If you head down to your local lawn mower store looking for a new weed eater, you’ll notice that you have a couple of options; straight shaft weed eaters and curved shaft weed eaters. But you’re not going to find a sign telling you which one you should pick. Therefore, let’s go over how these different weed whacker designs perform and which is the best fit for you and your yard.
Should You Choose a Straight Shaft or Curved Shaft Trimmer?
Before you decide on which weed eater design to purchase, it’s important to know the strengths of each and what they are best used for. So, here are the pros of each design for you to consider when purchasing your new weed eater.
Straight Shafts Weed Eater
- Longer Reach
- Able to Fit Under Low Obstacles
- Better Power Transfer
- Greater Head Options
- Can be Used for Edging
- Can be Used for Brush Cutting
- Can be Used for Limb Cutting
- Can be Used for Irrigation Head Trimming
Curved Shafts Weed Eaters
- Cheaper to Buy
- Less Weight
- Shorter Operating Height
Pros of Straight Shaft Trimmers
Let’s start by taking a look at the different pros of straight shaft weed eaters and see if this shaft design matches what you are looking for.
Longer Reach Shafts
Having a longer shaft on your weed eater really helps if you have a large area that needs to be weed-whacked. For example, I have a big tank in my yard that is too big and steep for my lawn mower to reach. Therefore, I have to use a weed wacker. By having the longer shaft, I can weed-whack a big area without actually having to move.
Also, the long shaft allows me to really reach areas that aren’t so easy to get to, like under the edge of my wooden deck. So, if you have large areas and hard-to-reach places, then a straight-shaft weed eater is a good pick.
Straight Shafts are Able to Fit Under Low Obstacles
The obvious difference between a straight vs. curved trimmer is the height of the end of the trimmer. A straight shaft is much lower to the ground than a curved shaft, making it much better at getting under obstacles.
So, to get under my deck and under my bushes, the straight shaft weed eater is low enough not to cause a problem, whereas the curved shaft is too tall. Therefore, if you have a lot of bushes and maybe even a deck you need to weed wack under, then the straight shaft is going to be able to reach underneath with much more ease.
Better Power Transfer
Due to the fact that the shaft on a straight shaft weed eater is, in fact, straight, the weed eater doesn’t lose any power during the transfer of energy from the engine to the head. So, you’ll actually find a smaller engine on a straight shaft has as much power as a bigger engine on a curved shaft. This means that you’re actually getting to use all of your engine’s power.
Greater Head Options
You have a lot of different options in size and line capacity when it comes to the heads on a straight-shaft weed eater. Also, you’ll find that you have various options for an aftermarket alternative.
For example, the standard line used on a Stihl Trimmer is 0.080 inches thick, and the head can hold approximately 15 feet of line, whereas the standard bump head on a Stihl straight shaft weed eater uses a 0.095 line thickness and holds approximately 25 feet of line.
So, if you have a bigger yard and want to refill the head less often, then the straight shaft will work for you.
Straight Shafts Can be Used for Edging
Straight shaft weed eaters can be used for much more than just trimming off the top of the grass that your lawn mower isn’t able to reach. They can actually be flipped over so that the line runs vertically. This means you can use your weed eater as an edger as well. So, if you have lawn edges, flower beds, and a driveway, then a weed eater can be used to trim the edges nice and clean to give the look of a professionally maintained yard.
Straight Shafts Can be Used for Brush Cutting
What’s brush cutting? Well, this is trimming vegetation thicker than just grass. For example, I have a blackberry hedge that grows new shoots that are too thick for a weed eater line and not accessible for a lawn mower. So, with a straight shaft weed eater, I can remove the line head and install a brush knife head and tackle that bigger vegetation.
Straight Shafts Can be Used for Limb Cutting
So a straight shaft plays the role of a weed wacker, edger, and brush cutter. It really is a multitool for the yard. But there’s one more job a straight shaft trimmer can do, and that’s limb cutting.
Companies like Stihl and Echo produce a circular saw blade designed to attach to the head of a weed eater. These heads basically turn a weed eater into a long-handled chainsaw. So, if you need to cut woody material, like tree limbs and big shrubs, then these heads are a great option. This is definitely not something you’ll find on a curved trimmer.
Straight Shafts Can be Used for Irrigation Head Trimming
Ok, there is just one more job a straight-shaft weed eater can do: irrigation head trimming. You have probably seen, or you might even have an irrigation head trimmer. These are used to trim away the grass from your irrigation heads.
With a straight shaft weed eater, you have the option of attaching a trimmer to the head. This trimmer works the same way as a brush cutter or a limb-cutting circular saw. The difference is the weed eater attachment makes a much faster and cleaner cut.
So, if you like to keep on top of cleaning out your irrigation heads, then a straight shaft weed wacker and irrigation trimmer is an awesome choice. Again, this isn’t an option with a curved shaft.
Pros of Curved Shaft Trimmers
Well, that’s enough about straight shaft trimmers. What about curved shaft trimmers? Let’s take a look at the pros of the curved trimmer and see if this design will work for you.
Cheaper to Buy
The first thing you’ll notice when checking out the weed eaters in the store is that a curved trimmer is cheaper than a straight shaft trimmer by $40-$50 on comparable models. So, if you are just looking for a tool to weed wack only, then the curved shaft comes out on top in the straight vs. curved trimmer decision when it comes to price.
Less Weight
Another noticeable factor between straight vs. curved trimmers is that the curved trimmer tends to be at least a ½ lb to a pound lighter. So, if you’re not too keen on carrying the heavier straight shaft around your yard, then the lighter curved shaft might work better.
Shorter Operating Height
If you hold both the straight shaft and the curved shaft weed eaters with their heads level with the ground, then the curved shaft operating handle will be a bit closer to the ground. So, if you’re not very tall, then you’ll probably find the curved shaft easier to work with.
Factors that Will Impact Your Decision
Now that you have read through all the pros of the curved vs. straight shaft trimmers let’s take a look at the factors that will determine which is going to work best for you.
What Type of Yard Do You Have?
So, if you are like me and have big areas to trim, then you might be better off going for a straight-shaft weed eater. This allows you to cover bigger areas quicker and with less effort. But, if you only need to weed whack a fence line where your lawn mower can’t get to, then a curved trimmer will work just fine.
Do You Have Any Obstacles in Your Yard?
As I mentioned before, I have several bushes in my yard that I know a curved trimmer would struggle to get underneath. So, I’d definitely choose a straight trimmer vs. a curved trimmer for my yard. But if this isn’t something you are concerned about, then you could save $40-$50 and go for the curved shaft.
What Type of Vegetation will You be Trimming?
Now that you have learned that weed eaters can trim more than just the grass your lawn mower can’t reach, you want to figure out what else needs trimming in your yard. If you only want to hit those spots you can’t reach with your mower, then a curved shaft will do. But if you’re looking at anything a bit tougher, you might want to opt for the straight shaft.
Do You Want to Use the Weed Eater for Additional Tasks?
If you like the idea of using your weed eater as a multitool and you want to get an extra couple of heads, then the straight shaft is a great option. I use my weed eater for all of the different jobs it can do in and around my yard like brush, limbs, irrigation head trimming, and edging. If I used a separate tool for each task, I would probably be looking at over $1000 worth of equipment. But the curved trimmer will be just fine if these aren’t jobs you want to do.
Which Design are You Going to be Comfortable Using?
If you take a look at the Stihl website, you’ll see that they have sixty-five different weed eaters available, ranging from lightweight curved weed eaters all the way up to professional straight shaft weed eaters with handlebars and harnesses.
Now, not only do these weed eaters cover a range of tasks, but they also accommodate a range of user abilities. So, when you go into the store, be sure to try out the different weed eaters for size. There is no point in just picking the biggest and best if you’re not able to handle the weed eater safely and comfortably.
My Recommendations for When to Use a Straight Shaft Weed Eater vs. Curved Shaft
When deciding which is better, a straight or curved shaft trimmer, be sure to take the time to think about which will suit you and your needs. Here’s a summary of the points we have covered.
| Scenario | Straight Shaft | Curved Shaft |
|---|---|---|
| Small Yard | x | x |
| Large Yard | x | x |
| Open Spaces | x | x |
| Height Restrictions | x | |
| Suitable for Heavy Vegetation | x | |
| Best Lightweight | x | |
| Best Value | x | |
| Best Performance | x | |
| Best Head Options | x | |
| Battery Powered Available | x | x |
| Edger | x | |
| Brush Cutter | x | |
| Irrigation Trimmer | x |
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