wazzbat, if you are actually going to restrict your line trimmer work to trimming edges of a five metre by ten metre patch of fine grass, you don't need a bevel-gear ('straight shaft') trimmer, or a full-crank engine - so you should be in the lower 50% of the price range. On the other hand, at least in my experience line trimmers are a pain in the backside to start, especially cheap versions and trimmers that are seldom used. Furthermore there are issues with the cutting head: it needs to be easy to feed out more line, but you don't really want to end up with some super-simplified line feed system that doesn't work for long, or leaves pieces of line strewn all over your back yard. I suggest you research three issues: how easy trimmers are to cold-start after laying around all winter; how easy it is to get parts and good-quality service for them; and just how the line feed system works (or doesn't work). As a sort of what not to do exercise, my el cheapo trimmer is pretty much a pain to start, mainly because it has a full-sized chainsaw carburetor on a 16 cc engine, and it has no priming system. It has to be started and stopped frequently because the line feed head has to be dismantled to feed out the line - and by then I have to cold-start the engine (choke it, pull the cord until it burps, open the choke, pull cord three times to clear the over-fueling). Then it runs fairly poorly because the huge carburetor is effectively on full throttle when I pull the throttle lever less than one-quarter of the way. And I don't think I could get parts for it either.
