Is an Electric Cordless Grass Trimmer right for you?

You may have seen electric cordless grass trimmers at you local home and garden store, but are not sure if you should get one. Your main question may be whether or not this type of string trimmer is sufficient for your needs. Maybe you’re wondering if they are just a cheap toy that won’t really work properly. After all, they definitely are a lot cheaper than a good gas powered whipper snipper. The Black and Decker 18v cordless grass hog trimmer, for example, can be obtained for around 100 dollars.

The reality is that every power tool has its pros and cons, and this is also the case with grass trimmers. If you decide to stick with a gas powered model, you will have to deal with heavy weight, high purchase cost, high maintenance, loud noise, and smelly toxic fumes. The benefits of these tools are: lots of torque and power, continuous run-time, and (usually) heavy duty construction. Many people shy away from these gas trimmers because they are afraid of not knowing how to operate and maintain a gas motor. Misusing such a motor can cause severe damage and therefore extra costs. Additionally, most people’s grass lawn areas are not big enough to justify such an investment.

If you are one of these people with have decided against a gas grass trimmer, you have the option to go electric. You can either choose to go corded or cordless. Again, both of these choices have their benefits, and they are pretty obvious. A corded trimmer has continuous power with limited range, while the cordless one runs on batteries that need to be recharged.

You need to decide what type of grass trimmer is best for you. These are some of the questions that you must ask yourself:

-Can you live with the constraints of a power cord?
If yes, then read no further and get a corded electric trimmer. If no, you need to decide between a cordless or gas trimmer.

-Can you carry a heavy gas trimmer for extended periods of time?
If no, then a gas model is out of the question for you.

Do you mind inhaling some toxic fumes while working?
Every gas motor emits exhaust fumes, with whipper snippers your face is very close to the exhaust pipe.

Are you knowledgeable about gas motors?
You must know exactly how to maintain and run a small two-stroke gas motor, in order not to risk excessive repair costs.

Do you need a lot of cutting power?
Electric grass trimmers lack in the power department, so if you have very thick grass to cut though on a regular basis, you want to go for gas.

Do you have a large lawn?
You will need a very long extension cord if you want to do your entire lawn with a corded tool. A cordless one might require you to recharge the batteries a few times to get the job done, which will cost you more time. Gas is your best bet with huge properties.

Is your neighborhood strict on noise pollution?
If yes, forget a gas powered trimmer. Electric corded and cordless grass trimmers are much more quite and can be used even during “off-hours”.

Finally, what is your budget for such a tool?
A good gas model will cost several hundred dollars, while the Black & Decker 18v grass hog trimmer costs a fraction. You can get slightly more expensive models from companies such as “American Gardner” or “Worx” that have a few better features than the Black and Decker, but the Grass Hog is still our tool of choice, and highly recommended for most homeowners.