Black+Decker LST136 Review

We did find that the Black+Decker LST136 can get a little overburdened when cutting through dense vegetation so it might not be the best cordless yard tool around if you have heavy-duty lawn maintenance tasks ahead of you.

Performance Comparison

Weed Eating

Our most important rating metric for these cordless tools is how effectively and easily they cleared weeds and other nuisance plants. We compared and scored the weed-eating efficiency of each product, how much power they have, and how easy it is to make precision cuts around fragile plants or objects. The Black+Decker LST136 isn't the most powerful or heavy-duty option by any means but it still scored quite well compared to the rest of the tools in the group.

We found the Black+Decker LST136 to have plenty of power for most jobs but it will start to slow down when cutting through very thick stems or burly weeds. We did find it to be very effective when cutting through grasses and weeds using a side-to-side motion.

However, we did find that the guard can get in the way a bit when clearing particularly tall grass and it can get caught up and tangled if you move it in a straight line and don't sweep it side-to-side. We did find that the guard can act as a nice guide when cutting close to the ground.

We also found it pretty easy to make detailed cuts with this string trimmer, especially since it has a low-speed setting and you can pivot the head to the side to make precise cuts.

We found that the relatively large guard can get in the way for certain cuts, especially in more confined spaces around your yard.

Ease of Use

Next, we rated and ranked how user-friendly and convenient each cordless string trimmer is to operate, looking at the difficulty of replacing the line, the comfort and ergonomics, and the weight of each tool, as well as the effectiveness of the guard. The

Black+Decker LST136 again did quite well, finishing just behind the top models.

The Black+Decker LST136 has an automatic feed to dispense more line, making it an exceptionally easy process. It also is very easy to replace, with a simple and straightforward design with only a single spinning string.

We found this cordless tool to be very lightweight and extremely easy to handle, making it one of the least cumbersome string trimmers to operate.

It's a very comfortable tool to hold with a grippy texture on the handle that allows you to securely hold the Black+Decker LST136 for both weed eating and edging. This trimmer is very maneuverable due to its lower weight and it's easy to reach the speed controls with your thumb without letting off the trigger.

However, it is a bit on the shorter side compared to other models, so taller users will need to either hunch over a bit or trim a little closer to your feet. This trimmer's guard is also decently effective at stopping debris from getting thrown back at you but it tends to get in the way a bit. This model also lacks a shoulder strap.

Battery Life

Our next round of tests dealt with how long each of these tools could last on a single charge. We timed how long each trimmer could last running freely on a fully charged battery for the majority of the score, as well as awarding points for different operating modes that let you balance power and battery life. The Black+Decker LST136 did fairly well, scoring in the upper portion of the group overall.

The Black+Decker LST136 has a slightly above average runtime, lasting for just under 45 minutes when using the stock battery — about half the time of the top trimmers.

The Black+Decker LST136 does offer plenty of adjustability — almost to the point of overkill. It has six different settings, providing plenty of ability to balance power and battery life for whatever your weed-eating application is.

Noise

The last series of tests looked at how loud the Black+Decker LST136 and the other cordless string trimmers are. We used an SPL meter to measure the sound levels for the operator when holding the trimmer at an arm's length away. The Black+Decker LST136 scored very highly, as it's one of the quietest models we have tested.

This string trimmer measured at 85.9 dBa for the operator on our meter — around 20 dBa quieter than the loudest model we have tested.

It does have a little bit of a higher-pitched whine but it isn't too bad.

Value

This string trimmer is a great value, making it very attractive to anyone shopping on a budget. It holds its own against other models that cost quite a bit more.

Conclusion

If you are shopping for a new string trimmer on a budget, then we can't recommend the Black+Decker LST136 highly enough. It's decently effective at clearing all but the toughest plants and vegetation. It's very lightweight and easy to handle and is a great bargain option if you don't want to pay top dollar for a high-end trimmer that probably won't be all that much better.