Best Battery Lawn Trimmers – Choice and Reviews

Are you looking for the best cordless lawn trimmer? In this guide I will explain which are the most interesting models and how to choose it.

Do you need to mow the grass along the stairs or paths, or at the foot of the trees? Then you will not be able to do without a very comfortable edge trimmer, that is an electrically powered tool with a low price and full of advantages. This device allows you to proceed with a rather precise cut of the edges, mowing that grass that you would usually take hours to remove. Because of its agility, in fact, the trimmer is able to move between obstacles without problems, guaranteeing you a truly remarkable saving in terms of effort.

How a cordless lawn trimmer works

For one thing, its structure closely resembles that of a battery-powered brushcutter, let’s say on a small scale. Not surprisingly, the edge cutter is more compact and lighter, and also has a lower cost.

It has been designed for more precise work, so it is suitable for gardens and small plots of land, which require edging finishing. Know that you can use it for a thousand different purposes: from cutting the grass near the driveway or stairs, up to the cleaning of the most difficult and annoying corners to reach.

This appliance belongs to the family of electric trimmers, except that it is not powered by cable, but through a battery mounted directly on the machine body. It means that you will have no wires between your feet, and that you can move freely and wherever you want, without having spatial limits.

On the other hand, the battery with respect to the cable imposes a certain limit in terms of working autonomy, however high: in fact, we are talking about an hour of continuous use.

How the cordless trimmer is made

First, we find the so-called cutting head, that is the section that houses the plastic blades or the nylon thread. These are rotated at high speed by the battery powered motor, and it is they who mow the grass. The engine, for the record, is located right above the cutting head.

The head and the motor are connected to the handle, where the ignition button is also located. Consider that in some models there is a double handle, convenient for carrying out the work of mowing the grass with greater comfort and more precision. The connection between the cutting head and the motor body takes place via a metal tubular.

There is another component included in the package, and that is the plastic bumper. In practice, this accessory must be mounted near the cutting head, and is used to ensure the safety of those who use the cordless edge trimmer. Specifically, it prevents pebbles and pieces of wood raised by the blades or wire from rising and hitting the user.

Here is a small summary:

• Motor body with handle: often the handle is pistol-shaped, therefore the activation of the blades takes place by pressing a special trigger. The handles can be two, and at the top you will find the housing to mount the battery.

• Connecting pipe: it is a simple metal tube designed to connect the motor body to the cutting head. In some cases it is telescopic, so you have the option to lengthen or shorten it, thus adapting it to your height.

• Cutting head: as I told you, this head has a rotating mechanism that houses plastic knives or a nylon thread. It is activated simply by pressing the trigger on the handle. Finally, the bumper hood must also be mounted on the head.

Before continuing, know that there are some valuable info to clarify immediately, and they concern the nylon thread. There are 3 categories on the market: the threads that must be manually extracted from the spool, the semi-automatic ones and the automatic ones.

• Manual wire feeding: Once it is worn out, you will have to pull the new section of the nylon cable out of the spool, manually.

• Semi-automatic feeding: in these models it is sufficient to place the cutting head on the ground, and apply light pressure. This triggers a spring that pulls out the new section of wire.

• Automatic feeding: the appliance detects by itself when the thread is exhausted, and takes care of pulling out the new section from the spool, automatically. And until the spool runs out, you won’t have to do anything.

Best cordless lawn trimmers

1. BLACK+ DECKER GLC3630L20-QW Lithium 36v-2.0Ah

I leave immediately “with a bang”, that is with a top of the range trimmer, probably the best on the market. This device from Black & Decker, in fact, has a number of features that make it exceptional. Meanwhile, the unwinding of the wire is automatic, so you can work without having to worry about anything. Secondly, it has 2 selectable modes: Turbo and Eco.

Turbo mode puts… the turbo, so it adds power to the cutting head and makes it spin at very high speeds. It is a perfect function for cutting plants with a harder and more resistant stem. The Eco mode, on the other hand, aims to save the battery and extends its life, but can only cut thin stems, such as grass stalks. As for autonomy, this reaches an average of 40 minutes in Eco mode (20 minutes in Turbo mode).

While not comparable to a brushcutter, it has exceptional power, and is perfect even against the most difficult brushwood. It is true that the battery does not have a very long life, and that it takes an hour and a half to recharge, but it makes up for it with top-of-the-range performance. Furthermore, by purchasing a second battery you can solve this small defect, having the certainty of being able to work for an abundant hour.

Other useful info? It has a telescopic handle, a 30 cm cutting width, a double handle and a motor that keeps the power constant while cutting. Secondly, there are 2 different functions (edge ​​cutter and edging) and the weight is by no means excessive (around 3.5 kilograms). Finally, this cordless trimmer from Black & Decker includes both the battery and the charger.

2. BLACK+ DECKER STC1840EPC-QW PowerCommand

Another lap, another race, another Black & Decker gem. This cordless trimmer shares some features with the previous one, but it even adds others. I’m talking, for example, about the wheel for cutting in edging mode, and the Power Command button, which is used to manage the unwinding of the wire. In addition, it is very powerful and the package includes both the battery and the charger.

The autonomy reaches up to about 60 minutes, while charging the battery takes a couple of hours in total. As for the technical data, it has a cutting radius of 30 centimeters and a wire with a thickness of 1.5 millimeters. Therefore quite resistant and able to cut even the “difficult” stems. As I mentioned earlier, the feeding of the cutting line is very special: by pressing the appropriate button, the spool rotates and releases the line, giving you total control.

Also know that you can adjust the wire rotation speed, and that there is a small wheel on the cutting head. This acts as a support when you use the lawnmower in edging mode, and allows you a better precision in the work phase, precisely because it allows the head to slide on the ground. Furthermore, the apparatus in question has an extendable tube and a double handle.

I had the chance to try it and I guarantee you that the performances are astounding, as well as the precision of the work. It’s not as powerful as a brushcutter, but basically you don’t buy it for that, so it is completely normal. Finally, know that it does not weigh much and that trimming the edges is very easy with this device. Consequently, it is also suitable for hobbyists.

3. Einhell GC-CT 18/24 Li P Power X-Change With Blades

If you are looking for an inexpensive and very practical cordless trimmer to use, the answer is this Einhell product. It’s not perfect, but it has some notable features, considering its very low price. Firstly it is a non-flush model but with blades, and secondly it has a cutting area of ​​24 centimeters. In addition, the package includes the lithium-ion battery and the charger.

The rotation speed reaches 8,500 revolutions per minute, so the power is quite high, and allows the knives to cut even the stems of medium difficulty. However, bear in mind that plastic blades are delicate, so you need to be careful not to get too close to the sidewalk or wall, as they can break easily. Not bad, because the package also includes 20 spare knives.

The quality of the manufacturing materials is excellent, while the battery life stands at 40 minutes, so it is on average. In addition, it is a true featherweight, as it does not exceed 1.7 kilograms, therefore it does not tire the arms and is very easy to use. There is also the double handle, to add even more comfort and precision to work. Finally, it does not have an extendable handle, and it is a flaw to underline.

4. BLACK+ DECKER ST1823-QW 18V-1.5Ah Cut 25 cm

Well yes: round and round, you always come back to Black & Decker. This time, however, I present to you a less expensive model, in any case of medium-high range, with a cutting radius of 25 cm and with semi-automatic unwinding of the wire. In practice, you just need to place it on the ground and apply a slight pressure, to allow the nylon cable to feed. The power is good, and the battery lasts around 40 minutes (but takes 3 hours to recharge).

On a structural level, we find all the typical peculiarities of the Black & Decker cordless edgers: that is the double handle, the telescopic handle and the guide that acts as a support for the vertical edging (fixed, therefore not with a wheel). The thickness of the wire is on average, from 1.5 millimeters, and the package of course includes charger and battery. Finally, it is great for trimming jobs on areas of about 500 square meters, and has a very fast rotor.

What are the other benefits? It is easy to assemble, rather light and simple to use. It produces a little more noise than other devices of this type, and it’s good that you know that. The performance is almost astonishing, considering that it costs 50 euros less than the professional models. In conclusion, an excellent middle ground for those who would like to save something, but without too many sacrifices.

How to choose the cordless trimmer

1. Cutting system

At this point you will have understood that there are 2 distinct cutting systems: spools with nylon thread and rotors with plastic knives. What are their characteristics?

• Nylon thread: generally in cordless edge cutters it has a thickness of 1.5 or 1.6 mm, a lower price and is great for cutting light or medium hard stems. Remember that the unwinding mechanism can change.

• Knife system: plastic blades are harder and therefore more suitable for cutting small shrubs. However, parts cost more, and the blades tend to break if they cross walls and the sidewalk.

Furthermore, the wire can have a round (the most common) or square section. The second is more durable, wears less quickly and is perfect for cutting slightly harder stems. However it is quite rare in the field of battery trimmers.

2. Unwinding of the wire

As I have already mentioned, the models with wire cutting system can have different unrolling systems. Surely you know that the nylon cable tends to wear out, due to the work being cut, therefore it must be powered. Well, the type of wire feeding depends on the system: therefore, how it unrolls from inside the spool, coming out of the hole.

In the high-end models the aforementioned system is automatic, consequently the edge cutter will take care of feeding the wire when it is shortened. The semi-automatic system is similar: when the wire runs out, just a tap on the ground is enough to feed it. Actually I prefer to put it down and make a slight pressure, to avoid damaging the rotor, because the spring that pushes the nylon is activated anyway.

The manual system is… manual: when the cable wears out, you have to loosen a pin that tightens the spool, and pull the thread out of its housing, and then tighten the pin again. It is rather uncomfortable, which is why it is hardly used in modern models anymore.

3. Vertical edging function

The vertical edging function is present only in the best trimmers, and allows you to trim the grass by raising the cutting head, so as to slide the line vertically and not horizontally. This mode ensures amazing precision, and even higher if the support is roller and not fixed. Clearly it is especially useful for mowing grass near a sidewalk or wall.

4. Other important features

• Battery life: usually the autonomy of an edge trimmer ranges from 40 minutes to 90 minutes. It also depends on the speed selected: if it is possible to choose a higher power, this will inevitably consume more.

• Selectable modes: some devices allow you to choose between 2 speeds or 2 modes, such as energy saving and Turbo. They are very useful extras, because they make the appliance more versatile.

• Cutting area: the cutting radius is equivalent to the diameter that the wire “draws” by rotating at speed, therefore it corresponds to the area it is able to mow. The values ​​start from a minimum of 24 cm and reach a maximum of 30 cm. The larger the radius, the more surface you cover with a single pass.

• Double handle: a double handle is comfortable, because it allows you to manage the power tool better and with less effort.

• Weight: Although almost all of them are more or less light, the weight can affect your endurance. There are certain models that, after about 20 minutes, require a break precisely because they are heavier and difficult to hold.

• Telescopic tube: the telescopic tube is essential to adapt the length of the instrument to your height.
• Adjustable cutting head: only the models designed for vertical edging have a cutting head that can be tilted.