5 Best Lightweight Weed Eaters in 2023 | Small Weed Wackers

Heavy-duty yard tools are not ideal for every situation, sometimes a lighter touch is needed.

When I want to quickly clean up small areas of grass or green yard weeds, a small, lightweight weed eater is perfect.

I can quickly pull it out, shoot through and trim, and be done in a fraction of the time.

No need for my heavy-duty weed eater or to push out the lawnmower. Now… I thought I can’t be the only person who prefers to do this, so I decided to do a full-on review of the best lightweight weed eater available.

The two best lightweight weed eaters I found were the Worx Powershare due to its ultra-lite nature, and the Black and Decker Max because of its battery life.

Let’s dive into the details and see what I found…

5 Best Lightweight Weed Eater

If you are in a hurry, here are the best small, lightweight weed eaters available, then see the two products below. Each of them has been tested and compared to offer a high-quality product under 10 lbs in total weight.

Best Small Battery Weed Eater

1. Worx GT 3.0 PowerShare 20V

Ultra-lightweight string trimmer lawn edger combo. Excellent run-time of 40 minutes. 2 x 2.0 Ah batteries included.

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Lightest Battery Weed Eater

2. Black+Decker 20V MAX

Weighing just 4.5 lbs a great 2-in-1 lightweight small trimmer and lawn edger. 30-minute run-time.

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Choosing the Best Small Lightweight Weed Eater

Before you buy a weed eater, there are a few essential things to know. These will help you choose a lightweight and small weed eater that has all the functionality you need.

Overall Weight & Balance

The weight and balance of a weed eater are particularly important aspects to consider for this review.

However, it needs to be appreciated that in the process of manufacturing, reducing weight, often means reducing materials or components.

This can result in more fragile, lightweight plastic castings or smaller battery capacities. So, there is often a trade-off.

The lightest machines can weigh as little as 5 lbs, but I have limited all products to under 10 lbs in total weight, including the battery unit.

A well-balanced trimer can often handle and feel lighter than its actual weight.

So, I have considered ‘real feel’ and excluded any machine that was off-balance or awkward and may have put a strain on your wrists.

Electric Corded Weed Eater

Electric corded weed eaters, as the name implies, are powered by a 120V mains electric power cord. This design often has more power than a battery-powered model, plus the advantage of not requiring charge time.

However, the drawback to this design is the need to plug them into a fixed electrical outlet reducing mobility.

Oftentimes you will also need to purchase additional extension cords to get the required distance to use the tool across your yard.

If you have a huge area to cover then an electric corded weed eater might not be the ideal choice for you.

Alternatively, an electric model can be an excellent choice if you have a small to the medium-sized yard, in this scenario, it will offer relatively high power at a low cost.

Corded Weed Eater Advantages:

• High Torque with 120V Mains Power
• Lightweight with no Battery Cell
• Low-cost Technology

Motor Power (Amps)

Most electric corded weed eaters have a motor power between 1 and 10 amps. While a higher amp measure does indicate a more powerful motor, this is not always necessarily translated into higher torque and RPM.

Given our objective is to identify a lightweight weed eater, it seems fair to presume we are not doing to get heavy-duty performance from it.

So, for most lightweight trimming applications around four amps of power will be adequate; for trimming grass, edging, light weeds, and so on.

Moveability

One drawback of electric corded weed eaters is the lack of moveability compared to battery-powered designs. There is always a trade-off.

A battery has a limited run time, and a corded weed eater has a limited distance of travel due to being tethered to a power outlet.

Each model will have a different cord length, so be sure to check out your needs and purchase a suitable length of extension cord, to make sure all of your yard is accessible with your new weed eater.

Battery-Powered Weed Eater

Battery-Operated Weed Eaters bring a different set of advantages and disadvantages when compared to a corded product.

They are often more expensive to purchase, as lithium-ion battery cells, or expensive to manufacture.

Batteries are heavy items, so when you add a battery to the lightweight battery-operated weed eater, it can add a notable amount of weight to the overall design and potentially cause an imbalance in the feel of the trimmer.

But don’t worry…I will detail this under the product reviews section later in this article.

They also have a run-time limited to the storage capacity of the battery (I will talk more about this shortly). 

But you can always purchase more than one battery cell and simply switch it out and re-charge them on rotation.

However, there is one huge advantage to a battery-weed eater, unrestricted mobility. You can weave around your yard without getting in a tangle.

In fact, you can throw your weed eater in your vehicle and take it anywhere you need to use it.

Battery Run Time (Ah)

Ampere-hours (Ah) is a measure of the lithium-Ion battery storage capacity. For example, you may have a battery of 2.0Ah, which means the battery will discharge 2.0 amps over one hour of use.

Think of it like this. If you have a battery that will discharge 2.0 Amp over 2 hours, and you use it on a weed eater that consumes 4.0 Amp per hour. You will get 30 minutes of charge time from a 2.0Ah battery for that particular weed eater. 

In general, the higher the Ah the longer the machine will be powered. But…we are looking for lightweight weed eaters, right?

So I have only selected products with lower Ah ratings and have converted this into run-time in minutes for easy comparison.

Battery Weight

A 2.0Ah battery cell can add 2lbs to a machine and a 4.0Ah battery 3lbs. If weight is a concern for you then it is often better to keep your battery size small and possibly buy an additional battery cell for longer run times.

Gas Weed Eater

A gas weed eater is traditionally powered by a 2-cycle engine. While there are advantages to this, like very high-power output, many people don’t like using them because they emit unpleasant fumes and a lot of noise.

But I can keep this section short. If our goal is to find a lightweight weed eater for residential use, then we can skip over gas-powered machines and stock with electric technology.

It is easier to maintain, quieter, cleaner, and of course lighter.

Read more about my recommendation for the Best Gas Weed Eater.

Straight or Curved Shaft

Weed eaters may have either straight shafts or some shaped like the letter J. This shape can affect not only comfort and balance but even performance and weight distribution.

Controls & Features

In addition to the regular features of a weed eater, some models have unique features. These can include anything from interchangeable heads to make cutting in tight corners to various power settings easier.

So, let’s take a look at some of the more common features.

String Trimmer Line Cut Path

The cut path (cutting path) refers to the reach of the string trimmer line in both trimming material and ejecting debris. Essentially it is the cutting diameter of the rotating trimmer blade or string.

Most lightweight weed eaters intended for domestic use have a cut path between 10 and 14 inches. This is simply a matter of where you are going to use it.

Go for smaller sizes if you have intricate areas, to trim or obstacles to cut around. Larger sizes will obviously clear more areas faster.

Lawn Edger Function

Traditionally, a lawn edger is an entirely separate garden power tool from a weed eater. However, many modern designs combine the two functions. Making them a great choice if you’re looking for versatility and value.

A lawn edger is a tool designed to sculpt the edge of your lawn. It cuts back grass growing over the edge of the lawn edging.

If this isn’t a priority for you, you can decide whether you want this feature in a weed eater or not.

Interchangeable Head

Some weed eater models are designed so that you can switch the head out for different tools. These can vary in terms of the material they can handle (brush, grass, bushes, etc.), the amount of power they use, and the type of shaft they complement.

While people with straightforward yard work needs probably don’t need them, they can be beneficial for avid landscapers.

But my recommendation is not to worry about this multi-functional type of weed eater, as the lightweight products are just not powerful enough to get value from this type of feature. It is really intended for high-powered brush cutters.

Line Feed Type

Weed eaters use plastic or composite string-like cutting lines. With use, the line will break off when it wears through, or maybe hits concrete paving.

When this happens, you will need to feed a new section of line off the line spool and off you go again.

There are three methods of feeding line:

Manual Line Feed: This requires the operator to stop the machine, power it off, and feed new line by hand

Bump Line Feed: The operator can literally bump the head off the weed eater on the ground during operation, and a spring button will release a new length of the line.

Automatic Line Feed: The trimmer will identify when the line has snapped and automatically feed out a new length of the line during operation, allowing uninterrupted operation of the machine.

Speed Control

Some weed eaters have various speed control settings. At their most basic, these range from high efficiency/high power usage to lower efficiency/lower power usage.

Handles

Weedeater handles can vary in grip, comfort, and other features. You may want to compare different grips before buying to decide which is most comfortable for your needs.

Best Lightweight Weed Eater Reviews

The aim of this review is to find the best lightweight weed eater. For the test criteria, every weed eater is required to weigh less than 10 lbs with a battery.

Product build quality, cutting performance, and additional features such as Edger function, are key benefits identified within the comparison.

Finally, for battery-operated trimmers, run-time, and battery charge time are also taken into consideration.

1. Worx GT 3.0 PowerShare 20V String Trimmer & Edger

Best Lightweight Weed Eater

• Power: 20V Battery
• Run Time: 40 minutes
• Charge Time: 2-3 hours
• Cut Path: 12-inch
• Line Feed: Button Feed
• Line Diameter: 0.065 in.
• Weight: 5.3lbs with Battery

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Pros

• Ultra-Lightweight weed eater at just 5.3lbs
• 2-in-1 String Trimmer and Edger
• 2 x 2.0Ah 20V batteries included

Cons

• Long battery charge time of 2-3hrs is slightly more than other trimmers I tested

WORX GT 3.0 Grass Trimmer | Out of The Box

The Worx GT 3.0 PowerShare Cordless String Trimmer and Edger is a high-capacity two-in-one tool that takes time and effort out of your yard work. The two 20-volt batteries provide 40-minute runtime of continuous use.

You can charge them simultaneously to ensure that you can do all the yard work you need without losing power. The 2.0Ah batteries are compatible with any 20v or 40v Worx power tool.

This model also easily converts from a string trimmer to an edger so you can save time and money. The head can achieve a 90-degree tilt so you can trim at whatever angle you need.

There are tons of extra features with this model, including rubberized wheels to grip the ground even at an angle and an adjustable spacer guard to protect plants and garden structures while you work.

Considering how lightweight this trimmer is at 5.3 lbs, it still delivered plenty of power to be comparable with the other trimmers I tested. It cut through light weeds and long grass with ease.

If your main criterion is a lightweight weed eater then the WorxGT 3.0 is a brilliant option. Check the Worx GT 3.0 latest price here.

2. Greenworks 24V 12-Inch String Trimmer Edger

• Power: 24V Battery
• Run Time: 35 minutes
• Charge Time: 1-1.5 hours
• Cut Path: 12-inch
• Line Feed: Automatic
• Line Diameter: 0.065 in.
• Weight: 5.1lbs without Battery

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Pros

• High power, long run time
• Rotating head allowing four-positions
• Easy-adjust shaft length and automatic, good features at this price

Cons

• Only weighs 8.0lbs, but still heavier than some others on review

The Greenworks 24-volt 12-inch string trimmer is a powerful tool considering its relatively lightweight. It is driven by a 24V brushless motor that can generate 8000rpm.

This trimmer is powered by a 2.0Ah battery which is not a huge amount of storage, but still provides a very credible 35 minutes of run time, one of the best in class.

Charge time is stated as one hour, but I got a full charge in just over 90 minutes.

Assembly straight out of the box is simple enough, but you will need a screwdriver to screw on the guard.

The straight shaft is adjustable and ranges between 28-inch to 36-inches in length.

The aim of this test is to find the best lightweight weed eater weighing in at 8.0 lbs this is very light, but not the lightest product under review.

However, I really like the feel and quality of this trimmer and have no hesitation in recommending it for light domestic work.

This trimmer provides a 12-in cutting path and an automatic line feed, which means you never have to stop to reset the line length, which is a good additional feature for a trimmer for around $70.

The trimmer head adjusts to four positions, and with a pivoting head and edging wheel transforms into an edging tool, which makes it easy to do detailed work without damaging the surroundings or plants in flower beds.

Greenworks range of 24V power tools means that the Lithium-Ion batteries are interchangeable between products.

This also means you can buy additional batteries for extended cutting time.

Check the latest price of the Greenworks 24V Lightweight String Trimmer. It’s a great option, especially if you already have other Greenworks 24V products.

3. Black+Decker 20V MAX String Trimmer Edger Kit

• Power: 20V battery
• Run time: 30 minutes
• Charge time: 2-3 hours
• Cut path: 10 in.
• Line feed type: Automatic feed spool
• Trimmer line diameter: .065 in.
• Weight: 4.5 lbs

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Pros

• Ultra-Lightweight string trimmer just 4.5lbs
• 2-in-1 Trimmer and lawn edger
• Automatic spool feed

Cons

• Longer charge time than some 2-3 hrs

The Black+Decker 20V MAX String Trimmer Edger Kit is an affordable, versatile option for keeping your yard clean. This battery-powered model is lightweight but powerful at 20 volts but only 4.5 lbs.

The model converts easily from a trimmer to an edger to simplify and speed up your yard work. With an automatic feed spool, it ensures that you never have to mess with the trimmer line.

The Black+Decker weed eater is excellent for comfort and convenience. It has an adjustable handle so you can change it to your preferred height.

The included lithium-ion battery offers a runtime of 30 minutes on a full charge. Charging from an empty battery takes between two and three hours.

This trimmer felt comfortable in use due to its ultra-lightweight design. The only real downside to this model over the Worx and Greenworks trimmers is the smaller cutting path of only 10 inches.

Check the Black+Decker 20V Trimmer’s latest price on Amazon.

4. Craftsman 20V Cordless String Trimmer & Edger

• Power: 20V battery
• Run time: 25 minutes
• Charge time: 2-3 hours
• Cut path: 13 in
• Line feed type: Automatic feed spool
• Trimmer line diameter: .065 in.
• Weight: 6.3 lbs without battery

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Pros

• Extra-wide 13-inch cutting path
• Dual speed setting and telescopic pole
• Automatic spool line feed

Cons

• Lower run time than some models

The Craftsman V20 Cordless String Trimmer and Edger is another lightweight weed eater that is solid, effective, and powerful. It comes equipped with two-speed settings, so you can opt for higher power or more runtime.

This model is battery-powered to provide more mobility and flexibility. It includes an ergonomic telescoping pole, which allows you to turn the head for a closer, more accurate cut.

This lets you do even the most delicate work without hitting bushes or flowers.

The Craftsman V20 Cordless String Trimmer also has an adjustable handle, which means you never have to bend or stoop as you work. Instead, simply push or pull the handle to the height most comfortable for your needs.

This model is made to fit a 2.0 Ah 20-volt battery and has convenient storage settings.

It is worth noting that it can fit a variety of battery models and the listed weight is not with the battery.

Overall I felt the Craftsman was a solid option, the only downside was the limited run time it gave me of 25 minutes. Check the latest price of the Crafstman 20V String Trimmer.

5. Black+Decker Besta510 String Trimmer

Lightest String Trimmer

• Power: Corded electric
• Cut path: 14 in.
• Line feed type: Automatic feed spool
• Trimmer line diameter: .065 in.
• Weight: 7 lbs

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Pros

• Extra-wide 14-inch cutting path
• Dual speed setting and telescopic pole
• Automatic spool line feed

Cons

• Single speed and requires an extension cord

The Black+Decker Besta510 String Trimmer is another economical but incredibly effective model. At only 7 lbs, this corded electric model makes it easy to get your work done fast thanks to a 6.5 amp motor and special transmission.

Despite its light size, the Besta510 is made to handle all the toughest jobs outdoors. It converts from a trimmer to an edger with a simple rotation.

Meanwhile, its light size, adjustable handle, and various height settings help keep you comfortable as you work.

As you would imagine I found the maneuverability of this trimmer to be limited by the cord flex. I used it with an extension cord but had to keep unraveling the cord, which felt laborious on such a light power tool.

Check Black+Decker Besta510 price here on Amazon.

Verdict: Best Lightweight Weed Eater

Having a lightweight weed eater can be extremely handy when you need to do small touchups around the yard. However, you want to make sure you get the best bang for your buck and not buy a complete lemon.

With a wide variety of settings, long runtime, and powerful output, my top vote for the best lightweight weed eater is the Worx PowerShare.

This battery-powered model is made to get all your yard work done with minimal effort.

Best Battery Weed Eater

Worx GT 3.0 PowerShare 20V

Ultra-lightweight string trimmer lawn edger combo. Excellent run-time of 40 minutes. 2 x 2.0 Ah batteries included.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Lightweight Weed Eaters