Here we’ve provided details of some of our favourite petrol strimmers and brush cutters available on the market today. Below you’ll find a handy comparison table comparing the key features to look for when buying a strimmer, and below that a more detailed reviews of each model in the table.
Pricing Guide:
£ = £0-£100
££ = £100 – £150
£££ = £150+
Manufacturer and Model | Engine Size (cc) | Weight (Kg) | Other Features/Notes | Price | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Makita ER2600L Petrol Strimmer | 25 | 4.3 | Double cutting line | ££ | 4.0 |
Draper Expert 31087 Petrol Strimmer | 32 | 7 | £££ | 4.0 | |
Trueshopping Professional Strimmer | 43 | 7.4 | 5 piece tool kit included | £ | 3.5 |
Ryobi RBC254SESO Petrol Strimmer | 26 | 7 | Electric Start | ££ | 4.5 |
Petrol Strimmer & Brush Cutter Reviews:
Makita ER2600 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer
When it comes to power tools Makita are renowned for making some of the best on the market, and as this strimmer is without doubt a powerful tool, you can be pretty sure it’s going to serve you well.
Marketed as an ‘entry level’ 2 stroke petrol strimmer, this is the machine for you if you are teetering on the decision of whether to stick with an electric strimmer or make the jump to petrol power.
As mentioned Makita = quality, and in this case you get a sturdy and well built strimmer that’s both well balanced, relatively quiet and doesn’t generate excessive vibration, all extremely important if you want to be out whacking those weeds for any length of time.
At 4.3kg this is clearly significantly heavier than an electric strimmer, and it should be noted it doesn’t include a wearable harness, so for some it might be uncomfortable to use for any length of time. That said it’s still the best lightweight petrol strimmer we’ve looked at, and if it were used with a harness it would be leagues ahead of the competition.
Unlike the headaches it causes many people on other strimmers the bump feed for the cutting line works extremely well in this instance, again a mark of quality, the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ would seem to be appropriate here.
To summerise then, this is a great petrol strimmer that offers the same freedom as a powerful cordless electric model but without the same time usage restriction, although it’s petrol you should none the less be aware that this strimmer is still designed for fairly light domestic use, long wet grass and weeds will be fine, but acres of thick brambles will probably demand something more powerful such as the 4 stroke Makita EBH253L which is in our opinion the best grass strimmer for a seriously overgrown garden.
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Draper Expert 45576 Petrol Strimmer / Brush Cutter
Home grown British greatness here with this powerful beast from Draper tools, complete with harness and handle bar for both hands, it’s a strimmer that means business.
This strimmer comes with all the accessories you might need, including brush cutter blade and adjustment tools, and unlike some of the other strimmers we’ve looked at, it’s ready to tackle just about any scenario, coping with just about any density of foliage. This makes it suitable for semi-commercial, as well as domestic activities, this is partly thanks to it’s powerful engine, and partly because of its brush cutter attachment, designed to obliterate just about anything that gets in it’s way. Naturally care should be taken when using this (or any other other strimmer) and the appropriate personal protective equipment worn, such as a face shield and sturdy footwear.
This strimmer is 11kg in weight, which clearly justifies the full harness arrangement, and most serious users shouldn’t have a problem with this, but you should be aware of this fact before you buy, it would be irritating to get it out of the box only to find you were unable to carry it comfortably and safely.
Once again, ther ‘bump’ feed mechanism for the strimmer cutting wire can be a bit and miss with this model, for whatever reason getting this feature spot on seems to elude many manufacturers and sadly Draper are no different.
None the less, this is still one of the best brush cutters/strimmers combos.
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Trueshopping Professional Strimmer / Brush Cutter
A budget best seller, this no frills strimmer has all the essential features you need in a petrol strimmer, but without the usual steep price tag. With a full suite of accessories behind it, including a brush cutter blade, it’s one of the best strimmers for an overgrown garden, particularly if you’re working to a budget.
Perhaps the stand out feature of this model is its high power to weight ratio, at just 7.4 kg it’s as light as many strimmers designed for far less intense work, yet with an engine kicking out 1.25 kilowatts of power to rival many heavy duty brush cutters.
Given its relatively light weight you should be more than comfortable using the strimmer with the supplied harness, you won’t find many lighter models with the equivilent power that’s for sure.
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Ryobi RBC254SESO Petrol Strimmer
Another light use 2 stroke strimmer here, but with an important difference, a port for an optional electric starter. Clearly then this is a great choice for people who either dislike, or find themselves stuggling to pull the starter cable either on other strimmers, or any other appliance with a petrol engine.
Other features here include a 38cm cutting diameter, and although at 7kg this strimmer isn’t feather light, it still doesn’t warrent a harness so you shouldn’t have any issues carrying this.
If we had to pick fault we’d have to say (yep you guessed it) the bump feed isn’t the most reliable, so you might have to whack it a few times before the line is fed through, but hey what’s new when it comes to the majority of strimmers!