I tested this £64.99 grass trimmer – it made light work of my messy lawn edges and weeds

Along with putting the bins out, tending to the grass is on my husband's (very short) list of household chores, so when I was asked to test the Vonhaus G series cordless grass trimmer, you can only imagine how pleased he was when he realised there was another thing he was getting out of doing every weekend.

I'll be honest: my knowledge of garden tools goes about as far as knowing the difference between one of the best cordless strimmers and a lawn mower. Alas, I vowed to push myself out of my comfort zone, and now I can confidently say: the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer, RRP £64.99, is so easy to use, in fact, it's the best grass trimmer for dummies (AKA me).

I used this grass trimmer to tend to my very overgrown lawn, to trim the sides, get rid of the weeds and cut the edges, and honestly, I can't quite believe I managed to do this job myself. You can find me for the foreseeable future showing my hard work off to my friends. Well, until it's outgrown again next week, that is.

This VonHaus strimmer isn't only easy to use, but it's super lightweight that even my Nan could use it, though I enjoyed it so much I'll offer to do it for her (don't tell my Husband). It's convenient to store as its handle extends, plus the fact that it's cordless means you won't find yourself tripping over a cord, and you don't need an outdoor socket (win!).

It's comfortable to hold, even for longer periods, though it does have a trigger pull, so you need to keep your finger on this at all times. Conveniently, the battery it uses also powers other Vonhaus tools, and it holds 50 minutes of battery life with a one-hour charge time. Here's what else I loved about using this trimmer — as well as some satisfying before and afters, plus whether I'll be using it to keep my garden tidy again.

In a nutshell

All in all, this trimmer is well worth the price tag. It can be used for trimming patches of grass as well as weeds, and it has an edge wheel for achieving those satisfying lines. Its flower guard proves useful when trimming around delicate areas, and I found it helpful while trimming around my decking.

It's easy and comfortable to use, and its battery life is incredible — 50 minutes of power from a one-hour charge. Maintenance-wise, it works with disposable spools, so you might find you need to replace these several times in one cutting session, but these are affordable and available to buy separately. When it comes to storing, it's nice and lightweight and can sit in the corner of a shed or garage, taking up minimal space.

The only complaint I have about it is that it doesn't have an indicator of when you need to replace the spool, as sometimes it's not super obvious that it's broken. But this isn't a huge issue as long as you remember to keep checking it while moving around your garden.

Specifications

• Dimensions: H90-122cm x W32cm
• Weight: 2.7kg
• Motor speed: 8500RPM
• Voltage: 20V
• Run time: 50 mins
• Charge time: 1 hour
• Material: Plastic, Steel
• Working diameter: Max 250mm
• Number of batteries: 1

Unboxing the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer

Unboxing this grass trimmer set the par for the course: there was virtually zero packaging making it a total breeze to open. The main unit was just popped into the box, as was the blade part as it was unattached to the main unit. Both the battery and the charger for the battery came in small cardboard boxes.

There was an instruction manual included which is mostly full of safety warnings and precautions. There are a few easy-to-digest diagrams for setup, otherwise, the parts are explained well. In this manual, it explains how to operate the unit, as well as how to use the edge guide wheel and the flower guard.

I won't lie: the main unit doesn't initially feel super sturdy as it's made from a mix of plastic and steel. The telescopic pole is steel, and the rest (including handles) is plastic. But both handles are tough, and when you're using it, it doesn't feel flimsy at all. The spools are plastic, and you get 12 included because they can break from stones and general wear and tear. These are available to buy separately via VonHaus.

The battery arrived fully charged, which was very much a plus as it meant we could get to trimming straight away. All we needed to do was insert a blade, attach the safety guard in position, pop the battery in and set the handle to the perfect height.

Who will it suit?

To put it simply, this grass trimmer will pretty much suit anyone. It's cordless, so it's perfect for small, medium or large-sized gardens. Its battery life lasts for 50 minutes, which should provide enough time for edges and weed spots. Plus, it's lightweight at 2.7k kg, so even if you struggle to carry heavy items, its ergonomic handle should make it even easier to use. No matter whether you're short or tall, its handle extends to ensure your back is straight at all times.

If you're looking for a trimmer that gets the job done fast and easily, then this is it. It has a trigger operation, so while in use, you need only initially press a button and then pull the trigger; you can then release your finger from the button, so it's a one-finger operation. Lastly, with an RRP of £74.99 (including the battery), this is a total steal, so it's great if you're on a budget.

What is it like to use?

After a short and definitely not sweet lesson from my husband on how to use a trimmer, plus a skim through of the safety instructions, I was off. I also had a little play around with the few buttons it has. The big orange buttons by its head let you adjust the angle of its head, as seen in the photos below.

You need to push the button on the unit and then pull the trigger for the strimmer to start. This is a safety precaution so that you cannot accidentally turn it on. Once it has started, you can then release your hand from the button, but you need to keep pulling the trigger for it to work. A bit like your Dyson vac, really.

To trim my medium-sized lawn, I used four spools. One completely flew off and I didn't manage to find it, two snapped in half, and the other is still in great nick and is attached, so I'll use it next time.

I managed to trim my entire garden, big weeds and thick patches of grass included, and afterwards the battery had only dropped one level. It still had 2/3 of its bars remaining. I was seriously impressed.

Grass trimming

This trimmer really is so easy to use. Once you get used to the buttons you need to hold then it's just a case of hovering it over your grass and watching it work. It works fast, the cuttings don't fly too far away and as you go, you'll find you get used to the height you need to hover it in order to get the best trim height.

Trimming grass and smaller weeds was definitely the easiest to do. I found that I rarely had to replace a spool when just trimming the grass or going over longer patches. It did get noisier when used to cut through thicker patches of grass, though.

Edging

There's a dedicated edging guide wheel on this trimmer that allows you to create the perfect cut lines around places like patios, decking and flower beds. I can confirm this works — and it might be the most satisfying thing I'll ever do in my garden.

It did take a phone call to my husband and about 20 minutes of glancing at the photo in the instruction manual for me to get the gist, and it turned out that I had it right all along.

Essentially, you need to angle the head so that its wheel rolls along the floor as you move, not the grass. This orange plastic wheel won't fully touch the floor; only the edge of it will, but it will roll as you move along the edge of your lawn. Once you start trimming, you'll feel if you're holding it right, and you can visibly see if you're too close or too far away from the edge you want to perfect.

You can also use the flower guard to protect the blade from edges, which I ended up using around my decking. I didn't have any unprotected flower beds to test this on, but it was handy for use here. It just folds down and back up again.

Arguably, edging did make me use two spools as it's quite hard to initially gauge how close you want to be to the edge of your patio, sleeper or deck. So be prepared to replace spools during this step.

There's annoyingly no indicator to tell you when it needs replacing, but you will hear a change in noise, which is how I first realised that one had snapped.

Cutting weeds

Cutting weeds was arguably the trickiest part of the entire process for me. Mostly because I did find that this was the part the strimmer struggled with. Thicker and larger patches of weeds were proving harder to cut, and you could feel it while hovering over them.

I also struggled with finding the perfect height to hover the unit over the weeds, as I accidentally removed quite a lot of grass around one of the weeds.

Be sure to check your spools after you've removed each large weed as these can sometimes break them or even worse: make the spool fly off completely.

Cleaning

There's not much guidance on maintenance in the instruction manual, but it does explain how to remove the safety guard — you're going to need a screwdriver, though.

For me, after use, I found that the main unit was perfectly fine and didn't require any maintenance. I used my outdoor dustpan brush set and brushed any grass cuttings off the head. The underneath of the head was harder to clean as it seemed the grass had dried to it. After a good few uses, I imagine this will need cleaning with soapy water or a wipe.

Storage and maintenance

If you're concerned about storage space in your shed (realistically, who isn't?), then this is a grass trimmer for you. Storage-wise, its telescopic handle makes it smaller to store, while it doesn't have any other attachments, except spare blades, which are stored on board. You could wall mount it due to the fact that it's lightweight, but it doesn't come with any tools included to do so.

How does it rate online?

With 636 total reviews of this trimmer online, it has an impressive 4.5-star rating — and I'm hardly surprised. Most reviewers rave about how easy and lightweight it is to use, with some people mentioning that it's handy that the battery is universal, as they own other VonHaus tools.

Shoppers also love the edging guard for a perfect finish, and though some moan about the blades breaking easily, others like the idea of the disposable blades as it rids the need of feeding a line. Overall, shoppers love it because it's reliable and does what it says on the box.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

As well as the G-Series, VonHaus also sells three other grass trimmers. The F-Series is the cheapest at £44.99, and it's still cordless. This trimmer only has a runtime of 30 minutes as it comes with a different charger, and it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to charge. At 2kg, it's a lot lighter than the G-Series, and its cutting path is slightly smaller at 21cm, VS 25cm for the G-Series. This trimmer is best for quicker, smaller jobs as it only boasts 12V of power.

There's also the VonHaus Grass Trimmer & Brush Cutter, RRP £89.99, which is corded and boasts a 10m cable. With this comes more power at 1,000W, as well as a wider cutting path width of 23cm to 38cm. It's heavier at 5.6kg, and its handle isn't extendable. At £89.99, it trims and brushes your grass, and it works with a line instead of disposable spools.

Lastly, coming in at £129.99 is the VonHaus 36V Cordless Trimmer & Brush Cutter. This requires two batteries (both included), which makes it more powerful than the G-Series at 36V. It only has a runtime of 30 minutes but a charge time of 60 minutes. Its cutting width is wider than the G-Series at 25.5cm to 34cm. Do note that its handle isn't extendable, and it's the heaviest of the bunch at 5.9kg.

When in comparison with a bestselling grass trimmer, the G-Series is a top competitor. The SMILOVII 24V Cordless Strimmer is Amazon's bestselling cordless grass trimmer and costs £89.99 RRP. It's very similar to the G-Series in the way it boasts an extendable handle and an auxiliary handle. It comes with two batteries but boasts a 60-minute battery life. Blade-wise, it offers three to choose from: spools, a metal saw and a metal circular saw blade, depending on what you're cutting. Its speed, in comparison with the G-Series, is surprisingly slower at 6,000RPM vs 8,500RPM. It has a 4.1-star rating out of 5.

Should you buy the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer?

The VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer is a great piece of kit at a very fair price tag. If you're looking for something to tend to and tidy your edges, then it's more than convenient as it's cordless and powerful at 20V, plus easy to use. Its disposable spools make easy work of maintaining the trimmer while it's comfortable in use, thanks to its telescopic handle that's also extendable.

I'd say this trimmer is suitable for pretty much any outdoor space, but particularly if you need to do a lot of edging and if you have flowers you'd like to avoid. It's also great for anyone looking for a lightweight tool, as it weighs just 2.6kg.

About this review, and the reviewer

Annie Collyer

I reviewed this grass trimmer for a couple of weeks in my medium-sized garden, to trim my very overgrown lawn that seems to grow as fast as I can blink.

In my garden I have a mini climbing frame and a hot tub on my deck, and to get to them you need to go over the grass. So it's important not just for me and my Husband, but also my toddler and my dog, that the grass is trimmed at all times. I was lucky enough to be able to keep this trimmer and I'll definitely be using it to cut my lawn all summer long and — beyond.