5 Best Corded Electric Weed Eaters for 2023

Switching out your current trimmer for a corded electric weed eater is a small but good step that just about any homeowner with a garden can take as they begin switching their home to all electric.

Electric garden tools are great way to start making the all-electric transition because:

1. They’re relatively inexpensive replace.

2. The gasoline-powered counterparts they’re replacing make a surprisingly big contribution to climate change.

No matter how meticulously you mow your law, there will always be areas where your lawnmower can’t reach. So a tool like a corded electric weed eater is a good way to tidy up areas around decks, walls, flower beds, trees and shrubs.  

But there are so many options in the market it can be difficult to decide which one you should pick. In this post, we’ll help you choose the corded electric string trimmer that best matches your particular needs.

Benefits of an Electric Weed Eater

Since we’re on a website that talks about all the ways homeowners can help fight climate change by switching to electric, let’s start with the obvious. Electric weed eaters are better for the environment than gasoline-powered ones.

They don’t pollute your beautiful garden by spewing fumes all over the place and, because they run on electricity, they have the potential at least to run on renewable electricity (BTW there’s no such thing as renewable gasoline).

Electric weed eaters are also considerably quieter than gasoline-powered ones, so if you live in a quiet neighborhood, and want to stay on good terms with your neighbors, an electric weed eater is the way to go.

Finally, a cordless electric weed eater needs less maintenance than a gas-powered one and, with no battery to worry about, requires very little care besides changing the string.

Check Out Other Electric Garden Tools

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Battery or corded electric weed eater?

So we’re all agreed that going all-electric is the goal here, but there are, of course, two ways to power an electric weed eater – either with a battery or by plugging it in. So your first step is to decide which option best suits your needs.

While it may seem that corded weed eaters are less convenient than battery-powered ones, their one big advantage is their longevity. Since they plug in to an outlet, they won’t run out of power before the job is finished the way a battery can after a couple of hours.

And speaking of batteries, they will degrade over time, meaning that a five-year-old battery-powered trimmer, will typically need recharging more often.  A corded electric trimmer, on the other hand, will last you a lifetime.

Corded electric weed eaters are also generally cheaper than their batter counterparts, as well as being a little lighter and, therefore, easier to operate.

So if your garden is small enough that a long extension cord can reach all the areas you want to trim, a corded one is probably best for you. My home sits on a third of an acre and a corded weed eater with a 50-foot extension cord is just about enough for me.

If your garden is larger than that, or if you just like to roam free eating weeds wherever you find them, maybe a battery-powered weed eater is the way to go.

What to Look for in a Good Corded Electric Weed Eater

Here are some of the features we considered when deciding which we thought was the best corded electric weed eater.

Power

It can be tempting to get hung up on power but, seriously, unless you’re a professional landscaper, how much power do you really need? For heavier weeds and thicker grass, a power trimmer with 5-10 amps is perfectly adequate.  

The 3-amp models that are better suited for trimming light grass. There’s no need to pay a premium for 10 amps unless the model has other features you like that make the higher price tag worthwhile.

Shaft

If you’re tall, a straight shaft will be good for you to trim without bending. And if you’re short, a curved shaft will be more beneficial.

Handle

Look for an adjustable handle. Trimmers that can be changed for different trimming jobs, as well as extended for a longer reach offer more versatility.

It’s also good to have a handle with a soft grip and an ergonomic design that’s easy on your wrists. You’re going to be using the corded electric string trimmer a lot in your garden so it’s important to make sure it’s comfortable.

Weight

This is where corded electric weed eaters really come into their own. They’re just a whole lot lighter because they don’t have to carry a heavy battery or fuel tank. To ensure proper balance, opt for one that has the motor on one end and the cutting head on the other.

Price

While corded electric string trimmers tend to be less expensive than their gas and battery-powered counterparts, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Higher-quality tools tend to be more expensive but be careful not to pay for quality and power that you don’t need.

If you only need it for a few minutes tidying the edges after each time you mow the lawn, a low-priced model is probably good enough for your needs.

What is the Best Corded Electric Weed Eater?

Here are our opinions on which are the best corded electric weed eaters.

Thanks to its 10-Amp motor, it packs an impressive punch that can easily take care of any stubborn roots or weeds that may be lurking beneath your unkempt lawn. And yet, in spite of its powerful motor, its price is in line with all the other corded weed eaters we reviewed.

It is a little bit on the heavy side, weighing in at 9.9 lbs, but its ergonomic handle is designed with a molded cushioned grip that still makes quite comfortable to hold.

It’s versatility is greatly enhanced by the ability to attach other tools, such as a rotor-tiller, blower, hedge-trimmer or branch pruner to the end of the pole, even those from other brands like Ryobi, TrimmerPlus, and Yardworks.

This is actually quite an unusual feature, since other manufacturers often force you to use only their attachments on their machines. It’s great if you don’t have space to store lots of different tools.

The 6.5 Amp high-torque transmission motor is plenty powerful enough for all but the heaviest growth and Its 14-inch cutting path allows you to finish the job quickly with immaculate results.

The 7lb weight makes it comfortable to handle and its versatility is improved somewhat with the inclusion of a wheeled edge guide. But while you can just rotate the head to switch from trimmer to edger, the edger feature doesn’t seem to work as well as the trimmer.

The automatic feed system ensures that there is always enough line without the user having to stop and manually spool more. While this is a convenient feature, some customers have complained that the line is released each and every time the machine starts up, resulting in unnecessary waste.

With a smaller motor comes a lighter weight, though and at just 6.5 lbs it’s pretty easy on the forearms if you’re working in the yard for a long time. And the shaft can be adjusted for height so you can trim at the right angles without getting fatigued.

The cutting head can also be rotated into four different positions to ensure comfortable and precise trimming.

One nice feature is its flower guard, which prevents any unintended cutting of plants or damage to garden ornaments.

The biggest problem we have with this model is that the the trimmer and the motor are too close together. This causes a ventilation problem because the vents for the motor can get clogged up with debris, blocking airflow and gumming up the works. Regular cleaning of those vents is necessary, and not really the best use of your time.

Like other models we reviewed, the Worx WG119 has an auto line feed system but also like other models, it doesn’t always work as well as it should, which means you often have to stop trimming and extend the line manually.

But where this model really stands out is when it converts effortlessly from a trimmer into an edger. The touch of a single button on the trimmer head instantly flips the cutting deck 90 degrees and makes it simple to use as a walk-behind edger, with a wheel located on the left side of the cutting deck that makes edging a breeze. 

One particularly nice feature is the auto-feed string line. Whenever your existing string begins to wear down, simply pull the trigger on the handle to release exactly the right amount of line needed for replacement.

The adjustable, aluminum shaft is long enough for those hard-to-reach spots and can be quickly adjusted to your height with a simple lever release. An assist handle on the shaft helps you to easily maintain control and reduces user fatigue from bending or hunching over.

The Toro is a great electric weed eater for small to medium size yards. It is both versatile and durable, giving you peace of mind that it will last for years to come. Furthermore, the unit comes with an excellent two-year warranty, something that is not often found with this type of trimmer.

Carrying just a 2.5 amp motor, it’s the smallest in our list and, yet, it packs more of a punch than you might expect. Its 10-inch cutting path is great for grooming, edging, and other light work around small yards, townhouse lots, flower beds, patios, and walkways. And, since it weighs just 2.8lbs, it can be operated with just one hand.

While there is no adjustable handle or shaft, the design is focused on minimizing user fatigue and includes a forearm rest and an ergonomic handle that reduces wrist strain.

While it does come with a dual-line feed, it’s not an automatic one. Instead, you have to spool out more string by tapping the base on a solid surface. Tap gently, though, because the machine is not particularly robust. Too vigorous a tap could cause the button on the base to collapse in on itself.

The Sun Joe TRJ607E is an inexpensive strimmer for very small jobs. For the price, it’s adequate, as long as you don’t expect too much.

Final Toughts

Electric garden tools are one of the easiest ways for an average suburban homeowner to start making the switch to an all-electric home. They’re relatively easy and inexpensive to replace, especially if you tackle them one at a time.

It’s quite possible to keep your yard looking sharp even without burning fossil fuels.