Your preferred cutting style. Whether you like to use blades or cutting line, make sure you’re buying a strimmer that is compatible with your preferred method. The downside to a mains powered strimmer is that you will be limited by cord length. The maximum cord length you’ll find is around 10 m, so you’ll need an extension cable if you’ve got an awkward shaped garden or a very large lawn. But looks aren’t everything, and with power tools, it’s the performance that matters most, and the Contour XL holds its own in that department too. Although the 300W motor is far from the most powerful you can find, it is enough to tidy the edges of a pre-mowed lawn. It can’t really compare to something like the Makita, and definitely isn’t anywhere near as powerful as the Bosch AFS 23-37, but it is fine for touching up smaller, well-kept lawns. I didn’t particularly get on with this model in testing – I liked a variable height more but no complaints on the power to eight ratio – I’m certainly going to have a bit of a practice with this unit in anticipation of updating this article with hopefully more positive news – the Flymo demo videos just look so promising when trimming beds and edges.

The Bosch EasyGrassCut 26 UK is the best value strimmer, perfect for gardeners on a tighter budget. This strimmer is well-designed and versatile, suitable for anyone looking to neaten up their lawn without spending a lot on a high-end model.

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With a 450 W motor, this strimmer is a great mid-range model suitable for light-to-medium duty tasks. It delivers up to 9000 RPM, with a motor head that can also rotate 180° for accurate and neat edge trimming. Specification: Warranty: yes (1-3 year) , Motor power: 450 W , Cutting speed: 9000 rpm. , Cutting Diameter: 30 cm , Weight: 2.6 kg One of the best things about this strimmer is how easy it is to use. Not only is it extremely lightweight, the semi-auto spool means there’s no need to manually adjust the spool or bump the head. The line is automatically fed at every trigger release, so there’s no stop and start. Corded strimmers require less organisation than battery powered or petrol powered strimmers. There’s no need to mix fuel, nor charge the battery in advance. You’ll be able to use your strimmer whenever you like. There are two cutting mechanisms to choose from; cutting blades or cutting line. Choose a line strimmer for cutting light vegetation and working around obstacles or 90° corners.

The blades are replaceable and will need changing approximately every 2 hours. However, just like the nylon string, the blades are not sharp or dangerous when not in use. It is only when they are spinning that they generate cutting power. This is the heaviest tool featured on this list, at 3.2 kg, but it’s still relatively easy to manage – this is helped by the fact that it feels well balanced. Plus, we mustn’t forget – with the extra weight comes a lot of additional power! Some assembly is required on this electric strimmer and thankfully it is very straightforward as the instructions provided are only in pictographs and not the clearest. You can probably find better instructions or tutorial videos online though you really shouldn’t need them. It took me about 3 minutes or so faffing, getting the collar around the unit – much like the Flymo Contour that I tested too so it’s a problem for all units. Super lightweight and available for around 30 pounds, there’s a lot to like about the Flymo Speedi-Trim Electric Grass Trimmer though due to the low price, there is a little niggle here and there, but nothing to write home about. If you only need a strimmer for light work at home, you could do a lot worse than the Flymo Speedi-Trim. Specification: Warranty: yes (2 years) , Motor power: 950 W , Cutting speed: 7000 rpm. , Cutting Diameter: 37 cm , Weight: 5.7 kgThis Bosch strimmer comes with two different cutting blades- an extra-strong cutting line spool that is probably the most heavy-duty strimmer wire I’ve seen come with a product and a triple-toothed, metal brush cutter blade for combating the heaviest undergrowth. Switching between them is very easy, just the removal of a screw, and there is no need to remove the guard to do so. The cutting line has a large cutting diameter of 37cm to really speed up your gardening sessions, and the three-tooth, brush cutter blade’s diameter is 23cm. As the nylon line wears down, fresh line needs to be fed into the cutting head from the spool. This is either done manually, automatically, or semi-automatically.

It’s easy to switch between trimming and edging modes and the pivoting head allows for greater accuracy.Nevertheless, noise aside, this strimmer is generally pleasant to use. The lightweight design means it’s easy to manage and the plant guard protects shrubs from damage when trimming close by.

Some of the best corded electric strimmers can produce similar levels of power as low-range petrol models, which is great news if you prefer electric tools. If you don’t need that much power, there are also lighter, more manageable corded strimmers available. Bump feed’ strimmers require the users to ‘bump’ the end of the strimmer on the ground to release more line. This means that you are in control of when to release more line, preventing wastage. The Bosch AFS is all about cutting power. Fitted with a meaty 950-watt electric motor that is capable of producing power equal to that of a 1.3 horsepower petrol motor. This is a phenomenal performance for an electric strimmer and will see you carving your way through your overgrown, jungle-like garden lawn like a knife through butter. Unlike petrol strimmers of similar power, the Bosch strimmer doesn’t vibrate and it runs much quieter. There’s quite a few things worth considering when you’re buying an electric strimmer – for a start, is a cordless strimmer more convenient? Comparing corded electric strimmers with cordless and petrol strimmers. Which is is the best type for you?With this electric strimmer, Makita has hit the mark yet again. The build quality is top-notch, it performs incredibly well both as a strimmer and an edger, and the fact that a free shoulder strap is thrown in is just the icing on the cake for me. I’d heard that this strimmer was a bit on the heavy side, but after using it, I’d have to disagree. It is slightly heavier than some other electric strimmers, but still a long way from what I would consider heavy, and the weight distribution, combined with the free shoulder strap make whatever extra weight there is, completely unnoticeable. There’s also an automatic single-line feed that saves time and effort, and a wheel guide to allow you to edge your lawn accurately. This also keeps plants safe from damage. Bladed strimmers have two (or more) nylon blades fitted on the head. These generate a lot of cutting power as they spin. My Bosch Electric Grass Trimmer ART 30 – the line spool is reasonably easy to sort out when it’s jammed.