BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX String Trimmer/Edger with Lawn Mower Removable Deck for String Trimmer (LSTE525 & MTD100)

As a woman that was looking for an easier way to do lawncare this year, I opted to buy this because it's light and simple. It has two speeds, one normal and one more powerful. I trimmed grass along my fence mostly, so it cut that with ease. It also cut through thicker weeds well too. I did not experience any weakness in this tool unless the battery was dying. I love that the length is very easily adjustable for use and storage. It also edges pretty well, however, it will use up a lot of the battery. It also can be used with other Black & Decker batteries, so I was able to use my hedger batter with it. I will say, I do think these batteries may be a little weaker than my old ones. Regardless, the product works well and was a great value for the money!

I had the previous model and it lasted a long time. I decided to get another for my in-laws. This isn't anything heavy duty, but it does the job around a normal house. The batteries last about 30-40 minutes which is enough for one house. The string spool is easy to replace and also lasts a few months, if not the whole summer. The length is good for me (5'9"). It's pretty quiet compared to gas and doesn't weight that much. The value is fair. You could go cheaper or more expensive, but I like this quality and power with weight.

This string trimmer works as well as any, I suppose. The two batteries that come with it are small and require recharge too soon. So, I bought a larger off-brand battery that lasts a lot longer. Because the charging takes so long, I recommend that anyone who has significant trimming to do should buy a larger capacity battery. ( I have not looked into whether a fast charger exists for these batteries.) The ability to quickly change from horizontal to vertical trimming position of the "working end" of the trimmer is very convenient. So, basically, this is a good trimmer that comes with small capacity batteries. But, one big flaw for this trimmer (and possibly for other brands as well) is the design of the trigger mechanism. Over time, I noticed that it was getting more and more difficult to press the trigger after having depressed the safety switch. (The safety switch, by the way, is a real pain -- in all of these type tools. There should be a way to bypass it.) The trigger seemed like it was getting hung up, and I had to bang the working end on the ground while trying to depress the trigger in order to get it going. Finally, I could not get the trigger to start the motor, no matter how hard I depressed it. So, I figured I'd take it apart and see what was going on with the switch. Easier said than done. I Googled how to repair the string trimmer, and found a Youtube video that showed how to take a similar model apart. The problem I had was "how to remove the handle" -- which you must do, in order to take it apart. The handle is made of a very resilient plastic that has a slight "give" to it, and you must force it off of the unit. (I had been afraid that it would crack/break if I did that -- but, that is what you have to do.) The video also showed that the plastic trigger mechanism gets worn, so that it cannot allow the lever to travel far enough to push the microswitch. This is the key to the whole problem: The plastic lever gets worn over time. The solution: file the worn area so that it is smooth again. It is a simple fix -- but, it would not happen if the lever were made out of a more durable material. So, there you have it: If you are having trouble with the switch trigger-- look up the Youtube that shows how to fix the trigger. Also, be aware that when you put it back together, the spring that allows you to move the head into the horizontal/vertical positions must be positioned entirely into the "large space" and you will not be able to close the two halves of the unit if that spring is not positioned properly (Trust me: I spent a lot of time trying to get the two halves closed together.)

Safety switch. 1st, I love this weed eater. Lightweight and works for me. I had bought one from a box store and it lasted 5 or more years ? When it quit working I ordered same model from Amazon. Not even a year and the safety switch started to stick or feel hard to push and weed eater would not work. I called Amazon who directed me to B and D. Black and Decker customer service was AMAZING and immediately (after proof of purchase) sent me a new weed eater. I am not sure how long I have had this one but it is doing the same thing. Guessing it has lasted about 6 months. I am on the phone with Black and Decker wish me luck. I hate to go to another brand. I have several B and D batteries, and I really like this model (has the auto feed button). So there must be an issue with the safety switch. If they won't replace guess I will try you tube for repair. Update: B & D trying still not sure if they will replace again. Was on hold a while, then live person then referred to their support site. We will see.

UPDATE Have used this for 2-3 months now. Bought adapter for the WORX batteries to use on the Black & Decker, since my WORX trimmer failed after 3 years. Can trim the whole lawn on one battery and still have charge left! Trimmer also works better. The adapter is on eBay. ********************************** Used this for 1st time today. Batteries were fully charged. Has reasonable torque for a battery powered trimmer, which was better than the WORX trimmer. Had hard time cutting runners on centipede grass. I think if you had Bermuda or Fescue this would be a good trimmer. Not that great on heavier grasses (centipede, St Augustine, etc). Battery died before I could finish my yard. Went thru 2 fully charged batteries. Luckily, I had a battery from another B&D tool that got me almost done. This means it will take multiple days to do my lawn! I like the string feed option on the handle. I will probably use the gas trimmer for heavier areas and this one as a final trim on edging and sidewalks.

This is my 2nd weed trimmer I bought in the last 6 weeks. The first one is a "heavy to lift" gas engine with brush cutting blades and the spool for grass cutting. I used it a few times and decided that I should get another one just for grass cutting. After looking at many battery models and reading reviews I decided that this may be the one. Now there were some cheaper ones while this one comes with two batteries and that is a nice feature. So what do I like about this weed trimmer? The fact that one just plugs in a battery and presses a button and away you go. No mixing gas, and often struggling to get started as with a gas engine type. I also like the “push a button” feature when more string is needed. Way better than the "bump to the ground" ones that never seem to work. Of course, this one is way lighter than a gas model. However, after 15 minutes one’s arm does get a bit tired as one has to continuously hold the trimmer off the ground and not skating on the ground. I hooked up a harness for mine and now I can go all day. I used it the first time for about 20 minutes and that then took about 2 hours to recharge the battery. After 20 minutes the trimmer still ran as if it had had a freshly charged battery. Manual says to recharge the battery after every use to prolong battery life. One interesting comment in the manual is that spare spools should be stored in an air tight bag with a table spoon of water to prevent the spools and string from drying out. That kind of surprised me. So what do I not like about this trimmer. It has very thin plastic line about half the size of my gas engine one, and the line gets frayed pretty easily and I would deduct that the 30 feet of line gets used way faster than on a gas engine type with the heavier line. I also would have preferred that there were two lines exiting the spool and not just one thin line. However, it does cut grass pretty nicely and even thicker grass. I was also not expecting it to be as loud as it is. I found that if one is cutting grass that is close to a wall, the little wheel hits the wall first and as such one cannot cut the grass that is close to a wall. I discovered the best way to cut grass close to a wall is to angle the trimmer, so the little wheel is no longer in front. Overall, the assembly which was almost nothing, was easy and for a battery trimmer, I would think it’s as good as any in this price range and would recommend it. Shipping was one day sooner than the earliest date and that is appreciated.

Ligera, no necesita cable de alimentacion, solo si el pasto es muy largo o una superficie grande vas a requerir varios dias, o mas pilas. Viene con dos pilas, tardan unas 6h en cargarse y al ajustarla en la segunda velocidad (para cesped largo o espeso), dura cada pila unos 20min de trabajo ininterrumpido. Linea de corte muy facil de montar y avanzar.

I love everything about this. The battery lasts along time. I can do my front and backyard on one battery around fences, little kid toys and play structures. I have a average sized in town single home lot. It's very light, I do it myself. Everything on this unit is easy to use, no messing with cords or trying to pull start it 79 times. Just click the battery in and go. I always charge the battery right away after each use so it doesn't dissipate. It's very adjustable for tall or short people. Pretty strong , I've taken down some monster weed/trees. I'd recommend this to anyone young or old. It's light, and user friendly! I actually look forward to using it after mowing.

Súper recomendable. Ya habíamos tenido una desbrozadora de esta marca pero con menos potencia. Ésta nos gustó por la potencia y porque es inalámbrica, eso hace muchísimo más sencillo poderla utilizar donde sea y en el momento que sea. Muy bueno que tenga dos pilas. Es ligera y no muy estorbosa.

I've never used a weed trummer/edger before so my learning curve has been pretty steep. This one works really well and is easy to learn how to go between the weed whacking function and the edge trimming function. I'm a small person, and this adjusts to fit size and is a manageable weight.