Verdict
One for the professionals maybe, but the Kress 40 V 38cm cordless grass trimmer KG155E.9 does an excellent job tidying up lawns, flower beds and allotments. Its twin battery power system means you can keep cutting longer than with other trimmers, and the switchable head means tougher plant stems are no problem.
Pros
- Long battery life
- Trimmer and brush cutter heads
- Sturdy construction
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BatterieRuns off dual 20V batteries, delivering 40V of power. -
Cutting widthLine head has a 38cm cutting width, making it ideal for larger lawns.
Introduction
Most of the garden equipment I have reviewed slots together with some clips and maybe a screw or two. Not so this rechargeable Kress trimmer, which requires you to attach its handles, trimming head shield, and support strap before you can get going.
Happily, it looks worse than it is, and once you’ve worked your way through the pictorial instructions, you’re left with a solid, effective, and surprisingly wide grass trimmer.
Design and features
- 33cm cutting width
- Interchangeable heads
- Must be built first
The Kress KG155E.9 comes in a surprising number of parts, but once you’ve built it, this Kress cordless trimmer is a good-looking tool. I especially like the way the twin ends of the cutting line curl upwards, like Salvador Dali’s moustache.
The grass trimming head isn’t the only one available for this unit, though it is the only one I was sent. There’s a brush cutting head available too, with a stronger blade for tearing your way through thick undergrowth, plus chainsaw pruner and hedge trimmer attachments. It’s good to see these options, as they add versatility to the tool.
This is a grass trimmer with a long shaft, the double-battery and motor end sitting beneath your arm rather than under your hand. But this adds to the balance, and allows you to sweep the cutting head through a wider arc, allowing the 33cm cutter to do its job more efficiently.
Performance
- Good power level
- Not too heavy
- Long battery life
Having two 20V batteries supplying juice for the motor means you get 40V power out of the KG155E.9, and Kress claims it’s comparable to a petrol-powered model. I’d say that’s about right, as I tore through grass and weeds with no qualms about it jamming or giving up. Having a thick, double-ended cutting line helps too, and the line feed system activates with just a tap of the head’s hub on the ground.
If you want to eke even more battery life out of it – the charger has two bays, so you can be charging two while two are in use – there’s an eco mode that lowers the power somewhat, but certainly doesn’t make the trimmer any less useful.
As a long trimmer with a bit of metal in its construction, it’s going to be heavier than plastic domestic models. But when using the included shoulder strap, it balances nicely.
It would have been nice to see a pair of 4Ah batteries included instead of the 2Ah packs, but this might have offset the balance too much, potentially sending the cutting head into the air.
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Should you buy it?
If you’re a pro looking for a rechargeable cutter to use for long periods:
Dual batteries give incredible power, making this one of the most powerful trimmers we’ve reviewed to excel at tough jobs.
If you just want to trim the edges of your lawn:
This trimmer may be a bit overkill for lighter tasks around the garden. You can find cheaper alternatives for such tasks.
Final Thoughts
The chances are that you don’t need a grass trimmer this big or powerful, but it comes in supremely useful for tasks like clearing the long grass and weeds from an allotment plot, or cutting a swathe through an overgrown flower bed prior to replanting it.
The wide cutting head and petrol-like power give it all the grass-mangling capabilities you could need, and the ability to change the business end for a brush cutter or other tool makes it a versatile addition to the garden shed. If you’re after something smaller, then check out the guide to the best grass trimmers.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every air conditioning unit we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main aircon for the review period
We measure the fan speed (if available) using an anemometer so that we can accurately compare performance between models
We measure how well the aircon can cool our test lab.
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FAQs
This doubles the power to 40V giving petrol-style performance in a cleaner, quieter body.
You can get a brushcutter and pruner.
