Keeping your yard neat and tidy is a must.
The Zen of enjoying its beauty has no price but it doesn’t come easy.
You will need the right tools to get the job done, so you’ve come to the right place.
It was our mission to find the best gas string trimmer out there, so read on to find out which one you should purchase.
Why Do You Need A Gas String Trimmer?
It’s pretty simple; if you have a yard and a lawn you need it.
A good lawn mower will get the majority of the job done, but you can’t do it all without a handheld string trimmer because it can reach places where a lawn mower simply can’t.
Also, once you’re done doing the bulk of the work with a lawnmower, you will need a string trimmer to help you achieve that appearance of a nicely finished yard.
A string trimmer is light and has a long handle so it can come in very handy when it comes to trimming away grass at places that are hard to get to, straightening the edges around sidewalks or driveways, and tidying up a hillside, for example.
These come in the form of cordless, electric and gas-powered models. Cordless and electric trimmers are usually much lighter, but they are also not meant for the heavy-duty projects that you might have in mind. This is why gas string trimmers are a much better option.
How to Choose the Right One?
There are quite a few factors you need to take into consideration before deciding on a specific type and model of string trimmer.
The first thing to think of is the power required. If you have a large yard, with a woodsy landscape and perhaps a sloped terrain, you will need more power so you should opt for a gas string trimmer.
We strongly recommend trying out the trimmer so that you can check its balance and feel. Once you get it adjusted, it should have a nice balance of weight and it should be easy to reach all the controls.
Whichever choice you make, it is important to be safe when using such equipment. We recommend using gloves, long pants, boots, safety glasses, and hearing protection.
Advantages of a Gas String Trimmer
All things considered, a gas string trimmer is usually far superior to its electric counterparts.
First of all, they are commonly much more powerful than battery-powered or electric string trimmers, so they are much more suitable for heavy duty projects. Also, they are as cordless as battery-powered trimmers and can operate for much longer than their cordless electric counterparts.
The market is brimming with various attachments for trimmers, and the palette of choices for the gas powered ones is much larger than the one for the electric ones.
The strings used in gas trimmers usually have a bigger diameter than the ones for the electric ones, so they can cut thicker things and are less likely to break.
In most cases, gas string trimmers come equipped with dual trimmer heads, unlike the electric ones which often feature just one. Dual heads mean faster trimming.
Gas trimmers come equipped with motors on top, so they have a much better overall balance during trimming.
Features to Look For
When choosing your string trimmer, there are quite a few features you should take a look into, as these will help you find the tool that fits your needs the most. Keep in mind that there are two main types of gas string trimmers: those equipped with 2-cycle engines and those with 4-cycle engines.
Those with a 2-cycle engine will commonly give you a good balance of weight and power, but these need to run on a mixture of gasoline and oil. On the other hand, f-cycle engines are much more convenient as they run on gasoline only, but they need oil changes on a regular basis.
In the long run, 4-cycle engine string trimmers are a much better investment as they are more durable, easier to use and maintain, and can handle heavy-duty projects.
A trimmer which starts fast is always a good choice. Most gas string trimmers require a precisely laid out set of little chores to be done before its engine can be started, such as setting a choke, pushing the primer bulb, pulling the starter rope, and sometimes even warming up the engine before actually putting it to good use.
Aiming for a trimmer with fixed line head is also a good idea, because these eliminate the possibility of the string getting jammed or tangled.
Curved vs. straight shaft is another big dilemma when choosing your next string trimmer. Those equipped with a curved shaft are much more common and are usually among the lighter and less complicated models. We suggest going for a trimmer with a straight shaft because they provide you with a better reach.
Also, these models tend to produce a lot less vibration than their curved counterparts, which is a huge benefit when you spend longer periods of time working on your yard. On the other hand, straight-shaft models are commonly a little heavier and a little more expensive than the ones equipped with curved shafts.
The width of a trimmer’s cutting path may also affect your choices. Those with a 7 to 8 inches wide cutting path are meant for smaller jobs, 11 to 12 inches are good for light use, 14 to 15 inches should be appropriate for moderate use, while trimmers with a cutting path of 17 inches or larger are the ones meant for heavy duty projects exclusively.
Maintenance Issues
As is the case with all tools and machinery, gas string trimmers need to be properly maintained in order to function. A trimmer with a gasoline motor will need oil changes on a regular basis, and you will also need to change its spark plugs and air filters from time to time.
Now that you’re better acquainted with gas string trimmers, dig in to see the lineup of our top choices to get your yard looking better than ever.
Gas String Trimmer Reviews
Let’s start off with a trimmer that’s coming from a reputable company with a long history of quality tools for your yard.
Even though it is fitted with a 2-stroke engine, it has 28cc of displacement and is a rather powerful little thing. It successfully delivers 1 horsepower which should be enough for all your trimming adventures.
It is a straight-shaft model which makes it great for getting to places which are harder to reach. The handle comes with a soft grip and the overall feel comes off as rather well balanced.
The weed eater has a cutting width capacity of 17 inches, which should be enough even for heavy duty projects.
- Very powerful engine
- 17-inch cutting width
- Easy operation and maintenance
- Straight shaft design
- Very quiet operation
- 2-stroke engine needs mixture of gasoline and oil
Here we have yet another reputable trimmer with a 2-stroke engine that sports 25cc of displacement and delivers just a little under one horsepower.
The good folks at Jonsered have placed almost all the emphasis on ease of use, especially the starting.
Its fuel pump is designed so that the engine can start easily, the stop button instantly returns to the starting position once you turn the trimmer off, while the starter cord resistance is reduced by 40 percent. Virtually anyone can use it with no major fuss.
On the other hand, we didn’t like the fact that it features a curved shaft, which minimizes its reach. When compared to the Husqvarna model above, the cutting head is way too narrow.
- Easy to start for a gas trimmer
- Durable and well built
- Easier to control in tight areas
- 2-stroke engine
- Curved shaft design
Behind all these letters and numbers is another model that is aiming high when power, durability, and ease of use are concerned.
It is another trimmer equipped with a 2-stroke engine, this time sporting 26.9cc of displacement.
We really like the fact that it has a straight shaft design, so it can reach virtually anywhere, and both handles are padded so you can use it for longer periods of time without experiencing any fatigue.
The overall feel of the product is that it is made from top-notch materials, and that it is built to last, which isn’t always the case with such tools.
Another great thing about the Tanaka trimmer is that it is quite easy to add any extra attachments that you might want to use.
- Excellent build quality
- Strong and durable engine
- Easy to use and add extra attachments
- Low noise and vibration levels for a gas trimmer
- Engine overheating in longer periods of use
- Needs a mixture of oil and gasoline
Here you can observe the first and only trimmer on our list that comes equipped with a 4-stroke engine.
This piece of machinery boasts 30cc of displacement and has a huge advantage over other models included here, simply due to the fact that it runs on pure gasoline that doesn’t need to be mixed with oil.
On the other hand, we didn’t really like the fact that it sports a curved shaft design, which makes it harder to get to certain unreachable spots in your yard.
This contender for the title of the best gas string trimmer is very easy to use, it is fairly light, its handles are comfortable, but, as is the case with most 4-stroke trimmers, it is not as easy to start as its 2-stroke counterparts.
- Very powerful and efficient 4-stroke engine
- Easy to use
- Attachments can easily be added
- Fuel efficient
- Curved shaft design
- Harder to start than 2-stroke engines
If budget is a big concern, this might just be the best gas string trimmer for you, as it provides quite a lot for a reasonable amount of money.
It comes fitted with a 2-stroke engine with 27cc of displacement and sports some rather advanced technology for easy starting.
We love the fact that it has a straight shaft and that you can easily add any attachments you might want to use on it. On the other hand, its cutting width is only eight inches wide, so you might have to make multiple passes over certain areas.
- Very reasonably priced
- Straight shaft design
- Easy to start and use
- Easy to add attachments
- Narrow cutting head
Last but not least, we have yet another 2-stroke engine gas trimmer. It has 21.5cc of displacement, but still delivers some good results.
It is among the lightest trimmers reviewed here and it is very easy to use and carry around. We totally dig the fact that its cutting width is 17 inches, which is the same as the much more expensive Husqvarna 128LD reviewed in the first section of this article.
Also, we love the straight shaft which makes for easier access and provides the trimmer with added durability. Its main issue is that it cannot be equipped with any attachments.
- Light and easy to use
- Competitively priced
- Wide cutting length
- Not compatible with attachments
What Is The Best Gas String Trimmer
As you can see, all our contenders for the title of the best gas string trimmer really have something to offer. You couldn’t really go wrong with any of them, but still we need to pronounce a winner.
We strongly believe that the Husqvarna is a better package than the other trimmers.
It is probably because it is the most heavy-duty, utilitarian tool here. It comes with a rather strong engine and a very durable trimming string.
Also, it sports a straight shaft design and its cutting width of 17 inches is far superior to lighter duty models. Combine all of this with the fact that it looks rather good in orange and its reasonable price, and it is pretty clear that we have a winner here.
If you go back to the beginning of the article, you will see that the 128LD basically ticks off all the options we suggested when choosing the best gas string trimmer. Simple as that, now go out and enjoy all the trimming endeavors with your new best friend, the Husqvarna 128LD.
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Last update on 2024-11-04 / Affiliate links / Product Images from Amazon Product Advertising API