The 8 Best Weed Whackers of 2024

Best Overall

Ryobi Electric Cordless String Trimmer

$169 At Amazon $129 At Home Depot $120 At Walmart

If you want the power of a gas weed whacker but the convenience of a battery-powered tool, then this 40-volt offering from Ryobi is the answer. Our top choice of string trimmer is loaded with great features, including a brushless motor for longer life with less required maintenance and an adjustable handle so you can position it comfortably for your height.

We also appreciate its two-speed trigger with variable speed control, so you can go faster when you need extra power for tough weeds or brush, and slow the tool down to extend the battery run-time when merely cutting small weeds and grass. Plus, it has an adjustable cutting width, with a minimum of 13 inches and a maximum of 15 inches.

This string trimmer comes with 0.085-inch string, which is good for trimming grass and weeds, but you can also load it with 0.095-inch string if desired for tackling tougher weeds, light brush, or thick grass. Either way, the weed whacker is very easy to reload, thanks to the REEL EASY head, which can be rewound in under 60 seconds.

When you want to let out more string, a gentle bump of the tool against the ground advances just the right amount so you can keep working without having to stop and let out line by hand. The tool also comes with a set of serrated plastic blades, which can be fitted into the tool's head in place of string. Use the blades for cutting tougher brush and weeds. While not nearly as strong as metal blades, these do a good job on softer weeds and grasses, but they aren't sturdy enough for woody weeds.

This versatile weed whacker works with the Ryobi line of Expand-It accessories, sold separately, which can turn your string trimmer into a pole saw, electric hedge trimmer, soil cultivator, snow blower, and more quickly and easily. The weed whacker comes with one Ryobi lithium-ion 40-volt battery and charger, which are compatible with any other Ryobi tool using a 40-volt battery. Depending on conditions, you can get up to one hour and 10 minutes of run-time from the battery before needing to recharge.

_{Type: Cordless electric | Weight: 11.3 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 40 volts | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 15 inches}

Best Budget

Greenworks Corded Electric 15-Inch String Trimmer

$54 At Amazon $53 At Walmart $50 At Lowe's

Just because a weed whacker comes at a budget price, that doesn't mean you have to forgo great features, as this corded electric offering from Greenworks proves. Plug the tool into an outdoor-rated extension cord (we recommend this one from Amazon) up to 100 feet in length, and don't worry about smelly gasoline fumes or worrying about a battery running down before you finish.

Suited to a small-to-medium yard, this string trimmer's head easily pivots for use as a trimmer or an edger, doubling its versatility. It has a 15-inch cutting swath and uses 0.065-inch string, which automatically advances as the exposed string wears down. When you need to reload the string, you can use pre-filled spools or rewind bulk string onto the spool that comes with the tool. However, you cannot use heavy-weight string with this weed whacker, and if you choose to rewind the spool, rather than replace it, it can be a bit tricky to do correctly.

The handle telescopes from 40 inches to 50 inches, and the grip is also adjustable, so you can set the weed whacker to fit your own height, making it comfortable to use for lengthy gardening sessions. Its 5.5-amp motor runs smoothly and quietly and has enough power to quickly cut through grass and non-woody weeds. At only seven pounds, this is a reasonably lightweight string trimmer, so it won't wear you down before the job is through.

_{Type: Corded electric | Weight: 7 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 5.5 amp | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 15 inches}

Best Gas

ECHO 25.4 cc Gas 2-Stroke Straight Shaft Trimmer

$350 At Home Depot $500 At Walmart $360 At farmandfleet.com

If you have a large area of brush, overgrown grass, or woody weeds to clear, then you'll appreciate the extra power of a gas weed whacker like this offering from Echo, which runs on a 25.4 cc, professional-grade two-stroke engine. Like other gas-powered weed eaters, you'll need to fill the gas tank with a 50:1 ratio of fuel to oil mix.

Echo's i-30 starting system makes it much easier to start up this weed whacker than most others, and once powered on, this sturdy beast chews steadily through just about anything you ask it to. The handles are padded and ergonomically shaped for comfort and are also designed to greatly reduce the amount of vibration that reaches your hands and arms.

The 0.095-inch heavy-duty string advances with a bump of the tool against the ground. When the string runs out, the ECHO Speed-Feed system reloads in seconds without the need for tools, so there's no frustrating fuss or trouble. With a 17-inch cutting swath, you can work your way across the lawn quickly.

Should you need even more powerful cutting action, ECHO sells a separate conversion kit that lets you swap out the string head for a metal-bladed head that easily cuts through thick underbrush and overgrown weeds. Be aware that this weed whacker is quite loud and does emit gas fumes, as is typical for gas-powered tools.

_{Type: Gas | Weight: 13.4 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 25.4 cc | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 17 inches}

Best Cordless/Battery

Ryobi One+ String Trimmer

$89 At Home Depot

Go cordless with this lightweight string trimmer that's designed to take care of small-to-medium yards. The curved shaft makes it easy to maneuver around shrubs, rocks, and tree trunks, and the handle is ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip. Plus, weighing a mere four pounds (the lightest on our list), this is a weed whacker that shouldn't tire you out.

It's powered by an 18-volt battery that recharges in an hour and runs for anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes per charge, depending on how you use it. With a simple push of a button, you can switch the head's orientation: use it horizontally for trimming and vertically for edging.

The cutting swath of this tool is 10 inches, which is on the small side but can be a good thing if you are edging a flowerbed or other area with many obstacles to work around. It can only use 0.065-inch string and automatically feeds out more string as required. It's not too difficult to reload once the string runs out. The weed whacker comes with an 18-volt battery that can be used in other 18V Ryobi tools, as well as a charger. Note that it is not compatible with Ryobi's Expand-It attachments, however.

_{Type: Cordless electric | Weight: 4 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 18-volt | Shaft Type: Curved | Maximum Cutting Width: 10 inches}

Best Corded Electric

Ryobi 10-Amp Corded String Trimmer

$87 At Home Depot $152 At Walmart

As long as you have an outdoor-rated extension cord up to 100 feet, and you don't need to trim beyond that point, a corded electric weed whacker is a great option. You get a lot of power, like you would from a gas-powered tool, but you also get the benefits of a cordless tool, including no smelly fumes, no need to keep gasoline on hand, and an easy start at the push of a button. Plus, there's no need to worry about your battery running out too soon. This corded weed whacker from Ryobi is loaded with great options beyond the above: It has a 10-amp motor for maximum performance, it cuts an impressive 18-inch path, and it is designed to reduce vibrations through the handle, so it's easy on your hands, although it is relatively heavy for this type of tool.

The tool comes with 0.080-inch string, but can also use 0.095-inch string if you need something even more heavy-duty. String advances with a bump of the tool to the ground, and when it's time to replace the reel, it's very easy to install a new one or simply rewind bulk string around the reel.

Best of all, this string trimmer is compatible with Ryobi's extensive line of Expand-It attachments, meaning you can purchase a wide variety of optional attachments to turn the weed whacker into a brush cutter, hedge trimmer, pole saw, snow thrower, and more. However, its head does not pivot for use as an edger, as do many other weed eaters.

_{Type: Corded electric | Weight: 11 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 10 amp | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 18 inches}

Best Splurge

DEWALT 60-Volt Cordless String Trimmer Kit

$300 At Amazon $329 At Home Depot $280 At Walmart

If you use your string trimmer frequently and want lots of power as well as useful features, then you'll appreciate the DEWALT weed whacker, which is a cordless model running off a 60-volt battery; that's a lot of power, although it does add to the overall weight of the product (at 15 pounds, it's the heaviest on our list).

The high-efficiency brushless motor requires no maintenance to keep on running smoothly and fairly silently. There's a two-speed, variable control trigger, so you can turn it up high when you need maximum power for chewing through brush or tall grass, or turn it down low to extend the battery run-time. You can even adjust the cutting width between 15 and 17 inches.

The weed whacker comes with 0.080-inch string, but the tool can also use 0.095-inch string if you need something even more heavyweight. To advance more string, just bump the weed whacker lightly against the ground. The quick-load spool makes it easy to refill the string once you run out.

If you want even more versatility from this weed eater, you'll like its universal-attachment capability, which means you can purchase a wide variety of attachments from DEWALT or other companies to transform the weed whacker into a brush cutter, hedge trimmer, pole saw, blower, tiller, and more. It comes with a 60-volt DEWALT battery that is compatible with other tools from this company, as well as a charger.

_{Type: Cordless electric | Weight: 15 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 60 volts | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 17 inches}

Best Heavy-Duty

Milwaukee Cordless Quik-Lok String Trimmer

$299 At Home Depot $279 At Ace Hardware View On Acmetools.com

This professional-quality cordless string trimmer has the kind of power and run-time you'd expect from a gas weed whacker, thanks to its M18 8.0-Ah lithium-ion battery. This sturdy weed whacker consists of two parts: a Milwaukee M18 FUEL power head with Quik-Lok and a Milwaukee M18 FUEL Quik-Lok string trimmer attachment.

You can use any of Milwaukee's other compatible attachments with the fuel head, making this a very versatile tool that can carry out a wide range of landscaping tasks. It has enough power to clear through thick brush, overgrown grass, and heavy weeds, reaching full throttle in less than a second and maintaining power without bogging down. The tool is designed for good balance, making it easy to carry and comfortable to use, even on lengthy yard tasks.

A variable-speed trigger lets you go faster when you need more power, or slow things down when you want to extend battery run-time as much as possible. The cutting width of the weed whacker adjusts from 14 to 16 inches. The string that comes with the tool is 0.080 inches, but you can also use it with a heavier 0.095-inch line. Either way, you can reload the string reel in just a few seconds.

When the string gets short during use, just bump the trimmer against the ground to advance more string. Not everyone needs a weed eater with this kind of power, and at this price point, but for those who do, it's hard to beat this offering from Milwaukee.

_{Type: Cordless electric | Weight: 12.3 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 18 volts | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 16 inches}

Best with Attachments

BLACK+DECKER Corded String Trimmer With Lawn Mower Attachment

$97 At Amazon $119 At Home Depot $116 At Walmart

With most models of string trimmers, you have to purchase attachments separately. However, this 6.5-amp corded electric weed whacker from BLACK+DECKER comes with a lawnmower attachment, making this a highly versatile tool for small backyards. In fact, it's three tools in one: edger, string trimmer, and lawnmower. It's especially good for mowing on slopes or hills where a traditional lawnmower can be hard to maneuver.

It can be used with an outdoor-rated extension cord up to 150 feet in length, so you can work your way around most small yards. Since there is no way to add a clipping bag to the tool, you can leave the grass clippings in place on the lawn to decompose into mulch or rake them up once you are finished mowing.

The string trimmer uses a 0.065-inch string. There's an automatic string feed, so you don't have to stop and reel string out yourself or worry about bumping it against the ground while mowing. As a weed whacker, the cutting swath is 12 inches. It pivots easily into edger mode.

For use as a mower, the trimmer simply snaps into the mower base. You can adjust the mower's cutting height from 1.6 inches to 2.4 inches; the mower does not have blades but simply uses the spinning string to cut the grass, and it does a great job on most lawn types. You can even adjust the height of this tool's handle between 33 inches and 43 inches to make it comfortable for your height.

_{Type: Corded electric | Weight: 9.9 pounds | Engine/Battery Power: 6.5 amps | Shaft Type: Straight | Maximum Cutting Width: 12 inches}