MOVA GT215 Review: Powerful cordless grass trimmer with surprising range

Wide cutting path and delicate edge trimming

With the MOVA GT215, MOVA brings a cordless grass trimmer to market that, on paper, is significantly more powerful than many compact devices for the occasional lawn edge. A brushless 500 W motor, two power levels and, above all, the generous cutting width of 38 cm promise enough reserves to do more than just work along flower beds and paving stones.

In my test, the GT215 therefore had to prove itself not only on lawn edges. No, it also had to fight its way through deep grass on larger green areas. What mattered most to me were the cutting performance, handling, line wear and battery runtime.

The result was surprising above all in two respects: Despite its size, the trimmer was extremely comfortable to guide – and the battery also lasted longer in my garden than the technical specifications initially suggested.

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Features, assembly and workmanship

The MOVA GT215 is offered as a 20 V grass trimmer with a brushless motor. Technically, this is a classic 18 V battery system with a maximum initial voltage of 20 V. The scope of delivery of my test unit included the battery, charger, protective cover, additional handle and operating instructions. A spool with line was already installed. No further spare parts were included.

Assembly was straightforward. After just a few steps, the shaft was mounted, the protective cover attached and the additional handle adjusted to the desired position. First observation – The trimmer has a considerable length

In terms of workmanship, the GT215 left a solid impression, but it does not stand out through premium materials. Plenty of sturdy plastic and the comparatively lightweight construction show that MOVA focused more on a low working weight than on maximum material thickness. Even so, the device did not feel unstable in the test. To give you an overview of the most important technical data, I have summarized them below:

With a 38 cm working width and two 2 mm lines, the GT215 is generously dimensioned for a single 20 V battery. A semi-automatic line feed and manual speed adjustment in 2 levels are also part of the equipment.

Cutting performance and line system in the practical test

The large working width made a positive impression in the test. During classic trimming of lawn edges, I could guide the GT215 relatively quickly along paving stones and flower beds. For normal grass, power level 1 was already completely sufficient. When mowing under the fence, the device could be guided relatively precisely, so I did not touch the fence unnecessarily.

Only with denser or taller growth did I switch to level 2. Here the motor noticeably increased in sound and feel and worked its way through stronger grass much more confidently. For most simple maintenance work, however, I was able to do without the higher power level.

I particularly liked the GT215 on somewhat larger areas. Thanks to the 38 cm wide cutting area, I could move the device in even sweeping motions in front of my body and thus also shorten smaller grassy areas quickly. The MOVA is still far from being a brush cutter, but for areas that the lawn mower reaches poorly, the wide working area proved to be a clear advantage.

Also along hard lawn edges, the used 2 mm line made a robust impression. In my test, contact with paving stones or other hard surfaces did not cause it to snap immediately. In direct comparison with my previously used Gardena PowerCut Plus grass trimmer, I found the wear significantly lower and the automated feed very convenient.

Accordingly, the line feed required very little attention. During the first test run of approx. 30 minutes, I had to manually pull out the line only once. The semi-automatic feed worked unobtrusively in the background and reliably maintained the working length.

If the spool is empty later on, you also do not necessarily have to buy a pre-configured special spool. According to the manual, an approximately five-meter-long line with a matching 2 mm diameter can be fed through the trimmer head and wound up again – A truly user-friendly solution!

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Handling and ergonomics: Surprisingly well balanced

With the battery installed, the GT215 is not an ultra-light garden tool. In practice, however, the weight hardly bothered me. The decisive factor was above all the weight distribution.

The relatively heavy battery sits far back on the device and shifts the center of gravity toward the handle. As a result, the grass trimmer lay almost horizontally in the hand while working. The front trimmer head could therefore be swung easily to the left and right.

This not only made larger areas more pleasant, but also helped me achieve a clean cut. Especially with grass trimmers, it happens quickly that the head is held too steeply toward the ground and the line then practically mills bare patches into the lawn. With the GT215, after a little balancing and practice, the even weight distribution made it easy to guide the cutting head parallel to the ground.

The adjustable additional handle also proved helpful here. Angle and position can be adapted to your own height or working posture.

The trimmer head itself is less flexible, however. There is no additional angle adjustment for work under very low obstacles. In normal garden use, this was not a major problem for me, but such a function would still be practical in hard-to-reach places.

The GT215 also left a positive impression in terms of noise level. Level 1 worked comparatively quietly and was definitely quieter than my previous Gardena trimmer. At level 2, the device became noticeably louder as expected, but subjectively still remained within an acceptable range for a more powerful grass trimmer.

Battery and runtime

With cordless grass trimmers, runtime naturally determines whether the work is enjoyable or regularly interrupted by charging breaks. Here, the GT215 performed better in my practical test than I had initially expected.

After working on around 100 m² of garden area, the battery still showed about half of its capacity remaining. This included both classic lawn edges as well as smaller areas and more densely overgrown sections.

Of course, no general area performance can be derived from this. Anyone working continuously through dense grass at power level 2 will put much more strain on the battery. But for an ordinary private garden, the runtime seemed completely sufficient to me. I would not have needed a second battery during my test. However, since I have several MOVA devices, there are hardly any limits here. The battery belongs to the MOVA SyncPack system and can be used for all current devices. By the way, you can find the review of the GL415 lawn mower here.

Fully charging an empty battery took about two hours for me.

The accessories range is currently somewhat less convincing. Replacement line is not a problem, as standard line with the appropriate dimensions can be refilled. However, when it comes to special spare parts such as the complete trimmer head or the spool, the selection is still limited. MOVA is currently still expanding its range of 20 V and 40 V garden tools – I’m curious to see what comes next.

Conclusion on the MOVA GT215

The MOVA GT215 proved in my test to be a powerful cordless grass trimmer whose range of use extended beyond the occasional trimming of individual lawn edges.

For me, its greatest strength is the combination of 38 cm cutting width, powerful motor and good balance. On level 1, normal lawn edges could be trimmed cleanly, while level 2 provided enough reserves for denser grass. On larger areas, I could swing the trimmer widely and thus work efficiently.

I was equally impressed by the robust 2 mm line. Contact with paving stones did not constantly lead to line breakage in the test, and the semi-automatic feed worked without manual intervention.

When it comes to workmanship and the accessories range, however, MOVA is not yet among the top class. The GT215 feels more lightweight and functional than especially massive, the cutting head is not adjustable, and the range of special spare parts could be larger.

At the regular price of currently 139 euros including battery and charger, you still get a comprehensively equipped package overall. Promotional prices were recently even lower.

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