Battery Line Trimmer with Rotatable / Tiltable Head

LWizballs on 11/03/2023 - 11:56

Hi everyone,

I did a search before posting this, so hope it's not a duplicate. But there are a large number of posts re battery line trimmers though.

I'm looking for a decent battery line trimmer with rotatable or tiltable head to make edging easier. In Bunnings only the cheapest trimmers have these function ie Makita & Ryobi. Does anyone know of any decent trimmers with these functions? Would prefer brushless motor, decent brand name etc.

examples of bunnings cheapish options:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-one-18v-25-30cm-4-0ah-cord…
https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-18v-line-trimmer-kit_p040…
https://www.bunnings.com.au/victa-18v-line-trimmer-and-edger…

Thanks!

Home & Garden Line Trimmer

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 11/03/2023 - 11:59
    +1

    I have the Ryobi in your first link and it lives up to my expectations. Does edging fine, the feeder is very average.

  • brendanm on 11/03/2023 - 12:16
    +3

    Just turn the whole thing 90°?

    • Muzeeb on 11/03/2023 - 12:35
      +2

      But my baby wrists might get sore blah blah blah.

  • AaronR on 11/03/2023 - 12:31
    +1

    I used to have the Ryobi you listed. It was powerless.

    Switched to Ego. I feel like if I’m not careful it will break bricks.

    Don’t get an 18v unless your grass has no roots and a slight breeze will break it in half.

    • donga100 on 11/03/2023 - 13:31
      +2

      Whilst this is true, these trimmers do a good job on well maintained edges that are done every 2-4 weeks. I have the Victa listed above and actually use it commercially in conjunction with a petrol trimmer for when more power is needed. The benefits are that they are much lighter and more controllable due to having less power. Petrol or Ego trimmers are easier to accidentally gouge into your edge if you slip a little. I use a thinner gauge line (2mm I think) in my Victa too which gives a much neater and straighter finish. Be aware of the limitations though, it is only good for well maintained edges and fence lines. If you think you will ever need to clear thick weeds/grass or cut through dirt/roots on edges this is not the tool for the job.

  • woodg on 11/03/2023 - 12:33

    Try Bosch. I have one and it's a ripper. Bosch use Amazon as their official online store.

  • nubzy on 11/03/2023 - 12:50
    +1

    Just get a multi tool with strimmer and edger attachment. You only need to use the edger once, then maintain with trimmer line. Stihl KMA135R is very nicely balanced with good power.

  • sumyungguy on 11/03/2023 - 13:28
    +1

    When you say 'decent', be wary that low cost strimmers have single-line heads so they're not super powerful - but fine for light duty. Do you already own battery tools? If not consider also: Black & Decker kit $169
    WORX kit $250
    I used the first one and passed it on, now own the Worx for which you can use Toolpro batteries (Supercheap Auto) which are sharply priced on the secondhand market

    • Wizballs on 11/03/2023 - 16:50

      I do have Makita tools so far. And some ryobi lanterns for camping but only 2.0ah batteries with these. Staying in the same battery ecosystem is handy, but I for garden tools happy to go for the best option regardless of brand.

    • Wizballs on 12/03/2023 - 08:32

      That B&D is only single line and so is a no go for me. Worx isn't really I brand I'd considered, but I just watched the demo video and actually it looks like it does everything I was looking for - am def going to check this one out more. Thanks!

  • donga100 on 11/03/2023 - 13:34
    +1

    The Victa is actually the slightly more premium of those you listed. The reason for the lower price though is that they appear to be phasing out that product line. The matching hedger and blower are rubbish too so you will only be using the battery for one tool.

  • Euphemistic on 11/03/2023 - 13:43
    +1

    Of the ones you’ve listed I’m guessing that tilt head means you can adjust the angle a bit to suit your height/reach. It’s likely not adjustable enough to do a vertical cut for edging. Some enable you to rotate the head around so it’ll cut vertically with the grip in the ‘normal’ position.

    I had a Ryobi 18v and it was OK, but not very powerful. Good to maintained edges, not great for creating the edges if its overgrown.

    • Wizballs on 11/03/2023 - 18:08

      I think tiltable would be helpful to some extent to get the correct angle when at 90 deg. Wouldn't be the same as rotatable though. Thanks for the feedback on Ryobi.

      • Euphemistic on 11/03/2023 - 22:23
        +1

        The Ryobi model I had was rotatable. Was really easy to rotate and very convenient for vertical edge cuts. I got rid of it for a 36v model and missed the rotate feature.

  • Wizballs on 11/03/2023 - 16:54

    Thanks everyone for replying. Some good brands/options here to consider. Much appreciated.
    I do usually keep the edging pretty tidy. I guess everyone slips once in a while tho.
    My reason for battery power is less vibration, which apparently is less fatiguing.
    My place has a sh*t ton of edging and easily takes a full hour. So yeah I do currently spin my current 2stroke 90 deg. But my back is usually pretty shot once finished due to the less than optimal holding position to do that.
    Cheers

    • donga100 on 12/03/2023 - 08:33
      +1

      Sounds like one of these is exactly what you need, especially if you keep the petrol model for tougher work. The Victa is very light and vibrates less than an electric toothbrush. You will want an extra battery though as I have a 5ah and that gets about an hour of operation. The head is both rotatable and tiltable and has a wheel for edging mode but I find it easier/faster just holding it rather than using the wheel.

  • MisterNobody on 12/03/2023 - 07:04

    I have the makita 36v, and its a beast… but a heavy beast. The weight is probably your worst enemy judging by your question.

    Are you sure you are not looking for a lawn edger rather than a line trimmer? They are different and lawn edger (or powerhead attachements) typically have a wheel to support the weight and guide the cutting. Be aware, they have metal blades which have pros and cons.

    • Wizballs on 19/03/2023 - 20:31

      Update on the journey. I noticed none of the units with rotating heads and wheel etc had brushless motors, so started looking at simply lighter options with better motors etc. In the end I went with this Makita 36v (2x18), which weighs only 4.5kg with both batteries. Its's a full 25% lighter, and so much less vibes than my 6kg 2-stroke. This Makita has heaps of power also, even on the middle setting. Sooo much better to use and no sore back afterwards.

      I got bunnings to price beat other stores which had this for $649. So final price was $584:
      https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-18v-x-2-brushless-loop-ha…
      Plus there is a redemption offer at the moment with free leaf blower.

  • Wizballs on 12/03/2023 - 08:28
    +1

    Actually weight is a good point I - definitely looking to keep this low. I have an edger attachment currently, and like you said pros and cons. Great for doing a long overdue on cleanup on straight edges, but need to be carefull around hard edges, especially wavey/curvey parts. I have lots of garden edging, split level and intricate stuff. Previous owners went a bit overboard lol. Younger me or less edging places never really been a worry before.

    So far I've short listed the bosch, stihl, and worx all listed above. I'll keep using current gear for now and will check these 3x out a bit more (and any others that come up).

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