Our crash course in artificial Christmas trees began in 2016, when I visited a fake-tree-manufacturer’s New Jersey headquarters. Since then we’ve shopped for trees online and in person at several big-box stores, and we’ve tested various trees over the years. For the 2019 version of this guide, senior editor Harry Sawyers spoke with three major tree manufacturers to identify the latest offerings and track new developments in the fake-tree world. Reporting this story has confirmed that these products have a higher environmental cost than live trees, which is a concern for many, including me. I’ve been on Team Live Tree basically since birth, on a Christmas Day some years ago. It also has more lights (1,320 versus 750), creating an opulent display that our testers universally preferred.
Still, when it came to regular trimming—even in heavier weed areas—this trimmer had little problem on multiple hilly properties in Los Angeles in spring 2020. The padding is comfortable, and it’s something we came to appreciate during longer trimming sessions, but it is delicate and can easily tear if you happen to snag it on a hook, a nailhead, or maybe even a rose thorn. After two years of use, our test unit has sustained a single tear (remedied with a little electrical tape).
I used to try a string trimmer in that area, and it would blow the grass, weeds, and stalks all over the place; the cut stalks would then dry out, turn brown, and look awful. Using a scythe leaves me with orderly costway lounge chair rows of cut vegetation, which I can quickly scoop up and dispose of. The result looks way better, and the work actually goes a little faster (as this scythe versus string trimmer video demonstrates).
If the Ego ST1511T is not available, our next choice is the Ego ST1521S Power+ 15″ String Trimmer with Powerload. It’s Ego’s previous version of the tool, and it is nearly identical to the ST1511T, other than that the shaft does not telescope, and the trigger design is slightly different. The ST1521S costs about the same as the ST1511T and sometimes even more, so we’d always opt for our main pick first. But if you need something in a hurry, and the ST1511T is not available, the ST1521S is an excellent second choice. You can expect about the same power, run time, and charge time as with our main pick.
A small sharp edge on the underside of the debris shield then cuts the end of the string to the proper length. The spool can hold about 16 feet of string, so you have a constant supply, which is essential for longer or more aggressive trimming sessions. The ST1511T weighs a little over 10 pounds, so it isn’t the lightest of the bunch. But it was still easy to manage thanks costway patio umbrellas to its nice balance and the addition of a telescoping shaft and a quick adjustment on the handle. Those two features make it possible to customize the ST1511T’s ergonomics to fit a wide variety of body heights and types, something we’ve never seen done so easily on larger trimmers. Smaller trimmers, powered by 18- and 20-volt batteries, usually cost between $100 and $200.