Black & Decker 20V MAX Cordless 2-in-1 Trimmer/Edger

First impressions and setup

I picked up the Black & Decker cordless trimmer to see how far a modern 20V, 12‑inch, light‑duty machine can go on typical yard work. Out of the box, it’s refreshingly simple: snap on the guard, click in the adjustable front handle, extend the shaft to fit your height, and charge the included 2.0 Ah battery on the wall‑mount base. No loose fasteners, no tools required. At 6.9 pounds, it feels noticeably lighter than most cordless trimmers I’ve tested, and the balance point sits close to your forward hand, which helps control.

The telescoping shaft and multi‑position auxiliary handle offer more adjustability than you usually get in this price/size class. If you’re sharing the tool among different users or you have a cranky shoulder or back, those adjustments matter; I was able to tune the length and handle angle so the head hovered just off the turf without stooping.

Power and cutting performance

This is a 12‑inch, 20V trimmer with Black & Decker’s POWERDRIVE transmission. In practical terms, that means it’s designed for grass, lawn edges, and the sort of wispy, leafy weeds that pop up along fences and beds. That’s its wheelhouse, and in that work it’s capable and predictable.

In weekly maintenance cuts, it gave me clean edges and quick trims around steps, posts, and foundation plantings. It will handle heavier patches if you use a patient sweeping motion and let the line do the work. Where it runs out of steam is exactly where you’d expect for a 12‑inch, low‑mass tool: woody stems, thick stalks, and weedy clumps that have had a few weeks to get established. It’ll fray them, but it won’t “rip” them out the way a higher‑voltage, thicker‑line trimmer will. In hard, compacted areas—like weeds in tight cracks of a stone walk—torque and line inertia become limiting, and you’ll need to attack from the edges or plan on more passes.

If your lawn borders gravel or pavers, you’ll want to keep the head low and the guard between the line and hard surfaces. That approach minimizes line slap and helps the modest power translate into clean cutting rather than ricochets.

Automatic line feed and cutting swath

The automatic feed spool (AFS) is one of the best parts of this trimmer. There’s no bumping required; when the line wears down, the head advances more line automatically. In my use, it was consistent and avoided the classic bump‑and‑pray routine that wastes line and time. As with any auto‑feed setup, you’ll get the best results if you start each session with a properly wound spool and keep the line length within the guard’s cutter. Overly long line drags down performance and stresses the drive.

The 12‑inch cutting swath is a good match for small suburban lawns. It’s nimble in tight beds and around garden furniture, but it’s not the fast acreage eater a 14–16 inch head can be. That’s a trade‑off: control and low weight over outright speed.

Edging mode

Conversion to edging is straightforward. Rotate the head and you’re walking along sidewalks and driveways with the line vertical. There’s enough visibility around the guard to track the edge. On established edges, it produced a neat, consistent cut and crisped up a curb in short order. For first‑time, overgrown edges, it can do the job with more passes; you’re trimming, not trenching. I liked the ergonomics here—light weight and length adjustment made it easy to maintain a steady pace without digging the guard into the concrete.

Battery life and charging

Runtime depends on grass thickness and how aggressive you are with the throttle. With the included 2.0 Ah pack, I saw 20–35 minutes on mixed trimming and edging. That’s enough to do the edges and touch up a typical single‑home lawn in one go, but I wouldn’t plan to reclaim a neglected property on a single battery. The battery recharges on the included wall‑mount base in roughly an hour, which is handy if you want to take a break and come back to finish. If your yard routinely takes longer than a half hour to trim and edge, a second 20V MAX pack is a worthwhile companion.

One nice advantage is system compatibility. The pack is part of Black & Decker’s 20V MAX line, so if you already own their drills, hedge trimmer, or blower, you can share batteries and reduce downtime.

Noise, vibration, and fatigue

Noise is substantially lower than gas and less shrill than some compact cordless units. I still prefer ear protection, but it’s backyard‑conversation friendly and neighbor‑approved. Vibration is minimal thanks to the light line and small head, and the motor/transmission feel smooth so long as you avoid heavy stalls. Over two sessions, arm fatigue was noticeably less than with heavier, more powerful units; that matters on hot days or for users who find big trimmers unwieldy.

Durability and maintenance

There are two durability considerations worth noting. First, like many consumer trimmers, the drive path uses lightweight components to keep weight and cost down. If you routinely stall the head into thick material, or if you run over chain link and rock, you’re putting a lot of shock into a small gearset. The remedy is technique: let the line speed do the cutting, keep it at the correct length, and avoid burying the head in heavy brush. Second, line management matters. Store spools in a cool, dry place, and check the spool cap seating—misfeeds and jams almost always trace back to a poorly wound spool or a loose cap.

The guard, spool, and cap are all easy to replace, and common consumables are widely available. The tool carries a 2‑year limited warranty, which is appropriate for its class.

Ergonomics and control

Ergonomics are a high point. The telescoping shaft accommodates a range of heights, and the adjustable front handle lets you find a natural wrist angle whether you’re trimming horizontally or edging vertically. The switch is straightforward with no complicated lockouts. The head angle and balance make it easy to skim the top of grass without scalping, and the light weight makes precise movements around delicate plantings less stressful.

Where it fits—and where it doesn’t

This trimmer lives squarely in the light‑duty, homeowner segment:

• Ideal for: small to medium lawns, weekly maintenance, grass and light weeds, quick sidewalk/driveway edging.
• Acceptable with patience: slightly overgrown edges, patches of heavier grass, broadleaf weeds that haven’t gone woody.
• Poor fit: dense brush, thick stalks, woody saplings, reclaiming long‑neglected areas, or trimming large properties where a 14–16 inch head and higher voltage make more sense.

If you need more muscle, stepping up to a higher‑voltage platform with a thicker line will transform how it handles tough growth—but you’ll pay in weight, cost, and noise.

Tips for best results

• Keep the line at the guard’s cutter length; long tails sap power.
• Make light, sweeping passes and avoid stalling the head into heavy material.
• Edge after rainfall or irrigation when soil is softer; it’s easier on the tool and the line.
• Consider a second 20V MAX battery if your trim route exceeds 30 minutes.
• Store batteries at room temperature and avoid leaving them on the charger indefinitely.

The bottom line

The Black & Decker cordless trimmer is a thoughtful, lightweight tool that trades brute force for ease of use and convenience. Its strengths are clear: quick setup, excellent automatic line feed, genuinely useful adjustability, quiet operation, and enough runtime on a 2.0 Ah pack to handle typical weekly trimming and edging on a small yard. Its limitations are equally clear: a 12‑inch head and modest torque cap its ambition, and you need to treat the drive gently by letting the line cut rather than forcing the head into tough growth.

Recommendation: I recommend this trimmer for homeowners with small to midsize lawns who value low weight, simple operation, and minimal maintenance over raw cutting power. It’s a great fit for routine trims, tidy edges, and touch‑ups where a gas or high‑voltage unit would be overkill. If your property regularly presents thick, woody, or long‑neglected growth—or if you want a single tool to muscle through anything—look higher up the voltage and swath ladder. Otherwise, paired with a spare battery, this light 20V trimmer is an easy, practical solution for everyday yard care.