Autonomous, performant and inexpensive: TOP-5 petrol trimmers

The low-cost motorcycle mower of the Ukrainian brand Proton is equipped with two working nozzles. A reel with a fishing line will provide a solid mowing width of 43 cm and is optimal for mowing lawns. A metal three-bladed knife with a 25.5 cm grip will be useful in fairly narrow passages and, if necessary, eliminate non-yielding vegetation: weeds, young shrubs and tree shoots.

With Proton BT-2700, spare coils or fishing line can be included. The exact configuration of the model should be further specified before purchase.

A 2-stroke petrol engine with an overhead arrangement is responsible for the performance of the trimmer. Its power is 2700 watts or 3.7 horsepower, which is exactly enough to quickly put even very large lawns in order, deal with heavily overgrown areas, prepare large volumes of hay, etc.

In addition to high performance, the motor is characterized by unpretentiousness and a solid working resource. Thus, the Proton BT-2700 is equipped with a Japanese-made gearbox, a chrome-plated piston group and an air cooling system. It is recommended to pour a mixture of gasoline and oil in the proportion of 25 into the liter tank of the power unit:1. The exhaust level does not exceed the permissible standards. The disadvantage of the engine is a solid fuel consumption (due to the volume increased to 49 cm3) and a significant noise level, but the sound pressure of 97 dB for gasoline units is far from the loudest indicator.

The trimmer received a straight rod with a length of 150 cm . The bicycle handle is designed to provide convenience during prolonged operation. The controls are placed on the right side of the handle. To transfer the load on the body, the model is equipped with a shoulder strap, so that the 7-kilogram weight of the device for a trained user will not become a serious burden.

Considering the attractive cost, Proton BT-2700 can be recommended to those who are looking for a performant mower for solving various gardening tasks.

Manufactured by the Grunhelm brand, the motorcycle mower is one of the leaders in sales among gasoline trimmers. The model is positioned as an inexpensive but powerful tool for lawn care of various sizes.

A 2-stroke engine with 3600 watts will allow you to quickly put the grass in order in large areas or even in the field. The Grunhelm GR-3200M power unit provides a forced air cooling system that eliminates overheating and promotes trouble-free operation. It is necessary to pour into the 1.2-liter fuel tank a combustible mixture consisting of gasoline and oil in a ratio of 25:1.

To solve the basic tasks of lawn care, the trimmer has two nozzles. The main one is considered to be a reel with automatic feeding of fishing line and a grip width of 44 cm. It is suitable for cutting thin lawn vegetation of different heights. A 3-bladed steel knife with a diameter of 25 cm will cope with dense thickets, weeds and denser shoots.

Expands the possibilities of using the Grunhelm GR-3200M additional brush cutter attachment. This is a toothed disk that is able to cut off the stems of bushes and small branches of trees. Such a cutting tool is useful on neglected lawns and when solving other garden tasks, such as the design of hedges. However, specialized battery devices for bushes and grass for bushes and grass cope better with the latter.

An unassembled straight rod connects the motor and the cutting tool. Its length is 1500 mm, and its diameter is 28 mm. Manoeuvrability and comfortable holding of the device is provided by a U-shaped handle with intuitive controls located on the right. A knapsack belt will allow you to transfer the load from your hands to your back during operation, although the 7.8-kilogram weight of the braid is likely to cause fatigue during prolonged work.

Grunhelm GR-3200M is an inexpensive, but well—equipped and performant trimmer, deservedly in demand among buyers.

The gasoline trimmer of the Chinese brand Forte, which debuted in 2019, is equipped with a 4-stroke internal combustion engine. With a power of 3.8 "horses" (2800 watts), such a power unit consumes less fuel than 2-stroke analogues. In addition, the 0.65-liter fuel tank must be filled exclusively with gasoline (not lower than AI-92), and not to prepare a mixture with oil: a separate tank is provided for the lubricating fluid.

The efficiency of the Forte MK-40T does not go against the relatively simple maintenance and high performance. The mower quickly cuts lawn grass, easily handles with dense vegetation, is effective both in suburban and house plots, and in more serious areas, thanks to which it is able to impose competition on non-self-propelled lawn mowers.

The gasoline trimmer received three cutting tools. For mowing lawns and cutting thin grass, a coil with an automatic feed of a 2 mm fishing line with a 40 cm grip is provided. For thicker weeds and dense vegetation, a 3-bladed steel knife with a mowing width of 25 cm is optimal. The third nozzle Forte MK-40T is a milling disc equipped with 40 teeth. It is designed for cutting shrubs and shoots up to 2 cm in diameter.

The mower has a one-piece (unassembled) aluminium rod with a diameter of 28 mm and a length of 1.5 metres. The bicycle handle is adjustable in height, which will allow you to choose the best option for the user's height. For balancing and load distribution, the trimmer is supplemented with a shoulder strap. However, the model weighs more than many analogues (7.8 kg), including a trimmer similar in characteristics Grunhelm GR-31T Price from 4 057 up to 7 624 ₴, therefore, it is likely to cause some inconvenience during long sessions. Another disadvantage is almost a record high sound pressure level of 114 dB.

Otherwise, the Forte MK-40T is a functional and well—equipped scythe, which is one of the most affordable solutions with a four-stroke engine.

The old-timer of the garden equipment market retains the status of the most popular gasoline trimmer in the line of the German brand AL-KO. The model is in good standing with users, many of whom note its reliability and high build quality, actively use the device for 4-5 years or more. In this aspect, the motocross has a lot in common with the sought—after electric relative — AL-KO BC 1200 E Price from 4 790 up to 6 999 ₴.

The AL-KO FRS 4125 received a straight, non-collapsible aluminium rod. As a result, the total weight of the braid does not exceed 7 kg. To transfer gravity from the hands to the torso, a shoulder strap is provided, and flexible possibilities of its adjustment are designed to relieve fatigue during prolonged operation. Both the length of the belt itself and the optimal place of its suspension on the rod are adjusted.

The location of the bicycle-type handle is also adjustable in height for the height of the user. All controls are placed on the right handle.

The two-stroke 900-watt AL-KO FRS 4125 engine paired with a fishing line with a diameter of 2 mm (mowing width 41 cm) handles with basic tasks, including the removal of small growth, cutting dry and wild grass in small areas. Replacing the cutting tool with a 3-blade knife with a diameter of 25 cm will allow mowing dense vegetation, unyielding weeds and young shrubs.

Despite the power inferior to many gasoline analogues, in fact the model is very performant, which is confirmed by numerous reviews. An additional advantage of the 1.2 horsepower power unit is low fuel consumption: 5 liters of fuel mixture in the ratio of gasoline to oil 25:1 is enough for a period of up to 15 hours, therefore, a full 0.7-liter tank will not have to be replenished for more than 2 hours.

The easy start system and automatic shutdown in case of overheating simplifies the operation of the motor.

The disadvantages of the trimmer include serious acoustic discomfort (sound pressure up to 101 dB). If this is not a critical moment (and in the presence of special protective equipment it will be), then the AL-KO FRS 4125 is able to become a flexibly customizable and economical garden assistant for many years.

The Japanese manufacturer Makita petrol pump has a bicycle handle with height adjustment and an intuitive control unit on the right handle. Such a tandem increases the control of the tool and helps even an inexperienced user to quickly adapt to mowing. The comfortable operation of the Makita EM 3400U is facilitated by a moderate weight (6.4 kg) and the presence of a shoulder strap in the configuration.

Thanks to the two-stroke single-cylinder engine, the Makita EM 3400U trimmer produces 1.6 horsepower (1150 watts) and makes it easy to deal with high lawn grass in small and medium areas. As a nozzle for such tasks, a reel with automatic fishing line feeding is optimally suited (the corresponding system works without jamming and unnecessary pauses).

Additionally, the model comes with a 4-blade metal knife with a grip width of 25 cm. It is needed to remove thick weeds, get rid of young growth of shrubs and cut thick grass faster.

The engine volume of 34 cm3 is characterized by economical fuel consumption. Since the trimmer has a tank increased to 0.75 liters against the background of branded counterparts (for example, another popular model — Makita EBH341U it is 100 mL less), the spit will need refueling less often: approximately every 2 hours of operation.

As befits Japanese proven technology, the trimmer has a high build quality, which is confirmed by the users of the model. They highlight the start of the engine "with half a turn", a reliable design without backlash and rattling, moderate vibrations in operation. In terms of noise level, the model corresponds to most gasoline braids (it is felt by the operator at 95 dB).

The Makita EM 3400U is an interesting representative of the mid—price segment, acting as a worthy competitor to one of the market leaders — Husqvarna 128R .