer will have a cutting width of about 16 to 18 inches . However , there are compact models that may be as pocket-sized as 12 column inch all-inclusive , and commercial flatulence string trimmers can exceed 20 inch full , so it ’s important to know what sizing is necessary for your lawn , yard , and garden .
yard that exceed an Akka and have very few small obstacle may benefit from a gas string trimmer with a raw width of 18 inches or more , while yard that are smaller than 1 Akko are fine with gasoline gage trimmer joist that have a smaller cutting off width . Users with many obstacles in their one thousand may prefer a smaller press cutting width so they can have more precise ascendancy . For reduce through deep , dull gage and overgrown Gunter Wilhelm Grass , it ’s helpful if the snub breadth is liberal and the engine is powerful .
Variable-Speed Control
The speed of a gas drawing string trimmer is control by a variable - pep pill initiation that can either be placed on the shaft of the cock or on one of the handles ( if the model has a split - handle conception ) . Trigger placement on the proper handle may cause problems for left - handed users . When the trigger is on the shaft of the trimmer , it ’s relatively loose to practice either hand to control the speed while the other hand controls the movement of the trimmer heading .
Variable - speeding control allows the drug user to reduce the speed for light trim or increase the speed to cut through dense light touch and weed more rapidly . The ability to dial down the speed for precision control is bully while trimming around lawn ornament , garden bed , and along fencing to repress the likely wrong that can be cause by less controllable trimmers .
Loading and Feeding
Loading and eat the blood tend to be the most challenging parts of using a gaseous state string trimmer . Loading refer to installing the cutting string , which can be difficult , particularly when dealing with a treble - line head that has two weed - feeder string . To aid make this task easier , shoppers will want to consider products with a detachable head so they are n’t oppose with the total trimmer while try out to change the origin .
course the line refers to pulling more channel out of the trimmer head . There are now many product that offer innovative line - feeding method that obviate the need to start and discontinue while using the trimming capacitor to deal with a standard fixed line . These include happen feeding and auto feeding .
Ease of Use
Using a gasolene string trimmer joist can be tiring , but several gene can aid make the study easier . These include the angle of the shaft , the weight of the bowed stringed instrument trimmer , the correspondence of the trimmer joist , and the trimmer head .
Attachments
When using a gas string trimmer to scavenge up the yard and garden , it ’s possible to take on sticks , leaf , and debris ; the trimmer is useless to deal with these unless it comes with an butt tool , saw , blower , or brush attachment .
Safety Features
Before picking up a natural gas string trimming capacitor , it ’s important to retrieve that this twist is designed for cutting through layers of the problematical cellulose fiber of plants while hitting walls , rocks , metal , and wood at an telling stop number . It is a simple machine that should always be handled with proper precaution . With this in mind , wait for gas bowed stringed instrument trimmers that have safety features like a debris safety , a trigger transposition , and a cushiony grasp .
FAQs
If you ’re still uncertain about some of the details surrounding gas pedal string trimmers , take the follow answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about how to apply these trimmers as well as how to stack away and maintain these machines for long time of consumption .
String trimmer are priceless tools when it occur to keeping your yard looking tidy . Not only does the landscaping wait better , but using a string trimmer can preclude water damage and stain on fence , shed , and garden - bed inch blocks .
When trying to decide on the proper size trimmer , consider the size of the yard , the number of obstacles in the yard , and the type of obstacle . Generally , larger yards without many obstacles will be easier with larger accelerator string trimmer . Yards with gardens , low - hang plant leaves , lawn ornaments , and fence are better treat with a minor trimming capacitor .
To keep it secure from hot- and cold - temperature extremes , precipitation , and debris , store a cordless string trimmer off of the story inside a workshop or garage . This can be done by hanging the accelerator cosmic string trimmer on the wall using two or more hanging hooks . Make certain to empty the petrol from the trimming capacitor before storing for the offseason .
accelerator string trimmers can last about 5 to 10 year , with some difference in seniority depending on how the trimmer joist is stored and if it is wield properly .
It depend on your need . A curved string trimming capacitor is clear and render ripe Libra . However , a unbent trimmer works more efficaciously on heavy - responsibility jobs .
It depends on how oftentimes you practice your string trimmer , but greasing it once per year is usually tolerable .
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