The jungle is upon you: thistles peer in the windows, dandy-lions prowl at your door. It’s time to arm yourself, whet your blades, don your defensive gear, and step into the garden.
It’s time to buy a weed whacker (a.k.a., weed eater) and reclaim your title as King or Queen of this particular jungle.
But how do you choose your weapon? What do you need to know about weed eaters, and how do you decide which one to buy?
This is serious stuff, since your own health and safety (as well as the wellbeing of your wallet) depend on your choice. Luckily, it’s also pretty easy.
Just answer two questions to tailor your choice to your particular jungle.
Two Simple Questions
To keep your shopping process simple, you really only need to answer two questions:
Question 1. Gas, corded, or cordless?
Your answer to this question will immediately let you rule out two-thirds of the market to focus in on what you really want.
We’ll explore the nuances below to make sure you know the differences.
Question 2. Top priorities.
What do you value the most? We’ll give you a full list of factors to choose from below; your job is just to pick the three or four most important ones to you.
The general categories are:
- Power Type
- Impact: String Options
- Ergonomics
- Convenience
For us personally, the most important were 1) the power to chomp through rural mega-weeds and 2) ergonomics to make the task realistic and painless.
Whittle own your list accordingly.
Power
Gas, Power, or Electric?
- Gas versus electric: Gas is cheaper and can give you more gusto; it also requires that you store gasoline and additives and perform regular engine maintenance. Electric tends to be quieter and lighter, with only a battery to store, but it will run out of juice faster.
- If you choose electric, then the next decision is: corded or cordless. If your weeds all are within reach of a house plug, you might want a cord so you don’t need the hassle of charging a battery. On the other hand, if you’re going to roam at all, you’ll need to go cordless.
- Helpful tip: each type has its own measurement of power output.
- Gas-powered trimmers’ power output is measured in cubic centimeters (cc).
- Corded trimmers are rated in amps (A).
- Cordless trimmers are in volts (V).
Other power considerations: If you want to get more nuanced, and cull even more of the retail field, think about the following:
- Battery duration: A longer battery life means more cutting between charging (or switching out batteries); however it can also make for a heavier tool.
- Time to charge: The faster the battery charges, the quicker you can be out there clearing weeds. Up to you whether that’s a good thing.
- Brushes versus brushless: Old-style motors have a “brush,” whereas newer, “brushless” style motors do not. I know little about motors and only as much about brushes as it takes to get my hair respectable, but the accepted rule is that brushless motors are both better and more expensive. (When is that ever not the case?) They last longer, don’t need their brushes replaced (who knew?), and are more efficient… meaning better battery output. So, you get more, but you pay for it too.
- Desired voltage, amps, or cc’s: A higher number means more power. (Remember that voltage refers to cordless, amps are for corded power, and cc’s indicate gasoline.) For our needs, we went electric and focused on a higher voltage in the range of 40-80 for our Goliathan weeds.
- Variable speed settings: Variable settings let you choose different amounts of power for different conditions. Lower speeds extend battery time, while higher levels will help you conquer thicker weeds.
String Options
The thickness, height, and abundance of your weeds will dictate how much gusto and impact you need from your eater. String is one variable in the gusto equation.
Consider:
- String gauge: heavier gauge can cut thicker weeds
- Cutting swath (string length) represents the area you can cut in one swipe.
- Single-line, dual-line, or fixed-line heads: Dual-line heads cut twice every revolution, so you’ll trim faster. Single-line means you’ll have a simpler time winding your line. And fixed-line lets you load in precut lines rather than doing any winding at all. If you opt for fixed-line, you’ll need to stop the action and reload whenever the line runs out. If you opt for single- or dual-line, then you’ll need to decide on your preferred feeder mechanism, discussed next.
- Bump-head or automatic-feed Bump heads will feed you more line when you “bump” the cutter against the ground. Automatic-feed heads release new line as needed, based on centrifugal force. How to decide? Bump-heads are more likely to break (what with all the bumping you’re doing); automatic-feeds are less likely to break, but will be more costly to fix if they do.
- Fast-loading spools let you add and wind new line without taking the spool apart.
- Environmental impact. String cutters work by rotating plastic string at high velocity against villain weeds, and in the process both get shredded. The reason you have to “bump” or auto-feed your string, and the reason you need to keep loading new spools, is that your existing line is quickly becoming a dust of micro-plastics in your garden. You won’t see them, but they’ll be there for years to come. This is something else to consider and be aware of when choosing your yard tool. (If you do decide this isn’t for you, here’s a post on some alternatives.)
Ergonomics
If it doesn’t feel good, you probably won’t do it often; and if it feels bad, you probably won’t do it at all. And why would you? A momentary detente in the weed wars is not worth throwing out your back. So, consider the value of ergonomics when narrowing your options.
- Straight or curved shaft: Curved can be more comfortable if you’re shorter, or consider straight if you’re taller. Straight also makes trimming under low shrubs easier.
- Customizable height: Some eaters let you adjust the length of the shaft or handle, so that you can avoid that painful “Hunchback de Notre Yard” look.
- Weight: If it’s hard to carry because it’s too heavy, you’re not going to want to use it. Period. (That said, watch out: not every brand weighs their products the same. Check whether a weight includes necessaries like batteries for cordless tools.)
- Weight distribution: A tool is easier to carry if the weight is either evenly distributed or slightly heavier at the top. This is a factor you’d want to test in person.
- Noise: You live in nature presumably because you love the whisper of the breeze and the rustle of leaves, not the roar of a jet engine. Check the decibels of your top choices, not only to protect your labyrinths of auditory marvel (aka, your ears) but also to help sustain the peacefulness around you.
- Anti-vibration: Good vibrations equal no vibrations.
- Wheels: If you need an eater that can handle wide, thick swaths and travels on its own wheels, this is something to consider. Also known as a “walk behind” weed whacker, it’s sort of a hybrid between a whacker and a full-out mower.
Convenience & Lack of Aggravation
I expect my tools to do more work for me than I do for them. If you’re the same and want a life free of complications (or at least less filled with less of them), weigh the importance of these factors:
- Ease to clean: If there’s a lot of room between the blade and the shaft, tall grass will get in there and wrap itself several thousand times or so around the shaft. To avoid this, you’ll want either a cutting head that’s easy to remove (so you can pull it off, followed by the grass) and/or less gap between blade and shaft.
- Many have a “guard” to help you protect non-weed plants.
- A rolling lawn edger flips your blade sideways onto wheels to cut easy, precise edges. Living in the forest, that’s really not so important.
- Accessory-ready: Some weed whackers accept same-brand accessories such as a blower or pole saw (which really is just a pole with an electric saw on the end).
- Other safety features
- Rating: 10,000 happy customers can’t be completely wrong. And even 100 angry ones will be happy to give you an earful. Read some ratings before you buy.
- Easy loading and feeding: String can be hard to load and easy to tangle, so look for features that simplify the process. Nearly every brand has some version of a misspelled enhancement, such as “verryfast” or “tornato load.” (Don’t tread on their copyrights… but do look below the surface of their claims.)
In Sum: Narrowing the Field So that You Can Go Chop the Field
To recap: We’ve looked at a lot of factors, but at the end of the day your work is pretty easy.
Question 1. Gas, corded, or cordless?
Make a choice, and focus in on that third of the market.
Question 2. Top priorities.
Of the factors discussed above, what actually matters to you? Pick the three or four that are most important to you, and do a little research. You’ll find that the weed whacking retail field is not infinite, and, with these two steps, you’ll have a manageable handful of tools to choose among.
And of course: always prioritize safety first. (It truly is a jungle out there, so make sure to wear protective equipment including pants, gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.)
With that – happy chopping!