We Found the Best String Trimmer After Testing 8 Products

By Pamela Bondurant

Tested by Mary Henn and Ryan Van Bibber

Updated on Oct. 10, 2024

String trimmers help maintain clean lines on lawns and keep weeds at bay. We found the best string trimmer for every job and budget.

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Whatever you call them weed whackers or weed whips, string trimmers are a must-have for home lawn maintenance. A string trimmer can reach into corners that have evaded mowers (especially riding mowers) and make quick work of weeds and grass around posts, fences, pavement and foundations. They’re great for trimming grass and weeds that have grown between cracks or pavers, and most can even be used for edging.

String trimmers come in various shapes and sizes and are powered by batteries, electricity, or gasoline. We tried out some of the most popular models and have compiled a list of our favorites, and ultimately found the best string trimmer for all budgets and needs.

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The Ryobi 15-inch cordless string trimmer tops the list as the best overall due to a combination of price and performance. This string trimmer ships with a long-running four-amp-hour battery with LED levels, accepts attachments and alternative heads, uses a unique and easy string winder and takes up to a 0.095-inch line. And at an economical price (around $160), it’s a great tool to add to your collection.

When I set out to weed with this trimmer, the sound level was about average. The 40V of power and double line were strong and made quick work of the weeds in my paver cracks and when edging. The bump head worked really well, and the carbon fiber shaft made the tool feel light and balanced despite the heavy battery.

My favorite part of the tool is definitely the easy winder. It took me just seconds to wind a new spool. The only downside to this unique winding method is that you have to keep track of the proprietary winding tool. The tradeoff is worth the effort, so do yourself a favor and tie it onto the trimmer so that it’s always with you.

Want to learn more? Check out our full Ryobi String Trimmer review.

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The Greenworks string trimmer can be purchased for about $130 with the battery and charger, which is an excellent deal. But are you going to sacrifice quality? Absolutely not! The lightweight four-amp-hour battery can run long enough for most yards, and the total weight of the tool with battery is a stunningly light seven pounds, making this string trimmer a joy to work with. The 13-inch cutting width is wide, and the double-line bump head is unique at this price point.

The shaft on this tool is shorter than some, making it feel even lighter while weeding and also making it ideal for smaller users. However, I found the handle to be one of the easiest to adjust, so if you are taller than me (and you probably are), a quick adjustment of the easily adjustable handle should do the trick. I found that the short shaft really took a lot of the tension away from my back.

The power was definitely enough for the double-line head, and the shaft was easily rotatable for edging using the attached edge guard. I found myself weeding way more than I intended to with this string trimmer during the review, simply because it was so easy to use. I weeded all the cracks between my pavers on both my driveway and back patio.

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The Husqvarna 17-inch trimmer will not disappoint those who prefer a gas-powered string trimmer over a corded or electric trimmer. The two-stroke 28cc motor delivers tons of power and rotates the dual line bump feed head at a noticeably fast revolution per minute, allowing me to lay weeds to waste. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two-stroke engine did not seem significantly louder than some battery-operated models I tested.

The directions to start the machine are conveniently printed on the Husquvarna string trimmer, and the machine started on the first try out of the box. I don’t always have the good fortune of getting my small engines to start, so I was extremely pleased at this early stage of testing. I took off with the engine whirring and headed to some of the thickest and weediest portions of my yard.

The long shaft made it easy to reach into corners, and despite being a little heavy, as are most gasoline-powered string trimmers, it was well-balanced and comfortable to use for extended periods of time. The bump feed head worked well to automatically feed the line so that I didn’t need to stop trimming at any point. The motor that runs the trimmer is tunable and compatible with attachments. It can accept hedge trimmers, pole saws, edgers, and more, making it a powerful and useful addition to your tool collection.

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If you’re looking for a low-cost entry point and you only have a small amount of trimming to do, look no further than the Black+Decker 14-inch string trimmer. The device is simple and easy to operate—just plug it into an outlet and get to weeding. The built-in cord retention helps control the extension cord as you weed, so the days of accidentally unplugging yourself as you go are gone.

This petite string trimmer is ideal for small spaces, and so lightweight that you hardly notice you’re carrying it. The shaft is easily rotated, so in seconds, you can go from weeding to edging. This Black+Decker tool has one of the coolest things I have ever seen on a string trimmer—a wheel that rolls along the ground for nearly perfect edging, something that can be challenging at times with a string trimmer.

I was reluctant to believe that the “auto” line feed would be able to keep up with me, but it worked wonderfully. It fed the 0.065-inch line as I broke it off on the pavers. I was simply unable to stop edging because I was having so much fun using the edger wheel and even edged my neighbor’s lot along the road. I would say without a doubt that this little string trimmer can keep up with its bigger counterparts as long as you have extension cords.

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The Craftsman 20V 13-inch string trimmer sports one of the longer shafts among battery-powered trimmers, making it a great option for taller individuals. Shorter people should not shy away from it, as it is also quite lightweight. Its one-pound four amp-hour battery made it the lightest battery of that size in our tests. The tool has a very sleek design that makes it easy to fit into tight spaces for storage.

Some of the unique features of this string trimmer are that it utilizes a safety button to enable the trigger, has high and low speeds, and has a push-button line feed. There is also a convenient bend in the edging bar to help with alignment when edging. The rotation of the cutter head is done near the head instead of at the shaft, and it was extremely easy to twist, which made going from weeding to edging a painless transition.

Weeding was quick and comfortable with this lightweight, powerful and maneuverable string trimmer, and the dual line machine had no problems on even the thickest weeds, which tend to be my grass growing where it shouldn’t be growing. I loved the push-button line feed and was in awe of how lightweight the trimmer felt despite having such a long shaft. Like many of the string trimmers in this roundup, the shaft also accepts other attachments in the Craftsman lineup and utilizes a quick-release mechanism for quick tool transfers.

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The Worx 12-inch string trimmer weighs around five pounds and ships with two lightweight 20v batteries of two amp-hours each, so you can get your entire yard done without running out of battery power. Its head is easy to rotate, so you can effortlessly transition from weeding to edging. Like some of the other trimmers in this article, the Worx uses a wheel to help guide you when you are edging, and it works like a charm.

The trimmer was easy to assemble, with just a few parts to attach, so our tester was up and running in no time. The battery was powerful enough to spin the dual-line head rapidly, and our tester loved the push-button feeder that spewed out 0.065-inch lines. Having the extra battery gave our tester peace of mind, knowing that backup power was available.

This small but powerful trimmer easily laid to waste tough weeds in our tests. The landscaping rocks in the test area posed no problems for this nimble string trimmer, and we were able to navigate around them with ease. The tool was light enough and aggressive enough to even get to the weeds that had grown between rocks, and the twisted line that it shipped with really held up. After several uses, the battery has held its charge.

Learn more in our Worx String Trimmer review.

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The Ego 15-inch string trimmer ships with a massive 56v battery with a 2.5 amp-hour rating. The battery is compatible with all of Ego’s 56v tools, and there are many of them, so you can add to your battery-powered tool collection. This string trimmer has a cutting width of 15 inches, making it one of the larger trimmers in this review.

This trimmer can handle a large 0.095-inch line and uses a dual bump head. Since the string line is so thick, it doesn’t break often, but our tester found that when it was necessary to replace the line, the unique push-button loading mechanism made spooling a breeze. In fact, one of the best experiences with this tool was reloading the line, which literally took just seconds with the Ego’s “Powerload” head.

At first, our tester struggled with getting the hang of the six-foot carbon fiber shaft, which felt unwieldy, but after a couple of minutes of testing, they found it invaluable for reaching far into deep weeds, and the tool felt balanced. The string trimmer took out high-standing weeds without draining the powerful battery. In the end, the long shaft combined with the wide cutting width proved to be a great perk for getting to difficult-to-reach areas.

Read our full Ego String Trimmer review here.

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The AiDot Enhulk 16-inch string trimmer differentiates itself from most of the other cordless trimmers tested by using a 58v battery instead of a lower-voltage battery. The higher voltage allows for more power and the use of a thick, 0.095-inch dual line so that large weeds can be tackled. The battery that ships with the trimmer is only 2.5 amp-hours but has eco, high, and turbo settings so that you can optimize the power based on the need and, therefore, extend the battery life.

The trimmer shipped pre-strung, and our tester was able to start trimming after just 15 minutes of battery charging. After a few hours of using the tool on and off, the battery was still good despite not being fully charged at the start. The mode settings of eco, high, and turbo were fun to try out, and even the tough weeds were “whackable” in eco mode.

Our tester ran into a few snags with the string feeder not bouncing back into place but gave the Enhulk a thumbs up thanks to the lightweight carbon fiber shaft and the tool’s ability to eat through weeds. Additionally, the long shaft was great for keeping her distance while trimming and useful for reaching into corners where the fence met. The wide cutting path and the dual twisted line that shipped with the trimmer made for easy weeding along the fence lines while also being a great edger.

When selecting a string trimmer, many of the usual criteria jump to the forefront: budget, yard size and capabilities. If your yard is small, an electric model is an economic way to get your foot in the door of weed whacking. Though they are typically small and require an extension cord, they always work and leave you with a tidy lot.

If you have an average-sized lot and don’t want to use gas, then a battery-powered string trimmer is a great option. Even my two-acre property can be weeded with a battery-powered trimmer as long as I’m willing to wait between charges or keep two batteries on hand. Battery-powered tools have an upfront cost, but it is offset by not having to buy gas, oil or air filters. If you already have batteries from another tool and can match them to a string trimmer, then the choice is almost a no-brainer.

If you don’t want to deal with charging batteries and expect massive power, then take a look at a gas string trimmer. Most gasoline string trimmers use two-stroke engines, which means that you’ll be mixing gasoline and oil for fuel or buying it pre-mixed (which I highly recommend). As long as you have gas and oil, you’ll never run out of juice like you might with a battery-powered tool.

Setting power aside, you’re faced next with considerations like weight, shafts and accessories. In general, electric trimmers are the lightest and gasoline-powered ones are the heaviest, with battery-powered ones falling in between. There are always exceptions to this generalization.

Along with weight, shaft style is a consideration. Again, a few generalizations apply: Straight shaft tools often “feel” heavier, reach further into tight spaces and are usually preferred by taller users. Bent shafts often “feel” lighter due to the tool being held closer to your body, may not have a long reach and are usually preferred by shorter users.

If you desire a lot of flexibility, look for string trimmers that accept different styles of heads, such as bump heads and fixed blade heads. String trimmers that accept more than one size of line make it easy to source lines and can be changed to accommodate the weeds you are tackling. Many string trimmer motors allow for interchangeable parts, such as pole saws and edgers, making your tool even more versatile.

I’ve been hard at work designing standardized tests to compare string trimmers so that I can give fair and unbiased reviews. As a professional tool reviewer, former landscape company owner, and maintainer of my own properties, I’ve been weed-whacking, edging and trimming most of my life. My personal experience, combined with my work experience, enables me to evaluate tools from a consumer stance by applying a structured, objective view.

We selected the string trimmers used in this review based on several criteria, such as popularity, brand recognition and reputation, budget and user needs. Our goal is to present a broad range of string trimmers that will suit any user’s needs, whether it’s a big yard, a tall user, a tight budget or someone looking to save their back. We’ve presented gasoline, cordless and corded models to cover all the bases.

When reviewing this group of string trimmers, I looked at packaging, assembly, instructions, durability, ease of line changing, options and, of course, the tool’s ability to weed. For battery-operated tools, I noted the length of time it took to charge batteries, as well as the battery size and whether it was appropriately matched to run the machine. Gasoline-powered trimmers had to have clear instructions on how to start them and be easy to start.

Each tool was compared against the same standards except where they were not applicable, such as comparing a gasoline model to an electric model. The power needed to be enough to manage the width of the trimmer and the line sizes. I also looked at how easy it was to go from edging to weeding.

Perhaps the biggest headache in using a string trimmer is changing the line and line feeding. All of the string trimmers in this review had clear instructions for changing the spool, and none left me overly frustrated, which is my common state of mind when changing the trimmer line. Most of the trimmers had bump feeds, but a few had push-button or automated feeds; all of them worked quite well.

When you have thick weeds, a thick line is the most helpful. Of course, a thick line requires a head that can accept the line and a powerful motor. If you can find a serrated line, you will likely get superior results over a smooth line.

Most pros use gasoline-powered string trimmers, which might be overkill for the average homeowner. Pros need heavy-duty motors for extended use, and those motors add a bit of weight to the machine. Weekend warriors can rest assured that a battery-powered or small gasoline weed eater can get the job done.

The thicker line can usually cut through thicker weeds, but that’s just a general rule. The thinner line sometimes has greater “piercing” abilities. A thinner line breaks more easily, but the flip side of that is that you can usually wind more thin lines onto a spool than you can thick lines.

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