Last Updated on November 1, 2022 by Real Men Sow

Top Petrol Grass Trimmers for Unruly Rough Vegetation

Top Petrol Grass Trimmers For Unruly Rough Vegetation

Are you struggling to get the lawn in your garden looking nice and uniform? Sometimes, a lawnmower really isn’t going to be enough. Many people look for cordless strimmer tools to help get through some of the tougher stuff that has a habit of popping up all over the lawn!

In this buying guide, we’re going to be looking at petrol strimmer choices to help you get one over on that nasty plot of vegetation that just won’t shift any other way. You could spend more than one afternoon cutting through the thick stuff without a fantastic grass trimmer in your arsenal!

At the end of the guide, we will take a closer look at what you need to keep in mind when buying the best petrol strimmers available on the market, too.

The Best Petrol Grass Trimmers for Tough Cuts – Our Picks

As you can imagine, petrol strimmer’s come in all shapes and sizes. What’s more, one petrol strimmer is unlikely to be the same as the next. Each grass strimmer has its own set of features and functions!

Here are seven of the best picks for petrol strimmer tools to help you cut through that tough stuff quicker than ever before. Don’t let a bit of basic gardening and grass cutting get you down!

In This Review

Ryobi 25.4CC 2-in-1 Petrol Full Crank Grass Brush Cutter with Ergo Handle

This grass trimmer is a great go-to if you are looking for a cordless strimmer with a comfortable grip. Very easy to use on the whole, this is a powerful unit with a bump feed line that refills very quickly.

It’s one of the quickest strimmer’s on the market for rebooting and restarting, and it will expand as you need it to. You can also use the head on this grass trimmer for multiple purposes, making it a good all-rounder.

Features

Engine: 25.4cc
Cutting Width: 43cm
Weight: 8kg
Dimensions: 27cm x 24.8cm x 92.5cm

BU-KO 52cc Long Reach Petrol Multi Functional Garden Tool

If you’re looking for an absolute beast of a grass trimmer with stacks of great features, this is likely to be a winning choice. Boasting an impressive 52cc engine power, you can extend the shaft and pole on this tool up to a meter, meaning it’ll double as a hedge strimmer, too.

This tool comes with lots of attachments, meaning it’s easier to keep the finer parts of your lawn in trim, along with any shrubs or hedges you might spot along the way. It’s a pretty reliable multitool on the whole, and likely to be one of the most versatile cordless strimmer picks on the market.

Features

Engine: 52cc
Capacity: 1,200ml
Weight: 18.2kg
Dimensions: 110cm x 33cm x 33cm

ParkerBrand 52cc Petrol Garden Cutter Grass Trimmer​

Available for a great price, this cordless grass trimmer is nice and powerful, and is designed to be easier to use than most. This cordless strimmer arrives with a split shaft and is largely seen as amongst the cleanest designs on the market. It has a super reliable engine and arrives with attachments in the form of a brush cutter and a spool.

You’ll also benefit from a harness as well as a mixing bottle, and it seems to be the top purchase for anyone looking for a cordless grass trimmer that’s easily portable. If you have plenty of garden to cover, then this will probably tick plenty of boxes.

Features

Engine: 52cc
Weight: 10.7kg
Dimensions: 107cm x 28cm x 28cm

STANLEY STR-750A Petrol Grass Trimmer, Black, Yellow

This simple cordless strimmer is nicely lightweight and is designed to offer you minimal fuss. It’s easy to store, and offers a petrol engine at two strokes that cools down with ease. This seems to be a great entry level choice as far as any kind of cordless grass trimmer is concerned.

This streamlined model is great value for money and will likely be ideal if you need a lighter cordless system to cover smaller gardens. This cordless unit seems to pick up very positive reviews from buyers and that’s not just as a result of price.

Features

Engine: 26cc
Capacity: 460ml
Weight: 7kg
Dimensions: 98cm x 28cm x 27cm

Einhell GC-BC 31-4 S 31 cc 4 Stroke

This two stroke cordless trimmer sells well for the price, and the reviews seem to show it’s worth investing in. It’s a dual brush cutter and grass trimmer, and the cordless product reviewed here is the 31cc model. There are 27cc and 52cc versions in two stroke worth considering, too.

Superb handle designs mean this is amongst the most intuitive trimmers in terms of ease of maneuverability. It’s also great for keeping you active and to stave off fatigue. For that alone, it’s well worthy of the price tag, and will likely help you trim down even the biggest of gardens.

Features

Engine: 31cc
Cutting Width: 48cm
Capacity: 700ml
Weight: 8.2kg
Dimensions: 109cm, 28cm, 32cm

52cc Multi Function 5 in 1 Garden Tool

As the name suggests, this is a multitool package available for one price, with everything from brush cutter and grass trimmer to cordless chainsaw all included in the bargain. It’s very easy to swap in and out when you need to take on different tasks across the gardens.

It’s a reasonably durable piece of kit and comes with all kinds of safety marks as well as safety fittings, making it one of the most secure cordless strimming tools available for the price. The power is also well worth considering for the price paid.

Features

Engine: 52cc
Weight: 16kg
Dimensions: 107cm x 28cm x 28cm

McCulloch TRIMMAC Trimmer

The McCulloch Trimmac tends to be one of the more popular choices of cordless strimmer out there, and it’s actually one of the lightest on the market. However, that doesn’t make it any less powerful than other cordless tools on the market. There’s also a really nice ergonomic strapping included with the McCulloch Trimmac that’s worthy of your interest, too.

Great for larger gardens, this impressively lightweight garden tool arrives at a reasonable price and should give you more than enough support if you do have larger gardens, rather than smaller plots of lawn, to traverse.

Features

Engine: 25cc
Cutting Width: 40cm
Weight: 3.9kg
Dimensions: 88cm x 26.5cm x 25.5cm

Is A Grass Trimmer The Same As A Strimmer?

Yes – a grass trimmer is the same as a garden strimmer.

It’s really odd that there are so many different names for the same piece of kit!

Garden strimmers, grass trimmers, grass trimmer tools and brush cutter technology – it’s all built to help you whittle through the longest blades in your garden lawn.

It’s very likely that the word ‘strimmer’ is something of a condensed name for a ‘garden trimmer’.

What really sets garden or grass strimmers apart from one another is what they run on, their cutting width, and whether or not they are easy to use on thicker areas of growth and vegetation.

In this buying guide, we’ve obviously hunted down the best tools with features to help you slice through the really thick areas. However, there are garden strimmers out there which offer a bit more of a finer cut, which are probably best used for lawns and gardens which don’t overgrown their stations too often!

Can A Strimmer Cut Long Grass?

Yes! A good strimmer will be great for long grasses up to a point. However, it does depend on a few factors and points.

For example, you’ll need to consider cutting power as well as the cm cutting width offered by your tool. Again, the cutting width is going to make things easier for you.

However, you’re really going to need to judge things based on manufacturer details and the reviews that verified buyers leave along the way. After all, one of the best things we can advise is that one strimmer is always going to be different from the next, even if they are both 2 stroke engine and offer plenty of power.

We’d advise looking into all kinds of strimmers for your lawn if length is a big issue. Cordless, corded grass strimmer technology and otherwise will all cope with different grass lengths in different ways. Therefore, don’t be afraid to compare between different types.

For the purpose of this guide, of course, a petrol model is going to see you right!

What Are Grass Trimmers Used For?

Grass trimmers are, funnily enough, used to trim grasses – but they are often used for edging, too.

Whether you use an electric strimmer with a gear system or stick with good old petrol power, you’re going to need to take a strimmer to your lawn if you’re finding awkward little blades sticking up and out all over the place.

As anyone who has ever mown a lawn before will tell you, there’s nothing more irritating than those tiny scraggly bits left over at the edges.

A grass trimmer is ideal for getting those leftover strands taken care of without you risking plowing the mower into your precious flowerbed. Gardens in general are pretty precious to us, but when it comes to protecting flowers, one of the worst things you can do is let your mower continue forward to gobble up the blooms.

It’s also worth noting that a grass trimmer is going to be your number one ally in your fight against weeds and perennials. If you’re sick and tired of getting down on the ground and digging up the pesky things by hand and trowel, and you probably are, then a grass strimmer is likely going to be a really good purchase for you.

A mower isn’t always going to get the worst of the weeds up, so it might be worth reading a few reviews online to see if a strimmer will be a good fit. Beyond that, a really good grass strimmer will prevent you from having to spray or put any kind of nasty chemicals on your lawn, which is always a bonus in our book.

Many people also prefer using strimmers and trimmers in their gardens. You only have to look at a few reviews to appreciate why. It can differ from experience to experience, but many people find that this technology can be a lot more precise, and less heavy duty than your run of the mill electric mower. Then again, as we’ve seen, some trimmers and strimmers are pretty heavy duty, too – so to each their own.

What Should I Look For When Buying A Petrol Trimmer?

Naturally, as mentioned, what’s going to set one strimmer apart from the next is its features.

One strimmer might have all kinds of tough features to help you get through thicker grasses. A heavy duty system is likely to be a fantastic option.

However, some strimmer technology runs on petrol (which we’ve analysed here), and some runs on lithium ion battery power – meaning that you essentially have a cordless strimmer.

However, in the here and now, let’s take a look at the areas you are going to need to look at when it comes to buying one of the best petrol grass trimmer systems for your thick lawn and garden grasses.

Engine/Power

If you’ve come this far, then we will safely assume you’re interested in petrol strimmer power!

A petrol strimmer runs on its own engine, and you will largely find that these lawn cutters have power that ranges all the way up to 56cc. The more power you have, the tougher the cut.

That said, the power on your petrol strimmer may come with a bit of takeback when it comes to weight and ease of use. Some of the heavier strimmers and cutters are likely to be the high-power varieties.

Also – the higher the power of your petrol garden strimmer, the more fuel you may need. Yes, these grass trimmer systems might be affordable enough outright, but you’ll need to think about the long term fuel prices, too.

Usability

Usability is a bit of a tough area to cover. What’s easy for one person to use to trim down the garden might not be so simple for the next. For example, a heavy duty garden strimmer is hardly going to be easy for you to use if you have limited mobility.

Look for areas and features such as handy grips for ease of use, telescopic shafting to help you cut through more grass, and adjustment pedals.

You may even find that some grass strimmer features include flower protection or guards – meaning you can go ahead and trim like crazy without accidentally beheading your favourite blooms. This is always a major concern of the proud gardener!

Ultimately, check out what others have to say when it comes to strimmers that are easy to use. verified buyers are going to be the people you really want to listen to before you invest in any technology for your garden areas. Of course, we are on hand to help, too!

Cutting Width

Cutting width is one of those essential areas that you might not think about if you are new to grass strimmer tech or strimming the lawn at all. However, it’s a crucial factor if you really want to get that garden looking great.

The larger the cm cutting width, the more grass you are going to be able to cut. This helps to make the whole job of strimming the grass that little bit more efficient.

You don’t have to worry about breaking out the tape measure to get the best cutting width for your needs. Your garden strimmer is going to be very easy to use if you have a larger cm cutting width than the average. As you can see from the picks in our buying guide list above, this really can vary.

Fuel Capacity
Unlike your average cordless trimmer or electric strimmer’s, your petrol engine is going to need a specific amount of fuel to be able to work efficiently.
Unfortunately, a petrol motor of any power or heft is always going to need topping up, making it one of the fussier garden tools and power tools you’ll need to handle. However, many people will still tell you it’s better to use a garden strimmer with a petrol engine than it is to use a cordless machine dependent on a lithium ion battery.
That said, always look for fuel capacity when it comes to hunting down the best petrol models. You’re going to need to know how much fuel your strimmer is going to need to be able to blast through long grass or thick vegetation in turbo mode!
A 2 stroke engine or a cutter machine with plenty of power is going to drink a lot of petrol if it’s going to get through the thickest of gardens. Again, make sure you take a look at the reviews buyers leave if you really aren’t sure which technology or garden tools are going to be best for your grass and weeds.
If the idea of looking at fuel capacity seems like too much of a headache, it might be worth considering electric strimmer’s and lithium ion battery power tools instead. However, stick with us, as there are lots of benefits to filling up a 2 stroke engine, and there will be other reviews that agree with us on this.
Strimmer Weight

Naturally, the weight of strimmers does tend to cut a few people out of the market. Many people choose cordless trimmer tech for the fact that it’s generally lighter and easier to handle and carry.

However, when it comes to the thickest of grasses and weeds, petrol engine strimmers more than do the business. Before you buy into these hefty garden tools, however, you must make sure that you know your own strength. Do you know how much you can comfortably carry, wield and move around with? We don’t just mean lift – as you’re going to need to wheel your strimmers around the garden if you stand any chance of cutting things down to size.

Therefore, be careful when it comes to sussing out the best strimmers that are easy enough for you to carry.

Line Feed

In some cases, the line feed comes into play when your grass strimmer has a nylon line that leaps into action when cutting down grasses and trimming down the edging of your lawn and garden. However, you will also find that there are some trimmer systems for gardens which run on a bladed basis instead.

This isn’t always the case for petrol powered strimmer technology. Line feed strimmers can be awkward to use as they can need more than a little maintenance from time to time. That said, your own needs may vary compared to other people’s.

Once again, get looking at those online reviews. See what other gardeners have to say about edging and trimming in their own gardens, and see if you can find a fit that suits your needs and use.

Strimmer Shaft

The shaft of any strimmer, grass or hedge, is going to determine how much of a reach you have. The best strimmer technology out there, in our collective opinion, is that which is telescopic.

Telescopic shaft technology is great if you struggle to get down to lower levels of your garden. You can just tap n go with a locking mechanism that allows you to extend and shorten your tool as and when you need to.

A longer shaft or reach on your grass strimmer is going to be easier and more comfortable to use, particularly if you are a fairly tall gardener to start with! Therefore, try and look for a long grass strimmer shaft, or one which is telescopic and flexible to your needs.

Other Things to Consider

When it comes to complete ease of use, there are of course going to be a few features and areas you need to consider.

We’ve already looked at some of the basics, but let’s think about a few niche options which might not be too obvious to the everyday shopper at first.

Consider looking for a strimmer that comes part of a multitool or set. As you can see from our buying guide options, there are some products out there which arrive with other tools and pieces in the same package. Ultimately, this means you may be looking at a better value package than simply paying for an expensive piece of kit outright.

What you may also find is that some of the best strimmer equipment comes with anti vibration technology. As you might expect, this means that you can use a grass strimmer smoothly and carefully without if giving you any nasty judders along the way. Not all petrol strimmers offer this, so again, it’s a bit of a perk when it comes to you cutting the greenery.

Lastly, do make sure you look for a wheel edge guide or similar. The best strimmer for your garden is likely to help you protect the edges of your lawn as well as your flowers. While looking at things such as weight, cutting power and price, do also check out the precision of the cutting tools you’re buying into.

Safety Tips for Using a Petrol Strimmer

As you can imagine, anything you’re likely to take into your garden with teeth or blades, even a line, is going to pose a bit of a hazard to you. Therefore, you should always be ready to practice basic safety, in the least, so you don’t end up injuring yourself.

Here are a few good safety tips for using a grass trimmer on your lawn, particularly if you’re using a petrol model like those listed above.

• Wear the right equipment! This is so important. Yes, it’s tempting to just get out in the garden without a pair of gloves and to start taking up the garden tasks by hand. However, for safety’s sake, wear goggles and gloves!
• Do also make a point of reading the manual in full. Again, you might be like some of us here at Real Men Sow, and want to ‘learn by doing’. With a strimmer, you’re going to need to full acquaint yourself with how it all works.
• Power off completely before you check the blade or line on a cordless strimmer. We can’t stress this enough! The same trick goes for lawnmowers, but even your top of the line cordless strimmer is going to need to power down before you get up close and personal with the cutting equipment.
• Make sure to top up your petrol carefully. As should be obvious, petrol is toxic to people and pets. Do also make sure to not let your grass trimmer grind to an absolute halt and burn out on the whole petrol load. It’s tempting, but it might actually do more harm than good in the long run.
• Keep well clear of the blades. We don’t just mean your feet, but anything else that’s likely to get in the way when you use your strimmer. That’s pets, kids, and whatever else is likely to wander into your path while you’re wielding your strimmer.
• Always keep your grass strimmer at ground level. Again, this seems like a bit of a no-brainer, but the minute you start waving your strimmer above the waist, you’re in trouble. Keep your grass strimmer to the floor – where it should be.

Conclusion

Here at Real Men Sow, we think lawn trimmer technology is seriously worth your money. Sure, you might be able to get plenty of lawn up and away with a good mower and a pair of shears, but when it comes to annoying weeds as well as those awful bits that your mower just can’t get to, a strimmer of any cutting width is going to be worth your hard earned cash.

As always, make sure to take a good look through the products we’ve picked for you here, and do feel free to use the tips we’ve shared with you to take a look at other models and brands that might interest you. Do also keep in mind that user reviews – verified buyer reviews – will be your key to figuring out which brand and which model of grass trimmer is going to work best for you in the long run.