String Trimmers for Beginners: Three 20V Kits That Come With the Battery and Just Work

Why a first trimmer should be a 20V kit

A beginner buying a string trimmer wants one box that has everything, starts with a trigger and does not need mixed fuel, a pull cord or a lesson in bump feeding. That is a 20V cordless kit: the battery and charger are in the box, the swath is 10 to 13 inches so the head is light and easy to steer along a bed edge, the line advances itself or with a button, and the head turns to edge a sidewalk. It will not clear a fence line of brush, and it does not need to. The three here are the 20V kits that beginners buy most and that have the fewest surprises.

This guide is built from the published specifications of each product and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these products ourselves.

How the three compare

Black+Decker LSTE525: the kit with two batteries

The LSTE525 is the first trimmer in a lot of garages because the box covers everything a beginner needs: two 20V MAX batteries so one charges while the other cuts, a charger, a spool of line, and a 12-inch head that converts to a wheeled edger for the sidewalk. Line comes out with a push of the EASYFEED button rather than a bump on the ground, which is the part of trimming that new users get wrong most, and a two-speed switch lets you trade power for runtime on light grass. The battery runs the rest of the Black+Decker 20V MAX line, so a blower or hedge trimmer bought later shares the packs. Black+Decker does not state the weight, and the 12-inch swath means more passes on a large lot.

Craftsman CMCST901M1: 13 inches and a 4 Ah pack

If the first yard is a quarter acre rather than a patio border, the Craftsman V20 kit is the one with more reach per pass and more time per charge: a 13-inch swath, a 4 Ah battery and charger, and up to 63 minutes of runtime per Craftsman. Craftsman claims 52 percent more power without saying against what, so take it as a trimmer that handles thick spring grass rather than as a number. Turn-To-Edge rotates the head to run along a driveway, and the handle adjusts for height. One battery means the job stops when the pack does, so the 63-minute figure matters; it is the longest stated here.

Worx WG154: 4.2 pounds for a small yard

Weight is what tires a new user, and the Worx WG154 is 4.2 pounds, the lightest trimmer here by the maker figure, with a 10-inch swath that suits a small to medium yard and a patio border. Line advances automatically, the head rotates 180 degrees to turn it into an in-line edger, and an adjustable spacer guard keeps the line off the flowers. Worx also lets you run a narrower cut for longer runtime or a wider cut for speed. The Amazon listing does not spell out the battery and charger, and Worx sells some trimmers as bare tools with a .9 model suffix, so confirm the box contents before you buy. It is a light-duty tool and is honest about it.

Setting up and using a first trimmer

Charge the battery fully before the first cut. Hold the trimmer with the head level and about an inch above the soil, and walk slowly so the line tip, not the middle, does the cutting; the tip is where the speed is. Trim after mowing, around trees, posts and beds, and tilt or rotate the head only to edge a hard surface. Feed line with the button when the cut gets ragged, and keep a spare spool of the line size the maker specifies; thicker line will not fit and will bog a 20V motor. Keep the guard on. Two things a beginner should not buy: a gas trimmer, which needs mixed fuel, a choke routine and a pull start, and a brush cutter that runs 0.095-inch line or a blade, which is heavy, needs a harness and is built for a fence line of saplings rather than a lawn edge.

Which one should you buy

Buy the Black+Decker LSTE525 for the most complete beginner kit with two batteries and a push-button feed. Buy the Craftsman CMCST901M1 for a bigger yard where a 13-inch swath and a 4 Ah pack save time. Buy the Worx WG154 for the lightest tool on a small yard, after confirming the battery is in the box.