Good 
The Toro 51480 is a powerful electric weed eater for a good price which also features a great edger function with a guiding wheel. However, some users also report certain functionality problems.
* please note the reviews on Amazon are mixed from 2 different tools
Pros:
- Good power
- Solid price
- Edger with guide wheel
Cons:
- Some users report problems with line feed, or that the tool died after some time
Key specifications:
- Edger:
- Weight: 7.5 lbs
Corded
The 51480 comes with all the advantages and disadvantages of electric corded tools. It’s quite cheap, quiet, starts with a push of a button and doesn’t require maintenance or dealing with fuel or batteries. On the other hand, you are limited by the extension cord so you won’t get the freedom typical for gas or battery powered machines.
It’s slightly heavier on the front end than similar trimmers, but if you adjust the balance with the shaft length and handle position, it’s not bad at all. The assembly is easy and straightforward.
Power
This string trimmer really offers a lot of power – it can’t be compared to gas units of course, but it’s completely sufficient for regular trimming or edging jobs on your garden, it cuts through tall grass or thick weeds without any problems.
The single speed trigger is comfortable enough and the machine starts without any problems; however, a few users also complained the unit just stopped working after some time or even arrived non functional.
Line feeding
No bumping is required as the trimmer uses autofeed to advance the line – each time you release the trigger for 2 seconds it feeds about 1/3″ of line. So the best way is to develop some kind of routine how often to release the trigger to have the right length of line and not waste too much of it (if your are trimming non-stop, the line can get short after some time – and on the other hand, if you are constantly starting and stopping, you’ll eat through the line quickly).
Most users are completely satisfied with this mechanism – nevertheless, some also report problems (it’s questionable if the problem really exists on their tool of if they were just doing it wrong as one of the reviewers admitted later).
The guide wheel
Edger and adjustments
As most other electric weed whackers, the Toro 51480 is equipped with an edger adjustment as well – it uses a simple touch and twist mechanism so you can switch between trimming and edging in a few seconds.
A nice plus is also the little built-in wheel (see the picture) as you don’t have to endure the entire weight of the machine – very helpful.
As we have already mentioned, other adjustments include telescopic shaft and setting the position of the handle to achieve the right balance and match your height – and good news for taller people is that it extends long enough to be comfortable even for people above 6 feet.
Only the angle of the head is not adjustable, so for maintaining hard-to-reach areas it’s not as convenient as the Greenworks 21272 for example.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a good string trimmer / edger for a small or medium sized garden, we can definitely recommend you this Toro model – powerful, easy to use, not heavy and with several useful adjustments.
However, it’s not designed for heavy trimming or larger yards – so if that’s your case, take a look at gas, brushless or more powerful corded machines.
>> Read more or buy the Toro 51480 here
Specifications:
- Brand: Toro
- Type: Electric, corded
- Edger:
- Tilting head:
- Amp: 5 Amp
- Cord lock:
- Weight: 7.5 lbs
- Cutting swath: 14″
- Line: 0.065 dual line
- Feeding: autofeed
- Warranty: 2-year
- Includes: spool
Frequently asked questions:
Are there any accessories I should buy?
At least one spare string; however, the original Toro spool is quite expensive when you consider how many feet per one dollar you’re getting – so we would rather recommend you the Homelite 5-spool pack. Or you can wind your own line (for example the high quality Cyclone 300ft line) which is not difficult (see video).
Show Video
Also, if you don’t have a long extension cord yet, go with the Coleman 100 feet cable.
Is there any maintenance needed?
No, the motor is an enclosed unit so no maintenance is required. Just clean the machine from dead grass occasionally.
