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Many of us take great pride in our lawns, but for us taller folks trimming the edges can lead to great discomfort. Extra long handle grass and string trimmers for tall people is the obvious solution. But sadly, the markets seem to have forgotten about the taller people.
Well almost. On this page you can find the solution to this back braking problem and never have to deal with short shafted grass or line trimmers again.
For years and years I have persisted with the average size string trimmers. No matter what brand I bought, they all seemed to have the same problem. The shaft was simply too short. About 10 years ago I tried to find longer shaft line trimmers. But to no avail.
Tanaka had an extended shaft model out for a while, but now it has been discontinued which has left a lot of tall people scratching their heads. Why, why would they do that?.
The thing is you don’t even have to be super tall to feel the pain and cramping in your lower back. People that stand 5’10 can even feel the pinch after a while. Sure there is a level of fitness and technique involved. But for people over 6 foot tall, it’s almost a certainty that you will feel discomfort in your back from having to hunch over while trimming the grass and weeds.
String Trimmer Options For Tall Persons
Like lawn mowers for tall people, the options use to be scare. Well no more, finally there are options for us taller people who don’t have the option to let a shorter person do the grass trimming for them. However these options can be limited. So while you may not get the line trimmer with the specifications you were specifically after, or the brand name either. What you will get is a better suited string trimmer suitable for people over 6 foot.
The options presented on this page include:
- Telescopic line trimmers which can extend the length of the shaft to be precisely how you need it.
- Grass trimmer shaft extensions to give you a extra long grass trimmer for selected brands and models.
12″ Longer Telescopic Handle
Worx have the GT line of grass trimmers which have been a household hit for a while now. However, Worx have recently introduced the Revolution line of sting trimmers.
In particular the GT Revolution wg170 20V battery powered trimmer. This grass trimmer has a telescopic shaft which can adjust a foot longer than standard GT trimmer shafts. Perfect for the taller people wanting to reduce pressure and strain on their lower back.
Because the shaft is telescopic, just about any user can comfortably use this line trimmer. Even short people as the range extends from 35 3/4″ to 55.5″ for the taller people. Remember this is just the shaft, so its quite a long grass trimmer.
What The Gt Revolution Offers
The revolution is an advanced model of the regular Worx GT range. It includes all the Gt features but boasts more, including the extra long shaft for tall people. The features include the easy conversion which makes transforming the string trimmer into a line edger and also a mini mower for those areas where the mower just wont reach while being a little too much for a regular grass trimmer.
Extra Long Shaft String Trimmer
The mini mower is quite a handy feature and one that will get used probably more than you imagine initially. The revolution is also a much lighter unit with the 5.5 pounds weight being evenly distributed so that it is not top heavy like regular line trimmers.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the Revolution by Worx is the Command Feed. Just when you thought the bump feed feature was as advanced as grass trimmers could get, Worx have upped the ante. The Command Feed feature allows you to simply press a button and the trimmer automatically releases line and cuts it to size. How easy is that.
Battery Powered Grass Trimmer Extra Length
Is It Enough Power?
Overall the Worx is a good household grass trimmer. It’s value for your money while offering a longer shaft for the taller persons. Because it’s also lightweight, the chore of snipping the weeds is no longer as daunting.
The fact its battery operated will scare some people off. Which is fine and the reason for including the above gas line trimmer option. But in saying that, its cordless so it’s a step up from electric models but less powerful than a gas model.
Should the fact it’s battery powered scare you?. For commercial use and for people with a lawn greater than an acre: Yes. For the common household user, this Worx is a great addition, battery and all. In fact it comes with 2 batteries so you can get double the run time if needed.
In terms of power, no a battery will never replace the power a gas trimmer offers. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Gas trimmers certainly have their place, but not everybody needs such power. Too much power and you end up with rocks being belted into your shins, damaging fence lines and garden features. by turning the power down a notch (battery), you limit the damage causes to not only your shins but your belongings as well.
Adding An Extension To A Grass Trimmer
The last string trimmer option for the tall people is to add an extension shaft to the main shaft of the trimmer. Depending on the model of string trimmer will determine how much extra shaft you can obtain. Not all brands have this option either and they also need to be compatible. So it can be worth investing in a new trimmer along with an extension rod if your back pain is simply too much from using a shorter whipper snipper.
How much length can an extension add?. Well it depends on the brand o trimmer you have/buy. It’s not uncommon to add an extra 24 inches of shaft to make your string trimmer extra long. When you do this, you may want to have your shoulder strap on to counter balance the extra length and weight. The extra foot or two of metal can really make a difference in the weight. So be prepared for a heavier unit.
As previously mentioned, not all brands and all models have this extension option. Even if a brand has one, it does not mean they are all compatible. For example the below Snapper extension is only compatible with the 82V Max trimmer and not the 60v model.
So it’s important to make sure you buy the right extension shaft for the right trimmer. To make life a little easier for you, I have found 2 compatible extension shafts with their string trimmers. So all you need to do now is buy both of them and connect them together for one seriously long grass trimmer for a tall person.
Trimmers With Extension Shaft Compatibility
GreenWorks
Best Long Handle Grass Trimmer For Tall People
Currently Unavailable On Amazon
Whether you call them grass trimmers, whipper snippers, string trimmers, the list goes on. As a tall person you need an extra long handle/shaft which can correlate with the extra body height.
Tall people often have longer legs, but with arm length that is less proportional. So this makes our arm reach to the ground shorter in comparison. What this means is that the curved shaft trimmers (the ones that dip down towards the spool) are less ideal for tall people. The curve can result in a dangerously close trim to your feet when you factor in longer legs and shorter arms.
So for me, a straight shaft trimmer has always been the best option. While I mentioned earlier that Tanaka has an extended shaft line trimmer which has no been discontinued, the good news is there’s a newer model.
The Tanaka TCG23ECPSL to be precise. This string trimmer has a total length of 69.6″. When you consider that many trimmers have a total length around the 59″/63″ you can expect greater relief on your back as a result of less hunching over. As you can see in the image below, my previous string trimmer by Ryobi had a total length of 63″, which I thought at the time was quite long. But it too, gave me back problems.
The Tanaka Extra Long Trimmer Specs
- Tanaka in my opinion are one of the best power tool brands there is, on par if not better than Husqvarna. While Husqvarna typically has a greater selection, in this instance the Tanaka has the longer shafts with a total length of 69.6″ as mentioned above.
- 2 Cycle 22.5cc gas power for reliability.
- The anti vibration feature is also a must for anyone that needs to trim large areas. Nothing worse than numb hands with a painful lower back. This trimmer solves both problems.
- Weighs 10.3lbs which is slightly lighter than other 2 cycle trimmers.
- Load head: Semi automatic.
Overall the Tanaka TCG23ECPSL to me is the obvious choice for tall people. With an almost 70″ reach compared to most others of 60″, the 10″ difference makes it an obvious choice. But extra length aside, the Tanaka is a very powerful, reliable and considerably lightweight string trimmer. Best of all, its gas powered so you can run for longer without stopping.
One thought on “Long Handle Grass String Trimmers For Tall People”
I just bought the Tanaka TCG23ECPSL (3/24/21). It is 70″ long like you say, but all the Husqvana and Stihl trimmers are 70″ long also. Both the 23 and the newer 24 have been discontinued. I found the 23 on EBay. It has no harness, so it actually causes more stress than the Husqy.