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Corded vs cordless strimmer

Updated: October 2026

You searched for an electric strimmer and the page offered a mains tool at about £30 beside an 18 V kit with the battery missing from the title. Corded vs cordless strimmer is a socket test first. If a protected outdoor socket reaches the grass on a dry day, and you will keep the lead behind you, stay corded. If it does not, you leave the shelf. The rows stay on the [electric grass trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/electric-grass-trimmer). Reel rules are on [how to use an electric strimmer](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/electric-grass-trimmer/sub/electric-grass-trimmer-how-to-use). A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You searched for an electric strimmer and the page offered a mains tool at about £30 beside an 18 V kit with the battery missing from the title. Corded vs cordless strimmer is a socket test first.

Our top picks

Forte Forte 350 W 3-in-1

Best overall

Forte Forte 350 W 3-in-1
8.0/10about £29.99
View offer
BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER GL7033-GB

Rank 2

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER GL7033-GB
8.6/10about £66.99
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26

Best value

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26
8.4/10about £29.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The socket test
  2. 2.What you gain with a plug
  3. 3.What you give up
  4. 4.When to leave

The socket test

A corded trimmer is only as long as the lead that listing states, plus one outdoor reel. The Bosch includes 6 m, and UK reviews call that short. The Forte states 10 m. The GL7033 does not state a length. Two extensions plugged together are not the way past a 10 m fence. Electrical Safety First does not allow that daisy-chain. One fully unwound reel with a thermal cut-out is the extra reach. If that still fails, cordless is the next step. Saved prices are about £29.94, about £29.99 and about £66.99. If the socket test passes, watt bands are on the electric grass trimmer buying guide.

What you gain with a plug

What you gain is continuous mains power for as long as the lead reaches, without a pack that flattens halfway along the fence. Corded tools are often lighter because there is no battery on the shaft. That is not true of every pair. Our lightest listing is the Bosch at 2 kg. Expert Reviews says corded tools are often cheaper and more powerful than all but the biggest cordless tools. Which? calls corded trimmers generally the cheapest type, for fence lines and edges, and dependent on a socket. The GL7033 at 700 W and about £66.99 is the stronger corded head here. A plug does not turn the 280 W Bosch into a brushcutter.
Forte Forte 350 W 3-in-1

Testsieger

Forte Forte 350 W 3-in-1
8.0/10about £29.99
View offer

What you give up

You give up the rain and any pretence that the line cannot find the cable. Electrical Safety First says a mains grass trimmer stays off damp ground. An RCD does not cancel that. Do not use these three listings on wet grass, and do not switch to a battery tool in the rain on the strength of this page. Around shrubs, the lead is what you snag. A cordless tool avoids cutting the cord. A corded tool suits a long session in one go. If the border is a maze of pots, the cable is the wrong risk.

When to leave

Leave when the socket test fails. Which? says poor cordless batteries can last under 20 minutes. That describes weak packs, not every 18 V tool. Many heavy-duty cordless machines cost more than about £300 with a battery and charger. Expert Reviews prices a Bosch 18 V kit from about £106. A cheap 21 V title is not a substitute for the 700 W GL7033, and this page has no ASIN for that claim. A metal blade needs extreme caution or a professional, which is Which?'s line.

Common questions

Is corded more powerful than cordless?
Often, against small cordless tools, which is Expert Reviews' line: corded models are frequently cheaper and more powerful than all but the biggest battery tools. It is not a law. A 280 W Bosch is the light end of this set. A high-voltage cordless kit can outwork it, usually at a much higher price once the pack is included. The 700 W GL7033 is the strong corded head here, still limited by a lead the listing does not measure.
I have a socket by the patio. Is that enough?
It is enough when the stated lead, plus one fully unwound outdoor reel, reaches the grass you actually cut, on a dry day, with an RCD. Six metres on the Bosch is a short start, and reviews say so. Ten metres on the Forte is the longer stated cable. The GL7033 length is unknown until the box arrives. A patio socket does not reach a back fence by itself.
The back fence is past 10 m. What then?
One outdoor reel, unwound, with a thermal cut-out, is the extra the safety guidance allows. Two extensions plugged together are not. If that single reel still leaves you short, or the run would come from a socket deep inside the house, stop and look at cordless. Stretching the mains lead is how people cut the cable or overload the reel.
Why do cordless prices jump once the battery is included?
The tool-only price hides the pack and the charger. Which? puts many heavy-duty cordless kits over about £300 with both included. Expert Reviews' Bosch 18 V kit started at about £106 in that review, which is already above the about £29.94 and about £29.99 corded rows here and near or above the about £66.99 GL7033, before you look at runtime. A body-only listing is a second invoice if you do not already own the pack.
What if the grass is only dry at dusk and the lawn is still damp?
You wait. Damp ground is a stop for these corded trimmers, RCD included. Do not switch to a battery tool in the rain on the strength of this article either. The Electrical Safety First ban used here is about the mains cutting session. A charger in a wet shed is a separate electrical question, and it is not permission to strim soaked grass.

Related pages

Best electric grass trimmer

Electric grass trimmer

Electric grass trimmer buying guide for UK gardens

How to use an electric strimmer without cutting the cable

How to edge a lawn with a strimmer beside the path

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings for this set. Prices saved 19 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First — Grass trimmers (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Health and Safety Executive — Electrical equipment (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. RHS — Electricity in the garden (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. RHS — Mowing (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK — Noise (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Expert Reviews — Best grass trimmer (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Which? — How to buy a grass trimmer or strimmer (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. B&Q — Grass trimmer and brushcutter buying guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)