When it comes to taming overgrown grass and weeds, nothing beats the sheer power and portability of a petrol strimmer. These powerful tools use cutting lines to clear large areas of grass or weeds at pace.
Line trimmers have been a staple in the arsenal of both professional gardeners and homeowners for years, and with each passing year, advancements in technology bring us even more efficient and reliable options.
In this article, we will explore the best petrol grass strimmers available on the market today.
Best Options At A Glance
Product Summaries
ParkerBrand 52cc Petrol Garden Brush Cutter/Strimmer
- Brand - ParkerBrand
- Dimensions - 107 x 28 x 28 cm
- Weight - 10.7 kg
- Cutting Width - aprx. 30cm
- Special Feature - Compact Split Shaft Design
Firstly we have the entry level ParkerBrand 52cc Petrol Garden Brush Cutter/Strimmer. It’s currently selling for £110/$137 on Amazon.
This reasonably priced strimmer from ParkerBrand uses a reliable 52cc engine that is capable of driving the blade at an impressive 7500 revolutions per minute. This gives it plenty of power for even the toughest of foliage.
It comes with some useful extras as well. ParkerBrand supply this brush cutter with a tool kit, a shoulder harness and a fuel mixing bottle, giving you everything you need to get the job done. The aditional cutting head gives you the benefits of both trimm
If you’re looking for a heavy duty petrol strimmer that will get the job done without breaking the bank, this cutter from ParkerBrand is a great choice.
Buy the ParkerBrand 52cc Petrol Garden Brush Cutter/Strimmer from Amazon for only £110/$137:
Makita ER2600L 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer
- Brand - Makita
- Dimensions - aprx. 100 x 11 x 12 cm
- Weight - 4.3kg
- Engine Size - 25.7cc
- Special Feature - Easy Start System
Next we have the Makita ER2600L 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer. It’s currently selling for £149/$186 on Amazon.
This strimmer from Makita uses a powerful 830W 2 stroke motor that is more than sufficient for overgrown grass and weeds.
The lightweight 4.3kg design and ergonomic loop handle make this strimmer really easy to use. Despite being fairly lengthy, it’s surprisingly manoeuvrable and comfortable during use.
It’s also supplied with a catalytic muffler to comply with the EPA Phase 2 and EU Stage 2 emissions regulations, so Makita have you covered there.
If you’re looking for a well made strimmer that is highly manoeuvrable and easy to use, the Makita ER2600L is an excellent choice.
Buy the Makita ER2600L 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer from Amazon for only £149/$186:
Wilks-USA 52cc 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer
- Brand - Wilks-USA
- Dimensions - 100 x 11 x 12.7 cm
- Weight - 10kg
- Engine Size - 52cc
- Special Feature - Fingertip Control
Next we have the Wilks-USA 52cc 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer. It’s currently selling for £190/$237 on Amazon.
Wilks have opted to use an impressive 1.45 Kw 2 stroke engine for this strimmer. This allows it to cut through tough grass and weeds with ease.
The large 430mm cutting width means that you can cover greater areas in far less time. This makes this Wilks-USA strimmer well suited for people with gardens on the larger side.
Wilks also provide 12 month warranty free of charge as well as free customer service. What’s not to love!
If you’re looking for a high-performance petrol grass strimmer for less than £200, look no further than this 2 stroke strimmer from Wilks-USA.
Buy the Wilks-USA 52cc 2 Stroke Petrol Strimmer from Amazon for only £190/$237:
Stihl FS40 27.2CC Petrol Strimmer
- Brand - Stihl
- Dimensions - 160 x 30 x 27.5 cm
- Weight - 7.6kg
- Engine Size - 27.2cc
- Special Feature - Reduced Emissions
Next we have the Stihl FS40 27.2CC Petrol Strimmer. It’s currently selling for £258/$322 on Amazon.
The Stihl FS40 uses a 27.2cc petrol engine producing around 1 horsepower. That might not sound much engine power when compared to the horsepower you might expect from a car, but many petrol strimmers produce 0.6 horsepower or less, so 1 is pretty impressive.
The combination of the ergonomic loop handle and the curved shaft make this strimmer really easy to manoeuvre, even if you’re not used to handling a strimmer. It also features Stihl’s ErgoStart technology, which makes getting the engine started far easier.
If you’re looking for a premium strimmer from a reputable brand like Stihl, the FS40 is an ideal choice.
Buy the Stihl FS40 27.2CC Petrol Strimmer from Amazon for only £258/$322:
Stihl FS56C-E 27.2CC Petrol Brush Cutter/Strimmer
- Brand - Stihl
- Dimensions - aprx. 165 x 35 x 30 cm
- Weight - aprx. 8kg
- Engine Size - 27.2cc
- Special Feature - ErgoStart
Finally we have the Stihl FS56C-E 27.2CC Petrol Brush Cutter/Strimmer. It’s currently selling for £420/$525 on Amazon.
This strimmer uses a similar 27.2cc engine to the cheaper FS40, but this version produces 1.1 horsepower and has 20% lower fuel consumption when compared to the average 2 stroke engine.
The FS56C-E also features Stihl’s ErgoStart technology. This makes it far easier to start, as the starter cord can be pulled at just one third of the usual force.
Stihl’s fuel pump system is also really interesting. A small fuel pump delivers fuel to the carburettor at the touch of a button, greatly reducing the number of required starting strokes. This is particularly useful when you take extended breaks in operation.
If you’re in the market for a top of the line Stihl petrol strimmer, the FS56C-E is an excellent choice.
Buy the Stihl FS56C-E 27.2CC Petrol Brush Cutter/Strimmer from Amazon for only £420/$525:
FAQs
Both petrol and electric strimmers can be great tools for maintaining your garden.
Electric strimmers are usually quieter and more environmentally friendly than petrol powered versions, but this comes at the cost of annoying power cables or a fairly limited battery life. This makes electric strimmers well suited for use on smaller gardens, where cables and battery life are less of an issue. Petrol strimmers are usually more powerful than their electrical equivalents, and they aren’t limited by battery life or power cables, but they’re usually louder and less environmentally friendly. This makes petrol grass trimmers a better choice for larger gardens when power cables or limited battery life may become an issue.
You may find that your cutting lines becomes dry and brittle after extensive use. Soaking or storing your cutting line in water will help to prevent any damage to the line and ensure that it remains flexible for future use. This does highlight one benefit of brush cutters, as their metal cutting blades remove the need for this regular maintenance. If you’re interested in brush cutters, you may want to take a look at our article covering the Best Cordless Brush Cutter 2023.
This will depend on two factors – the power of your chosen strimmer and the thickness of the brambles.
If you are dealing with compacted brambles, you may find that a traditional cutting line strimmer isn’t up to the task, and this is especially true if your strimmer is electric. Petrol strimmer are usually more powerful and are therefor more likely to be able to cut through brambles, but the ideal tool for the job is a brush cutter.
Brush cutters use specially designed cutting blades that are far stronger than the wire that is usually used by strimmer, allowing them to chop through thick bushes and brambles with ease. If you’re interested in what brush cutters are out there, feel free to take a look at our article covering the Best Cordless Brush Cutter 2023.
Twisted strimmer lines use a twisted design to strengthen the cutting edge and improve grip on thicker foliage like weeds and brambles.
This is ideal if you have an unruly garden but you don’t want to invest in a separate tool like a brush cutter to deal with the tougher areas. Twisted cutting lines are also the quietest operation and the least vibration of any strimmer line due to their low air resistance,
Thanks for reading our article. If you’re interested in taking control of your garden, you might want to take a look at our article covering the Best Electric Lawn Mower UK 2023.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or queries that you’d like us to take a look at – we’d be happy to help.
