String trimmers get into spots larger lawn mowers can’t reach, like beneath bushes or right up against fences. They can delicately trim around flower beds or slash through overgrown weeds. Flipped on ...

When I bought a home 25 years ago, for the first time, I needed to mow my own yard—an 80-square-foot, postage-stamp-size area. I got a hand-me-down corded string trimmer and started hacking away with ...