Video buyer's guide to string trimmers

String trimmers are ideal for dealing with grass, weeds, and brush in areas your mower or tractor can't reach, keeping your property tidy and eliminating inviting homes for insects, rodents, and other critters.

If you're in the market for a new string trimmer for next spring or for the last bit of yard work you'll do this fall, check out our free buyer's guide (ratings available to subscribers) and watch the video from our recent tests of string trimmers (right).

The video features advice from Peter Sawchuk, a senior project leader in our Tech department and our go-to guy for testing outdoor power equipment, who discusses the basic types of trimmers and the pros and cons of straight and curved shafts.

Sit down longer with Peter as I get to do, however, and you can get additional details that can make a big difference in how much time you spend on your trimming chores. Take two- and four-cycle. Four-cycle engines are touted as cleaner (less smoke) and more convenient (no need to mix of oil and gas) than two-cycle engines. But results from the four such trimmers we tested demonstrate that four-cycle technology in string trimmers isn't the panacea you might think.

Another consideration relates to the head housing the monofilament line, which does the actual trimming. Fixed-head units use two or more precut pieces of line. Bump-feed models let out line when you bump the head to the ground. And automatic models release more line by themselves when needed.

As part of our Spring 2010 report on string trimmers, we'll look at models whose very designs tend to wear out line sooner than you might expect, others whose manufacturers have learned how to keep tall growth from wrapping around the shaft, and one that couldn't seem to keep its head together.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Check out our "Fall Lawn and Yard Checklist" for details on tending to all facets of your property, and keep your power equipment in shape with our "End-of-Season Lawn-Equipment Guide." You'll find other tips on our Fall Cleanup Guide page.

Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Latest tests of string trimmers

In the market for a new string trimmer for next spring or even now? If you live in the Sun Belt, you're still likely actively tending to your property, with those of us in northern climates taking one or two last passes at overgrown areas of the property during fall cleanup. Here's what's new from our tests of more than two dozen new string trimmers.

One interesting new battery-powered model, the Black & Decker NST2036, is intended to be the first such trimmer capable of handling the tougher cutting jobs normally reserved for gasoline-powered trimmers. Powered by a very large 36-volt nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery and equipped with a dual-string head, it's capable enough to rival some of the less-powerful gas models at trimming, including on tougher tall grass and weeds. But at 14.5 pounds, the NST2036 is among the heaviest string trimmers we tested, and with a price tag of $250, it's among the most expensive. What's more, recharge time for the NiCd battery is 12 to 16 hours, and a replacement costs $100. (Visit the Call2Recycle Web site or call 877-2-RECYCLE to find a local recycler of spent rechargeable batteries.)

New this year are propane-powered string trimmers with cleaner-burning, environmentally friendly fuel. But at $210, the Lehr ST025DC (right in photo above) and $290 Craftsman 79212 (left) are among the most expensive we've tested. And at 16 and 17 pounds, respectively, these trimmers are 4 to 5 pounds heavier than most gasoline models, and that doesn't include the nearly 2-pound screw-on propane tank you have to use.

Using pressurized propane gas, which come in containers sold at hardware stores, home centers, or sporting-goods stores, you might expect near-instantaneous starting. What we experienced, however, is that these engines often required one or two more pulls of the starter cord than did most two-cycle gasoline engines we tested. Also, the hose connecting the propane tank protrudes from the trimmer and can bang or catch on anything you brush past.

An additional concern, especially if you tend to ignore instructions, is that the owner's manual for these trimmers and a sticker on each product instruct you to disconnect the fuel line from the propane tank after each use. If you don't, the trimmer might leak and create a safety hazard.

When considering string trimmers, buy a model that not only feels right in your hand but also does the best job, considering your property's needs and your budget. For the most power against the toughest growth, the Stihl HomeScaper Series FS 45, $150, and FS 45 C Easy2Start, $170 (full ratings available to subscribers) remain among our top picks.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Check out our free buyer's guide to string trimmers and make easier work of fall cleanup and end-of-season equipment maintenance.

Getting Their Goats: Another town turns to four-legged creatures for outdoor cleanup

The Men Who Stare At Goats, the new comedy starring Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, and George Clooney (shown below holding a cast member), is about a secret U.S. Army unit. But based on some news reports we’ve seen since spring, it could be a tale about landscapers who use goats instead of gas-powered equipment ton the job.

The latest town to go goat is Andover, Massachusetts, which has accepted one resident’s offer to use her goats to control weeds and undergrowth at a local nature preserve, according to this Boston Globe report. The six goats could handle a half-acre of grass, brush, and other growth every three days. Another benefit is that what the goats leave behind “will help the grass, as long as it doesn’t smell so bad that people won’t use it,” as one resident observed.

The news comes on the hooves, er, heels of the town of Hempstead, New York, and Google also deploying goats and some property owners in England using wallabies for landscaping work.

Goats might not be for you, but if you’re hoping to minimize your involvement in yard work, note that our tests have shown that some robotic mowers aren’t good performers. And if you’d like to go greener when tending to your property, keep in mind that some reel lawn mowers have not shined in our tests, though the top-performing electric lawn mowers and string trimmers  can rival some gasoline-powered models in performance and also produce no exhaust emissions. If you’d like to replace your gas-powered mower with an electric model, take advantage of a mower-exchange program.

At this time, we have no plans to test goats or other herbivores for next May’s report on lawn mowers and tractors.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Tap into the yard-care tips in our Fall Cleanup Guide.

Tip of the Day: Drain the carburetor bowl on your lawn mower to protect the engine

As we covered in "Is Fuel With an Increased Level of Ethanol a Problem for Small Gas Engines?" there's growing concern over the effects that gasoline-ethanol blends like E10—that's 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol—might have on small, nonroad engines on lawn mowers and tractors and other outdoor power equipment.

If you're concerned about the possible effects ethanol might have on your gas-powered mower or other equipment that will sit for long periods in storage—including a string trimmer or leaf blower—remove the remaining fuel from the tank and then empty the carburetor bowl before you stow gear for the winter. The simple project will help keep your gear in good working condition.

Even if you've run your equipment dry as part of your usual end-of-season maintenance steps, some fuel can remain in the bowl of the carburetor. If you don't drain the bowl, you might see some of the telltale white residue and related corrosion associated with ethanol blends. Four-cycle engines in particular seem prone to the buildup, although two-cycle engines can also suffer from the problem.

To empty the carburetor bowl in your mower:
• Run the engine dry, then let the machine fully cool.
• Locate the carburetor bowl. It's a cylindrically shaped device with one or two bolts on the bottom (shown). If there are two bolts, the off-center one is a drain, which you can use to get rid of any fuel without removing the bowl; place a container beneath the carburetor and remove the bolt. Any fuel present should trickle out.
• On some engines, such as the Tecumseh carburetor shown, the single bolt is for removing the carburetor bowl itself. Also while holding a container beneath, remove the bolt, pull off the bowl, and drain it. Wipe out the inside of the bowl.
• Whether or not you need to remove the bowl, it's a simple task to drain it and tighten everything back up.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new snow blower, read our latest report on single- and two-stage gas and electric models and updated free buyer's guide and ratings (available to subscribers).

CPSC announces recall of Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog corded electric string trimmers/edgers—again

More than two years ago we reported on the recall of about 202,000 Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog corded electric string trimmers/edgers. The spool, spool cap, and pieces of trimmer string on the affected machines could come loose during normal use and become a laceration hazard; the GH1000 could also overheat, posing a burn risk, according to the recall notice.

As of the original July 20, 2007, recall date, Towson, Maryland-based Black & Decker had received reports of 707 incidents, with 58 serious injuries that included two people receiving cuts on their legs requiring medical attention. Among the minor injuries, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, were bruises, lacerations, and facial injuries; the manufacturer also received reports of property damage, including two broken windows.

Yesterday, the CPSC reannounced the recall of the same  Grasshogs. Check out "After More Injuries, Black & Decker Again Recalls String Trimmer," on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, for more details on why the CPSC had to reissue the recall of these corded electric string trimmers/edgers. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you’re in the market for a new string trimmer, read our free buying advice and our report on this yard tool, which includes ratings of three dozen gas and electric models (available to subscribers). To stay on top of the latest recalls, see “CPSC Steps Out With Million-Consumer March” and visit the Consumer Reports Safety blog for in-depth news on important product-safety issues.

Top Gear for Dad: Our best-performing Father's Day gifts

Don't feel guilty—you're definitely not the only one who's yet to buy Father's Day gifts. These gas grills (watch the video buying guide, below), cordless drills, mowers and tractors, leaf blowers, and string trimmers will give the dads in your life the most bang for your hard-earned bucks and will come in handy during your summer staycation or paycation.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Gas Grills
The Brinkmann 810-8410S gas grill, $200, provides very good cooking performance, lots of shelf space and a five-year warranty on its burners. The Fiesta Blue Ember FG50069-U409 and the Char-Broil Red 463250509, each $450, beat out grills costing as much as $1,400. If you often cook for a crowd, consider the larger Char-Broil Commercial Quantum 463247209, $500, which offers a lifetime burner warranty. More details on these and other impressive performers and coverage of wow-factor features are available in our June 2009 report on gas grills (available to subscribers).

Cordless Drills
The top-rated Panasonic EY6432GQKW combines performance and light weight, but its $200 cost might bust your budget. Consider instead the Craftsman 11588; it's been marked down to $99 at Sears. Or you can further downsize to the Ryobi HJP001K, $80, a compact drill that's a good alternative to pricey cordless screwdrivers.

One of our tested cordless tool kits, the Ryobi P841, is on sale for $129 at Home Depot. The included drill and circular and reciprocating saw were only average performers but should be adequate for most household work; otherwise, consider the heavier duty DeWalt DC4PAKA, $433 at Amazon.com.

If dad needs storage space, this Kobalt 53" Stainless Steel Tool Chest, $1,700, might make an extravagant gift. It boasts a Pioneer sound system, an iPod jack, a 1.6-cubic-foot refrigerator, and other bells and whistles.

Lawn and Yard Care
If your yard is small, a corded electric mower like the Black & Decker MM875, $230,  might be a good choice. Among gas-powered mowers, the self-propelled Toro Super Recycler 20092, $500, was easy to power up hilly lawns.

The Craftsman 28828, $1,750, John Deere LA115, $1,700, and Cub Cadet LTX1040 13RX90AR, $1,500, lawn tractors held their own against mowers costing $1,000 to $2,000 more. (Read this report and watch this video on lawn-tractor safety.)

The electric Black & Decker GH1000 string trimmer, $70, is easy to handle. The gas-powered Stihl HomeScaper Series FS45, $140, has dual cutting lines that made short work of tough weeds. The Toro Ultra Blower Vac 51599, $70, blows away the competition in performance, and its metal impeller can handle debris that can damage other impellers.

Essential information: For Father's Day, try out these easy, delicious recipes for the grill. And check out these suggestions for electronics gifts, courtesy of our colleagues at the Consumer Reports Electronics blog.

Tip of the Day: Take the work and injury out of fall cleanup

As I lay in bed last Sunday morning recovering from a day spent removing my air conditioners, my colleague Steven H. Saltzman had already started on his fall yard cleanup and wasted no time blogging about it.

Don't feel guilty if you've yet to start your own seasonal cleanup. In this case, procrastination is not a bad thing--use the time to review our best lawn-care products.

Plus, you'll be able to heed this expert advice from the Consumer Reports Health blog to avoid raking-related and other injuries. And follow these tips from Silvana Fix, D.P.T., a doctor of physical therapy with Spine and Sports Rehab in Fairfield, Connecticut.

• Before you start working, "a brisk walk for about 10 minutes is a good general warm-up," says Fix. To stretch your back, "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend backward five to 10 times before returning to a full upright position," says Fix.

For your quadriceps, bend your right leg, grab the ankle with your right hand, and gently pull your leg toward your buttocks. Hold that for a count of 10 or 20. Repeat with your left leg. Be sure you're near a wall or tree and on flat ground so you can maintain your balance.

Fix also recommends this easy chest-and-shoulder stretch: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, clasp your hands behind your back and gently bring your hands away from your back. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat two or three times.

• When you rake, "Keep your wrists in a neutral position, with no bending. A rake that has a bent or side-mounted handle can help here," says Fix. She adds that good body mechanics are important: "Place one foot ahead of the other, keep your back straight, and rake the leaves while taking small steps backward and keeping your arms close to our body."

As you work, avoid stooping or bending forward, twisting your back, and overreaching with your arms, and keep your feet planted firmly in one place on the ground, according to Fix, who notes that you should stretch again when you're done and consult a medical professional if you pain lingers.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Remember, it's important to get rid of leaves, especially under your deck. Piles of leaves are an open invitation to mice, which can carry Lyme disease and hantavirus, and other pests to set up warm winter homes. Our fall lawn-and-yard checklist will help your yard looks its best next spring. Autumn is an especially effective time to fertilize some lawns. Don't hesitate to fall back on mechanical help to get the job done, including the latest leaf-bagging lawn tractors, cordless and gas-powered leaf blowers, and string trimmers.

Tip of the Day: Use a string trimmer for late-summer and fall yard care

String trimmers are handy for cutting grass, weeds, and brush in areas your mower or tractor can’t reach, helping to keep your property looking its best and eliminating habitats for insects and rodents, and other critters. As fall approaches, you’ll want to be sure you don’t to provide overwintering abodes for pests.

With prices of the string trimmers in our ratings (available to subscribers) ranging from $20 to $370, we can help you weed out some choices and find the best model for your home. Read our latest report on string trimmers and watch the video at right, in which our garden-equipment guru Peter Sawchuk details the pros and cons and costs of gas and electric (corded and cordless) models.

Essential information: Get ready for autumn with our guide to fall yard care. And find the best leaf blower to make easier work of yard cleanup.

Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: How we review string trimmers

When you work for Consumer Reports, friends, family, and acquaintances often are curious about how we examine products, wondering if we really do put each and every item—be it a vacuum or a Volkswagen—through rigorous testing.

For string trimmers, an essential yard-care tool, I can tell you, based on first-hand experience, that a lot of work goes into reviewing these machines.

One day early last fall, despite a looming deadline, I snuck off for a ride to Lyndhurst, a New York country estate once home to former New York City mayor William Paulding and railroad tycoon Jay Gould. This 67-acre property north of our Yonkers, New York, headquarters includes a nearly 170-year-old Gothic Revival mansion. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which maintains the site, has let Consumer Reports test leaf blowers and string trimmers there for more than 10 years.

Running the tests that afternoon were Peter Sawchuk, our outdoor-power-equipment maven (shown with the highly rated Stihl FS 45 gas-powered string trimmer), and Mike Sedlak. I caught up with them as they were whacking away at tall weeds and grass on a little-used portion of the estate along the Hudson River, testing the 21 new gas and electric models that will appear in our upcoming review of string trimmers. (You’ll find the new story on our string trimmers page along with updated Ratings and CR Quick Recommendations, available to subscribers.)

I watched Peter and Mike run the grass-and-weeds test, which replicates the worst conditions you might encounter along the perimeter of your property—some of the growth is more than a yard high and is rife with deer ticks and poison oak. They timed how long it took each model to chop the grass in a 5x8-foot patch down to about three inches. They also tested the edging capability of each model along wood pilings and some of the walkways.

Our testers also assess each string trimmer on how well it’s balanced, how easy it is to replace cutting line, and how noisy the machine is at the operator’s ear.

The testing at Lyndhurst might not have been as much fun as my machete-swinging hikes in the boonies of Guam . . . that’s another story. But from all appearances, the best weed whackers we tested are far more precise.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Read about the pros and cons of gasoline and electric trimmers and learn how to find the right model.