The 9 Best String Trimmers We’ve Tested (So Far) in 2024

Husqvarna is highly regarded for its chainsaws among those who make a living chopping down trees, so it should come as little surprise that its string trimmers are pretty darn good too. We got the chance to test drive the 36-volt battery-powered 330iKL and didn’t come away disappointed. Having high expectations for the Husqvarna brand, we set it loose on denser brush, clearing tall weeds off the shoulder of a local bike path.

With its thick .095 Titanium Force line and broad 18-inch cutting width, we thrashed through vegetation with ease. This Husqvarna holds up well, too. After extensive testing, we experienced no decline in power, thanks to Husqvarna’s active cooling tech, or any snafus with line feed. In short, you won’t find a tougher or more powerful string trimmer not powered by a gas motor.

Ego pulled out the stops in engineering this string trimmer. Start with the fact that you never have to bump feed the head, instead it feeds out string automatically. When you run out of line, simply feed a precut length through the head and press the rewind button at the end of the shaft. The string zooms into the head in seconds. Our test found the 56-volt brushless motor delivers power to spare.

A two-speed selector switch enables you to choose between going full out at vegetation or dialing back the speed for around delicate shrubs. A telescoping shaft lets you adjust the length to suit your tastes, while a lightweight carbon-fiber shaft makes it easier to handle.

Ryobi specializes in tools and machines that are heavier than what a homeowner typically needs but not quite beefy enough to suit a contractor. Its newest string trimmer is a case in point. It’s got more than enough power for normal grass, but—knowing its features—we reserved a stand of dried milkweed stalks and some light briers to test its power. It sailed through.

Aside from a motor that produces decent torque, its string head is wound with a good quality twisted .095 line–stout stuff, we learned. Rewinding that line is simplified by a crank that the company provides with the RY40290VNM. Slip the gadget over the bump feed button on the bottom of the line head and crank it. The machine’s carbon-fiber tube keeps this trimmer light, making it easy to handle.

We reserved some of the toughest test material for this string trimmer. You might think that unfair. We don’t. Having years of experience using Echo’s’s string trimmers, we were confident this cordless 56-volt trimmer could handle the work. It did. We fogged our coveralls with bug spray to keep the ticks off, snapped the 2.5-Ah battery into the Echo and waded in, felling grass, weeds, and briers to clear the area for chainsaw testing. The Echo performed beautifully thanks to a robust 16-inch head that makes for a reliable line feeder.

When trimming around the base of trees and doing work that was less severe, we set the trimmer’s two-speed selector switch from high to low. The lower speed not only conserves battery life but makes the machine far easier to handle when edging. Plus it reduces the likelihood of accidentally damaging a fence post or, more importantly, a nearby plant. You won’t find a better all-around battery-powered line feeder.

We attached a string trimmer accessory to DeWalt’s massive 60-volt power head and waded into a drainage basin to face off with some tall stuff, slicing down weeds, grass, and light to medium briars as we went. If it wasn’t such hard work, it would almost have been fun. The DeWalt more than proved its capability in that jungle, then we slipped into its low (rpm) setting, tipped it vertically and cut a nice, neat channel at the edge of a sidewalk and along some curb.

This is a substantial machine, weighing 13.4 pounds. But its balance is good, and we didn’t find it tiring to use. Nor did we find problems with the string trimmer head that were referenced online. What we did find is a rock-solid trimmer capable of taking a pounding while delivering a clean cut.

Various Amazon brands we’ve tested haven’t been worth wasting time or money on. This string trimmer from the online retail giant’s Denali brand is an exception, turning in a surprisingly spunky performance. The dual .080 line-head charged through weeds and tall grass like a champ, but we were particularly surprised at how well it did edging vertically.

Just keep in mind that this is a light-duty trimmer, so be prepared to bump feed fresh line at a rapid clip as you edge. Other highlights of the Denali include a lightweight design that saves your arms and back, and a convenient high speed/low speed switch that allows you to throttle down to save your fences and shrubs.

With a 60-volt battery and motor at its disposal, the Cat trimmer is a weed-slashing monster, capable of taking down anything we pointed it at. The only thing it failed to cut was a pair of finger-thick briar stalks. There is one tradeoff for all that power: it’s on the heavy side. The DG610 weighs in at a back-straining 11 pounds, putting it in the vicinity of a gas-engine trimmer.

Along with its ample power, there were other things we liked about it. It’s well balanced and comes equipped with a high-low speed switch that conserves its run time. The Cat trimmer also runs so smoothly that, tipped vertically, it was as effective an edge as a small gas trimmer. We also appreciated the high quality braided line it comes with, which beats out the stock line you get on most new trimmers.

In the realm of outdoor power tools, the 20-volt Craftsman occupies a lightweight, light-duty niche. It’s an absolute pleasure to use. No, this isn’t a weed-slashing brute. But the Craftsman CMCST930 trims effectively and neatly, and its brushless motor and 5.0-Ah battery won’t give up on you before you’ve finished the job. It’s one of the easier trimmers to handle and is easy on the ears.

It weighs a mere 6.8 pounds with a single piece of trimmer string projecting from its head, and, on its low setting, it’s nearly whisper quiet. A caveat here: It works vertically edging, but only if you have a light hand. Its single .080 line won’t take a whole lot of dirt impact. Go easy and you’ll be fine.

Echo built its name on string trimmers, and this model is a great example of why. It’s equipped with a powerful 25.4-cc engine and produces ample torque, thanks to a 2:1 gear reduction. Add in its thick twisted nylon line and you’ve got a trimmer that absolutely shreds weeds, making it worthy of a spot in a professional yard management crew’s tool arsenal.

There are also thoughtful touches that make this trimmer ideal for all-day use, including a skid plate that protects the fuel tank, overmolded grips that make it more comfortable to operate for bigger jobs, and a speed-feed design that lets you reload new line in seconds. If you want pro-level power and build quality in your yard trimmer and don’t mind the noise and maintenance that comes with gas, this is the one.