Good 
* including battery and charger
The Black+Decker LSTE525 is an inexpensive cordless weed eater, suitable for any smaller yard. It’s lightweight, very easy to use, quiet and offers nice functions like an edger wheel or two speeds.
Pros:
- 2 speeds, push-button line feed
- Lightweight, quiet, easy to use
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Long recharge
- Problem with autofeeding
Key specifications:
- Edger:
- Weight: 6.3 lbs
- Battery time (according to users): 2x 10-20 minutes
Lightweight, Quiet and Easy to Use
The LSTE525 is a decent trimmer for any small garden or a typical suburban lawn. It’s cordless so there is no hassle with an electric cord, you get a complete freedom of movement. Also, there is no fuel mixing or maintenance typical for gas machines.
One user complained the instruction manual is too complex with poor diagrams; however, there is almost no assembly, you just install the guard, charge the batteries and you’re ready to go.
Good news is that you can adjust the length of the shaft and angle of the handle. And as you would expect from a cordless tool, it’s easy to maneuver, lightweight and quiet.
For Light Duty Trimming and Edging
Of course, don’t expect the power of an expensive gas machine. This weed wacker is perfect for small yards, trimming hard-to-reach areas after mowing and for edging along sidewalks and flower beds – not for clearing dense overgrown grass.
A nice bonus is the speed selector so you can use the slower setting for light cutting and switch to faster speed only for some occasional tougher weeds to preserve battery life.
To enter the edging mode, you just rotate the shaft with a simple pull and twist motion. The little wheel helps a lot with support and keeping the right distance from the ground and the string cuts fine – bermuda grass, crab grass or dallisgrass weeds are not a problem.
The speed selector and line feed button
Push-button Line Feed
The LSTE525 is equipped with a new and interesting concept, the Easyfeed – advancing the line with a push of a button. More comfortable than bumping and without the common problem of autofeed (feeding too much line), most users love this feature. But some also reported the trimmer still autofeeds every time you pull the trigger, running through the line quickly.
Decent Battery Run Time but Long Recharge
Most buyers get the LSTE525 version with two 1.5Ah 20V batteries (the LSTE523 comes with one 3Ah) and report working time about 10-20 minutes per battery which is okay. Unfortunately the batteries recharge very slowly (3-5 hours each!),
The only option to speed it up is to buy a faster charger which should reduce the time to 45 minutes. On the other hand, it’s compatible with other Black+Decker 20V tools of course, so if you own some, you probably already have some spare batteries.
Conclusion: If you need a decent string trimmer for your garden but don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Black+Decker LSTE525 would be a nice choice. It is quite similar to our most recommended LST300, only slightly more expensive, with two speeds, the push-button line feeding and the edger wheel – so the choice is up to you if you prefer to save some cash or to get additional functions.
However, it’s designed only for lighter trimming and smaller yards – for larger areas, tough weeds or tall grass gas machines (or cordless with brushless motor) are the way to go.
>> Read more or buy the Black+Decker LSTE525 here
Specifications:
- Brand: Black & Decker
- Type: Cordless
- Edger:
- Tilting head:
- Battery time (according to users): 2x 10-20 minutes
- Battery power indicator:
- Weight: 6.3 lbs
- Cutting swath: 12"
- Line: 0.065 single string
- Feeding: push of a button
- Warranty: 2-year Limited
- Includes: 2x 1.5Ah batteries (or 1x 3Ah), charger, 1 spool
Frequently asked questions:
How to change the line spool?
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How should I treat the battery to ensure maximum lifetime?
Always store the batteries inside your house in reasonable temperatures – never leave them on direct sun or outdoors during winter! Black and Decker also advises to recharge the battery as soon as it is out of power.
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What is included in the package?
The weed eater itself, two 1.5Ah batteries (or one 3Ah), charger and 1 spool.
Are there any accessories I should buy?
We recommend getting the 3 spool replacement package and if you would like to speed up the recharge, get the faster charger.
Also, the LSTE525 is compatible with the B+D MTD100 mower deck if you would like to convert it into a mini mower occasionally.
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Is there any maintenance needed?
No, the motor is an enclosed unit so no maintenance is required. Just ensure a proper care to the battery (see above) and clean the machine from dead grass occasionally.
