Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Toro 51480 Corded 14-Inch Electric Trimmer/Edger, Red/Silver

Top positive review

It gets the job done with the right string

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2013

I needed to clear a large area around a building for file prevention. I had a gas trimmer in the past, but I don't use it frequently and the maintenance is a pain. I only need it a few times a year, so a battery unit is a bit of a waste as even sitting on the charger, batteries have a limited life span.
A plug in trimmer seems to be the best option. This Toro 51480 is priced low and I was not expecting much, but the build quality is very good. The motor is very powerful. It has no problem beating even heavy grass and plants. Not quite on par with a full size gas unit, but very close. And I don't have to wear ear protection.

The auto feed is a bit of a problem. On other trimmers, you smack it on the ground to let out extra string. This Toro, it lets out string every time you start it from full stop. The string that comes with it is very poor and wears out quickly. If you hit a rock, the string is almost gone before you let off the trigger. To spool out about 2 inches of string, you have to stop and start it about 5 times. It's really annoying and it gets worse in heavy brush.

I also picked up "Cyclone .065-Inch-by-300-Foot Spool Commercial Grade 6-Blade 1/2-Pound Grass Trimmer Line, Blue CY065D1/2-12" on Amazon. This string is wonderful. It cuts better, and last far longer. I am no longer stopping and starting the Toro every 5 seconds to advance the string in heavy brush. Toss the string the Toro comes with in the trash and use this.

The combination of this Toro and the Cyclone string make this an awesome tool.

287 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

The A.

Dissapointed. Very dissapointed.

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017

Let me open by saying I have NEVER returned anything from Amazon. I typically stick to my choices, even the bad ones. However, Toro REALLY disappointed me on this one:

Toro 51480 Corded 14-Inch Electric Trimmer/Edger

Clearly, the person who designed this has never done any edging. I have 3 Acres of grass, so I KNOW what I am talking about. I have owned MANY Edgers/Trimmers in my life. Why electric if I have 3 Acres? I am simply DONE dealing with Gas Units (another long story). I should have bought the new types they sell which are hybrid battery and cord, alas, I didn't. The MAJOR advantage of this unit (supposedly) was the DOUBLE LINE, which turned out to be an epic fail! 'Double line' changes your life, they get the job done in 1/2 the time. Read on.

Cons:
1. The edger does not flip +/- 90deg from the trimming position, only one way, so, unless you're left-handed, the guard prevents you from SEEING anything you're edging, hacking the edge and doing a horrible job. I am right-handed and I hold the trigger/cord on my right hand and the handle on the left hand.

2. The Line Feed: Oh! the horror! The "Auto Line Feed" simply does not work. You get the line down to 2" long and you have to STOP the motor and start it again to get it to auto-feed. Since the Auto feed increments are only about 1/2" you have to stop it SEVERAL times to get back to the advertised 7" (14" total but the string is really only 7" from hub to cutting edge). What I ended up doing is stopping altogether and manually feeding the line because it simply did not work as advertised.

3. The motor spins IN THE DIRECTION OF THE USER, so if you want to even remotely see what your doing your going to be BOMBARDED with pellets, grass, dirt and anything else in the path of the string. I always wear glasses (for safety) but I had to quit 3/4 of the way down the driveway because I was SO frustrated getting hit in the face with all the debris this thing lifts!

4. The weight is absolutely insane. As soon as I got it out of the box I realized this, but I thought I would give the wheel a try, anyways. The wheel does carry the weight well, but because if the problems listed above it is useless.

5. The handle adjusts up/down, yes, but you cannot change the TILT on it. I could never find a comfortable position.

In short, all of these are design issues that could be overcome with a little more imagination and knowledge of the Application.

Pros:

1. Double line feed (doesn't work though).

2. Price.

26 people found this helpful

2,903 total ratings, 1,290 with reviews

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From the United States

E. Sheldrake

It gets the job done with the right string

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

287 people found this helpful

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Jane Dittmer

Works GREAT - until a simple $3 part breaks, under warranty, then it's non-functional.

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013

Verified Purchase

Bought this Toro 51480 corded 14 inch Electric Trimmer about 1 1/2 years ago, so it is still under the 2 year warranty. It had worked GREAT and had been clearing out all manner of weeds in tight places where no mower will go.

I even figured out how to get the automatic feed control to work. Using better quality plastic cord, (not the cheapest light weight), and evenly winding the cord around the winding spool, otherwise it won't feed. Also, the cheapest plastic cord gets over heated from the friction produced in use and melts to itself and stops the self feeding action.

Now, on to the $3 difficulty which stopped everything dead in its tracks!

I was using it yesterday and suddenly the little red retainer spool cover lid on the bottom comes flying off. I turned the Toro over and looked, knowing I had just snapped it firmly into place and whoops, the cap cover had completed separated from the housing snap lid! So, I go online to see about a replacement part to purchase from a local store. Seems there are NO REPLACEMENT RETAINER SPOOL CAPS TO BE HAD, not locally, not online, not even FROM THE TORO COMPANY. Spent half a day calling and looking online.

I called the Toro customer service hotline:
1) The gentleman there was extremely courteous, diligent in trying to find out how to solve my problem and as helpful and cooperative as he could possibly be.
2) He gave me the part number for the cap, the listing of dealerships in my zip code who are suppose to service Toro equipment with their phone numbers and addresses. Asked me for the serial number to verify the date of purchase and to ensure it was still under their 2 year warranty, which authorizes me to take the trimmer in to an authorized dealer and get an 'over the counter exchange' for a new trimmer if a part is unavailable (sounds simple enough and very fair).
3) He apologized profusely for having to tell me the REAL PROBLEM - THE VENDOR (IN CHINA) RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCTION AND SUPPLYING THE TRIMMERS AND THE PARTS, HAS GIVEN THE COMPANY NO DATE FOR LISTING PRODUCTION RESUPPLY TO TORO, IN THE U.S., SO THEY HAVE NO PARTS, THEY HAVE NO TRIMMERS IN THIS MODEL TO SEND OUT TO ME OR TO ANYONE ELSE, ANYWHERE, NOT EVEN TO DEALERS.
4) Toro had a far greater demand for these trimmers than they expected, sold more than they planned and they have nothing left on hand, period, with no resupply date for ANYTHING!
5) The dealers have NOTHING ON HAND, NO PARTS, NO WORKING MODELS OF THIS UNIT, NOTHING!

So for lack of a $1.00 PLASTIC part, selling for $3-$4, (which is probably made by a 3-D printer), Toro has just lost my business! Their trimmers work great, while they last, but once a simple PLASTIC part breaks down, watch out. Once they break, they're dead in the water and you are out whatever you paid. So even a 2 year warranty gives you NO GUARANTEE FOR WORKING OR REPLACEMENT PARTS OR SERVICE, IF THE PRODUCT AND REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE OBTAINABLE ONLY FROM CHINA! And if China isn't communicating the resupply/re-manufacture date, the company can do NOTHING!

Now looking at all the manufacturing plants in the U.S. which are closed down, and all the skilled manufacturing workers who are now unemployed, we can thank VIRTUALLY EVERY MANUFACTURER OF ANY PRODUCT WE BUY FOR SHIPPING PRODUCTION TO CHINA. PLUS, WE ARE ALL OUT OF LUCK FOR THE EXCELLENT PRODUCTS WE USED TO DEPEND ON WHICH USED TO BE MADE IN THE U.S.A.!!!!

Suggestion, you pay for what you get, and if you aren't willing to pay for a skilled work force to build it here, you are wasting your time and your money when all you want is a disposable society. Remember when what you bought lasted for years and years!!! I do!

July 12,2013
Just a brief addition to the lack of a $3 part - Toro found a red snap-on retainer cap for the spool and I just received it in today's mail. They do listen if you take the time to call their home office and request help. Now I'm back in business again. Thanks Toro for your quick follow up! My yard is desperate!

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Active Man

Replaced my gas trimmer with this Toro trimmer-Not bad!

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

My gas trimmer died after two years. I tried repairing it myself but determined that storing fuel and dealing with finicky gasoline engines was not worth my time. I say finicky because my last three purchases of big box mowers and trimmers all had carb problems. I have a small yard with ample electrical outlets so using an electric trimmer is no problem. I wanted a reliable, well-made electric trimmer that did not bog down in 3-4 " grass and weeds. This trimmer has been tested for a full season and found to be reliable and adequate. I have used professional trimmers when I worked at a country club. Those were built like tanks and handled anything from woody weeds to being thrown into the bed of a pick-up. I do not expect that level of ruggedness with electric consumer trimmers.

The Good:
The build quality is above average for a consumer-grade tool.
The handle and power switch feels sturdy and should not immediately break after the warranty period.
The power cord can be locked onto the handle so it does not unplug while dragging the extension cord around the yard.
The motor does not bog down or complain about tall grass or being used as an edger.
The ability to rotate the trimming head and use it as an edger actually works well.
The auto string feeder works most of the time and is easy to open up and refill with string.
The telescoping wand works.

The negative:
The black handle on the wand is held on by friction. A bolt is used to cinch the handle in place. Vibrations loosen the nut, causing it to fall off. The handle won't come off of the wand when this happens. The black handle will rotate a bit but you can still use the trimmer. The weight of the motor keeps it aligned properly even if the black handle has no bolt. I could have but never did replace the nut and bolt. Just be aware that you may need to tighten the nut periodically.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Thomas

Lightweight Powerful Trimmer/Edger

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

Recently purchased the Toro 51480 Trimmer. This unit is very easy to assemble...just a matter of installing the line guard and the handle. two screws for installation included and you are done. The handle of this unit is telescoping, and extends the usage height of the unit. I am rather tall, and it is nice to have tools that actually fit my stature. This trimmer is quite powerful and cuts weeds/grass easily. I am using this Toro unit for cutting grass along a rock wall, for edging the lawn and driveway, and for cutting weeds/grass in a few areas where the mower cannot reach. Works very well. since its electric it starts easily and runs continuously without any problems. The automatic line feed (feeds line when you take your finger off of the trigger) works well also. I think that line consumption is average.

The motor/head of the trimmer rotates ninety degrees to allow edging. And, the built in wheel is another nice touch for edging. Edging is now truly effortless. This toro unit allows the user to perfectly edge the lawn, and the results look like a professional did it. By far, the easiest "edger" I have ever owned.

This trimmer is well balanced, and was comfortable to hold/operate. It comes with a two year manufacturers guarantee....so just be sure to go online at toro.com and register your purchase. I have used toro products for several years now and I have never had a major issue. Like others, this unit is well built, solid, and made for ease of use. I am very satisfied and hope to get many years from the Toro 51480 14 inch trimmer.

2 people found this helpful

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The A.

Dissapointed. Very dissapointed.

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

26 people found this helpful

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J. Phillips

Disappointing performance as an edger

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

This trimmer works fine for weeding along the fence or raised bed gardens but is disappointing as an edger and I bought this model because it "converted" to an edger. Like all trimmers, I suppose, dealing with replacing the string is a hassle and the dual string is especially a pain. It is difficult to keep both strings taut while rewinding or simply inserting the reel. Also, the cover for the string reel is very difficult to remove. I'm a woman and my hands are not large or strong enough to open the cover. Although my husband can remove the cover, he finds it a pain and it takes more than a few minutes. As an edger, the wheel is nice. However, there is not a guide. You must visually guide the trimmer along the concrete areas to get a straight line and the guard blocks my vision. I'm just guessing at where the string is edging. I suppose with more experience I would improve, but I've decided to buy an edger that is not a trimmer and does not use string. Edging seems to use much more string than weeding. Today after only about five or ten minutes of edging, performance decreased. I had only extended the string about 2 minutes ago. I looked and one string was only about an inch long and the other string had completely disappeared. This required a 15+ minute break of trying to remove the reel cover, finding the hubs to help, removing the reel, rearranging the string, replacing the cover. At that point, I decided to order an edger.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Crit +5

Easy to use. Powerful. But a bit noisy and heavy.

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

If you don't have a giant yard and only need to cut around edges and the foundation, this trimmer works a lot better than I thought it would.

I have owned two less expensive gas trimmers, and I was always annoyed by mixing oil, gas, and how hot it would get. I really didn't enjoy breathing in the fumes and exhaust from gas trimmers, and sometimes they could get a little oil on my clothes.

This electric trimmer is definitely not as powerful as my inexpensive ryobi gas trimmer. I am not sure if it could handle tough weeds, but it does perform well on even tall grass.

I used the edger function. It is a little short, a little awkward, but it can work well for edging a pavement driveway when you get used to it.

The noise is loud. It is almost as loud as a gas trimmer. I still wear protective ear muffs to trim. I have seen some higher-end battery run trimmers that seem to produce a lot less noise - but of course, those are much more expensive.

Pulling a cord can be slightly annoying, but I find it a lot better than dealing with gas and oil. Just make sure you have an appropriate dedicated outlet. It is important to have a good quality, long extension cord. I use a 12gauge, rated to carry 15a at 100ft. It is important to make sure you don't use a cord that can't carry the amperage for the distance, otherwise, it could overheat and start a fire. Also, do not connect two cords together. Two cords together will cut the wattage in half, and could also start a fire. So, do not be cheap about your cable. Need a longer distance? Buy a quality cable.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

John E. Pombrio

What a beast! Just amazing.

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2013

Verified Purchase

This trimmer will trim grass, weeds, vines, shrubs, and small trees. Well, maybe not the last... I was amazed that I could tackle my oriental bittersweet infestation as it gets pretty darn thick in my yard. I also trimmed the ivy growing over my sidewalk, and some very tall weeds in a remote spot. Just amazing what it knocked down without muss or fuss.
I loved how the handle extended enough for my 6' 1" height so I do not have to stoop. Build quality is very good, the feed line mechanism is SUPERB vs. the bump kinds. Its hard to get the cord to stay in the plug and to anchor the cord to the trimmer (I bent the plug pins out and tied the cord into a knot through the handle.) The safety button is a little hard to trigger with work gloves on.
The line reel is easily accessible and can be refilled from line purchased in large lengths. It is kind of a pain to wind the line in two different directions and to feed the ends into the holes THEN inserting the reel and the cap without the line unspooling but with practice it has become easier. Did I mention how well the line feed works? Heh.
The weight is not really that much of an issue with the proper placement of the support handle. I bought the sling but found I did not need it. Clamps for handle extension is fine if it is tightened enough but there is still a LITTLE flex in the handle when fully extended (totally unnoticeable when using the trimmer).
Looking back, my rechargeable trimmer was a joke compared to the power, ease of use, and line feed of this bad boy. Using a power cord is completely worth it (I also use a plug in electric lawn mower so the cord is already on the lawn).
The price is high now but this trimmer is available in a lot of places.

What a trimmer!

Helpful

Conspicuous Consumer

Better Than Edge Hog

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

This review will compare the Toro to the Black & Decker Edge Hog, which is the unit that most big box stores carry and what most people will probably consider when shopping for an electric trimmer.

I had three Edge Hogs and each lasted just over one season. The problem with the Edge Hog is line tangles, which eventually wrap around the axle and burn up the motor.

Both units have satisfactory power, rotate to edge, and handle balancing features. No real difference there.

The big issue in string trimmers is the line feed mechanism. Here, the Edge Hog and the Toro take dramatically different approaches. Each has its weaknesses.

The Edge Hog feeds line out as it spins. When it works, it wastes a lot of line. When it fails, which is almost any time you are trimming against a hard surface or hit something like a twig, it spits out a bunch of line and you have to stop, disassemble the line housing and rewind the line back on to the spool. Sometimes it gets tangled and is a mess to untangle.

In contrast, the Toro feeds line only when the motor is stopped. While the head is spinning, the line feed is locked. Every time the motor stops, you hear a click and a quarter-inch of line feeds out. The problem with this is that it is not feeding out enough, especially if you are trimming against concrete. To feed out line, you have to let off the trigger, wait more than five seconds for the motor to wind down, and are rewarded with a quarter-inch of line. If you need two inches, you have to go through that five-second cycle eight times. Or, you can flip the unit over, press the line release button, and pull some line out. Sometimes, the line melts a little, sticks, and won't feed so you have to use the button. (You will know this is necessary when you don't hear the click. Press the button and pull the line to unstick it.)

So which one is better? I wish they still made the manual bump-feed trimmers. It would actually save time over either auto-feed system. But you can't find those any more except in really cheap, under-powered units.

All things considered, I prefer the Toro, although it would be better for me if it fed more than 1/4 inch of line at a time. But at least, the time you waste feeding line with the Toro can be spent resting, taking mini-breaks, rather than untangling line. Also, you will save a lot of money on line with the Toro, since it feeds to slow as opposed to too fast. Last season I only refilled once or twice, as opposed to every time I used it with the Edge Hog. Finally, the Toro does not suffer from the line wrapping around the axle and eventually destroying the machine.

I took another reviewer's advice and bought the upgraded line on Amazon, which is better than what the Toro comes with.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bill

Heavy well built trimmer but too many negatives to buy again

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Owned a Black and Decker 4.3 amp trimmer for over 13 years. It finally started to fail and went looking for a replacement. I need to clear slopes of 12-15 inch grass for fire hazard control. That heavy load contribute to my trimmer failure. After 15 minutes you can feel the motor housing is hot and the trimmer spins much slower. Classic overload on the motor. Went and look for another B&D trimmer with 6.5 or 7.5 amp power to handle the tall grass but I have to agree with many of the negative reviews that B&D quality is way down with flimsy housing indicating using cheap material. Saw this Toro model and having own other Toro products know their quality is good. Read the negative reviews first to see what other owners complain about. Hard to wind string onto spool and heavy motor. Remove spool cover and took pictures of how spool was wound. Did not look difficult to rewind with new string. In use though the auto feed does not work. The original spool winding is bad. Depressing the external winding button allow you manually extend the line. Unfortunately both halves of the spool are wound in the a direction so when you pull out one string, the other retracts and cannot ever get even length of line. I will rewind spool myself to fix this Toro process error. Unfortunately trying to keep two set of line taut and trying to reinstall proved difficult as the lines keep coming lose. I finally gave up and just use one line. The spool cover gets dirty and you cannot remove it without the help of a screwdriver to help pry it loose. So because the auto line feed does not work, the spool cover takes extra effort to come loose and I need to lift spool off gear to try and get both lines the same length waste a lot of time. Yes the trimmer is heavy. That is because I believe a more powerful motor, stronger plastic housing and strong aluminum shaft. All signs of a well built, reliable trimmer. I did create a strap to held transfer the weight onto my shoulder but many times I still need to support the trimmer with one arm which means I have to switch arms often because of the heavy weight. I did not like the safety switch that you need to pull back with your thumb before the main switch engages. It soon tire your thumb. After start you can release the safety switch but many times the main switch would turn off. I defeated the safety switch by taping a piece of wood to keep the safety switch constantly engage and thereby save my thumb. After a hour of use which is probably all my arms can handle of the weight, the motor housing is only slightly warm. This prove that the motor can handle my tall grass with ease. Well built but the heavy trimmer, stupid safety switch, none working line feeder, difficult to wind two lines and difficult to remove spool cover are too many negatives for me to buy another Toro trimmer. Manual is useless. No part number list for future replacement of spool and cover. Had to go on line to find part numbers.

2/2/2019 Update. Like many complaints, the dual line spool is a pain to add line and many times will not feed line. I notice the problem that the lower spool line is attached at the upper spool and needs to cross over upper spool to get to the bottom. This crossing of the lines I believe is what cause the difficulty in winding and line feeding. I use a 25/64 drill and on my drill press I drill new holes onto the bottom spool. I then use my dremel to cut a slot to these new hole. Each half of the spool uses about 150 inches of .062 line. I precut these lines and was able to wind each half with not problem. Now in use the lines easily release to the correct length and I no longer have to remove the cover to feed line. I still have a problem with the heavy motor and have to switch hands to relieve soreness in each arm.

4/28/2023 Update. Toro has that idiot switch on top that if not pull back the main switch does not provide power. I took the cover off and cut the top switch so I can use the main switch without using my thumb to engage the top switch. Makes trimming much easier.

5 people found this helpful

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Toro 51480 Corded 14-Inch Electric Trimmer/Edger, Red/Silver

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Toro 51480 Corded 14-Inch Electric Trimmer/Edger, Red/Silver

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