The Commercial String Trimmer, Reinvented

The commercial-grade string trimmer fills an important role in any professional landscaper’s toolkit, cutting in places that other tools struggle to reach. Although zero-turn mowers are incredibly maneuverable, there are just some spots that they can’t access safely or efficiently. That’s where the string trimmer comes in.

For cutting weeds around obstacles, trimming back wild growth, cutting on steep hills, or touching up edges and walkways, string trimmers just make sense. Even the best mowers can’t reach every spot, and sometimes getting a mower into a spot can take longer than just cutting the grass or weeds back with a string trimmer.

Although they are not technically edgers, some crews also use string trimmers for edging around walkways. Many lawncare tasks requiring quick, high-precision cutting can be sped up by using a string trimmer—or weed whacker, as they’re sometimes called. Due to their versatility and speed, professional landscapers all around the world rely on powerful string trimmers to handle their properties.

When it comes to choosing the best string trimmer, there are three main concerns—power, runtime, and weight:

Power is always important, especially for long days working on overgrown properties. Without enough power, string trimmers can get bogged down cutting through heavy weeds or woody plants. Due to the design of string trimmers, more power is always better: a faster-spinning line cuts through brush more easily and cleanly.

Runtime determines how much actual use a landscaper can get from their string trimmer. A long-lasting tool can cut an entire property, edging along every sidewalk or planter bed and trimming the weeds back from every surface. By contrast, a string trimmer that runs out of gas or battery charge often is going to spend more time sitting in the truck.

Weight is about more than just the literal poundage of the string trimmer; rather, lighter tools tend to be ergonomic for long days of continuous work. A string trimmer too heavy to maneuver won’t be able to cut as precisely, and if the tool is too heavy or vibrates too much, operators will fatigue long before the work is done.

The Greenworks Commercial design and engineering teams spoke to professionals when designing each tool in our updated Optimus lineup, and we heard the same complaints from many landscapers. We learned that designing a string trimmer with the power, runtime, and ergonomic design that commercial landscapers wanted wouldn’t be an easy task.

In the past, Greenworks string trimmers delivered on power but fell short in the other categories. Now, after our thorough re-engineering process, the updated lineup of Optimus string trimmers blows the competition out of the water. Not only are our string trimmers more powerful, longer lasting, and lighter, but they also come with all the inherent benefits of battery power—less noise, no fumes or pollution, essentially no maintenance, and an easy push-button start.

Cranking a two-stroke gas engine can be a struggle, especially as that tool ages across multiple seasons of use, and the fumes put out by such engines are highly toxic. Plus, for landscapers working on prestige properties with noise restrictions, the noise of gas engines can be a problem and restrict working hours.

To really put our tools to the test, we put an updated Greenworks Optimus 17” String Trimmer ST131C in the hands of José Sanchez, a professional landscaper in Charlotte, NC. José was initially skeptical—he’d tried electric tools before and seen how older models couldn’t keep up.

”It’s good, but the battery drains pretty quickly,” José said when asked about older electric string trimmers. “The machine is very heavy.”

For José, like many professional landscapers, switching to a new tool brand is a big decision. Yet after just an hour, José was already experiencing the advantages of electric power. We asked him again how he felt and found that his opinion was shifting.

“Well, after using it for a while,” José said, “I think it’s light. It is easy to maneuver and is comfortable. What I think about this one is that it’s much better than the previous one. It weighs less, the line extends a little more, it’s easy to use, and the battery lasts longer.”

We did a side-by-side comparison between the Greenworks ST131 Optimus String Trimmer and the Stihl FS 111 R, then asked José his opinion.

“Compared to the others,” he said, “I think it works well. I think it works better. I would recommend this one over the gas one, because this one doesn’t make noise, and it doesn’t vibrate when using it. And no smell of gas.”

These ergonomic and health benefits make the final difference, but what really sets Greenworks apart remains those three key points: power, runtime, and weight. The Greenworks trimmer is almost a pound lighter, lasts much longer, and delivers the same power as heavier gas engines, without any of the noise, mess, or fuss. Plus, no more stops at the gas station, which saves time and fuel costs.

The string trimmer remains a critical part of any professional landscaper’s equipment, and the Greenworks Optimus lineup remains the best battery-powered string trimmers on the market. When you need commercial-grade power, performance, runtime, and ergonomics, choose Greenworks Optimus.

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