Tips on Working with the Lawn Trimmer

Since we usually do not have a perfect lawn, a little reworking is necessary here and there for a clean overall appearance. However, if you are already laying the lawn, for example a mowing edge made of paving stones, you will save yourself reworking with the edge cutter or grass shears.The lawnmower can be easily moved with its wheels over this row of stones and leaves thus no long blades of grass which are not reached by the knife. A rework with the edge trimmer or the grass shear is thus completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, that does not work everywhere. Since we don’t usually have a perfect lawn, a little rework is necessary here and there for a clean overall picture.

Here is the grass trimmer used. Grass trimmers are available in various designs. With petrol engine, as a cordless device or as a wired device. Each of these variants has its advantages and disadvantages, which device is perfect for your own garden, depends on the local conditions.

How does it work?

A lawn trimmer consists of a motor on whose rotor a blade is attached. There are two variants, on the one hand the fixed blade, which works like a knife, on the other hand a single lined spool. For the home garden models with thread are recommended, as there won't be any broken blades lying on the lawn which could cause accidental onset of injuries. The threads are rolled up on a spool. If the thread tears, a new piece is automatically released from the spool. A painstaking change of the blade is therefore unnecessary. The thread consists of an environmentally friendly material, which dissolves completely over time.

How to change the thread of your lawn trimmer

Electric Lawn Trimmer

In terms of volume, the lawn trimmer with electric motor is clearly the most comfortable and therefore easy to use even in residential areas. A big disadvantage is the fact that you have to lay cables in the garden to use the device. This can be extremely expensive depending on the size of the garden. Due to its simple technique, this variant of the grass trimmer is also the cheapest. If you rarely need the device, the wired grass trimmer is a good choice.

Petrol Lawn Trimmer

The strongest, but probably the loudest lawn trimmer is definitely the one with a petrol engine. Due to its volume, it is more suitable for open spaces than the residential area. When it comes to clearing a large area of weeds and tall grass, this trimmer works the best. No cables need to be laid here and there is no need to wait for the battery to be charged. Because of this flexibility, the Petrol Lawn Trimmer is favoured to be used in a professional environment, by gardeners. When using the device, an ear protection should be worn urgently!

The Cordless Lawn Trimmer

This kind of the lawn trimmer with electric motor and battery combines the advantages of both aforementioned devices. The volume is no problem in the residential area and the freedom of movement is quite close to the lawn trimmer with petrol engine. With modern batteries, battery life of over one hour can be achieved here. If you have a suitable replacement battery, this grass trimmer is also suitable for large plots of land away from the mains. Today, everyone who wants to buy a lawn trimmer, usually takes the model powered by battery.

Working Back-Friendly

Due to the long handle, the grass trimmer can be used comfortably while standing. This spares in comparison to the hand-held grass shear the back, the knees and especially the patience.

Versatile application possibilities

Of course, not only grass can be cut with the lawn trimmer. Thanks to their powerful engine, even tall weeds and woody stalks up to a diameter of a few millimetres are no problem. Nettle and Co can be crushed directly on site and remain as a mulch in the bed.

Modern Technology

When buying a lawn trimmer with battery, you should make sure to buy a model with a modern lithium-ion battery. Batteries of this generation have the advantage that the capacity does not decrease even after several charging cycles. Compared to old NiMH rechargeable batteries, modern rechargeable batteries are insensitive to overcharging and provide sufficient power even when not fully charged.

The care of the electric grass shears

The care of a lawn trimmer is very simple. The housing can be wiped with a damp cloth and thus be freed from dust and fine grass clippings. The moving parts you spray with an oil from the spray can, thus ensuring that everything remains flexible and the rust has no chance to build. During the winter months, the battery should be charged at irregular intervals in the version with a battery-operated electric motor. This extends the lifetime and prevents a deep discharge.

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Picture of the author Hauke Leweling.
Written by Hauke Leweling
Published on 31.07.2019

Whether it's the garden or the workshop, Hauke Leweling is a true all-rounder and a freelance blogger. For Einhell, Hauke is armed not only with pen and paper but also with various gardening tools and equipment that he thoroughly tests. He shares his experiences, as well as tips and tricks, in his blog posts.