Cordless Whipper Snipper Kit Recommendations

[Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 15:56

Our driveway has a grassed middle strip that grows quicker than the lawn. The exceptional grass growth appears to be fertilised by the fumes of the car but it could also be due to the fact that the driveway has a N/E aspect.

My retired FiL usually does the lawn mowing however he's had a few health issues of late so we need to look at DIY. I'm over the tall grass reeds scraping the underside of the car when parking and exiting the driveway between lawn mowing so thought process is to use a whipper snipper for this section. I'll also be using it and I have zero experience.

Requirements:

  • Budget ~$150
  • Must be a kit with battery + charger
  • Telescopic
  • Ease of use
  • In-store availability

I've had a quick look online & the Ozito PXC 18V Cordless Line Trimmer Kit - $125 looks like a contender. I know from other posts here that members have commented positively on Ozito as a brand.

Let me know your thoughts & recs and if there is any thing else that should be considered.

Home & Garden Line Trimmer

Comments

  • morediscount on 03/05/2023 - 16:24
    +1

    I use the one you mentioned.. so far no issues with the device..
    but it is not ergonomic and long use causes muscle pain in my arms

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 17:59
      +1

      Thanks! The 'Do you even lift?' meme comes to mind and I SO do not!

      hmmmm …. it's a long driveway ~20m so may have to whipper snip in stages as I build up my upper body strength

  • freefall101 on 03/05/2023 - 16:26
    +2

    I think that one is relatively new, but it looks a better design than the 36V one. Going by the pictures it has some sort of rotating head on it? Looks handy for doing the edging of grass, I find it hard to do with the 36V one.

    Power definitely isn't a problem with the 36V one either so I think 18V would be fine. Batteries last ages.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:13

      Thank-you!

      The linked model is actually listed as a 'promo product' on the Ozito website which they define as 'This is a promotional item and will be available while stocks last in stores.' so I don't know if this is similar to a limited edition?

  • Euphemistic on 03/05/2023 - 16:47
    +1

    I’d you’ve got a cordless drill, get one that uses the same batteries if you can. Most 18v gear have a whipper snipper in their range.

    I don’t have experience with ozito line trimmers but review seem decent for them.

    I’ve used several different Ryobi models and they do the job as long as you don’t expect the same grunt as petrol.

    Check out gumtree etc Ryobi and ozito gear is often sold off for cheap as people upgrade or downsize their property.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:23

      We've got no power tools at all as my FiL usually takes care of such things so starting from scratch.

      I also looked at the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 25cm 2.0Ah Line Trimmer Kit - $149 but it's not telescopic.

      • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 18:26

        On many models you'll be able to change the handle position and head angle, but strimmers generally aren't telescopic… unless you get an Ego which is a bit more than your budget.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:55

          The Ozito models are showing as telescopic though??

          • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 19:00

            @[Deactivated]: Oh yeah, I didn't notice that. BTW, I missed the reason you can't use a mower for this job? It's likely the ideal equipment. The strimmer line head will drive you nuts.

            • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 19:11

              @sumyungguy: The driveway grass strip grows exponentially quicker than the lawn so prefer a quick way of cutting it without having to use a mower …. which we don't actually have either atm but can borrow one until purchased.

              Dare I ask what is a strimmer line head & why will it be bothersome?

              • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 21:14

                @[Deactivated]: You will have either a single or two-line head, and I've not yet used one that feeds consistently - so you can fit plastic blades to some models to address this issue.

                • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 21:25

                  @sumyungguy: The product description states that it's an automatic feed so is the lack of consistency on models that do not have this feature?

                  • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 21:30

                    @[Deactivated]: Automatic, manual - I reckon they're both unreliable. This is one of the reasons there are no robot line trimmers (yet)

      • Euphemistic on 03/05/2023 - 18:32

        Why do you need telescopic? Most of these units are lightweight with adjustable handle and not as long as a petrol jobbie because they have the motor in the head and the battery in the handle at waist height.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:52

          My husband and I are both tall & unused to yard work (he has already expressed a strong dislike) so if either of us have to stoop to use the trimmer then it'll be an excuse not to.

          • Euphemistic on 03/05/2023 - 20:44

            @[Deactivated]: How tall? Duck into your favourite big green shed and grab a couple off the rack to test a few. I’m on the tall side and find the Ryobi models OK. Maybe if you’re a decent amount over 180cm you might have a hard time.

            • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 20:51

              @Euphemistic: I'm 179cm and my husband is 193cm so he'd be opting out if your benchmark is correct.

  • terlalu on 03/05/2023 - 17:00
    +1

    get some weed (grass) killer. spray it, wait a week, pull it all out and cover with pebbles.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:24

      But I like the grass & it looks great when it's not reedy tall

  • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 17:22
    +1

    I just completed a landscaping project where my contractor installed artificial turf between my wheel tracks, turned out to be a fabulous idea.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:27

      For a new build or established property?

      • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 19:05

        Established property, driveway was dirt/grass then added gravel wheel tracks 20 years ago, now concrete sleepers with artificial turf only between the sleepers.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 19:07

          Ours is concrete/grass & looks great when the grass is neat & trimmed so prefer not to kill it.

          • sumyungguy on 03/05/2023 - 20:34

            @[Deactivated]: Mine looks good all year round with pretty much zero maintenance, but you'd have to invest in turf plus installation

            • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 20:52

              @sumyungguy: I'll keep the real stuff ;)

  • Prong on 03/05/2023 - 17:33
    +1

    IMO the Ozito blade style trimmers are great for this sort of thing, and could do the job well.

    I use the most basic one for trimming all sorts of edges, including a section of grass not unlike what you speak of. It uses clip in place plastic blades, rather than line. They cut much neater and easier than line, and are super easy to change. The blades swing on the attachment point, so can take a surprising amount of abuse when hitting hard things. But they are not designed to be constantly held against hard surfaces like a line trimmer. It's more of a precision tool, but for just trimming grass it does not matter.

    The trimmer is $99 with battery and charger, and a basic blower.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-18v-cordless-blower-an…

    There's a slightly fancier one (I have the basic model) for $99 with battery and charger, but no blower.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-18v-240mm-cordless-gra…

    Some people have had negative experiences with these blade trimmers. Certainly it seems like the early ones (many many years gone now) had blades that would more easily break, come off, or wear faster. But in my experience, even not being gentle with them the blades very rarely come off and are very slow to wear out. In contrast, I find line trimmers imprecise and very fiddly - not worth it unless you specifically need to 'edge' with them along a hard surface. That said, I edge my rear path using the blade trimmer - it's pretty easy to run it along without actually needing to have it hitting the concrete.

    To give a better idea, here's a dumb video I made with the trimmer 2 years back. Pretty much cutting things that should not be cut, but it gives an idea of the capabilities.

    https://youtu.be/LK5G7c8vPcQ

    The only other thing that might work is a hedge trimmer. I have one, and have used it on some overgrown grass that had stalks too thick for the line trimmer. It did a great job - though of course was awkward holding it at ground level. But it cuts large sections quickly. I also have a friend who uses a pole trimmer to do similar.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-18v-cordless-hedge-tri…

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:34

      A thousand thank-yous!

      Your vid is excellent & hilarious & I cannot believe you did what you did to the loo paper roll after it's elevation in status due to the pandemic.

      • Prong on 04/05/2023 - 10:51

        I like to live dangerously! :D

    • sam-1966 on 04/05/2023 - 12:34

      We got both of our daughters the first one you listed with the blower and they both love it.

  • Navanod66 on 03/05/2023 - 17:50
    +1

    Easier to just mow over it or like another suggested, weed killer and cover with pebbles or artificial turf.

    If it's near a GPO in your garage and that's the only thing you are going to mow, get a wired mower. Heaps cheaper

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:34

      Mower is the next purchase ….. baby steps!

  • AustriaBargain on 03/05/2023 - 17:56
    +1

    I just use the lawnmower set really low to the ground. If grass starts growing through cracks in brick I just scrape shovel over it. Honestly grass is such a huge pain in the ass, if I actually owned this property I'd get it ripped out and replaced with fake grass, or just fill it with concrete and paint it green.

    Though you may want a snipper anyway to help with edging. Easier to maintain it with a snipper than an actual edger, which is also a huge pain in the ass to use.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:36

      If grass starts growing through cracks in brick I just scrape shovel over it.

      lol

      So Euro ethnic!

  • CheapandUsed on 03/05/2023 - 18:13
    +1

    I wonder if the line feed system on that ozito one you linked is a straight fit the to one that uses the silly blades… Guess I'll be at Bunnings this weekend to try figure it out

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:43

      I'm also be checking out both although impressed by the blades version as per vid linked in @Prong comment above

  • Hugh G Rection on 03/05/2023 - 18:41
    +1

    get whatever platform you're in or want to be in. I was with Milwaukee, but now with Makita. Ozito is great for DIY and cheaper then ryobi (green milwaukee)

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2023 - 18:58

      It's a case of need & I am researching both Ozito & Ryobi. Will test both in-store this week for final decision.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 03/05/2023 - 22:37
    -2

    Ozito =landfill.

    That's come from 2 Bunnings managers that are friends.

  • xyzed on 04/05/2023 - 07:57

    I tossed my small cheaper battery operated whipper snippers in the bin. Took forever to do even a small amount. Bought an electric Ryobi one and waaaay quicker. What took 1 hour and looked horrible, to 5 minutes and far better cut. Since then, I've got an AEG 18V via redemption, almost as powerful as the electric Ryobi, but costs far more.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 12:23

      Is it quicker because you're not having to go over certain spots or is it due to the type of grass or ?

      Also, I'm a novice in lawn maintenance & a corded whipper snipper, quite possibly, would annoy me & my gardening venture would be over just as quickly as it began.

  • kallico on 04/05/2023 - 08:59

    Why dont you just mow it?

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 12:09

      No mower

  • sonicentropy on 04/05/2023 - 09:21
    +1

    I picked up the ozito from the bargain bin of my local bunnings for $45 about 6 weeks ago it was missing the replacement blades. I managed to do my lawns 3 times before that blade broke, went to bunnings 6 Pack and 20 Pack were out of stock with no ETA I also saw a second trimmer in the bargain bin. obviously, people are turning to stealing blades from new units. I bought a 50 pack of blades from aliexpress but it took 5 blades just to do my yard once. I have ordered a stainless steel blade. Arpart from the blade shortage I wont go back to using my 2 stroke trimmer even on long grass this does a great job.

  • Nugs on 04/05/2023 - 09:50
    +1

    second hand push mower. cheap with no ongoing maintenance
    I paid $20 for one like this
    https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ozito+push+mower&id=EBF…
    .

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 12:29

      Thanks - I like this as another option. I just had a look and there are several on offer locally so will have a chat about it this evening to see whether I should just pick one up.

      • Euphemistic on 04/05/2023 - 14:43

        If you’re only doing a tiny bit of the lawn, consider a 240v mower. Running out an extension cord might be a pain, but I reckon a hard to start mower that requires you to go to the petrol station and service the mower is more of a pain.

        • mapax on 04/05/2023 - 15:12

          A push mower isn’t a petrol mower.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join