The 4 Best Grass Whips [& How to Use Them the RIGHT Way]

Keeping up with weeds SUCKS. Especially when they start taking over your beautiful lawn or garden beds that you worked so hard on.

In 2020, I moved from the city to 1.5 acres of land and I’m learning that if you don’t keep up with your weeds and tall grass, they seem to grow FEET overnight. Yes, Feet – especially when it rains. It can get out of control fast.

But I recently discovered a tool called grass or weed whip, and it’s a gamechanger.

Yes, I have a ride on mower, a push mower, and weed whacker. But this is excellent for those areas of the yard that are uneven, around trees, or just in a spot that those other garden tools can’t reach.

Plus, I don’t have to worry about adding gas, changing the oil, or any of the typical issues that come with machinery.

What is a Grass Whip?

A grass whip is a weed or grass cutter that looks like a golf club with a long blade on the end.

It looks like this:

You may have heard about grass whips under these common names:

• Manual weed whacker
• Serrated grass whip
• Swing blade grass cutter
• Weed sling blade
• The tool that improves your golf swing while you maintain your lawn

Or my favorite: The Ultimate Lightweight Weed Eater

The Most Efficient Grass Removal Tool

You can use a grass whip for clearing tall grass, getting rid of ivy patches, and even clear poison ivy without touching it. It’s great for use as weed eaters or cutting tall grass from the lawn, garden beds and anywhere else you need to get rid of pesky ivy vines or weeds.

Grass whips are cut with a sharp blade in both the forward and backward motion, which can cut your weeding time in half compared to a scythe or other grass-cutting tool. The serrated steel blade edges on the whip tool help you cut more than just grass, and work well on pesky weeds and thicker brush.

Why Not Just Use a Weedwhacker or Battery Powered Trimmer?

There are a lot of good reasons to use grass whips instead of string trimmers:

• You have to refill your string constantly
• You’re at the mercy of your battery life or tank of a gas trimmer
• Weed whackers can harm tree trunks, fences, and porch bases
• It’s not as heavy
• You get some exercise in
• You don’t need as much space for easy storage
• You can improve your golf swing while you get rid of weeds
• The best grass whips are still cheaper than a basic string trimmer
• You can do it silently before 9am on a Saturday and not annoy your neighbors

The Best Grass Whips

While there aren’t a ton of grass whips on the market, here are some of the best grass whips (i.e. best weed eaters) you can find.

1. True Temper Grass Whip

The True Temper grass whip has a hardwood handle and double-edged serrated steel blades.

This tool is great for cutting tall grass and tough weeds or vegetation. The hardwood handle grass whip looks like an oddly shaped hockey stick, but is great for cutting tall growth.

True Temper is a quality brand that has been around since the 1800s and have a great reputation.

Weighing in at under a pound, you can use this thing for hours and not get super tired (unless you’re out of shape like myself).

2. Ames Grass Whip

This is the one I own and currently use so it’s been put to the test quite a bit over the last two seasons.

The Ames grass whip is 30 inches long and is a BEAST. The build quality is top-notch and does great on weeds over a foot tall.

It also comes with an eye hole on the handle so you can easily hang it up and store it out of the way in your garage or woodshed.

While it’s a little cheaper, it still has a good strong handle and rivals any heavy-duty weed eater.

3. Truper Grass Whip

The Truper grass whip is another great option when it comes to grass whips.

4. Bully Tools Grass Whip

Last, but definitely not least, the Bully tools grass whip is a great option and different from the other 3 on this list. This grass whip is definitely a lot heavier, coming in around 3 pounds. BUT you can sharpen this whip because it has one long blade on either edge.

Most other grass whips come with a serrated blade on either side that is almost impossible to sharpen. Not the Bully!

You can sharpen this one and keep it working for you longer than a serrated blade.

This makes it the longest-lasting weed cutter on the list. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty and is made in the USA. However, the fiberglass handle is different, but it comes with a cushioned grip to reduce hand fatigue.

This is definitely the more “commercial” option as opposed to a homeowner option. All that means is it’s more durable, can be sharpened and used for a long time, and is a little heavier than the others.

How Tall (or Short) Can the Grass Be?

You can cut grass at almost any height, but it will require a bit more force in your swing. Around 1 foot is the ideal length of grass I’ve cut, but I’ve watched plenty of youtube videos of people cutting super high grass with them.

Shorter grass can be cut with less force and you can even cut all the way to the ground with the double edged blade.

What Can You Use a Grass Whip For

You can cut all types of vegetation with a grass whip including:

• Tall, thick grass
• Ivy
• Poison ivy
• Overgrown weeds
• Clover patches
• Edging lawns
• Any tall growth or stemless weeds
• Clearing running or bike trails

Grass Whip vs Scythe vs Sickle

A sickle is a handheld tool you can use in a similar way to a grass whip, but since its handheld, the handle is a lot shorter and you’ll need to be closer to the ground.

A scythe has a large hooked blade and will work great for taller grasses, but might not be as great for clearing straight paths because of the way you swing it.

A grass whip has double-sided sharp blades for precision cutting and clearing weeds.

How to Use a Grass Whip

A grass whip is quite simple to use. Hold the grass whip like you would a golf club, and swing back and forth.

You can almost pretend you’re hitting a golf ball while using, as that’s the same motion you’ll want to use when clearing weeds.

Most beginners will only use it in one direction, creating double the work. This blade works both ways, so make sure to save yourself some labor and swing it in both directions.

PRO TIP: Make sure you wear close-toed shoes to avoid any mishaps and lost digits 🙂 And wear good quality gloves if you’ll be outside for more than 10 or so minutes.

Sweaty hands + wood handle = blister city

Will a Grass Whip Help My Golf Swing?

Golfers even use the grass whip to improve their swing and up their game.

But even if you don’t golf, a grass whip is a great way to add some exercise into your day. Both the forward and backward motions will make your shoulder muscles STRONG.

What to Look for in a Grass Whip

There are 4 elements to a grass whip that you’ll want to keep in mind. This will help you decide on the best grass whip for your yard or garden.

• Blade – sharp, serrated blades only!
• Handle – try and get hardwood handles only – this will help make the process easier and cause less blisters over time.
• Shaft
• Ferrule – the ferrule is the piece that holds the blade on the shaft. If you get one that is not quality built, this will loosen over time.

The Best Grass Whip

The best grass whip is going to be the one you can get your hands on (no pun intended). The precision cutting of any grass whip is going to be a tough match for tall weeds, and will help cut down weeds in places that a lawn mower might not be able to reach.

The grass whip is a cost effective way to cut through thick brush and cutting grass that you may have let get a little too tall.