BLACK+DECKER Electric Strimmer 450W, 24V, Corded, Automatic Single Line Feed, Cutting Width 25cm, BESTA525-GB

Had to replace my cordless Strummer with something more robust but didn't want a petrol version. This is a fairly good mix of all the qualities I look for in a Strummer. I was pleasantly surprised by its power ...managed to get through tough briars and ferns which I didn't think it would. It did take a lot of line to do that and with hindsight I should have used thd stronger line that came with it. Only issue is I'm 6 foot and the handle even when fully extended is not quite long enough but that's a minor inconvenience and really no trouble when strumming slopes ...which I generally am. I've only used it for a couple of months but its done the job well and I'm impressed so far.

I used to have petrol, it broke and didn't have a lot of funds. So thought corded would be besti as needed power to low cost and removed the fight to start petrol engine. This strimmer is amazing, light, powerfull, I have a large garden over a foot of grass mixed with weeds and brambles and it flew through it. I just needed to remember I had a wire. I had 2 small issues. No safety or lock on, on power button not used to that, always a safety and while I was untangling the wire my 2 year old had it running in a 2nd. Also it fly's through strimmer wire, will cost me the same in wire as fuel for old strimmer. But you can get heavy duty wire blades for it and fingers crossed that will sort that

I ordered this strimmer on Friday. It arrived this morning Saturday. I did not pay extra for fast delivery. This is my third strimmer, and I had always been depressed about strimming because of the usual problems with line feed. I had not paid much for my strimmers but I didn't want to spend a lot of money and still have the same problems, and reading reviews made me realise that you could pay a lot and still not get a good result. This strimmer has two alternative spools, one with a spool and a single line feed, and one with a clip on double line. Both lines look tough, different colours but looked approximately equally tough. I had a thirty square yard patch with grass about eighteen inches tall, and some fairly tough weeds as well. Some brambles but not many. Using the spool feed, I cleared this down to two or three inches in 6 minutes. I don't know if the automatic line feed worked or if the line just wasn't bothered, but it was the same length as when I started. I had another patch of thirty square yards which was mostly brambles, growing up to two feet high in places. Both patches of garden, I should explain, I had hacked at with a billhook two or three times a year for the past three years, but otherwise they had not been disturbed. The brambly patch had some big slabs of slate on it which the brambles had grown over and I wanted to clear it back to the slabs. I decided to use the double line on the brambles. It did great, but about a third of the way through the line had worn down. I think it goes from stress, because once it started to go it went completely. So I put another one in and that one went faster. Some of the brambles were growing around a concrete post and others against a sturdy wooden fence so perhaps that was why. I then changed back to the spool and completed the task with no problem, the line staying at the same length. I think that means the automatic line feed was working perfectly which was a first for me! The whole job, sixty square yards, including three spool changes, took half an hour.

I have a split level garden, the bottom half of which I never use. It had gone an entire year without cutting and was starting to seriously overgrown (see first picture) After doing some research I decided on the black and decker as petrol strimmers were very expensive and battery ones would not have put a dent in my own little slice of rainforest. To say this strimmer is powerful is a massive understatement, it's an absolute beast! It tore through weeds an inch thick and at one snagged up a whole truck off one and turned it into mulch with a very satisfying ripping sound, like using a chainsaw in a zombie movie. At one point I even found myself laughing as it savaged it's way through 12 months of horticultural neglect! Once I was done, it had chewed through everything and only used one of the included heavy duty lines, brilliant! If you are after a stupidly powerful electric strimmer for heavy work, I really recommend this. It's quite heavy, and maybe a speed control would be a useful addition, but overall a fantastic bit of kit.

Delighted with this strimmer so far. It arrived promptly from Big Red Toolbox and was easy to put together. It's a dream to use, feeling light and well balanced, with no vibration. I found it a little awkward at first until I adjusted the shaft length (very easy to do) to suit my height. So far I have only used the Spool line to cut thick spring grass. It cuts long damp grass effortlessly, and the Automatic Line Feed works well. Haven't run out of line yet, after a long afternoon of strimming. The insert line provided looks good for tackling tougher vegetation, but I haven't tried it yet. I have a lot of rough grassy banks in my garden, and I can now cut in one afternoon what previously took two days with a mower, hand shears , billhook and electric hedgetrimmer. (Yes, I was a Luddite, but as I'm now approaching 70 I reckon I should be saving my energy when possible) I've used a petrol strimmer before but found it cumbersome to use when working in resricted space, and of course it's a faff to start and maintain. This electric strimmer has plenty of power and is much easier to use and manouvre, altogether a great tool. PS Do NOT buy the Amazon recommended A6487 Insert line if you purchase this strimmer: it doesn't fit!

Great quality very functional light weight

Ok, I purchased this machine and used it today for the first time, my old strimmer (also a Black & Decker) was over 20 years old and the bearing casing was worn. This machine is more powerful than my old B&D, my old machine used heavy strip lines which come with this machine and that’s a big plus, because the auto feed line lasted less than 10 minutes on the long grass. The line got tangled and was being cut like there was no next hour never mind tomorrow. Once I fitted the heaven duty strip lines it was like my old machine and cut the long grass like butter. One downside to the machine is that it doesn’t have cable storage hooks like my old machine, I know the height is adjustable which is good because I am quite tall but you could have made clamp on ones for it. All in all the machine is well worth the money and I will probably make some cable storage clamps

My last strimmer, a B and D 500 watt model lasted 8 years and suddenly stopped working last week. It's worked hard and I was pleased with it, so after careful consideration, opted for another similar model. I chose a 700w model this time as I liked the design and the fact that the motor is at the top. It was easy to assemble. Another reviewer comments that it ould be difficult for a lady to assemble. That's not the case! I managed it. You need a Philips screwdriver to fit one screw into the blade cover. That's supplied separately, slots into place and is then secured with a screw. The handle locks into place by depressing two buttons; that took a little effort, mainly as I have arthritis and a bit of grip difficulty, but I did it without assistance. I increased the length a little as I'm fairly tall and found it very well balanced. The curve in the pole part is great and I find it easier to use than the last one as the weight is better distributed. There's less strain on the lower back and shoulders it's this one. I like the little wheel to take the weight of the cutter to tidy up edges. Although I found it a bit tricky to cut a straight line, I think that'll improve with practice. The real work is keeping under hedge areas around the garden beat and tidy. It's a mix of grass, young bramble, nettles, dock, cow parsley and other assorted weeds. The wire supplied works very well with the grass, but isn't as good with tough stalk. However, the blue single strimmer lines tackle the tougher stuff like a knife through butter. It comes supplied with 4 and I have a few left from the previous strimmer, which will fit this one. The slightly larger motor makes strimming easy. I have quite a lot of garden edges and lawn to keep tidy and this does the job with minimum effort from me. I'm very happy with how it performs and pleased to note it has a 2 year manufacturer's warranty.