Toro 60V Flex-Force String Trimmer review

Short verdict: Toro’s 60V Flex-Force trimmer replaced a heavy gas trimmer for me, and my arms noticed the difference right away. It’s light, and it has two speeds. Speed 1 handled ordinary residential trimming, and I trimmed the fence line around roughly 2 acres on about half of the included 2.5Ah battery. The catch is the same as with every battery tool line: the battery only works with Toro tools. If you already own a Toro 60V mower, this is an easy add-on. If you don’t, buy the trimmer that matches the batteries you already have. As of October 26, 2026, Toro lists the 60V MAX 16” brushless trimmer kit (51830) at $239.99.

How I tested it

Toro sent me tools from its 60V Flex-Force line. This trimmer was one of them, alongside the Toro 60V 22” Recycler mower I’d already reviewed. My video is from June 2020. I trimmed the fence line around a field of about 2 acres, edged along the curb, and watched how far one 2.5Ah battery went.

The video doesn’t name the model number. Toro’s current 60V trimmer kit with a 2.5Ah battery is the 51830, which is the closest match to my unit. Some details may have changed since 2020, so I’ve kept what I saw separate from Toro’s current specs.

Quick specs: what Toro lists today (51830)

Toro’s current recall page lists only a 2021 recall of Power Max snow blowers, nothing for its trimmers.

Out of the box

The kit came with the trimmer, a 2.5Ah battery and the same charger my Toro mower uses. Assembly took a few minutes. The shaft has a fold in the middle, and putting it together meant driving one screw with an Allen wrench. That fold is handy for storage and for fitting it in a car.

The first thing I noticed was the weight. I’d been using a heavy gas trimmer, and this felt light by comparison. There’s a safety switch on top that you press before the trigger will run.

Two speeds, and speed 1 was plenty

The trimmer has two speed settings. Speed 1 was plenty for normal residential trimming: grass along beds, around trees and along the fence. I’d keep it there most of the time. Speed 2 is there for thick or overgrown stuff, and it costs you battery.

That’s the main reason I’d recommend this to most homeowners. On a battery trimmer you usually save runtime by going slower, and if the low speed already cuts cleanly, you rarely need the high one.

The runtime test: about 2 acres of fence line

This was the real test. I trimmed the fence line around an entire field of roughly 2 acres. When I finished, the battery showed two of its bars left, about 50%. I mostly used speed 1, and the 2.5Ah battery is the smallest Toro sells in this kit.

So a lap of fence around about 2 acres used about half of one small battery. For most suburban yards, one charge should cover a full trim. On a bigger property or with thick growth on speed 2, a second battery, or the larger pack from a Toro mower, would cover you.

Toro’s own runtime claim for today’s 51830 is up to 60 minutes on the 2.5Ah battery. I didn’t time my run, so I can’t confirm or contradict that.

Edging the curb

Flipping a trimmer over to edge along a curb or driveway is where heavy gas trimmers wear you out. This one was easy to turn over and hold vertically for curb edging, again mostly because it’s light. It’s not a dedicated edger, but for a quick tidy along the street it worked.

The battery question

Battery tools from different brands don’t share batteries, and that’s the most important buying decision with any of them. Toro’s 60V batteries fit Toro’s Flex-Force tools only. They won’t go in EGO, Kobalt, Ryobi or anything else.

My advice from the video still stands:

• If you have the Toro 60V mower (or other Flex-Force tools), buy this. You already own the charger and probably a bigger battery.
• If you have EGO tools, buy an EGO trimmer. I’ve reviewed EGO’s 56V trimmer too.
• If you have Kobalt or another line, stay with that line.

What’s changed since my video

As of October 26, 2026, the 51830 kit lists at $239.99 on Toro’s site and comes with the 2.5Ah battery and charger, still rated for up to 60 minutes. Toro lists 75+ tools on the 60V battery. Toro also makes an attachment-capable version, the 51836, which takes other heads on the same power unit.

How it compares

The EGO ST1502SA is the closest match to the EGO trimmer I bought and reviewed. If you’re on the EGO platform, it’s the one to look at, and at $199.00 from an authorized EGO dealer it’s cheaper than the Toro kit. The ST1511T is EGO’s newer PowerLoad model: you feed the line in and press a button, and it winds itself. It has a telescopic aluminum shaft and a 5-year tool warranty, and it’s $219.00 at the same dealer.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Much lighter than the gas trimmer it replaced, and easier on my arms
• Speed 1 is enough for normal yard trimming and saves battery
• About 2 acres of fence line on half of a 2.5Ah battery
• Easy to flip for curb edging
• Folding shaft stores small
• Shares the battery and charger with Toro’s 60V mower

Cons

• Batteries only work with Toro tools
• Assembly needs an Allen wrench for one screw
• No model number on screen in my video, so specs come from today’s 51830
• More expensive than EGO’s comparable kit as of Oct 26, 2026

Who should buy it, and who should skip it

Buy it if you already own Toro 60V tools, especially the mower, or you’re starting a battery yard setup and like Toro’s lineup.

Skip it if you already own a different brand’s batteries. A comparable trimmer on the platform you own saves you a charger and a battery.

FAQ

How long does the battery last? I trimmed the fence line around about 2 acres on half of the included 2.5Ah battery, mostly on speed 1. Toro rates the current 51830 at up to 60 minutes.

Does it work with EGO or Kobalt batteries? No. It uses Toro’s 60V Flex-Force batteries only.

Can it edge? Yes. You flip it over for curb edging. It’s light enough that this is easy.

Is it the same charger as the Toro mower? Mine came with the same charger my Toro 60V mower uses.

Did you buy it? Toro sent it to me as part of its Flex-Force line.

Any recalls? I found no CPSC recall for Toro 60V trimmers as of October 26, 2026.

Why this review stops here

My video is a seven-minute first test: unboxing, assembly, the two speeds, one long fence-line run, curb edging and the battery advice. I didn’t time runtime, weigh it or test it over multiple seasons, so this page doesn’t claim those things.

Sources

• My video: Toro 60V Flex-Force string trimmer review, June 2020
• Toro: 60V MAX 16” Brushless String Trimmer, 51830, accessed Oct 26, 2026
• Toro recall information, accessed Oct 26, 2026
• Power Plus Parts: EGO ST1502SA, accessed Oct 26, 2026
• Power Plus Parts: EGO ST1511T, accessed Oct 26, 2026
• CPSC recalls, accessed Oct 26, 2026