A strimmer is a type of power tool that is able to rotate at extremely high speeds in order to trim tricky areas of grass.
If you’re an avid gardener or you’ve recently moved into a new home and want to invest in some garden tools, you might be asking yourself the question: “Are battery-powered strimmers any good?”
Battery-powered trimmers are an essential tool for garden maintenance and can make all the difference between a neatly kept lawn, and an unruly one.
Most specifically, they’re particularly useful for those that own irregular-shaped lawns, as it means all areas can be trimmed – even the spots that a normal, standard lawnmower would be unable to reach.
What’s more, battery-powered trimmers are particularly handy because they allow for greater portability than their power cord counterparts.
Not only does it mean that you won’t have to worry about any cords getting tangled in the grass, but it means that you can take the strimmer as far as you like without any restrictions.
In addition to this, battery-powered strimmers also tend to offer better value for money than other types of strimmers, as they contain lithium-ion batteries which are considered to be very affordable.
What is the best battery-powered string trimmer?
Generally, the best battery-powered string trimmer for you should be able to offer you a long service life, excellent value for money, and powerful performance.
On top of that, the best battery-powered string trimmer should be able to handle a variety of demands with ease, including trimming lawn edges and trimming any and all overgrowth.
Need a recommendation?
Here’s our top choice: BLACK + DECKER MAX String Battery-Powered String Trimmer
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Loved by gardening professionals for its lightweight design and long-lasting service, the Black + Decker Max String Battery-Powered String Trimmer is one of the most well-known battery-powered string trimmers on the market.
Why? Well, this innovative trimmer will allow you to edge, sweep and trim hard-to-reach areas of the garden in a pinch, allowing you to create a beautiful and neatly groomed garden in a matter of moments.
Unlike other trimmers, it’s powered by two 20V lithium-ion batteries, which makes them ideal for clearing debris and tidying borders in both small and large yards, alike.
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Which is better gas or battery trimmer?
Like we touched on above, there are numerous types of trimmers on the market, and the two most popular ones are gas and battery-powered. Now, if you had raised this question years ago, the definite winner between the two would have no doubt been a gas trimmer.
However, in recent years, technology has allowed battery-powered trimmers to creep their way up the rankings, so much so that may deem them to be the better option out of the two.
Nowadays, cordless battery trimmers combine the longevity of a lithium-ion battery with the advancement of brushless motor technology which, in short, means that they’re a very powerful garden tool. This contrasts with gas trimmers, which are known for needing to be frequently replaced.
In addition to this, gas-powered trimmers are known for their noisiness! This means that, for many places, people have to wait until a certain time during the day before it’s appropriate to use them, not to mention the fact that they have a high emission level.
In contrast to this, battery-powered trimmers are very quiet (so you can use them at any time) and have zero emissions, making them much better for the environment.
Is 40V better than 20V?
Besides choosing between gas or battery-powered trimmers, another important decision to make will be deciding which voltage is best for you and your yard needs.
Generally speaking, ‘voltage’ refers to the number of battery cells that are held within a battery, and the more there are, the more powerful you can assume the battery will be.
So, if we compare a 20-volt battery to a 40-volt battery, it’s safe to say that the 40-volt battery will be the more powerful out of the two levels of battery power.
It should also be noted that the quality of the voltage will heavily depend on the type of battery used.
Like we mentioned above, we recommend going for a trimmer with a lithium-ion battery, as not only do they charge quickly, but they deliver power at a high capacity.
This means that a lithium battery will be able to make total use of the voltage level, from start to finish!
Plus, when it does lose power, all it will need is a charge. In contrast, older types of batteries are unable to deliver this steady stream of power while in use, so you’ll notice that power will gradually fade throughout usage.
How long do battery trimmers last?
During one session, you can expect your battery trimmer to last for around 40 minutes to 1 hour before needing to be recharged. However, this will greatly depend on how hard you’re pushing the trimmer.
In addition to this, you can expect your battery’s overall lifespan to be around 3-4 years, and an average of 300-400 hours before needing a replacement battery.
In contrast, a gas-powered battery trimmer will last for around 20-30 minutes during one session before needing to be topped up and have a lifespan of around 2 years. It’s also worth noting here that gas-powered trimmers often need 10-minute interval breaks, which can be frustrating for some.
Regardless of which battery-powered trimmer you decide to use, there are a few steps you can take to help maximize the overall lifespan of your trimmer.
To make sure that you get the best value for your money and keep the strimmer operating at its best, we recommend fully charging the battery, switching it on, and allowing the battery to completely run down until it runs out.
Ideally, you should aim to do this around every two months, remembering to recharge the battery immediately afterward.
