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How to use a strimmer

Updated: October 2026

You have the trimmer out because the mower has left a fringe along the path, and the nylon will snap if the head meets the slabs. How to use a strimmer is mostly the order you follow, not a special grip. This sequence uses the amazon.co.uk listings saved on 19 October 2026 for the [grass trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/grass-trimmer). It is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Walk the ground first, keep the tip of the line on the grass, and stop if the growth is woody. A vertical wheel pass sits on the [strimmer for lawn edges](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/grass-trimmer/sub/grass-trimmer-lawn-edging) page.

You have the trimmer out because the mower has left a fringe along the path, and the nylon will snap if the head meets the slabs. How to use a strimmer is mostly the order you follow, not a special grip.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26
8.1/10about £63
View offer
WORX WORX WG163E

Rank 2

WORX WORX WG163E
8.9/10about £79.99
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26

Best value

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 26
8.8/10about £29.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the ground, then fit the guard
  2. 2.Height, angle and the arc
  3. 3.How the line comes out
  4. 4.Cable, rain and when to stop

Check the ground, then fit the guard

Long grass hides stones, toys, wire and the animals that should not be hit. Walk the edge before you switch on. The RSPCA asks you to check for hedgehogs before you strim or mow, and to avoid strimming under hedges where animals rest in the day. Fit the guard the maker supplied. A guard that has already fallen off is a reason to stop. Which? tells you to unplug a corded tool, or take the battery off, before you clear a packed head. If you cannot see the soil, you are not ready to start.

Height, angle and the arc

Hold the shaft with both hands and keep the head a few centimetres above the grass you mean to cut. Mow and Edge describes a slight tilt, with the tip of the line doing the work and the head staying off the lawn. That is a working description, not a legal angle. DIY Doctor mentions about 30 degrees for blending an edge into the lawn. Do not treat that as a rule every tool must meet. If the head is flat on the turf, you scalp. Sweep in an arc you can see, and let the tip touch the grass at the far end. A line that keeps breaking is usually a wall, paving or a stone. A slow pass that leaves a little grass beats a bald stripe.
Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyGrassCut 18V-26
8.1/10about £63
View offer

How the line comes out

Three feeds show up in ordinary UK guides. A bump head feeds when you tap it. An automatic head feeds as you work. A third type feeds when you release the trigger. You need the one printed for your model, because forcing a bump on a trigger-release spool just pounds the head into the lawn. Both Bosch EasyGrassCut models in this save feed when you release the trigger. The WORX WG163E uses Command Feed, a button, and the box line names a 1.65 mm spool. The NovorikX listing describes automatic feed, and UK reviews say a thermal cut-out stops the motor after a few seconds of thick growth. That cut-out is a stop, not a cue to hold the trigger harder. Corded or cordless, and line against a blade kit, stays on the grass trimmer buying guide.

Cable, rain and when to stop

A corded trimmer only cuts while the lead can reach a protected socket on a dry day. Electrical Safety First wants the cable over your shoulder, an outdoor lead and an RCD, and it says you do not trim in the rain. In practical terms that is a BS 1363 plug, 230 V, the lead fully unwound, and a 30 mA RCD. The Bosch EasyGrassCut 26 includes a 6 m lead that UK reviews call woefully short, so plan a further outdoor reel. A lead in the cutting plane is how a mains cable gets cut. A cut mains lead needs an electrician. Woody stems and brambles belong on the grass trimmer vs brush cutter page. If the head smokes, unplug or remove the battery.

Common questions

Why does the line snap against the path?
The usual cause is contact with paving, a wall or a stone, which is the pattern DIY Garden describes and the pattern in Bosch corded reviews on this save. The tip is doing the cutting, and a hard edge wears it through in seconds. Look before you start, and do not use the path as a surface to bump for more line unless your own instructions say the head is a bump feed.
Do I have bump feed, a button, or feed when I let go?
Match the listing, not a guess. Both Bosch EasyGrassCut models in this save feed when you release the trigger. The WORX WG163E feeds from a button, called Command Feed. The NovorikX listing says automatic feed. A bump head is the third type in general guides, and it is not named on those three rows. Tapping a trigger-release head on concrete snaps line and does not advance it.
Do I need an RCD for a corded strimmer?
Yes for a mains tool outdoors. Use a 30 mA RCD, a BS 1363 plug and an outdoor lead that is fully unwound, and keep that lead over your shoulder. The Bosch 6 m lead in this save is a start, not a promise that it reaches the back fence. Cordless tools do not use that lead, and they still stay out of the rain.
Should I check the grass for hedgehogs first?
Yes. The RSPCA says check before you strim or mow, and avoid strimming under hedges where animals rest in the day. Part long grass with a stick before the line goes in. A guard and eye protection do not replace that look. If you cannot see the ground, do not start.
Can I use a strimmer in the wet?
No. Electrical Safety First says you do not trim in the rain or on damp ground. That applies to the corded Bosch in this save and to a cordless tool you might take out because there is no socket lead. Wet grass also hides the stones and the animals you were meant to see. Wait for a dry day, then walk the edge again.

Related pages

Grass trimmer

Best grass trimmer UK picks for a stated garden job

Grass trimmer buying guide: the lead, battery and box

Strimmer for lawn edges: wheel, twist or half-moon

Grass trimmer vs brush cutter for brambles and scrub

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were saved on 19 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First: grass trimmers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for use Outdoors Regulations 2001 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008: Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE safety bulletin: brush cutters and flails (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 79 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: noise nuisances and how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. RSPCA: hedgehogs in the garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. STIHL UK: guide to grass trimmers, brushcutters and clearing saws (retrieved 19 October 2026)