Features:

  • Converts from trimmer to wheeled edger
  • Power Drive Transmission for increased torque
  • 2-speed control for more power or extended runtime. Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18
  • EASYFEED allows you to advance your line with the push of a button with no bumping required
  • Part of the 20V MAX System; 1 System - Endless Tasks. Power for your Style
  • Part of the POWERCOMMAND Family of tools – EASYFEED, POWERCUT, POWERBOOST - helps solve common user frustrations when using Outdoor Power Equipment. Included Components: (1) LSTE523 20V MAX* Cordless Trimmer/Edger, (1) LB2X3020 20V MAX* Extended Runtime Lithium Battery, (1) Charger, (1) AFS Spool, (1) Guard
Lightweight, long battery life, very powerful - clean and efficient, 3.0Ah recommended

I bought the LSTE523 which comes with a single 3.0 Ah battery instead of the LSTE525 which has a pair of 1.5 Ah batteries. The main reason is because I have a bunch of the 1.5 Ah batteries for my other Black and Decker 20V Lithium Max devices. The 3.0 Ah battery comes with a 400mA charger, whereas the normal charger is 200 mA. So if you wanted a higher capacity battery to use for other devices (like a leaf blower/sweeper), this is the model to get. That being said, I ran my LSTE523 in Mode 1 (power saving) with one of the 1.5 Ah batteries I had (not fully charged) and was able to clear up my yard of weeds and even edged the front lawn on that single battery. So I am unsure why others said their batteries only lasted 5-20 minutes. I was able to run it longer than 20 minutes on a half charged 1.5 Ah battery, basically doing the front and back yards without any hassle. The unit is very lightweight and easy to use by anyone. Switching to edger mode takes half a second by using 2 knobs. The unit takes 0.065 string and comes with a small spool of clear trimmer line. I didn't really need to extend the trimmer line during operation. What impressed me the most was the power of the motor on the lowest power setting. It make short work of thick grass that my mower couldn't reach. I hated using the gas trimmer, especially the 2-stroke trimmers. They were heavy, finicky, hard to start, and smelled terrible. I recommend the 3.0 Ah just to get the bigger battery and faster charger.

Ladies you got to get one.

Ladies this weed eater is so easy. You don't have to bother anyone to trim your grass. You can go and weedeat around your house and around your flowers. Just push the button and away to go. It's so easy like 1,2 ,3, and it is just the right weight. I should of bought one years ago. I weed everything I wanted to with one charge. Here is some pics to show you how easy it is.

Black & Decker Is Awesome!

This thing is so awesome! Black & Decker really make some good, solid products. I'm a huge fan of their lithium-ion line of tools. Weed eaters have been the bane of my lawn-mowing experience for 25+ years. They finally came up with lithium-ion-battery-powered ones that were good. I had a Worx one for years that was good (not great). However the battery alone was $90. So, when the battery quit holding a charge, I bought this B&D for $90 instead. The replacement battery for this is around $35 and works in all my B&D li-ion tools. The line feed is a button near your thumb. You don't even have to stop to feed more line. I've never before had the line feed work correctly, but this one works like a champ! I feel like the huge pain of edging and trimming the lawn has been lifted from my shoulders. Thank you, Black & Decker! You guys are awesome!

Wow! I can just keep trimming without interruption!

This trimmer replaced my WeedEater gas one. I was fed up with bump feeding the line every 10 feet, with sometimes stopping to take the spool off and rewind. I came close to throwing it in frustration many a time. I didn't know how much that one sucked until I got this one. I got this with the 3.0 AmH battery and I just keep going without pausing. Didn't know it could be like this. The autofeed works great as I don't even has to think about it. Now and again, I'll hit the manual feed button if I think it needs it. So easy! After about 30 minutes of trimming, I'm finished, and my battery is putting out just as much juice as when I started. Really like the 2 power settings. I use each for different jobs. Now I've only had it for a few months, so the jury's still out on its longevity. But...I'm not dreading trimming after mowing anymore...which means it's more likely to get done.

Solid performer

Couldn't be any easier to use. Edging and weedwacking made easy. Had plenty of power to take care of my weeds and did a superb job edging an overgrown lawn that hadn't been edged in years. Used it to clean up weeds in the cracks of the driveway as well.

Awesome.

Great trimmer for this 68 year old lady. I got this just to trim around my garden and a few other places my husband doesn't care so much about keeping trim with his big one and I love it. Not heavy like the reg big monsters. Nothing I don't like about it. I don't think it would be good for big jobs as the battery powered ones I know are not as powerful. But for what I need this is perfect. My daughter has the worx one that she also loves but this was a bit cheaper and I liked the features on this like the self feed and the adjustable handle is awesome as I am short and others just too long. I haven't had to recharge the battery yet since my trimming only takes about ten minutes every couple weeks but I've used it twice now and it held the charge great wo keeping plugged in. Nice that it does a little edging that doesn't cut down some little flowers that grow along my rock border. Best buy of the summer.

Works well for home use

This is a great trimmer for home use. It's light, can do both trimming and edging, and has improved significantly over the previous model. The cordless concept gives you a lot of freedom. I have a corded edger with a blade and it's great for the really challenging parts of the lawn, but nothing beats the convenience of this cordless model. How well does it trim? For a home with a front and back yard (probably around 4000 sq ft lawn space) I found the 3Ah battery just enough to cover both yards if using a judicious mix of the two power settings. The low power setting is fine for most of the trimming and even some of the edging, but I use the higher power setting for thicker growth. This is for St. Augustine grass common in the south. If you have hardier substances to cut or if you need to use the higher power setting more than I do you may have to charge in the middle of the job and it does take a while to charge an empty battery. You can also buy additional compatible batteries on the Black and Decker 20v systems on Amazon which I would recommend for those with larger/tougher jobs. Which one is for you? The biggest differences with this model series are the batteries they come with and the string feed mechanism. I've included a chart to help understand the differences between the models. Some thoughts: - The basic 522 and 523 appear to be physically identical trimmers except for the string feed. The 522's is automatic, the 523's is manual. My old 400 had an automatic feed that worked but there were times I would have liked to have been able to feed it when the automatic didn't trigger. - The 523 appears to be sold in two options (at least it was when I bought mine). One option comes with a 3Ah battery, the other comes with a 1.5Ah battery. The bigger battery is heavier but lasts longer. If you have a smaller lawn, or you want the lightest weight, maybe the smaller battery unit is better for you. Although the unit is not heavy, you may feel it after using it for forty minutes. Again, if battery life is an issue, Amazon sells additional batteries separately, and they're compatible with the whole line of Black and Decker devices including cutters, drills, and more. - The 525 seems to be identical to the 523 but comes with a choice of either a 3Ah battery or two 1.5Ah batteries. - The entire 500 series (522, 523, etc) are a big improvement over the 400 series due to modifications to the trimmer/edger conversion mechanism and also the change of the auxiliary handle's friction clamp to instead a fixed pivot point on the handle assembly. This makes the 500 series easier to use and more reliable.

Key features I like about it

Just received this weedeater yesterday and was eager to try it out. This is for use around my home (less than 1 acre). Key features I like about it: adjustable length, adjustable upper handle, lightweight, string feed button on handle, longevity of use with even 1.5amp 20v batteries. I was able to complete 3/4 of my trimming on 1 small (1.5a 20v) battery. When purchased, I opted for the larger 3.0amp 20v battery, but it wasnt charged fully to use. However I do feel that the larger battery helps to balance the weedeater better, but does have a little weight. There are 2 options for speed/power. You can opt for less power/speed but gain battery longevity or choose the higher speed/power and sacrifice some longevity. The lower power option works fine for simply trimming grass that is only a few inches high. Time will tell about durability.... but so far i am happy.

Perfect replacement for my electric trimmer

I bought this to replace a Sears electric trimmer. I threw it away after the cord kept tangling. I got this unit with the more powerful battery instead of the two less powerful batteries. I use it for light trimming around the fence line of my 5000 square foot yard and along the driveway. I am able to complete my trimming on one charge. Use it at the higher speed. The lower speed is not powerful enough. Line feed works well. Highly recommend! ☺ .

It works to perfection...

I read all of the reviews, both positive and negative and in the end, I purchased this Black & Decker cordless string trimmer. 1. I charged the battery fully before I tried to use it.. 2. I've done my front and back yards twice already without charging it back up. I want to see how long I can go between charges. 3. The lower power/longer run time setting (#1) is definitely strong enough to trim along the borders of the grass. 4. The button to advance the string works like a charm. Just a little tap is all you need to do to get more string. 5. And the biggest deal to come of all this was the day after I got my string trimmer, I went into Lowe's and found the exact same model for $54 more than I paid for it. This was a WIN/WIN for me.

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