String Trimmers Reviews

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String Trimmers Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	String Trimmers Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	String Trimmers Editors of Consumer Reports May 2006		Consumer Reports tests 36 string trimmers in weeks of trimming and edging, rating them for their ability to perform vertical edging, trim a lawn and handle tall grass and weeds. Each trimmer is also rated for its balance and responsiveness, as well as ease of starting, feeding out line, and overall usability. The string trimmers are ranked (based on an overall score) according to type, with the emphasis on gas trimmers, but including ten corded electric trimmers and three cordless trimmers. The review recommends curved-shaft trimmers for ease of handling, but also picks the best straight-shaft trimmers, saying they usually have a longer reach. Cordless trimmers are recommended only for brief, minimal trimming of short grass, corded electric trimmers for small yards, and gasoline trimmers for tall grass and weeds, or larger yards.
2. Popular Mechanics >> Details/Subscribe	Cut to the Quick Roy Berendsohn May 2006		This review compares fewer string trimmers than the Consumer Reports review, and covers only gas trimmers, but more four-stroke engines are included; these engines lower air-polluting emissions by 70%. The review doesn't give each trimmer a rating, and recommendations are based on only three days of testing, with less emphasis on edging than the Consumer Reports review offers. But Popular Mechanics categorizes the string trimmers nicely into pro, near-pro, and homeowner models, recommending straight-shaft near-pro trimmers for durability and low vibration. The Weedeater Featherlite SST25 is the second-ranked near-pro trimmer, and it’s less expensive than most.

String Trimmers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	String Trimmers Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. Landscape & Irrigation	Outdoor Power: Beware the Cheapie Trimmers and Edgers; Where to Buy Trimmers Tom Bernosky Mar. 2004		Landscape and Irrigation is a trade magazine for professional landscapers. Author Tom Bernosky talks about various types of string trimmers, without recommending any specific model or brand. The author says that less expensive trimmers in the $80-range are designed to have life spans of only about 40 hours, while for about $120 more, you could buy a string trimmer designed to run about 2,000 hours; that's 50 times longer. Like the Popular Mechanics review, this one recommends straight-shaft trimmers, as long as they use a solid steel shaft rather than a cheap spring. The author also warns against attachments like cultivators, saying they just don't perform well.
4. KRBCTV.com >> Details/Subscribe	Does It Work? Garden Hardware: Weed Thrasher Rob Mooring and Karl Rundgren Not Dated		This review of the Weed Thrasher attachment for gas trimmers goes further than most, because after finding that the Weed Thrasher wouldn't fit on his Ryobi trimmer, the tester took both to a professional for help. It turns out that the entire Ryobi head had to be removed in order to mount the Weed Thrasher. Tests of the attachment in use show that it does indeed cut weeds well, but it's hard to use in tight areas, and difficult to replace the strips. The review gives the Weed Thrasher a rating of three out of a possible five, concluding that it's apt to be frustrating unless you have mostly open field with loads of tough weeds.
5. The Old House Web	Choosing and Using String Trimmers John Kelsey Not Dated		This overview on selecting and using string trimmers recommends using both a string trimmer and metal-bladed brush cutter. The article covers the pros and cons of two-cycle and four-cycle gas trimmers, brush cutters, corded electric and cordless trimmers. Specific trimmers are recommended for each type, but no testing is documented so it's not clear why these models were selected. The recommendations carry some weight, however, just because of the overall credibility of the This Old House television series and Web site.
6. Power Equipment Trade	Shindaiwa T2500 Blends Best of 4-Stroke, 2-Stroke Engines Ken Morrison Dec. 2001		This is an older article, but it provides an in-depth explanation of how the Shindaiwa hybrid 4-cycle / 2-stroke hybrid engine works. An independent study reviews a pre-production model of the Shindaiwa T2500 trimmer (now the T2510), designed in 2001 to anticipate by several years the EPA and CARB limits for outdoor power-tool emissions. This review also answers some of the questions raised in a forum thread described below, on the lubrication of 4-cycle trimmers when they're held at odd angles for edging. The Shindaiwa trimmer mixes oil with the fuel, so there's no oil reservoir. The review tests the throttle response of the engine, finding it's much closer to that of a standard two-stroke engine.

String Trimmers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	String Trimmers Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. GardenWeb.com	Lawn Care Forum Contributors to GardenWeb.com As of May 2006		Users post questions here, many covering the pros and cons of specific string trimmers. The most recent posts recommend the Echo SRM210 string trimmers as slightly better than Stihl trimmers, and many users recommend other Echo trimmers as well. Another recent discussion covers the advisability of four-stroke engines on trimmers, with most users saying they're happy using them. This is also a good forum for searching for information about a specific string trimmer, or asking a question about the best trimmer for a special situation.
8. Amazon.com	String Trimmers Editors of and Contributors to Amazon.com As of May 2006		Users review and rate string trimmers here, but many of the trimmers have been discontinued, and most of the current models don't have many reviews. The top-rated string trimmers we found were two cordless trimmers with average user ratings of four (out of a possible five) stars: The Black & Decker NST2018 Grasshog trimmer, and the American Gardener VS18 Yardstick LightLine trimmer. Other trimmers receive lower average reviews, but Amazon.com doesn't sell some of the major brands like Echo or Stihl.
9. InfomercialAds.com	Weed Thrasher Contributors to InfomercialAds.com As of May 2006		Six users give the Weed Thrasher string trimmer attachment a unanimous rating of one star, the lowest possible. Some complain that it didn't fit their Ryobi or Homelite gas trimmer; others say the plastic cutters fell apart within a few minutes.
10. Epinions	String Trimmers Contributors to Epinions As of May 2006		Epinions presents dozens of string trimmers with owner-written ratings, but by the time a specific model has accumulated enough reviews and ratings to make for a solid conclusion, it's usually been discontinued. Unfortunately, discontinued trimmers are mixed in with the models still available, so using this site can be frustrating. Overall, however, Black & Decker trimmers get mostly positive reviews, as long as they're used for grass and not tough weeds.
11. About.com	Cordless String Trimmers David Beaulieu Not Dated		The title of this review is misleading. We anticipated coverage of various brands of cordless trimmers. Instead, Beaulieu provides a short, single product review of the Black & Decker NST2018 Grass Hog. The trimmer offers up to 30 minutes of power before the battery requires recharging, usually sufficient for a small yard. Beaulieu does compare the Black & Decker NST2018 to the less expensive CST2000 trimmer, concluding that the former is a better choice due to its lighter weight.

String Trimmers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	String Trimmers Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. Consumer Guide.com >> Details/Subscribe	String Trimmers (Gasoline, Cordless and Electric) Editors of Consumer Guide As of May 2006		Consumer Guide offers 49 picks for gas, electric and cordless string trimmers, rated "best buy," "recommended," or "budget choice," but no testing or even use is documented. The emphasis is more on features and price. Reviews of discontinued string trimmers are in a separate archive, which makes the main list more convenient while making it possible to look for reviews of used trimmers. Consumer Guide's list has not been updated in some time.
13. USA Today Magazine	Spring Yard Work: Bring It On Editors of USA Today May 2005		This review covers a set of cordless 18-volt Black & Decker tools, saying the NiCad batteries charge in as little as three hours with no memory effect. The string trimmer uses an automatic feed (not a bump-feed) and converts to an edger. No testing or actual use is documented, so it appears that the information is just from a press release.
14. Old House Web	Bestselling String Trimmers and Customer Reviews Editors of Old House Web As of May 2006		This magazine provides ideas and advice for old-house enthusiasts, and often offers useful buyer's guides. For string trimmers, though, the owner-written product reviews aren't as complete or up-to-date as the reviews at Amazon.com. Since you can't see the average user rating without clicking on the actual model, the list of string trimmers here at Old House Web is especially tedious to use.