How To Use a Strimmer: The Basics

Now, garden maintenance takes quite a bit to deal with. You’ll need trimmers, strimmers, lawnmowers, shears, and so much more. If you’re new to the whole gardening thing, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered. So, can you use a strimmer to cut a small lawn? Let’s talk strimmer basics, shall we?

Today’s Topics Include:

• Can I Use a Strimmer To Cut a Small Lawn?
• Can You Use a Strimmer on Wet Grass?

Now there isn’t too much to cover today, so let’s just get right into things, yeah?

Strimmer 101

There aren’t too many things to cover today. The first is whether or not you can use a trimmer to cut a small lawn, and then we’ll talk about using strimmers on wet lawns.

Can I Use a Strimmer To Cut a Small Lawn?

Man – you thought the last section was brief, wait until you see this one. If you’re wondering whether or not you can use a trimmer to cut a small lawn, I’ve got some great news for you.

Yes! In fact, trimmers are quite popular replacements for lawnmowers, as they’re a bit more versatile and easier to manoeuvre (assuming it’s not a sitting mower). You will need what I call a “strimmer lite” to do this successfully, though. This is because a heavy-duty strimmer is a bit difficult to keep control, meaning you’ll have slightly off-kilter grass cuts.

A lightweight strimmer allows even cuts without causing you to tire out, whereas a heavy-duty strimmer allows more flexibility in what you can trim.

In short, yes – you can cut a lawn (small or otherwise) with a strimmer.

Can You Use a Strimmer on Wet Grass?

Surprisingly, this is the opposite of the above section! While this will also be quite short, the result is counter to the previous section’s advice (sorry). If you’re curious as to whether or not you can use a strimmer on wet grass, the answer is yes, but actually no.

You can use a strimmer on a wet lawn. However, you’ll find that not only is it harder (the grass isn’t staying upright on its own due to the weight of the water), but it’s actually less effective. You’ll end up with more clumps of wet grass, dry soil (which is bad for the lawn), and the clumps could actively harm your lawn if left untouched!

And then there’s the strimmer itself – using a low-quality strimmer line on a wet lawn could actually have it snap! If you’ve experienced a snapped strimmer wire, you know it sucks – luckily, we talked about how to fix it in our strimmer wire troubleshooting FAQ.

One final note is that using an electric strimmer is absolutely just a no-go for wet lawns. Just do me a favour really quickly – think about what happens when electronics get wet, and then decide to use a petrol strimmer.

In short, while you can use a strimmer on a wet lawn, it can be actively harmful to both the strimmer and the lawn. Not only can you introduce moisture into your electric/motorised device, but you can suffocate the lawn and make cleaning up drastically more difficult. If at all possible, it’s best to wait for your lawn to fully dry before mowing or trimming it.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve covered strimmer basics, be sure to head over to our other articles covering strimmer wires (linked above), the best strimmers on the market, and learn how to best maintain your strimmer. Once that’s done, you’ll be trimming, mowing, and detailing with the best of us – and safely – a great bonus!