A string trimmer, also known by the portmanteau strimmer and the trademarks Weedwacker, Weed Eater and Whipper Snipper, is a garden tool for cutting grass, small weeds, and groundcover. It uses a whirling monofilament line instead of a blade, which protrudes from a rotating spindle at the end of a long shaft topped by a gasoline engine or electric motor.
A man using a gasoline-powered string trimmer
A bump feed style string trimmer head
A fixed line style string trimmer head
Alternative cutting tools
Monofilament fishing line
Monofilament fishing line is fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic material, as opposed to multifilament or braided fishing lines constructed from multiple strands of fibers. Most fishing lines are now nylon monofilament because they are cheap to manufacture and can be produced in a range of diameters which have different tensile strengths. Monofilament line is also available in different colors, such as clear, white, green, blue, red, and fluorescent.
A tangle of monofilament fishing line. The most common colorless variety can be seen.
A bird entangled in monofilament line. It appears as though some of the line may have been ingested.