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Spend this, not more: The honest spend band in this category is $59 to $119 for a working trimmer. The maker’s catalog quotes: $59.00 for the corded 6.5-amp unit, $69.00 for the two 10-inch 20-volt kits, $99.00 for the 12-inch in-box kits, $109.00 for the 12-inch trimmer with a 2.5-amp-hour pack, and $119.00 for the two-battery 12-inch kit. The feature that changes at the top of the band is the cutting width and the second battery, not a different class of machine.
Quick answer:
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 (12 in., two batteries): The two-battery 12-inch kit at $119.00, whose maker page leads with a 2-speed housing and auto feed.
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE523 (12 in., EASYFEED): The 12-inch trimmer with the 2.5 amp-hour pack at $109.00, quoted as a battery-and-charger kit on the maker’s page.
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE522 (12 in., kit): The 12-inch EASYFEED kit at $99.00, the in-box battery-and-charger tier of the maker’s line.
- BLACK+DECKER LST522 (12 in., 2-speed): The maker’s 2-speed 12-inch trimmer at $99.00, on the same 20-volt platform with the power dial the title names.
- BLACK+DECKER LST201 (10 in., kit): The maker’s 10-inch entry kit at $69.00, priced for small yards and the same battery family.
How much should you spend? The maker’s catalog prices the line in three tiers. The corded unit at $59.00 is the fixed-price entry with no battery in the quote; the 10-inch 20-volt kits at $69.00 are the small-yard tier; and the 12-inch kits at $99.00 to $119.00 carry the wider cut and the in-box battery or two. The EASYFEED phrase is the maker’s own feature name for the auto line feed, and it appears across the tier rather than only at the top. The honest sum for one yard is one trimmer plus one spare line spool, and the maker sells both on the same catalog.
First: Answer These 3 Questions
- What does EASYFEED mean on the maker’s page? It is the maker’s own name for the automatic line feed, and the honest reading is their title rather than a generic label. On these five SKUs the phrase marks a spool that advances the line without a bump against the ground, and the maker quotes it as the headline feature on the 12-inch trims. The tradeoff the maker features is line usage: an auto feed can spend line faster than a manual bump, and the maker sells replacement spools on the same catalog.
- How wide should the cutting path be? It is a yard-shape decision, and the honest measure is the inch figure the maker publishes. The 10-inch kits trim pots, fence posts and small beds; the 12-inch trims cover edging work on mid-size lawns; and the corded 14-inch unit covers long straight runs without a battery decision. Width is not power by itself — the amp-hour and the 2-speed dial are the run-time controls — but the wider the swath, the fewer passes the page’s own geometry implies.
- Corded or cordless for the same job? It is a reach decision more than a power decision. The corded trimmer at $59.00 quotes 6.5 amps and no runtime cap, and it trades an outlet within cord reach for the battery weight at $69.00 to $119.00. The 20-volt kits place the same battery family across the whole platform, and the maker’s own spec ties runtime to the amp-hour figure printed on the pack. Renters with an outlet near the door get the same cutting hardware at $40 less.
- What does the 20-volt platform mean in practice? It means the pack under the trimmer is the pack under other in-family tools, and the maker’s titles carry POWERCONNECT on every kit here. The honest benefit is that a second tool inherits the charger and the pack rather than buying a battery tier. The tradeoff is the platform’s own ceiling: the in-family packs are the amp-hour classes the maker stocks, and the heavy brush class belongs to the 40-volt families on the same catalog rather than to these.
- Is a second battery worth $20? At these prices, the honest answer is that the second pack is the cheapest runtime you can buy. The LSTE525 kit at $119.00 carries two batteries by the maker’s own title, and the same page’s single-battery kits at $99.00 to $109.00 are $20.00 below it. For a yard whose trimming session outlasts one pack, the two-battery kit ends the wait; for a postage-stamp lot, the single pack covers the whole job and the money is better spent on a spare spool.
5 Checks Before You Buy
| Check | Target | Plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting width | 10 to 14 inches, quoted by the maker | Every width figure here is the maker’s own specification; the 12-inch class is the widest among the kits and the 14-inch corded covers the largest path. |
| Line feed | EASYFEED automatic or standard | The maker capitalizes EASYFEED across the 12-inch trims and titles it as the feed method; it is their property, not a generic auto tag. |
| Battery platform | One 20-volt family | All the cordless picks quote the same 20-volt MAX* POWERCONNECT family, so the pack and charger carry across the line. |
| Runtime | Tied to the amp-hour on the pack | The maker ties runtime to the pack’s amp-hour, and the kit titles quote which pack is in the box. |
| Price on the page | $59.00 to $119.00, maker-quoted | Each figure in this line is from the maker’s own catalog with add-to-cart, and the same page sells replacement line. |
| 2-speed vs single speed | The dial on the title | The LSTE525 and LST522 titles name 2-speed as a feature; the rest of the line is a single-speed trigger, which is the maker’s own distinction. |
8 Picks (By Width, Feed & Platform)
BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 12-inch with two batteries – The Two-Battery Kit
Price: $119.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s two-battery 12-inch kit: the title carries the 12-inch path, the two packs in the box, and the EASYFEED feed method the maker owns. At $119.00 the kit ends a mid-size yard’s runtime math, because a drained pack is swapped rather than charged into the next job.
Honest take: The price is the maker’s own catalog figure with add-to-cart, and the two-battery claim is in the kit title rather than a bundle guess. The platform is the maker’s 20-volt family, so both packs serve other tools in the line. Downside: It is the top of the maker’s line at $119.00, and a small yard never opens the second pack; the single-battery 12-inch kits below save $20 for the same swath.
BLACK+DECKER LSTE523 12-inch EASYFEED with 2.5 Ah pack – The 12-Inch Single-Pack Tier
Price: $109.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the 12-inch trimmer the maker titles with the largest amp-hour pack in this selection at 2.5 Ah, and it sits below the two-battery kit by $10 while carrying the same cutting hardware. For a yard with one trim session per week, this is the pack the maker quotes for the longer of the kits’ run figures.
Honest take: The 2.5 Ah figure and the EASYFEED title are on the maker’s product page, and $109.00 is its in-stock catalog price. The kit includes the battery and charger in the box by the maker’s own listing. Downside: It carries one pack, so a trimming session that outlasts the charge is a mid-job wait; the two-battery kit at $119.00 is the maker’s own fix at $10 up.
BLACK+DECKER LSTE522 12-inch kit – In-Box Battery and Charger
Price: $99.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s 12-inch EASYFEED kit at $99.00, the entry into the 12-inch swath with the battery and charger in the box. For a first trimmer purchase, nothing in the line is closer to a fair one-box buy: the path is the maker’s 12-inch figure and the feed is their own auto system.
Honest take: The kit content is the maker’s listing, and $99.00 is the catalog price. The trimmer shares the same POWERCONNECT family as the rest of the line, so a later second tool inherits the equipment. Downside: The pack in the box is the smaller unit in this class by the maker’s amp-hour ladder, and heavy fall growth leans on the bigger packs above.
BLACK+DECKER LST522 12-inch 2-speed – The Two-Speed Housing
Price: $99.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s 2-speed 12-inch trimmer at $99.00: the same swath as the kits above with a low-speed tier the title names. The honest use is trimming around beds and drip lines at the low setting, then the top setting on the open lawn — speed control is the feature the maker has put in the title on this SKU.
Honest take: The 2-speed phrase and the path width are the maker’s own spec words, and $99.00 is the catalog price. The feed method on this tier follows the maker’s page rather than the EASYFEED band. Downside: It is priced equal to the in-box kits, so the choice between the two is speed control versus the EASYFEED band name, and neither page separates the other advantage.
BLACK+DECKER LST320C 12-inch kit – The PowerCOMMAND Tier
Price: $99.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s 12-inch kit at $99.00 under the POWERCOMMAND family name, the second 12-inch option at the same price tier as the LSTE522. The honest role is the alternative edition in the same swath and price band when the feed-system edition is out of stock.
Honest take: The price parity is the catalog’s own figure, and the feature names are the maker’s property titles. Any comparison between the two $99.00 kits is a maker-page choice rather than a price save. Downside: It shares its price with the EASYFEED kit, so nothing here is a discount; a buyer who wants the named auto-feed band reads the EASYFEED SKUs first.
BLACK+DECKER LST201 10-inch kit – The Small-Yard Kit
Price: $69.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s 10-inch entry kit at $69.00, the smallest full kit in the 20-volt family on this page. For a patio lot, townhouse strip or small front yard, the 10-inch path covers the same edging task at $30 below the 12-inch tier, and the kit still brings the battery and charger in the box.
Honest take: The 10-inch figure and the kit content are the maker’s listing, and $69.00 is the catalog price. It carries the same platform, so a later upgrade to a 12-inch trimmer keeps the pack. Downside: The 10-inch path is slow on long straight runs, and the maker’s own 12-inch kits are $30 more for the wider swath.
BLACK+DECKER LST300 10-inch 2-in-1 – The Trimmer-Edger 10-inch
Price: $69.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s 2-in-1 trimmer and edger at $69.00 in the 10-inch class: the same price as the LST201 with the edging conversion the title carries. For a yard whose beds and walkway both need the tool, the 2-in-1 title is the maker’s own statement that the conversion is on this SKU rather than an accessory buy.
Honest take: The 2-in-1 phrase and the price parity with the 10-inch kit are the maker’s catalog words. The edging position is the product’s own design rather than an add-on attachment priced separately. Downside: It shares $69.00 with the plain kit, so the honest decision between the two is the edging need; neither page quotes a second advantage to break the tie.
BLACK+DECKER BESTA510 corded 6.5-amp – The Corded Widest Path
Price: $59.00 on the maker’s catalog, in stock.
Why: It is the maker’s corded 6.5-amp unit at $59.00, and the 14-inch path in its title is the widest in this selection. There is no battery in the quote and no runtime cap, because the cord is the power path: the $10 saving below the cheapest kits buys the widest cut in the line for a yard with an outdoor outlet.
Honest take: The amp figure, the inch figure and the price are the maker’s catalog words, and the corded class means no pack in the purchase. The maker’s page is the runtime authority: it does not end until the cord unplugs. Downside: It is corded by title, and a yard beyond one cord’s reach is the wrong buyer; the runtime freedom the other picks sell is exactly what the $59.00 omits.
One-Line Decision Table
| Your situation | Pick this |
|---|---|
| One yard, one weekly trim | The LSTE523 at $109.00: the largest pack in the selection on the 12-inch swath the maker quotes. |
| A yard the size of one pack’s runtime | Any $99.00 kit at 12 inches; the maker prices both editions equal and the difference is the feature band. |
| Patios, fences and small beds | The LST201 or the LST300 at $69.00, the maker’s 10-inch tier — the 300 if the edging conversion matters. |
| An outdoor outlet within cord reach | The BESTA510 at $59.00: the widest 14-inch path in the line with no battery cost. |
| Fast growth and long sessions | The LSTE525 at $119.00, the maker’s two-battery kit that swaps rather than waits. |
| Speed control around beds | The LST522 at $99.00, the title that names the 2-speed dial. |
Running Costs: What You Pay After You Buy
The purchase price is only part of the story. Here is what a pick in this category costs to keep running — ranges are typical for the category, and actual cost depends on use.
| Item | What it is | How often | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| The trimmer itself | The one-time price | Once | $59.00 to $119.00 across the eight picks, from the maker’s own catalog |
| A spare line spool | The consumable the category owns | Seasonal | The maker sells line and spools on the same catalog; the auto-feed classes spend line faster than a manual bump |
| A second battery | Runtime bought ahead | Once | Priced into the LSTE525 kit at $119.00; the maker’s two-battery title is the bracket |
| Extension cord | For the corded tier only | Once | The $59.00 quote assumes an outlet in reach; an outdoor-rated cord is the corded tier’s own add |
| Gas, oil, pull-starts | Absent from this line | None | Every pick here is electric — corded or 20-volt — and none quotes fuel or a two-stroke mix |
Skip It If… (When Buying Nothing Is the Right Call)
This is the section most buying guides leave out. If any of these describe you, the honest advice is to keep your money.
- You want a gas-class trimmer with a blade. Every pick here is electric — corded or 20-volt — and none quotes a gasoline engine or a metal blade on its page.
- You want a trim the maker does not price. Every figure here is on the maker’s own catalog with add-to-cart; a store-only SKU without a printed price is not ranked here.
- You want 40-volt power in this list. The heavier yard class sits on the maker’s 40-volt tools elsewhere in the catalog, not on these 20-volt kits.
- You want the widest battery path in the family. The 12-inch kits are the widest the 20-volt line quotes here; the corded 14-inch is the corded class only.
- You want free line for life. No maker here prices a line-included plan; the consumable is the spool on the same page.
- You expect one battery to cover the maker’s 40-volt mower. The platform boundary is the maker’s own: 20-volt packs serve the 20-volt family, not the 40-volt tier.
FAQ
What is EASYFEED on the maker’s titles? The maker’s own name for the auto line feed. The honest detail is that the phrase sits in the maker’s SKU titles across the 12-inch band, and its meaning is on their page: the spool advances without a ground bump. The tradeoff the owner accepts is line spend, and the maker sells replacement spools on the same catalog rather than a line plan.
Is the corded trimmer weaker than the battery kits? The honest comparison is runtime versus reach, not power. The maker quotes 6.5 amps on the $59.00 corded unit and no battery in the box; the 20-volt kits tie runtime to the pack’s amp-hour on the same page. A plug in reach gives the corded unit a 14-inch path with no charge limit; a battery kit gives the yard’s whole geometry. Power-at-the-motor is a maker spec figure in both classes rather than a general number.
Can the pack from this kit power another tool? Within the maker’s 20-volt family, yes — the POWERCONNECT title is the maker’s own statement that one pack and charger serve the family. The boundary they print is the family line itself: the 40-volt tools quote their own packs, and no 20-volt pack is the 40-volt tier. Buyers who already own a pack in the family are simply reading which trimmer body fits the equipment they have.
How do you edge with a trimmer? The maker’s own answer is the 2-in-1 title on the LST300: a head that rotates into the edging position is on the $69.00 SKU rather than a bolt-on. The other picks edge in the trimmer’s natural geometry, and the maker’s page carries the feature where it exists. The honest note is that a dedicated edger is a different product class; the 2-in-1 conversion is the maker’s published capability, not a free second tool.
What actually limits runtime on these packs? The amp-hour printed on the pack is the maker’s own limitation, and their pages quote which pack each kit’s box carries. The 2.5 Ah tier in this selection is the largest pack quoted on the 12-inch band; the smaller kits carry the smaller tiers. The honest budgeting is session length: the two-battery kit exists precisely because the maker prices a second pack as runtime rather than as a capability.
Why no 40-volt trimmers here? Because the 20-volt family is the maker’s homeowner band for light and mid yards, and the 40-volt tools are a separate tier on the same catalog with their own packs. This page ranks the maker-priced 20-volt kits because the swath, feed and price figures are quotable on one line; the 40-volt band serves larger lots and different batteries, and it is a step up the maker publishes separately.
Is the line included with the kits? Yes by the maker’s kit design — the spool ships installed — and the maker sells replacement spools on the same catalog. The honest consumable math is a few spools per season on the auto-feed classes, and the maker’s page is the authority for both the included spool and the replacement price. There is no maker-quoted subscription behind the line here.
Which pick is quietest? The maker’s pages state the electric class across all eight picks, and the honest sound story is the corded-and-20-volt family’s own design rather than a general claim. The 2-speed dial on the LST522 is the feature that limits the noise-making speed around beds at the low setting, and that is printed on the title rather than measured here. No pick quotes a decibel figure on its page, so none is claimed.
Sources & Data
Prices in this guide are the figures the maker publishes on its own catalog pages, all checked and reachable on the publish date.
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE525 product page — 12-inch two-battery kit, $119.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE523 product page — 12-inch EASYFEED with 2.5 Ah pack, $109.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LSTE522 product page — 12-inch kit with battery and charger, $99.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LST522 product page — 12-inch 2-speed, $99.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LST320C product page — 12-inch kit, $99.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LST201 product page — 10-inch kit, $69.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER LST300 product page — 10-inch 2-in-1 trimmer and edger, $69.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
- BLACK+DECKER BESTA510 product page — Corded 6.5-amp 14-inch, $59.00 quoted from the maker’s catalog.
Specifications and availability change; the maker’s page is the current authority.
Real Pitfalls to Avoid
- Buying a wider path than the yard needs. The 12-inch swath is the maker’s mid-size tier, and the 10-inch kits at $69.00 finish small yards at the same battery family.
- Assuming the auto feed is free line. The EASYFEED system is the maker’s published convenience, and the replacement spool on their catalog is the actual cost line.
- Mixing platform tiers. The 20-volt packs in these kits are the 20-volt family’s own packs; the maker’s 40-volt tools quote different packs on the same catalog.
- Paying two batteries for a small lot. The two-battery kit at $119.00 is the runtime answer for long sessions, not for a weekly 20-minute trim.
- Reading kit contents from the photo. The maker’s own listing carries what is in the box — pack, charger, spool — and it differs between the $69.00 and $99.00 bands.
- Assuming a 2-in-1 is a separate edger. The LST300’s conversion is the maker’s published design on one body, priced at the same $69.00 as the plain kit.
Going deeper: A trimmer is the small end of the maker-quoted yard budget, and a riding mower is the heavy one. Our robot mower guide without a perimeter wire applies the same official-page method to the biggest yard purchase, and the drills article applies it to the tool family that shares the shed: cordless drills for home use. The ranking method for every category is written up in how we rank products.
Update note: refreshed quarterly. Prices checked Sep 2026 – verify at checkout. Rankings based on published manufacturer specifications (cut width, feed type, battery platform, runtime), vendor prices on official pages, not paid placement.