Electric grass trimmers: model rating and selection

You can remove grass from the lawn and from the infield with various tools. But, despite strong competition from gasoline counterparts, the power tool is not going to give up its positions. You just need to carefully understand what it is - and then the result will justify all investments.

In theory, even an old-fashioned hand scythe can be used for mowing. But, despite the centuries-old history, there is no real meaning in it. An electric hand-held mower is much more productive. Therefore, it allows you to perform incredible work for manual mowing in a short time. At the same time, a huge amount of physical strength is not lost.

Unlike the blade of a hand scythe, the line of an electric apparatus does not break when it comes into contact with stones, tree trunks and other obstacles. In the vast majority of cases, this technique is used to trim the top of the blades of grass. The electrified lawn mower is designed to rotate as quickly as possible.

The grass trimmer, unlike the full-size lawnmower, can be used for more than just cutting the lawn. He will also help with the maintenance of the park or garden. This device is also indispensable when you need to remove vegetation near a wall or fence. Such work, as well as putting in order of garden shrubs, is greatly facilitated by the increased accuracy and accuracy of the trimmer.

Right in the process of work, it will be possible to create simple geometric shapes from vegetation. By selecting yarns of different thicknesses, you can adapt the mower to a specific size of grass. The trimmer copes with shrubs thanks to knives, which can be made not only of metal, but also of plastic. Plastic cutters are even more profitable because they are not corroded.

To answer this question, you need to compare the device data for the main points. The trimmer works mainly with small plants and shows its advantages in hard-to-reach places. It is very difficult to tidy up the vegetation along the lawn or on the slope with the same oblique - and the trimmer solves this problem perfectly. The mowers will cope with dense grass growth. They are "in the teeth" (or rather, "on the line" or "on the disk") even small trees, especially bushes. You can use these machines to mow plants up to 7-8 hours a day, putting things in order over a large area.

There is also a difference in the layout. Braids can be equipped with a circular knife, but for trimmers it is most likely exotic. The motokos is also easy to distinguish by the design of the handles: they are larger and more like a bicycle handle. Of course, the trimmer is inferior in performance and can work for less time without interruption. The trimmer is lighter than brushcutters. The difference is easy to determine even without weights. Therefore, the electric scythe is not useful for those who want to work easier and without unnecessary stress. But consumers of braids have a much larger selection of attachments and accessories. Taking into account the peculiarities of trimmers, they are much more likely to operate the brushcutter from batteries, and not from the mains.

Electric trimmers have become more popular in the home segment over the past few years. Even the worst, in comparison with gasoline counterparts, mobility does not prevent this. Such popularity is largely due to the way these devices work, how they are made. The trimmers of different companies are quite similar, but there are some nuances depending on the corporate approach. In modern trimmers, only one type of electric motor is used - one that operates on direct current and has a brush-collector assembly.

Such an engine is really the best, it is not for nothing that it has almost supplanted other drive options on the power tool. Its main advantage is the ease of maintaining the required speed. They also note the cheapness and excellent mechanical parameters. The impeller on the back side drives away hot air very efficiently.

The electric motor can be installed from above or below. When placed overhead, designers achieve increased device power. However, this results in an increase in size. It is more difficult to adapt to the control of such a mower. The bottom motor helps to make the device more compact, it works more clearly and predictably.

but the weakness of the lower circuit is its incompatibility with cutting wet grass... Otherwise, the risk of electrical injury is extremely high. For the manufacture of electric motor cases, special plastic is usually used in the form of a pair of blanks. Overhead motors are equipped with a special drip plate to accommodate the control stick. It must be performed with a bend that protects the operator's hand from mechanical stress. The trimmer motor housing is fitted with hot air vents.

Another hole is the inlet for the supply wire. Of course, one cannot fail to mention the organization of management. The start button is necessarily spring loaded. Most often it is performed in the form of a trigger. It is also common in modern designs to have a switch lock to help protect against accidental starting.

If the trimmer is equipped with an upper bar, then the transmission shaft is located inside it. (at the top of the motor). When installing it at the bottom, power wires and cables of the control system are laid in the bar. This option often involves the manufacture of a monolithic rod, which most reliably protects against mechanical stress. But sometimes constructors do it differently. The auxiliary stick is D-shaped. It is impossible to meet it on a streamer with a bottom drive.

Modern handle designs always involve the application of a non-slip coating. Users can adjust the angle of the auxiliary handle in relation to the upper shaft based on their preferences and needs. The lower bar can be called the second half of the electric trimmer. Another shaft transmitting force is placed inside it, and a gearbox, supplemented with a cutting part, is placed below. The lower arms can be straight or curved. In the second case, of course, not an all-metal, but a flexible drive shaft is used.

The connection between the two rods is provided by a special coupling. Since it can be easily removed, it is not difficult to disassemble the device - which greatly facilitates its transportation. Reducers are made as a bevel pair. Since these are quite important components, a continuous lubrication system is provided. The bottom-mounted motor places the cutting part on the shaft, which reduces energy losses and simplifies maintenance.

The grass-cutting device itself on the main part of the trimmers is a reel with a special kind of line. The ends of the line are released through the reel leads. When the cutting unit is spinning, the line is in contact with the vegetation.Rotating at 7000-8000 rpm, the element with a small cross-sectional diameter effectively mows the grass. Gradually, this leads to wear and tear of the fishing line, and a new portion of it comes from the reel.

If more productive, albeit coarser work is required, the trimmer is equipped with a disc. Almost all modern models can work with both types of cutting parts - because the need for them arises alternately. When the disc is installed, even small trees and bushes can be mowed.

After these conversions, a smoothed direct current is fed through a start switch to the stator windings and the brush assembly. Under its action, an electromagnetic field arises in the stator. The passage of the lines of force of this field through the armature creates an electrodynamic force, under the influence of which the rotor begins to spin. To transmit the rotational force, a shaft / gearbox is used (if the motor is located on top).

As soon as the device reaches its highest speed, you can start working. The difference in battery models is only in the power source, otherwise the whole process is the same as described above. The worked out design only seems unnecessarily complicated - in fact, the trimmers of the modern model are brought to perfection.

Let's try to figure out whether it is worth buying an electric trimmer at all, what are its strengths and weaknesses. The electrical device can be used both in the garden and in the vegetable garden. It is more perfect than a gasoline analogue already in that it does not create harmful, toxic combustion products. It is not difficult to use such equipment, to establish and repair it. Careful reading of the instructions allows you to use the device in 98% of cases without the slightest difficulty.

It is not difficult, if necessary, to buy a part to replace a broken one, and then replace it with your own hands. An electric home scythe creates a lot less noise than an internal combustion engine. Despite the relatively reduced productivity, it will cope with its goal well - and it is unlikely that gardeners can wish for something else. Finally, there is a wide range of electric trim models. They are chosen based on personal needs and available funds.

But we must also remember about the negative side of such equipment, namely:

• it is not mobile enough (if there is not enough power cable, part of the lawn or garden is inaccessible);
• in the absence of voltage in the network or in case of changes in the power supply parameters of the electric scythe, it will be useless;
• in a large area, low productivity is critical;
• danger of working in the rain and in particularly damp places.

The motor trimmer design described above may still vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer and even to specific model. Thus, devices with a knife and a fishing line are the most practical, compared to those that can operate only with a knife or only with a fishing line. For your information: on some models, reels with not only two, but with four or six free line ends can be used. When it comes to knives and discs, the main difference between them is the material used. They are made not only of metal, but also of extra strong plastic.

The line comes in a variety of thicknesses. If you need to mow only meadow grass or lawn, you can do with lines with a cross section of 1.2–2.5 mm. Larger fishing line helps to remove even reeds, cattails and other plants with thicker stems.

Steel knives are effective in clearing small bushes. Some of the knives are made with several blades.

The disc differs from the knife in that it allows you to do the most delicate work, for example, trim bushes along a curly line. A disc device is also suitable for pruning tree branches.Mini models are equipped with an electric motor located below. Such a device is ideal for those who cannot boast of great physical strength. True, the mechanical impulse of the motor is likely to be small - usually up to 0.65 kW. Low-power electric scythes are mainly equipped with heads designed only for securing reels with fishing line.

Certainly included in the top and recognized as the best models of the German electric trimmers of the brand Bosch.

They are characterized by the following features:

• long-term operation;
• increased reliability;
• excellent efficiency;
• sharp knife sharpening.

If you need to choose among the trimmers with a lower motor placement, then you can pay attention to products not only Bosch, but also Black and Decker... Both brands are considered to be very balanced and perform well. For top-mount products, trim tabs deserve attention. from MTD.

Among Russian equipment, products stand out in terms of quality firm "Stavr"... Trim this TE-1400R grade equipped with a knife suitable for clearing bushes and large thickets of grass. The thickness of the provided line is 1.6 mm. It can rotate at a speed of up to 10 thousand revolutions per minute. Model TE-1700 R designed for a particularly comfortable grip. The mowing strip width is 0.42 m.

Noteworthy and "Interskol MKE-30/500"... The device was equipped with a telescopic bar. Consumers note low vibration intensity and fairly quiet operation. There is only one clear drawback - somewhat limited power. Daewoo DATR 450E, as it is easy to understand from the name, it develops a power of only 0.45 kW. For cleaning the lawn in the local area, however, this is quite enough.

An alternative could be Huter GET 400... This model is slightly more powerful (develops an effort of only 0.48 kW). It is noted that it is hardly suitable for long grass. Protection of the gear unit is provided. By power it is allocated Greenworks 1200W GST1246... The drive of this trimmer is very reliable. The width of the cut strip is 0.41 m. The cutting part is covered with a casing. Quite loud noise can be the only problem.

Other companies making electric trimmers include the following:

• Stihl;
• Oleo-Mac;
• Patriot;
• Champion;
• Gardenlux.

Of course, you need to be guided by ratings and reviews when choosing an electric trimmer. But no less important is the objective technical information about the products. First of all, you need to look at how difficult the situation on the site is. A light machine will certainly be able to cope with the maintenance of a well-groomed lawn. But in front of the wild-growing weeds, he will be powerless. The total area of ​​the cultivated area should also be taken into account. On very large areas, only powerful trimmers can be quite effective.

It is not always possible to independently track the excessive heating of the working parts. And when they overheat, their resource is significantly reduced, so a small overpayment for automation is fully justified.

For a summer cottage with a very modest area (and for a lawn of 2-3 acres), a trimmer with a lower placement of the motor with a total power of 0.3-0.4 kW is quite enough. Such a device will help to put things in order directly next to the house, fence, flower beds. Rotary low-power trimmers (namely those with a lower motor) allow you to set the work surface at the desired angle. Because of this they cope with the work even in the most difficult to reach places... But it must be understood that the lower location of the electric drive means insufficient reliability of the device. It can fail when working immediately after a heavy rain or in a flooded meadow. But for women, old people and adolescents, this is the best option due to its lightness and mobility.

As far as overhead motor units are concerned, these are not just reliable and trouble-free models. Only they can effectively cope with heterogeneous vegetation. The experience of many people suggests that only a trimmer with an upper motor with a power of 0.9 kW or more can bring order to a country house overgrown with herbs. It is also necessary to take products with the thickest fishing line for this case.

It is recommended to pay attention to the device of the boom. On low power trimmers, it is straight and not too long. This solution will appeal to women. But if there is no specific user (the trimmer is bought for an organization or for a family), it is advisable to use models with telescopic rods. They are much easier to adapt to personal needs.

Monolithic bending rods at the bottom are used on trimmers with a power of 0.65 kW and above. As for the cutting strip (0.23–0.45 m), the larger it is, the more productive the device is. Cordless trimmer models are more mobile than network trimmers, but less convenient to use. You will have to be careful not to drain the battery. In addition, when the charge drops below 30%, the operating power drops sharply.

It is not enough to decide on a model by rating and by technical characteristics. It is important to know how to use the purchased device. There is nothing complicated in this - you can start mowing the grass immediately after purchase, taking care only of a good lubrication of the gearbox with lithol.

It is highly advisable to remove driftwood and stumps, pieces of glass, stones and other solid objects from the entire area to be cleaned (and for reliability - and from the area adjacent to it) in advance.

Keep other people and pets away from the electric trimmer while working. Even at a distance of 10–15 m, discarded particles of mulch can get into the eyes and respiratory tract. And getting them on the skin, clothes, too, is unlikely to be pleasant. For the same reason, it is advised to mow the grass, moving away from buildings and cars, and not vice versa. Excessively approaching fences, walls and other structures is also impractical because this can lead to breakage of the cutting device.

Running in an electric trimmer is easy. When commissioned, it is simply started and turned off 3-5 times in a row. This is enough to determine how easy the launch will be. If everything is in order, work with the trimmer for 5 minutes on the lawn grass. In everyday use, you should focus on the 20/20 mode.

The belt is put on the fully assembled and ready-to-use device. Then the belt is adjusted to suit their anatomical features. If everything is done correctly, your hands will not get tired. But when such fatigue appears, especially if an unpleasant vibration still occurs, it is better to stop and change the position of the belt. This adjustment is repeated until the slightest inconvenience disappears.

The belt should be fully tightened in any position. Lawns are usually mowed according to conditional squares, allocated rather mentally. They move clockwise to eliminate handling problems. To mow vegetation at the root, they work by touching the surface at an angle of 30 degrees or more. The lower the line is placed, the smoother the cut will be.

Having met a large weed, they mow the space around it. After finishing the rest of the work, all weeds are removed by hand. If there are a lot of them, use more powerful mowing equipment or change the line to a disc. Tall grass is usually mowed in two directions. In the first pass, the tops of the plants are removed, and in the return pass, the bar is already at the desired height. If the thickets are very powerful, you have to make several right and several left movements on each row. Mowing tall grasses directly under the root is impractical - winding long stems on the line will stop work for a long time.

Finally, it is worth familiarizing yourself with what buyers think about certain devices. Very good grades are given to electrical trimmer Oasis TE-120... It is very easy to replace the line on this machine. It is also praised for its minimal vibration, as well as Champion ET1203A... "Champion" is suitable for people with small stature, but it is impossible to cut the grass at the root. Conflicting assessments give Ryobi RBC 1226i... The convenience of the combined casing is slightly overshadowed by the increased noise level. As for the Daewoo DATR 1250E, this is also a good device. It can work even on wet grass. Folding makes the trimmer more comfortable, but inserting the line can be difficult.

Oleo-Mac TR-111E is distinguished by a well-thought-out design. This trimmer cuts the grass very wide. Branded fishing line will easily break young trees. But the disadvantage of the device is the high price and significant cost of spare parts. Periodically, you will have to blow off dust (however, like any other electrical equipment).

Most often they are made of metal. Along with protecting the operator's feet from being touched by the disc or line, the guard deflects the cut grass to the side. Therefore, it cannot damage the machine itself. The operator's arm is less fatigued thanks to the adjustable hip belt. The belt is fastened to the loops placed on the body and on the upper shaft.

Concluding the description of the device, it is worth mentioning that the designers deliberately refuse speed controllers. The faster the working element spins, the more efficient the mowing is - there are no exceptions to this rule. Now you can see how such a tool works. When connected to a 220 V network, an alternating current begins to flow. It enters first into the built-in rectifier and then into the capacitive filter.

For information on how to choose the right electric trimmer, see the next video.