How to Use Your Grass Strimmer: The Ultimate How-To Guide

Powered by two-stroke engines of varying power, these strimmers are suited to those who need to tackle even the toughest strimming tasks or have a larger area of garden to take care of. Being completely free of wires and cabling, they’re highly mobile garden tools. 2-stroke engines are described in terms of engine displacement or “cc”, just like a motor vehicle.

Ideal for lighter work and smaller gardens, lithium-ion powered strimmers are relatively new additions to the market. Battery powered garden tools are lightweight and ultra mobile, however require recharging every 20 minutes or so depending on the capacity of your cell. This is less of a problem if you have a small area to work in or numerous interchangeable batteries. We stock a range of Hyundai strimmers and grass trimmers, meaning that the batteries are interchangeable between over 50 home and garden tools, making them ideal for someone who already owns one.

These tools tend to be the cheapest type of strimmer you can buy, mainly because of the limitations of being stuck to an electrical socket. You won’t be able to venture into more difficult terrain or tackle the far end of your garden with ease, but on the flip side, you won’t be dependent on a battery capacity. A good compromise between corded and battery strimming is the Ryobi ONE+ Hybrid Power Grass Trimmer. This clever tool gives you the flexibility of a battery tool, plus the option to use a mains power cord if you run out of juice half way through your gardening.

With a trimming line that revolves at up to 3,000 revolutions per minute, it’s worth taking your personal protective equipment seriously. Eye and face protection is a must. A pair of tough gloves and sturdy shoes is highly recommended. Strimmers can be very noisy, so get some ear defender or plugs. Regardless of the weather, wear full length trousers and avoid loose fitting clothes.

Even the best kept gardens can have nasty surprises lurking just beneath the surface. Pieces of debris, such as a stone, could easily be flung towards a window or unsuspecting person’s eyes.Check the garden for surprises before you turn on the strimmer. 5 minutes of checking for obstructions could save you from a broken window or worse.

If you’re using a mains powered electric strimmer, the biggest hazard is likely to the long trailing cable. You’re just as likely to trip over the cable as you move around the garden, as you are to accidentally trim the wire to bits. Don’t use an extension cable that’s too long and keep it well away from the strimming head.Regardless of what strimmer you’re using, stay vigilant while you move through your garden and keep a strong stance as you work. Never work in the rain or when the ground is slippery or sodden.

It really can’t be said enough, accidentally coming into contact with the trimming line will cause some serious damage. If you’re using a harness and wearing the right clothes, you’ll minimise the risks, but just be aware that while the strimmers turned on, you should be nowhere near the spool. If you do have to perform any maintenance on the line end, make sure the tool has been switched off and has cooled down before you attempt the work.

Your strimmer will cut through your prized flowerbed just as quickly as it’ll tackle weeds. Whatever you point the tool at is likely to be cut to shreds or at least severely damaged. Be careful around fences, plant pots, garden walls and sculptures - hitting hard things will mean you’ll go through trimmer line really quickly as well as potentially take a chunk out of whatever you hit. Clear you garden of furniture, ornaments etc before you start your work.

This rule is for petrol strimmers only; wherever there’s a liquid fuel, there’s going to be exhaust emissions. Carbon-monoxide is very poisonous and invisible, so never use your strimmer in an enclosed space where gases can collect. If your strimmer is making excessive fumes, you might need to do some maintenance and adjust the carburettor’s air intake. Store your petrol or fuel mix somewhere out of the house and away from anything that might cause a spark. Allow an engine to completely cool down before you try and refuel a petrol powered tool.

Power tools cause vibrations and noise, both of which will take their toll on an operator over a long period of time. Wearing the right protective equipment, keeping a good stance and wearing a harness will all help elevate strain and keep you strimming comfortably. Listen to what your body is telling you; if fatigue creeps up on you or your muscles start to ache, it’s time to give it a rest for the day. Stay hydrated and never operate a power tool if you’re feeling unwell.

Every strimmer is a little different, so it’s worth taking a look through your instruction manual before you begin. All SGS strimmers and garden power tools come with comprehensive instruction manuals that are available to download from individual product pages if you’ve lost the one that came in the box!

Now’s the time to check the garden over for any potential hazards such as stones and other hidden nasties in the grass. Move all your garden furniture and ornaments out of the way of where you’ll be strimming. Put the kids and pets in the house out of the way from where you’ll be working.

We’ve already been through what protective equipment is advised, but it’s worth reiterating that you need something like safety glasses or a visor to protect your face, sturdy shoes and long trousers before you start strimming. Gloves, ear defenders and steel toe cap boots are also recommended.

You’re just about ready to get under way with your strimming. Electric strimmers will be as simple as a switch and possibly a dead mans switch. Petrol power strimmer will have a starting procedure that’s explained in the manual. You can see a step-by-step picture guide for starting an SGS strimmer here.

Where two surfaces are basically flush, you’ll find that edging gives you that sharp, clean cut finish. You might want to use this technique between your lawn and drive or around flower bed borders. To achieve this finish, keep your strimmer spool flat and parallel to the ground. Find your cut height, get into a comfortable working position and then simply walk into the cut path. Keep a firm grip at a uniformed height for the best results. Expect dirt, stones and debris to be thrown around when you attempt this cutting technique.

Tapering gives a gradual, fading grass effect that looks particularly attractive around obstacles, giving a more natural feel than the strong parallel cut you get from edging. Instead of angling the trimmer line flat (like you do when edging) hold your strimmer at a slight angle. Pitch the tip of the cutting line towards the object you’re trimming around - you’ll cut less grass as you move around the obstacle, but a tapered edge means you won’t end up with an unattractive channel of grass between where you’ve mowed and your obstruction. Blend the edge with the height of your mowed grass for a clean but natural looking finish.

Some obstacles can’t be easily walked around, particularly when working in longer grass. You shouldn’t attempt scything unless you have a powerful strimmer - preferably a petrol strimmer. To trim longer grass and weeds, or to cut around a more difficultly placed obstacle, take a strong stance and bring the tool in and out of the cutting area in a shallow “U” shape. You can overlap your scythes for a more even cut, or space them out a bit for a natural wavy effect.

The final type of cut you might attempt with your strimmer is for those annoying weeds that grow through cracks or between patio paving slabs. It’s a fast and effective way to remove those unsightly tufts of overgrowth, but it’ll take a toll on your trimming line. It also requires a fairly steady hand and you need a strimmer light enough to manoeuvre with confidence.