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 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.
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).
After years of testing trees in every price bracket, in 2021 we decided to stop recommending trees at the lowest pricing tiers. The problem isn’t their lack of realism—we found that even the fakest-looking trees were attractive once they were lit and decorated. The cheaper construction shows when you’re setting up trees and packing them into storage, since needles shed, branches break, and the overall look goes from passable to ragged over several years.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). The Lee Valley kit comes with everything you need to get started, including the blade, the handle (called a snath), a sharpening stone, and a holster for the stone. If the kit is not available, note that Lee Valley also sells the pieces individually for roughly the same total price as the kit. We also recommend Ian Miller’s The Scything Handbook for those who are just beginning their scything life.
It involves a twisting motion back and forth, with the arms acting as stabilizers. If you’re doing it really well, it’s not super physically demanding,” Miller told us. All of the cordless trimmers we looked at could cut regular lawn grass, but we wanted one that also handled tall weeds or densely overgrown grass. Weaker trimmers strained in tougher conditions, either getting bound up in the grass or pushing it over instead of cutting it.
Finally, it’s widely available, easy to set up, and competitively priced. (For smaller homes, we recommend the 6½-foot version.) As with most artificial trees, this model takes costway patio umbrellas up a chunk of storage space in the off-season, even when it’s disassembled. This tree’s lights connect automatically via wiring in the sections of trunk, so setup is easy.
At just 32 inches wide, this tree is barely half the width of the Downswept Douglas Fir on which it’s based. It has the same type of realistic branches (just fewer of them), and its 300 LED bulbs can shine in white, multicolor, or a mix of the two. Due to the pencil shape, this tree looks like no living pine that we know of, but when it’s lit and decorated, it’s pretty in its own right. Like the vast majority of contemporary pre-lit trees, the Downswept Douglas Fir features LED bulbs rather than traditional incandescents. They last longer and run cooler, and (in the Downswept Douglas Fir’s case) they can toggle between multicolor, all-white, a mix of the two, and blinking and sparkling variations thereof. We think the ability to switch between color and all-white modes is a genuine strength of this tree.
Like those on the Downswept Douglas Fir, the lights on this tree connect automatically via plugs within the trunk, and they too can switch between clear, color, or a mix of the two. We particularly appreciate that this tree’s base has wheels, a unique feature among our test group, because they make it much easier to move the tree into place and back into storage. The “flip” function simply tilts the lower section of the tree upright during setup, so you don’t have to lift it into place yourself; this is another welcome feature, since the tree weighs 78 pounds in total. Like the less expensive trees we tested, this one still requires you to put in some time arranging and perfecting it to make it look its best. But it delivers a level of fullness and realism that’s truly stunning.
Your neighbors will stare, but a scythe is a beautiful, meditative tool—and if used correctly, it’s very effective at cutting grass or knocking down an overgrown area. This Ego trimmer is very similar to our main pick but lacks that model’s telescoping shaft and quick handle adjustment. If the snowy look is your thing, we’re confident you’ll be delighted with this tree. Accidents do happen, though, like the time editor-in-chief Ben Frumin’s robot vacuum severed a section of his Downswept Douglas Fir’s electrical cord, after gobbling up several inches of the cord near the light-controlling foot pedal.