The best petrol grass trimmers, compared.
Top pick: eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer – Score 80, with 4.0 from 326 reviews, a 52cc shaft, line and blade, and the lowest shelf price at about £120. Best value: eSkde MT52-S23 5-in-1 – Score 74, with 3.7 from 279 reviews, the other sample above 100 reviews. About £143.99, not a lower price than the shaft. Updated October 2026.
A petrol grass trimmer is a hand-held combustion tool for grass a mower leaves behind. In the UK you also hear it called a strimmer. You buy one for an edge, a bank or a corner that a socket lead or a battery will not cover. Shafts may take a line, a single-piece blade, or extra heads such as a hedge cutter. You tell a suitable petrol grass trimmer by the vegetation, the engine and the fuel system printed on it. Lawn edges suit a nylon line. Woody growth suits a single-piece blade on a harness shaft. Take chain flails and other multi-piece metal heads off the tool. Mix two-stroke fuel at the ratio on that engine, and do not premix a four-stroke that states straight petrol. Set the harness before you judge the weight, and match the guard to the head. Light cutting widths are often quoted around 200–300 mm, and heavy work at 400 mm and above. How to match vegetation, width and harness is set out in the [petrol grass trimmer buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/petrol-grass-trimmer/sub/petrol-grass-trimmer-buying-guide).
A petrol grass trimmer is a hand-held combustion tool for grass a mower leaves behind. In the UK you also hear it called a strimmer.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need on the shaft?
Across 326 amazon.co.uk reviews at 4.0, the eSkde BC52-S23 is a 52cc 2-stroke shaft at about £120 that buyers use on thick grass and stubborn weeds, often with the nylon head alone on a neglected corner. The listing shows 7 kg, a 255 mm cutting-width cell, bull-horn handles and a double shoulder harness, and reviewers say that harness makes the weight manageable once it is set. If the harness sits too low, the same shaft feels heavy, especially for a lighter user. The pull start is a recurring complaint: one review calls it clunky, and another says the pulley stopped returning after about ten minutes. Fuel and 2-stroke oil are not in the box, and one review says the mix ratio in the manual disagrees with the label on the engine, so the blank specification cell is a real gap before the first fill. A spool spring broke after a few hours for one owner, who then received a replacement, while another reported about 15 months of monthly use with the tank stored empty. The manual is often called weak, which leaves you leaning on the listing and on those reviews rather than on a clear card in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A rough or overgrown corner where you will set the double harness and use the line head, with the blade only while the nut stays tight
Less suitable: A light lawn edge, or a first fill when you need a mix ratio the listing actually prints
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a harness?
The bullets name a double shoulder harness, plus bull-horn handles and a split shaft.
What fuel ratio does the listing state?
The listing does not state a mix ratio. It is a 2-stroke. One UK review says fuel and 2-stroke oil are not in the box.
How is it rated on amazon.co.uk?
The listing line is 4.0 out of 5 from 326 reviews. That is not a lab test.
The eSkde MT52-S23 is listed at about £143.99 as a 52cc 2-stroke 5-in-1, with a strimmer, brush cutter, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and extension pole, plus a double shoulder harness and a tool kit. Across 279 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 3.7, and buyers who like it point at garden clearance, including brambles in one review, and at several heads for that price. The cutting-width cell is 41 cm, though the 7 kg and 186 × 25 cm cells match the BC52 listing, which is a shared page pattern rather than proof the machines are identical. Reviewers call the shaft heavy, so the harness is part of using it. The pull start is the hard limit: one buyer had a starter fail after a few uses, and a replacement starter failed as well. Heads can sit tight on the splines, a quick-release pin can bend, and one review says the strimmer spool nut was not held in place. Another buyer, writing after the warranty year, reported a broken fuel cap, a broken spool and strong vibration on the brush head, even though some owners found the assembly instructions clear.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A home plot that needs a strimmer plus a hedge head and a pole saw, if you accept starter and joint complaints in the reviews
Less suitable: A line-only lawn edge, or a buyer who wants a starter the reviews have not already reported as failed
Specifications
Common questions
What attachments does the listing name?
The highlight names a petrol strimmer, brush cutter, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and extension pole, with a harness and a tool kit.
Is the fuel ratio on the listing?
No. The listing says 52cc 2-stroke and does not print a mix ratio.
How is it rated on amazon.co.uk?
The listing line is 3.7 out of 5 from 279 reviews. UK reviews include both successful clearance and pull-start failures.
The Ark Mat MT-1 is the dearest row in this comparison at about £154.95, a 2-stroke 5-in-1 with a 430 mm line head, a 255 mm brush blade, a 450 mm hedge trimmer, a 255 mm chainsaw and a 65 cm pole. Cubic capacity, rpm and the fuel ratio are not stated, so this page does not place the engine on the 31cc or 52cc shelf. The weight cell is 13.2 kg, while the bullets call the tool lightweight. Across 17 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 3.7, drawn from seven UK texts, and one buyer says the hedge cutter and chainsaw did the job. Others say the poles are hard to change, the joints rattle loose, a chainsaw screw fell out, and the heads swivel because they are not secure. One buyer could not handle the weight and said the handle kept slipping. A double shoulder harness and a toolkit are named, which matters on a shaft this heavy, though a harness does not replace a screw that has already left the head.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A plot that needs the 430 mm line and the long hedge or pole saw, if you will stop when a joint rattles
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stated cubic capacity and mix ratio, or a lighter shaft than the 13.2 kg cell
Specifications
Common questions
What is the engine size?
The bullets say a 2-stroke air-cooled engine. They do not state cubic capacity or a fuel ratio.
What do the UK reviews say about the joints?
Seven UK review texts are saved with the listing. They include heads that rattle loose and a chainsaw screw that fell out. The listing line is 3.7 from 17 reviews.
Is a harness included?
The bullets name a double shoulder harness and a toolkit.
The SIP SIP-08230 is a 31cc 4-stroke brush cutter and grass trimmer at about £142.04 and 7.5 kg, with bull-horn handles, an adjustable harness, a hip pad, a 430 mm line head and a 255 mm three-blade. The bullets claim single fuel and no mixing, and two reviewers prefer that to a 2-stroke, describing petrol in the tank and oil in the engine, which matches a sump. One reviewer says it started on the first pull and felt quieter than their old 2-stroke, which is one comparison rather than a measured noise test, beside a printed 110 dB(A) sound-power figure. The sample is thin: 3.5 from 14 reviews and 10 UK texts. In that set a choke lever snapped, a pull cord snapped before the first start, and one review says the blade kept coming loose and calls it a danger. The bullets tell you to check a left-hand thread on the blade nut, and the harness is called poor or awkward to fit. A cell marks the product cordless, while the title and the petrol bullets describe a 4-stroke engine, so treat the cordless cell as a listing error.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A reader who wants the listing’s straight-petrol claim and will check the blade nut before every cut
Less suitable: Anyone treating 14 reviews as if they were 326, or anyone who needs a hedge or chainsaw head on the same shaft
Specifications
Common questions
Do you mix oil into the petrol?
The bullets say single fuel and no mixing. Reviewers describe petrol in the tank and oil in the engine. Do not use a 2-stroke mix on that instruction.
Why does one cell say cordless?
One listing cell says cordless. The power source is petrol and the title is a 4-stroke petrol brush cutter. Treat the cordless cell as a listing error.
What do the 14 reviews say about the blade?
One UK review says the blade kept coming loose. Another says the choke snapped. The sample is 14 ratings, not a large one.
The LADAMI GJ520 is listed at about £134.99 as a 52cc 2-stroke multi-tool, with 3 HP and a 25:1 mix in the bullets, a 25 cm cutting-width cell and 9,000 rpm. The saved amazon.co.uk listing has no customer-reviews line, so there is no star rating and no UK review theme to quote. The weight cell is 15.3 kg, with dimensions of 99 × 30 cm, which reads much heavier than the 7 kg eSkde rows on the same shelf. The size cell uses the German phrase Multifunktions-Freischneider, and both model GJ520 and manufacturer part QY001 appear, so check the live page before you rely on either code. Bullets name a shoulder strap with a hip protector and quick fasteners, rather than a double shoulder harness, and they do not print a full parts list. The 25:1 figure is a bullet on this listing, not a field report that the engine has been run on that mix. At this price it sits between the eSkde shaft at about £120 and the 5-in-1 at about £143.99, and the missing rating is why the score on this page is 0.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who will follow the 25:1 bullet on this listing and will check the live page for reviews before relying on the row
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a UK review sample, a named double harness, or a weight cell near 7 kg
Specifications
Common questions
What fuel mix do the bullets state?
The bullets say a 25:1 mix of 2-stroke oil and petrol. That ratio is for this listing, not a universal rule.
Is there an amazon.co.uk star rating on the listing?
No. The saved amazon.co.uk listing has no customer-reviews line, so the rating is not available.
Does the listing include a harness?
The bullets name a shoulder strap with a hip protector. They do not name a double shoulder harness.
Five amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the star rating times 20. A listing with fewer than 100 reviews loses 8 points. A listing with no customer-reviews line scores 0. No lab test was run. Review sentences are themes from the UK texts on those listings, not a rate. Equipment and shelf price choose the badges only. They are not a second sum. There is no tie. The eSkde BC52-S23 scores 80 and is also the lowest shelf price, so it is the top pick only. The eSkde 5-in-1 scores 74 and is the best value because it is the other sample above 100 reviews. It is about £143.99, which is not less than about £120.
Amazon stars
100%The amazon.co.uk star rating times 20. That figure is the whole score, up to 100. A listing with fewer than 100 reviews loses 8 points. A listing with no customer-reviews line scores 0. The deduction is part of this score. Equipment and shelf price are not a second weighted block. They choose the badges only.
Choose the vegetation first, then the engine and the fuel system printed on it, then the cutting width and a harness you will actually wear. A line-only loop-handle trimmer is a lighter class than the shafts on this page.
A petrol grass trimmer is a hand-held combustion tool. UK shoppers also call it a strimmer. It cuts grass a mower misses. Many shafts also take a single-piece blade for thicker growth. Some listings are multi-tools, and the strimmer head is only one attachment, beside a hedge cutter or a pole saw. A line-only loop-handle trimmer is a lighter class and is not the same purchase as a bull-horn shaft around 7 kg. Start with the vegetation. Lawn edges suit a nylon line.
STIHL and Husqvarna state 50:1 for their own engines. The LADAMI bullets state 25:1. The eSkde cells do not state a ratio, and one BC52 review says the manual and the engine label disagree. Do not copy 50:1 onto an engine that does not print it, and do not premix the SIP, whose bullets say single fuel.
The Health and Safety Executive says to remove chain flails and other multi-piece metal heads. A single-piece blade is a different head. Match the guard to the head you fit, and stop if you have not used a blade on woody growth.
The eSkde BC52 line is 4.0 from 326 reviews. SIP is 3.5 from 14, Ark Mat is 3.7 from 17, and the saved LADAMI listing has no customer-reviews line. A small sample can still name a loose blade or a failed starter. It is not the same evidence as the large samples.
A line head is for grass a mower misses. A single-piece blade is for thicker, woodier growth, and only if you will wear the harness and keep the blade nut tight. One review on the 4-stroke shaft says the blade kept coming loose, which is why the nut check is part of the buy, not an afterthought. Chain flails and other multi-piece metal heads should be removed. The Health and Safety Executive is explicit on that.
More cubic centimetres usually means more power at the head and more weight. That is a retailer rule of thumb, not a measured output. These listings state a 31cc 4-stroke and several 52cc 2-strokes. The Ark Mat bullets say a 2-stroke and do not state cubic capacity or a mix ratio, so this page does not invent one. Mix only at the ratio on that engine. STIHL and Husqvarna state 50:1 for their engines. The LADAMI bullets state 25:1.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have thick grass or a neglected corner and you will set a double shoulder harness. The eSkde BC52-S23 is a 52cc 2-stroke at about £120, with a line head and a metal blade, and 4.0 from 326 reviews. Use the blade only while the nut stays tight. The mix ratio is not in the specification cells.
You want a strimmer plus a hedge head and a pole saw on one 52cc engine. The eSkde MT52-S23 is about £143.99, with 3.7 from 279 reviews. Reviews include starter failures and joints that sit tight. It is not a line-only lawn edge.
You do not want to premix two-stroke fuel. The SIP SIP-08230 is a 31cc 4-stroke at about £142.04, and the bullets claim straight petrol. The sample is 3.5 from 14 reviews, and one review says the blade kept coming loose. It does not add a hedge or chainsaw head.
The top pick is the eSkde BC52-S23. It scores 80, with 4.0 from 326 reviews, and it is the lowest shelf price in this set at about £120. It is a 52cc 2-stroke shaft with a line head, a metal blade and a double shoulder harness. The best value is the eSkde MT52-S23 5-in-1 at about £143.99, score 74, with 3.7 from 279 reviews. It is the other sample above 100 reviews, and it adds a hedge head and a pole saw. It is not cheaper than the shaft. SIP scores 62 from 14 reviews, Ark Mat scores 66 from 17, and LADAMI scores 0 because the saved listing has no customer-reviews line. None of these scores is a lab test.
eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer
Score 80, with 4.0 from 326 reviews, a 52cc shaft, line and blade, and the lowest shelf price at about £120.
eSkde MT52-S23 5-in-1
Score 74, with 3.7 from 279 reviews, the other sample above 100 reviews. About £143.99, not a lower price than the shaft.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these five listings are the figures in the saved pages. Compared on 23 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
