BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 Review
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 is currently one of the best selling budged priced string trimmers. It uses 0.065” string line and has a cutting swath of 12 inches. It’s battery powered meaning it’s an electric unit – which often are underpowered. So is it any good?
Performance
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 is pretty powerful however not as powerful as gas string trimmers. With that being said it has enough power for most consumers, it will handle most of the stuff your throw at it but you will have to slow down a bit on thicker stuff and tall weds.
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 has two power levels: 5,500 & 7,200 RPM. It can handle light duty tasks on a lower level (which saves battery life) but on more demanding jobs you will have to switch to high power mode.
It can also be converted into wheeled edger.
Features
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 has Easyfeed system which lets you advance string with a bush of a button which is conveniently placed, however it seems to feed line automatically itself (most likely when you release the power trigger) so you actually might never use the Easyfeed button.
It also has safety button on the handle that you need to hold with your thumb before you can pull the power trigger. It’s conveniently placed too and is simple to use.
LSTE525 has power drive transmission which increases torque.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics are pretty good. The length of shaft is adjustable and it’s really simple – just twist the shaft, adjust it and twist it back. Handle is adjustable too although customization is not as rich as in some other models.
The best thing ergonomics wise is how light this string trimmer is – it weighs just 5.3 lbs – about half as much as most string trimmers and even 1/3 of some heavier models, making it much less muscle fatiguing that the heavier units.
Battery
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 runs on single 1.5Ah battery but comes with two LBXR20 20V MAX* Lithium Batteries. Each of them lasts about 15 minutes on high power mode and 20-25 minutes on low power mode.
Build quality
As you might expect for a budget priced appliance build quality isn’t the best but it’s not terrible. Black and Decker LSTE525 is made of cheapish plastic so it’s not a heavy duty appliance but it’s not like it’s fragile. If you use it sensibly it should last.
However with that being said there are consumers who have complained about reliability. Most are satisfied with the LSTE525 but some have complained that it broke after few months of use. This is obviously not something most experience but you should be warned that such issues have been recorded.
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 vs LSTE523
LSTE525 and LSTE523 are basically the same string trimmer one minor difference: LSTE525 uses 1.5Ah batteries, whereas LSTE523 uses 3.0Ah. Because of this LSTE525 is also slightly lighter.
─── Related Article: Best Electric String Trimmers ───
Conclusions
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 is not the best string trimmer on market today, it’s far from it actually, but it does offer great value for money. If you are looking for a budget priced string trimmer this is one of the options you should consider. It won’t be powerful enough for everyone, but it’s for most.
- Good
- Lightweight
- Great value for money
- Pretty good ergonomics
- Neutral
- Not super powerful but has enough power for most consumers
- Bad
- Battery life isn’t great (it does come with 2 batteries though)
- Doesn’t come with self-feeding head
BLACK+DECKER LSTE523 String Trimmer Specs:
- Type: Electric (battery powered)
- Speed modes: 2
- No-load speed: 5,500 / 7,200 RPM
- Cutting Swath: 12”
- Line diameter: 0.065”
- Weight: 5.3 lbs
- Battery type: 1.5Ah 20V Lithium-ion (Model: LBXR20)
- Package contents:
- 1 x LSTE520 20V MAX* EASYFEED TRIMMER
- 2 x LBXR20 20V MAX* Lithium Batteries
- 1 x LCS1620 Charger
- 1 x Guard
- 1 x AFS Spool
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