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Petrol strimmer buying guide

Updated: October 2026

If the mower stops at a bank of nettles, or the cable will not reach the far fence, you are already past a light edge trimmer. A petrol strimmer buying guide should settle the job before the brand: grass a line can take, stems that want a blade, or a plot that also needs a hedge head. The five listings in the [petrol grass trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/petrol-grass-trimmer) sit on amazon.co.uk between about £120 and about £154.95, compared on 23 October 2026. Products Compared read those listings and public UK retailer guides. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase through the links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If the mower stops at a bank of nettles, or the cable will not reach the far fence, you are already past a light edge trimmer.

Our top picks

eSkde eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer

Best overall

eSkde eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer
8.0/10about £120
View offer
eSkde eSkde MT52-S23 5-in-1

Best value

eSkde eSkde MT52-S23 5-in-1
7.4/10about £143.99
View offer
SIP SIP SIP-08230 4-stroke trimmer

Alternative

SIP SIP SIP-08230 4-stroke trimmer
6.2/10about £142.04
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the vegetation
  2. 2.Cubic capacity and weight
  3. 3.Width, harness and heads
  4. 4.Where the five listings sit

Start with the vegetation

A nylon line is for grass the mower missed. A metal blade is for thicker growth, and only while the nut holds. The eSkde BC52-S23 pairs a nylon head with a metal blade at about £120. The SIP bullets tell you to check a left-hand thread on the blade nut, and one of 14 reviews says the blade kept coming loose. That is one account, and it is a reason to stop. Three rows are multi-tools: the eSkde MT52-S23 at about £143.99, the LADAMI GJ520 at about £134.99, and the Ark Mat MT-1 at about £154.95. Reviews on the eSkde 5-in-1 and the Ark Mat already describe pins, screws and heads that do not stay put. A neat edge beside a socket belongs on the petrol or cordless strimmer page.

Cubic capacity and weight

B&Q’s buying guide treats more cc as usually more weight. That is a retailer rule of thumb, not a measurement of these five machines. The SIP is a 31cc 4-stroke at 7.5 kg. Both eSkde rows are 52cc 2-strokes at 7 kg. The LADAMI bullets also say 52cc, but the weight cell is 15.3 kg. The Ark Mat states neither cubic capacity nor rpm. A 52cc shaft is a lot of engine for a short lawn edge. The lighter loop-handle class, such as STIHL’s FS 38, is not an ASIN here.
eSkde eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer

Testsieger

eSkde eSkde BC52-S23 petrol strimmer
8.0/10about £120
View offer

Width, harness and heads

B&Q bands cutting width as a rule of thumb: about 200–300 mm for lighter work, 301–399 mm for thicker growth, and 400 mm and above for heavy cutting. A sentence on that page that says “above 450V” reads as a typo. It is not a spec for these tools. The eSkde BC52 cell is 255 mm, on an engine that is not a light machine. The eSkde 5-in-1 cell is 410 mm, and the Ark Mat line head is 430 mm on a 13.2 kg cell the bullets call lightweight. The SIP cell is 255 mm and the bullets also name a 430 mm line head. Both eSkde listings and the Ark Mat name a double shoulder harness. A harness does not replace a screw that has left the head. On the BC52, 7 kg is manageable once the harness is set, and heavy when it sits too low.

Where the five listings sit

Scores are amazon.co.uk stars times 20, with 8 points off under 100 reviews, and 0 when there is no customer-reviews line. That is not a lab result. The eSkde BC52 is 4.0 from 326 reviews, score 80, and the lowest price at about £120, so it takes only the top-pick badge. The eSkde 5-in-1 is 3.7 from 279 reviews, score 74, and it carries the best-value badge as the other sample above 100 reviews, at about £143.99. It does not cost less than about £120. Who should skip a 14-review 4-stroke is on the best petrol strimmer page. The eSkde cells and the Ark Mat do not print a fuel ratio. The LADAMI bullets print 25:1. The SIP claims straight petrol. The LADAMI file has no star rating. Check the live page before you treat a gap as settled.

Common questions

What cc petrol strimmer do I need?
Match the vegetation, then read the weight cell. B&Q’s more-cc line is only a rule of thumb. Here the SIP is 31cc at 7.5 kg, and 52cc is printed on both eSkde rows at 7 kg and on the LADAMI bullets beside 15.3 kg. The Ark Mat does not state cc. A light edge does not need 52cc.
Is a 52cc strimmer too heavy for lawn edges?
For a short edge, yes. The eSkde 52cc shafts are listed at 7 kg, and reviewers call that manageable only after the double harness is set. If the harness sits too low, the same shaft feels heavy. A lighter loop-handle petrol trimmer is not in this comparison.
Is a 5-in-1 the same as a petrol strimmer?
No. In this set a 5-in-1 is a split-shaft kit with a strimmer head plus a hedge trimmer, a chainsaw, or a pole. The eSkde MT52-S23, the LADAMI GJ520 and the Ark Mat MT-1 are those kits. The eSkde BC52-S23 is the line-and-blade shaft without those extra heads.
Should I choose a 2-stroke or a 4-stroke?
The SIP is the only 4-stroke, and its bullets claim single fuel with no mixing. Reviewers describe petrol in the tank and oil in the engine. The other listings are 2-strokes. One comment in 14 reviews is not a noise test.
How wide is 255 mm against 430 mm?
On B&Q’s rule of thumb, 255 mm sits in the lighter band and 430 mm sits at 400 mm and above. The eSkde BC52 cell is 255 mm. The Ark Mat line head is 430 mm. The SIP listing carries both figures, so read both before you assume one swath.
Why is there no star rating on the LADAMI?
The saved amazon.co.uk file for the LADAMI GJ520 has no customer-reviews line, so this comparison does not invent stars. The score is 0 for that reason. The listing still shows about £134.99, 25:1 in the bullets, a 25 cm cell and 15.3 kg. Model GJ520 and part QY001 both appear. Check the live page.

Related pages

Two-stroke strimmer fuel mix

Petrol grass trimmer

Best petrol strimmer in our amazon.co.uk comparison

How to use a petrol strimmer: start, harness, stop

Petrol vs cordless strimmer: which one fits the job

Sources

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.

  1. B&Q grass trimmer and brushcutter buying guide (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  2. STIHL grass trimmer fuel mixture (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  3. Husqvarna UK: how to mix fuel for grass trimmers and brushcutters (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  4. Outdoor noise regulations 2001, Schedule 3 (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK noise nuisances: how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  6. HSE petrol storage (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  7. HSE safety bulletin: brush-cutter chain flails (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  8. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 23 October 2026)