7 Best Corded Electric String Trimmer 2024 – Complete Buying Guide

If you’ve let your garden fall into disrepair over the winter, chances are you’re looking for a corded trimmer to help neaten things up. Trimmers are essential to keep your garden looking neat and tidy, at the same time, they take all the manual work out of maintenance, by offering a quick and reliable solution.

The choice of available models can often be overwhelming, with many well-known brands taking up the shelves of your local DIY store.

As buying an electric corded trimmer is usually a one-off purchase, it’s hard to know exactly what specifications will meet your requirements.

The good news is we’ve pulled together a list of the top-selling corded trimmers along with an impartial analysis of each option, helping to take the guesswork out of it. If you are in the market for a new corded trimmer, check out our guide below for our top tips when it comes to your new purchase.

What is the Best Corded Electric String Trimmer in 2024?

1. BLACK+DECKER BESTA510 – Best Corded Electric String Trimmer (Editor’s Choice)

Perfect Balance of Power vs Price

First up, and our top pick is this option from BLACK+DECKER. This model is a popular choice for a good reason – an easy entry-level model helping you with the most difficult of trimming tasks.

Cutting Width

This trimmer features a 14-inch cutting width enabling you to tackle a wide area while cutting through grass and weeds with ease. Complete with a telescopic shaft, this trimmer is adjustable for maximum comfort.

The mid-point between our top 3 selection, we think this represents a good balance between agility and cutting width.

Dual Function

The BLACK+DECKER BESTA510 also doubles as a lawn edger. By rotating the head 180 degrees, you can easily tidy up your borders, cutting down on the need for a second tool.
In our testing, we did find that using as an edger the BESTA510 uses considerably more line, so be mindful and try not to be too trigger happy.

Other Notable Mentions

Given its relatively small size, the BLACK+DECKER BESTA510 packs considerable power. The lightweight chassis really helps cut down on any aches on the body as you go about your maintenance.

The auto line feature is a great inclusion in this device. How this works is the machine feeds the new wire to the trimmer head every time you start a new project. This is a timesaving addition designed to correct a short or broken line, saving you the hassle of having to do it manually.

Noise is also not an issue, particularly compared to gas counterparts. This makes it a perfect choice for those that like to get up early and get to work without disturbing the neighbours.

Price

Although the most expensive option on our list, for the price point, this model is a solid choice. Fans describe it as ‘inexpensive but not cheap,’ which tells you everything you need to know when it comes to the financial commitment required.

 

2. Greenworks 21212 – Customer favorite and a good all-rounder (People’s Choice)

This trimmer was designed with ergonomics in mind. When using power tools in the garden, it can sometimes be hard to keep your balance whilst doing so.

Greenworks have designed this trimmer to be very ergonomic, complete with a telescopic shaft, helping you keep your balance centred, allowing you better control.

Cutting Width

This trimmer features a 13-inch cutting path, making quick work of weeds or unwanted plants sprouting up along your fence line. Variable speed options give you fantastic control over the machine, and when you need extra power, simply press the easily accessible button on the handle.

Required maintenance is extremely low, ensure you give it a quick rub down before putting it back in your shed and you will be good to go the next use.

Performance

Performance was definitely not something that was sacrificed in this model. Packed with timesaving features, it’s no wonder this is one of the best selling trimmers on the market today.

Extended Warranty and Environmentally Friendly

One of the best features is the inclusion of an extended 4 year warranty with this product – twice the length most manufacturers offer. Greenworks are also very proud of the fact that all of their products have a zero carbon footprint, which is a remarkable achievement, and a unique selling point, especially for the environmentally conscious amongst us.
This trimmer is rounded off with an ability to lock the power cord, preventing you from accidentally pulling out the electricity cable, mid-session.

Price

In terms of price, this model falls between the two others we have tested, but still represents excellent value for money.

3. WORX WG119 – Best Budget-Friendly Corded Electric String Trimmer

Our final pick is the WORX WG119 15 Electric String Trimmer, praised for its ease of use and ergonomic design.

Cutting Width

The WORX WG119 comes with a large cutting width, wider than most other trimmers on the market. While this makes light work of long, open edges, the added width makes trimming those harder to reach areas a little more difficult.

At 5.5 amps, it packs a considerable punch for its size. But if you are trying to tame an overrun forest, this may not be the best choice. More suited towards a casual gardener and routine weed maintenance, it’s a compelling option at the low price point.

Other features

The telescopic handle on this model adds an additional level of comfort, allowing the user to customize entirely to their needs. For the frequent gardener, this means less of the back pain associated with constant bending or crouching.

One feature we particularly enjoy on this model is the addition of a spacer.

The spacer works to prevent any unnecessary damage to flower beds and foliage when maintaining your garden. The versatility of the model quickly turns it into an effective edger, allowing you to get those killer edges on your lawn, making it really stand out.

In summary, the WORX WG119 15 Electric String Trimmer is a top performer and a customer favourite. Not only that, but it is incredibly affordable and a solid choice for the casual gardener.

 

Things To Consider Before Purchasing – A Buyers Guide

Before going ahead and purchasing your next corded or cordless trimmer, it’s useful to know what you should prioritize. We’ve put together seven top tips when it comes to purchasing:

Location location location

First, have a think about where your trimmer is most likely to be used. Will there be easy access to electricity? If power isn’t a problem, you should be fine with a cordless version. Alternatively, in more remote areas or in vast outdoor spaces, you may find that a corded version meets your requirements much better.

Space

Consider the area that you need to maintain. If you have a vast garden, then you may need a more powerful version of a trimmer. If you have a smaller space, you may be able to get away with a less powerful option without compromising on its ability to do the job.

Battery Life

This will obviously only be a consideration for cordless versions. Ensuring you can complete your full garden with one charge is important, as its frustrating having to do it across two sittings. Aim for something 30 minutes or more for optimum performance. Still, if you have a smaller space, you could possibly sacrifice some of the battery life.

Power

To put it simply, higher voltage equals higher power. For amateur gardeners, 40 volts is more than enough, but if you are faced with maintaining something a little denser, you may want to consider a 60v or 80v option.

Charge time

Some may prioritize a quick charging time, but given the infrequency of use of your trimmer, it’s unlike a long charging time will be a deal-breaker. Still, it’s useful to understand how long your unit will take to completely charge.

Weight

Again, this will depend on how long you intend to be using your trimmer. If you anticipate long periods of use, you should prioritize a lightweight model to prevent any added discomfort from using your choice of model.

Dual Function

Most trimmers can be easily converted into an edger, a tool that will help you deliver tight boundaries in your garden, perhaps between a sidewalk or driveway. If you intend to use your trimmer for your front yard, you should prioritize this feature.

Why use a string trimmer?

A string trimmer compliments any wannabe gardeners toolbox. It is the perfect accompaniment to a lawnmower.

Where lawn mowers are great at tackling wide open spaces including your front and back yard, trimmers help get in the small, difficult to reach areas a traditional lawn mower couldn’t access.

There are various options of trimmers on the market, gas, corded and cordless – but which should you choose?

Why Go Corded?

In times gone by, most trimmers were gas-powered. Recently, corded and cordless versions have hit the market. While at first, they were unable to deliver the power of their traditional counterparts, for the first time, we are seeing them able to compete with their gas equivalents.

Corded trimmers have several advantages over gas trimmers, notably their environmental impact and level of noise emitted. Obviously, electric versions are much quieter. Not only that but electronic versions have the added benefit of not requiring a trip to the gas station to refuel.

Corded trimmers also offer a considerable power advantage over their cordless counterparts. Still, the addition of a cord can create some mobility issues, particularly when navigating challenging terrains. A trailing wire can be an added complication.

Cordless trimmers present another option for the amateur gardener, without the added restriction of a trailing cord. This means you have a greater range and mobility in your yard, allowing you to move around your garden with ease.

The downside of cordless options is battery life. Given the high power required to cut through grass and weeds, batteries drain quickly and can last between 15 minutes to half an hour before a recharge is necessary.

For most amateur gardeners, this doesn’t present a problem, but we feel a corded option, given its added advantage in terms of power, is a sensible choice for most gardeners.

Our Top Pick

The BLACK+DECKER String Trimmer 14-Inch (BESTA510) is our stand-out choice for this review.

BLACK+DECKER has managed to strike a perfect balance between cost and power, delivering the amateur Gardner a tool they can be proud of. A must buy for all amateur gardeners, whether your outdoor space is big or small, this is guaranteed to meet your needs perfectly.

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