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How to use a Bosch grass trimmer

Updated: October 2026

You have a Bosch grass trimmer in a British garden, and the ordinary risks are a cut cable, a snapped line, and a head that keeps spinning after you stop. This page is the sequence for a trim and an edge. It does not rank models. Prices sit on the [Bosch grass trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/bosch-grass-trimmer). Feed faults go to the [line and spool page](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/bosch-grass-trimmer/sub/bosch-grass-trimmer-line-and-spool). Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings, without a lab trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a Bosch grass trimmer in a British garden, and the ordinary risks are a cut cable, a snapped line, and a head that keeps spinning after you stop. This page is the sequence for a trim and an edge.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch AFS 23-37

Best overall

Bosch Bosch AFS 23-37
9.2/10about £124.90
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26

Alternative

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26
9.0/10about £63.00
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26

Best value

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26
8.4/10about £29.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set up before the motor starts
  2. 2.Trim the edge, then stop the head
  3. 3.The edge control printed for these Bosch models
  4. 4.When you stop

Set up before the motor starts

On a corded tool, use an outdoor socket with RCD protection. HSE's workplace guidance says an RCD used against shock should trip at not more than 30 mA, and that you press the test button before use. That page is written for work. Do not trim in the rain, and keep the cable over your shoulder. The EasyGrassCut 26 includes only 6 m. Fit the guard and leave it on. Do not fit a metal chain-flail head. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has warned that those heads can throw metal. The AFS 23-37 is the combi cutter that already includes a blade. Unplug, or remove the pack, before your hands go near the head.

Trim the edge, then stop the head

Hold the head so the tip of the line does the cutting. A full-length line slapped into soil, gravel or a wall snaps, and it scalps the lawn if you drop the head. Sweep, with the guard on the side the debris will throw. Let the tool reach speed, then move. Do not force a 280 W EasyGrassCut into a woody stem. Manuals for these Bosch families say the line keeps spinning after you switch off. Wait until it has stopped before you set the tool down or walk the cable across the head. On models with a lock-off, press that first, then the trigger. At least one ART 30 reviewer says the switch is easy to knock and can cut the cable. Unplug, or remove the battery, before you rewind.
Bosch Bosch AFS 23-37

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch AFS 23-37
9.2/10about £124.90
View offer

The edge control printed for these Bosch models

Use the gesture the listing names. The EasyGrassCut 18V-26 twists after a button click. The 18V-26-500 calls that EdgeSimple. The 18V-260 uses a foot pedal. The EasyGrassCut 26 names no flip head, so do not invent a 180-degree turn. Apply that turn only if your booklet says so. The AFS 23-37 is not this edge routine. It is a corded combi cutter with a harness. If the blade is damaged, you stop. If you are still choosing a lead or a pack, that fork is on the cordless versus corded page.

When you stop

Stop if you smell burning, if the RCD will not reset, if the cable is nicked, or if the AFS blade is damaged. Unplug or remove the battery before you look. Do not open the motor housing on the lawn. A jammed spool is a different stop: power off, then clear it, and leave the guard on. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 bind employers, not a householder. No listing here prints a measured decibel figure. Ear defenders are a comfort choice. Stop on a steep bank, where wire may be hidden, and along a pond.

Common questions

How do I edge without scalping the lawn?
Keep the head up so the tip of the line ticks the grass, and sweep rather than sawing into the soil. Use the edge gesture the listing names: button and twist, EdgeSimple, or the foot pedal. If it names no flip, do not force the head over.
Can I use it in the wet?
No. Electrical Safety First says you should not use a grass trimmer in the rain or on damp ground. That applies to corded tools and is the safe rule for cordless tools as well, because the hazard is also a slip and a cut, not only the plug. Wait for a dry spell. An RCD does not make wet grass acceptable.
What do I do before I touch the spool?
Switch off and wait until the head has stopped spinning. Then unplug a corded tool or remove the 18 V battery. Only then do you open the spool. The line can keep turning after the switch. Touching the head in that pause is how people get hit by the remaining nylon.
How do I keep the cable off the line?
Put the cable over your shoulder so the lead stays behind you, away from the cutting head. Fully unwind any extension. The EasyGrassCut 26's own lead is 6 m, so a longer garden needs an outdoor extension. At least one ART 30 review says a switch that is easy to knock can cut the cable.
Which Bosch models twist into edge mode?
The EasyGrassCut 18V-26 twists after a button click, and the 18V-26-500 uses EdgeSimple tap-and-twist. The 18V-260 uses a foot pedal. The EasyGrassCut 26 does not name a flip head, and the ART 30 does not name a wheel. Apply a 180-degree turn only if your own booklet describes it.
Do I need ear defenders at home?
The noise-at-work regulations bind employers, not a householder, and none of these listings prints a decibel figure. Wear defenders on a long session as a comfort choice. Do not treat the 96 dB regulatory ceiling for non-metallic trimmers as the measured noise of your model, and do not apply it to the AFS blade.
When should I stop and get a professional?
Stop for a burning smell, a cut cable, an RCD that will not reset, a damaged AFS blade, a steep bank, hidden wire, or a pond edge. Employed work needs its own assessment. A spool jam, after you have removed the power, is still something you can clear with the guard left on. A motor fault is not.

Related pages

Bosch grass trimmer buying guide

Bosch grass trimmer

Best Bosch grass trimmer: edge, cordless or brambles

Bosch cordless vs corded strimmer: lead or 18 V pack

Bosch strimmer line keeps breaking on the first edge

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings for this set. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Bosch DIY UK grass trimmers (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Bosch DIY EasyGrassCut 26 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Bosch DIY AFS 23-37 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First: grass trimmers (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. HSE: electrical equipment and RCDs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. OPSS product safety report 2103-0152 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Expert Reviews: best grass trimmers 2026 (retrieved 22.10.2026)