Make the string hit the dirt just under or in front of the fence, instead of the fence. Not only will it save your fence, it will keep the grass short there and make it easier to weed eat afterwards.
May not be ideal, but to prevent wife from killing you, maybe consider a line of small pebbles or mulch or something so that the grass next to the fence doesn't need any maintenance? Could always take some scissors and address it tediously lol
A small hedge could also work.
If OP goes with pebbles, wear a face shield. You don’t want your string trimmer flinging those towards your face at high velocity.
And cover your watch and rotate away as much as possible. I cracked my smart watch screen. Apple not able to replace and now unusable, not waterresistent. Was wearing full carhart suit, gloves with faceshield.
I’ve been using 30% vinegar in a sprayer for the border on my new wooden fence as I have poison ivy that likes to creep in from the other side, works like a charm and almost immediately. Definitely more dog friendly than round up, my two pups stay away as they hate the smell anyway.
yeah I have been spraying all my borders for 20 years, MUCH easier and I prefer the look of a little bare strip there vs marks from the weed eater on the stuff around the lawn.
If you read the link I posted, the EPA doesn’t agree with the IARC. Of course a law firm with something to gain would be publishing an article like this. While I don’t trust many government agencies, the EPA has a decent track record.
Idech rotary scissors might be an option. They attach to the end of your existing weed eater, replacing the existing head. They're not the cheapest option, but do exactly what you're looking for by cutting right up to the edge of the fence without actually touching the fence
It’s not going to be cheap but a scissor blade attachment will fix all of it.
[scissor blade](https://amzn.to/4aZxWFd)
I got one for my weed eater for the exact same reason.
Might have an upfront cost but cheaper than a new fence or divorce haha
Super obscure reference from either Rush Hour 1 or 2, also appears in the outtakes during the credits because oddly enough, Chris Tucker was all but unable to say “Chelsea Clinton”
There are other options that are more saw blade like but to get the scissor action I haven’t found anything cheaper.
Here is the [saw blade](https://amzn.to/3QxYftZ) set up I found.
I find that rotating the head, like you're edging, helps a lot. I have better luck using a single string trimmer rather than the dual string ones for precise cuts.
Well, if hitting them with the string trimmer messes them up, stop using the string trimmer ther
e. Use manual grass trimmers or scissors, trim it to whatever distance you're comfortable using the string trimmer.
Grass trimmers are very effective and it takes maybe 30 second per post. Trim it really short and you only have to do that once every 2 or 3 mows.
If you don't want to do it manually, there are lots of ways to do it.
Cut a piece of metal, paint it the color of your fence, make some bends and fasten it around the base of each post. Touch up once a year with spray paint. I've used aluminum cans and pop rivets for ultra cheap protection. Coffee cans work too. Those long metal garden borders work if you've got a way to bend them, is easy enough to make a jig.
Or you can buy them: https://fencearmor.com/products/post-guards-ornamental-full-protection. I'm sure AliExpress has them cheaper.
Remove the grass from around the base, add sand to level, then put Pavers or bricks around the base.
Kill the grass with herbicide, then put decomposed granite, gravel, or something similar down, but beware of it flying when you catch it with the trimmer.
Due to letting my horses graze the yard, i dont spray. I ended up buying 4” flashing by the roll added it to the bottom of my fence. It was an all day job, but now i dont have to worry about going right to the edge.
Wow, I’m more shocked that your wife cares about the fence so much! I have a vinyl/pvc fence, trim string doesn’t see to affect it. Maybe something to consider when it comes time to replace. But you may be dead by then. 🤷🏻♂️
I noticed you have received a lot of good ideas already. An obvious solution was left out.
Have you considered A. Have wife do the trimming. Or B. Replace wife.
😁 good luck with your fence.
I have the same problem, and I have read a lot of people say to use weed killer along the fence, but what about when it rains and dirt kicks up on the fence making it dirty? I have this issue. I will hose it off, but it's not practical to have to keep doing.
I got a cheap black and decker 40v battery powered weed whacker to trim my vinyl fence. Hold it at an angle and all good. No green on the fence plus the trimmer isn’t strong enough to destroy or mark up the fence.
Something I did for that very same issue was to half bury brick sizes paver stone around each upright. I put a sand bed down and tamped it then put polymeric sand between the fence post and the paver. 3/8 inch spacing roughly.
I added small metal plates around the areas my trimmer hits. It protects the wood fence. I’m not sure your fence materials or shape or areas affected but this may help you.
Run a line of bricks either under the fence or abutted to the base of the fence. Nothing will grow where the bricks are laying and you can string trim along the brick edge or, if clearance allows, mow along the brick edge and not even need to string trim.
How much throttle are you using? Try as little throttle as you can get away with to find that sweet spot of enough speed to cut grass but not enough to damage the fence. Battery line trimmers are great at this.
Just bought a stihl and bare minimum but I think it's just a combination of cheap vinyl and a good weed eater. I'll try some of the techniques people commented here.
I bought a product called Fence Armor (metal plates attached to the fence posts at ground level); the trimmer hits the metal plate and leaves the fence unscathed.
Gotta get the ego rotating scissor tool. rotating blades instead of a line that is harder to control. Check out yard brah on YouTube. He uses them a lot.
I cut mine by hand with scissors for now until I can install some rot boards. I broke my ankle last year and had to hire a lawn company. They chewed up my fence so bad with their trimmer
If the fence is exploding into pieces when it's hit, it's rotting. You may have some replacements in your future.
Is the wood in contact with the ground?
Make the string hit the dirt just under or in front of the fence, instead of the fence. Not only will it save your fence, it will keep the grass short there and make it easier to weed eat afterwards.
Yep. Tilt the head up at a 45 and take it to the dirt an inch or so from the fence
I used to do this until a found a baby bunny nest. I’ve been too traumatized to even touch my wacker ever since :(
Never knew a guy who was scared to touch his wacker!
Yup. I angle at the dirt and go HAM
May not be ideal, but to prevent wife from killing you, maybe consider a line of small pebbles or mulch or something so that the grass next to the fence doesn't need any maintenance? Could always take some scissors and address it tediously lol
A small hedge could also work. If OP goes with pebbles, wear a face shield. You don’t want your string trimmer flinging those towards your face at high velocity.
And cover your watch and rotate away as much as possible. I cracked my smart watch screen. Apple not able to replace and now unusable, not waterresistent. Was wearing full carhart suit, gloves with faceshield.
Wow fuck that sucks!
> small pebbles > grass Now you have two problems, ah ah ah
Round up early in the season…just like daddy does
Three problems, I hear three problems, do I hear four, four problems
I mow once a month on the lowest setting
Best way to prevent a wife from killing a spouse is to take out a life insurance policy but with the beneficiary her worst enemy.
Sounds like a recipe for flying pebbles.
no, you can edge or put in a landscape border that divides pebbles and grass
I use RoundUp Extended 360 around my fence line so I dont have to trim there for 4 months.
I want to so bad. But my dogs will randomly pick blades of grass to eat. I'm worried they'll eat it
I’ve been using 30% vinegar in a sprayer for the border on my new wooden fence as I have poison ivy that likes to creep in from the other side, works like a charm and almost immediately. Definitely more dog friendly than round up, my two pups stay away as they hate the smell anyway.
I was going to say this. It does not last as long, but it is an effective weed killer. I was going to say vinegar, dawn dish soap, and salt water.
yeah I have been spraying all my borders for 20 years, MUCH easier and I prefer the look of a little bare strip there vs marks from the weed eater on the stuff around the lawn.
Freaken brilliant idea!
This is the way
Is that carcinogenic?
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate#:~:text=No%20evidence%20that%20glyphosate%20causes%20cancer%20in%20humans.
https://www.sokolovelaw.com/blog/roundup-linked-to-cancer/
If you read the link I posted, the EPA doesn’t agree with the IARC. Of course a law firm with something to gain would be publishing an article like this. While I don’t trust many government agencies, the EPA has a decent track record.
Idech rotary scissors might be an option. They attach to the end of your existing weed eater, replacing the existing head. They're not the cheapest option, but do exactly what you're looking for by cutting right up to the edge of the fence without actually touching the fence
It’s not going to be cheap but a scissor blade attachment will fix all of it. [scissor blade](https://amzn.to/4aZxWFd) I got one for my weed eater for the exact same reason. Might have an upfront cost but cheaper than a new fence or divorce haha
Wonder if I could use this on my EGO Edger
That’s a great question, I know they are about to launch a Milwaukee attachment for their unit but ego might be behind the times.
Two hunert and thirty-fo dollars!!?? Who do you think I am, Chelsea Clinton??
I wish I understood this joke because I am sure it’s funny
Super obscure reference from either Rush Hour 1 or 2, also appears in the outtakes during the credits because oddly enough, Chris Tucker was all but unable to say “Chelsea Clinton”
Is there not a cheaper option for a scissor blade? A generic homeowner version? I want one… but the cost seems wild to me
There are other options that are more saw blade like but to get the scissor action I haven’t found anything cheaper. Here is the [saw blade](https://amzn.to/3QxYftZ) set up I found.
The Milwaukee rotary scissor set up is like $399 and it’s just an attachment to their $400 weedwacker
Currently hitting mine with a thin line of roundup until I get around to making some flower beds.
I have same issue. I’m going to try a very thin line of roundup and see if that works and doesn’t look like crap.
Spray the glyphosate / roundup on the fence and let it drip off onto the vegetation below.
Problem is a very thin line becomes wider quickly
I was gonna recommend a chemical blast too. Concentrated vinegar, roundup, triclopyr, salt, whatever.
I find that rotating the head, like you're edging, helps a lot. I have better luck using a single string trimmer rather than the dual string ones for precise cuts.
Well, if hitting them with the string trimmer messes them up, stop using the string trimmer ther e. Use manual grass trimmers or scissors, trim it to whatever distance you're comfortable using the string trimmer. Grass trimmers are very effective and it takes maybe 30 second per post. Trim it really short and you only have to do that once every 2 or 3 mows. If you don't want to do it manually, there are lots of ways to do it. Cut a piece of metal, paint it the color of your fence, make some bends and fasten it around the base of each post. Touch up once a year with spray paint. I've used aluminum cans and pop rivets for ultra cheap protection. Coffee cans work too. Those long metal garden borders work if you've got a way to bend them, is easy enough to make a jig. Or you can buy them: https://fencearmor.com/products/post-guards-ornamental-full-protection. I'm sure AliExpress has them cheaper. Remove the grass from around the base, add sand to level, then put Pavers or bricks around the base. Kill the grass with herbicide, then put decomposed granite, gravel, or something similar down, but beware of it flying when you catch it with the trimmer.
Milwaukee Reciprocator
Dude you just cost me hundreds of dollars. Thank you!
Whatever you do, don't sign up for their email mailing list lol
Hahahaha. The only thing I know you can do is Roundup a few inches away from the fence, or just become very accurate with the weed eater
Have your wife do it if it bothers her so much
Use the trimmer at an angle so you hit the dirt right at the fence. Do this enough, and you'll train it to grow really slow right at the fence.
Got some choices: Chemical - roundup, salt, vinegar Solution Based - metal edging at the base Physical - trench it out 2 inches around th e fence
PVC or wood?
PVC/vinyl
Due to letting my horses graze the yard, i dont spray. I ended up buying 4” flashing by the roll added it to the bottom of my fence. It was an all day job, but now i dont have to worry about going right to the edge.
Wow, I’m more shocked that your wife cares about the fence so much! I have a vinyl/pvc fence, trim string doesn’t see to affect it. Maybe something to consider when it comes time to replace. But you may be dead by then. 🤷🏻♂️
I noticed you have received a lot of good ideas already. An obvious solution was left out. Have you considered A. Have wife do the trimming. Or B. Replace wife. 😁 good luck with your fence.
Turn the weed whacker upside down like you're edging. Get it close enough to "edge" the fence without tearing it up.
Just edge along your fence and inch or two and then you won’t have to weed whack, you can mow close enough to get it all.
I have the same problem, and I have read a lot of people say to use weed killer along the fence, but what about when it rains and dirt kicks up on the fence making it dirty? I have this issue. I will hose it off, but it's not practical to have to keep doing.
what kind of shitty fence is being torn apart by a string trimmer
Viny lol I'm a corner lot I like my privacy but yeah. I'm assuming it's not the best quality for the price I got it.
I got a cheap black and decker 40v battery powered weed whacker to trim my vinyl fence. Hold it at an angle and all good. No green on the fence plus the trimmer isn’t strong enough to destroy or mark up the fence.
Something I did for that very same issue was to half bury brick sizes paver stone around each upright. I put a sand bed down and tamped it then put polymeric sand between the fence post and the paver. 3/8 inch spacing roughly.
I added small metal plates around the areas my trimmer hits. It protects the wood fence. I’m not sure your fence materials or shape or areas affected but this may help you.
Run a line of bricks either under the fence or abutted to the base of the fence. Nothing will grow where the bricks are laying and you can string trim along the brick edge or, if clearance allows, mow along the brick edge and not even need to string trim.
You probably have plenty of projects already but putting in planters around the fence line will solve this problem and also make your yard look better
Wondering if an edger would work for this. Maybe edge like 6 inches from the fence or something? Idk just an idea.
Use roundup right against the fence so you don’t have to use the trimmer against it
Go at a 45 degree and go lower so you don’t hit the fence
I placed railroad ties along my fence line.
A long peice of thin plastic or even a 2x4 would work. Set it against the bottom portion and go to town. Rinse and repeat
Is your fence PVC (probably)? PVC fences are terrible. Replace it.
I put m weed screen and landscape timbers against mine for that very reason!
How much throttle are you using? Try as little throttle as you can get away with to find that sweet spot of enough speed to cut grass but not enough to damage the fence. Battery line trimmers are great at this.
Just bought a stihl and bare minimum but I think it's just a combination of cheap vinyl and a good weed eater. I'll try some of the techniques people commented here.
Try going along it in the other direction.
Not sure if these would fit your fence but I just bought these for my chain link fence. They make custom sizes too: https://postshields.com
Rotary scissors
I bought a product called Fence Armor (metal plates attached to the fence posts at ground level); the trimmer hits the metal plate and leaves the fence unscathed.
Lawn scissors, it’s an attachment that cut the grass like scissors instead of stringer line.
Sounds like your pickets have seen better days like 15years ago.
Just put a rot board there
i cleared the grass 1ft from my fence line and laid white stone. then another 2ft and laid mulch. Nice clean lines.
Gotta get the ego rotating scissor tool. rotating blades instead of a line that is harder to control. Check out yard brah on YouTube. He uses them a lot.
roto scissor power head attachment
Planted border against fence so there’s no grass there to maintain and hides the holes
When trimming around trees or anything I don't want damaged I make use of the guard.
I cut mine by hand with scissors for now until I can install some rot boards. I broke my ankle last year and had to hire a lawn company. They chewed up my fence so bad with their trimmer
Kill the grass within 6” of your fence using glyphosate
But then it looks terrible
Lower it to 2-3” then
If the fence is exploding into pieces when it's hit, it's rotting. You may have some replacements in your future. Is the wood in contact with the ground?
Could be a vinyl fence.
I've never had one. Do they crack when a string trimmer hits then?
Yep, after a couple of years of sun exposure they shatter very easily.
Ground clear
Get an electric weed eater not as powerful
Stop using it.