Good 
The Black & Decker ST7700 is a cheap electric weed eater designed mainly for post-mowing cleanup, edging and trimming hard-to-reach places on smaller yards – it’s very light, easy to use and has enough power.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Extra lightweight
- Edger
Cons:
- No adjustments besides the edger
- Not for tall people
Key specifications:
- Edger:
- Weight: 4.5 lbs
Corded
The ST7700 comes with all the advantages and disadvantages of electric corded tools. It’s cheap, quiet and easy to handle, starts with a push of a button and doesn’t require maintenance or dealing with fuel or batteries. Also easy to assemble (you just snap the black shroud into the base and secure it with a screw) and very light – only 4.5 lbs!
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.
Power and line feeding
Of course, don’t expect anything similar to the power of gas machines from this tool. It’s designed mainly for post-mowing cleanup, clearing hard-to-reach areas and edging – and the power is completely sufficient for that, it can deal with heavy grass and even some tougher weeds.
An autofeed is used to advance the line so no bumping is required – and most users report it works great. Only some complain that it eats through the line quickly – which may be caused by starting and stopping it too often. Installing new line is easy and without any troubles.
Edger, adjustments and potential problems
It’s nice that weed whacker even this basic and lightweight is equipped with an edger adjustment – all you have to do is rotate the head 180 degrees and in a few seconds, you are ready to edge. And a metal guide for keeping appropriate distance from the ground or objects is present as well.
On the other hand, a price that low means there also have to be some compromises – one of them is lack of other adjustments. The shaft is not telescopic which means people taller than 6 feet would have to bend over, you cannot set the position of the front handle and the head can’t be tilted.
Also, several users also mentioned weaker build quality and construction – that the guard fell off or the unit stopped working after some time.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a cheap string trimmer / edger for your small or medium sized garden, Black & Decker ST7700 is a great candidate – extra lightweight, easy to handle and with enough power.
However, if you would like to invest a little more to get a more versatile tool (also with many adjustments), we would recommend you the GreenWorks 21272.
>> Read more or buy the Black & Decker ST7700 here
Specifications:
- Brand: Black & Decker
- Type: Electric, corded
- Edger:
- Tilting head:
- Amp: 4.4 Amp
- Cord lock:
- Weight: 4.5 lbs
- Cutting swath: 13"
- Line: 0.065 single string
- Feeding: autofeed
- Warranty: 2-Year
- Includes: spool
Frequently asked questions:
How to change the line spool?
Show Video
Are there any accessories I should buy?
We recommend getting the 3 spool replacement package and if you don’t have a long extension cord yet, go with the Coleman 100 feet cable.
It’s also possible (and not difficult, see the video below) to save money and wind the spool yourself with a line of your choice (for example the high quality Cyclone 300ft string).
Show Video
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.
