Depending on the size and condition of one's yard, it may be beneficial or necessary to purchase a powered weed trimmer. I don't have a very large yard, but what yard space I have is plagued by grasses that grow close to the edge of my stone decor and close to the edge of the house. These grasses cannot be reached by a lawn mower, so the only way to trim them back is with a powered weed cutter. This is when I reach for my Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer, a simple trimmer for basic needs.

Basic Facts About This Trimmer:

The Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is red in color with a long shaft that includes an eight inch cutting swath on one end and a comfortable, adjustable handle on the other end. Along with the handle, there is a knob- like extension to grab with the other hand, for better grip and better control.

This cordless trimmer cuts with a nylon line that spins rapidly to cut down grasses and weeds. The line feeds itself automatically by simply tapping on the trimmer head. By pressing two different buttons at the same time, the device powers up and the line starts to spin.

The Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer utilizes a 12- volt battery that doesn't need oiling and the motor doesn't require gasoline. Just plug the unit's removable cord into an ordinary outlet and within a few hours, the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer will be charged and ready for use. The initial charge takes about 24 hours, but future charging is completed in only a few hours and the unit can run for about 45 minutes on a full charge. The weight of the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is only about seven pounds.

Final Thoughts:

Toro's 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is a cutting device I turn to on occasion when I need to trim grasses along the edge of my property and when I need to cut through weeds and don't have the time to pull them one by one. I first purchased this weed trimmer when I realized that I needed something for small cutting jobs. I didn't feel that that a gas trimmer was necessary, given the small size of my actual lawn (house and pool take up most of the grounds), and I didn't want to deal with gasoline and oil if I could help it.

With the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer, I pretty much have the cutting device I need for my lawn care issues. Like I said above, my need for a weed trimmer is only slight because my problems are limited to grasses and weeds that grow along the edge of my house and along the edge of the decorative rocks in my front yard. My lawn mower cannot reach these places, so I am left with two choices: Pull the weeds and grasses by hand or use a weed trimmer. I initially opted for the pulling method, but I found it took too much time and the job I did wasn't that good. I then decided that a weed trimmer was in my best interest and a quick trip to Home Depot resulted in the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer.

This Toro trimmer does have a few nice features that make it worth consideration and first on the list is the cordless operation. Electric trimmers all have cords, but some of them are not removable. The cord has to remain plugged in so that the trimmer can operate. This is fine if you have lots of trimming and do not want to be interrupted by the end-of-charge light. But it isn't fine if you don't like the idea of having a cord dangling in your way as you trim. I don't have a large yard and my house has outside outlets on all sides. But I still prefer the cordless operation offered by the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer. The provided cord is small and thin and it charges the unit effectively for about 45 minutes of operation.

Other advantages of the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer are its lightweight construction and relatively quiet operation. I can remember reading about this trimmer and learning that it weighed only about seven pounds, but the reality didn't sink in until I actually held the trimmer in my hands and used it. I was amazed that the unit was this light. Yes, it is thin in design for most of its length, but it still seemed like it should weigh more than it does. Also, the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is quieter than most trimmers. People inside the house cannot even hear when I am operating this trimmer. I also like the built- in safety of this trimmer. You have to push two buttons at the same time to set the line spinning. This is nice for those with small children who worry that the little ones might become curious and try this out as their latest toy.

The Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer seems adequate for my smaller lawn, but is this the perfect trimmer/weed whacker? Far from it, and depending on individual needs, the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer may prove to be grossly inadequate. First, the motor isn't very powerful. The 12- volt battery isn't capable of producing the powerful jolt that is possible with a gas- powered motor and this reason alone could make the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer impractical for many households. Second, the trimmer line isn't very durable. It is nice that it features the automatic feeding system, but this little trimmer goes through its ten feet of line very rapidly. Small bits of the line are quickly broken off as the trimmer is used and while this is normal with all line- style trimmers, the speed at which the line breaks apart seems a little faster with this Toro trimmer.

One other limitation with the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is its ability to cut through thick weeds. This trimmer cuts a swath only eight inches wide, which may not be enough depending on individual needs. Also, since the motor isn't that powerful anyway, there are some jobs that will prove to be too much for this trimmer to handle. I have small areas that need to be trimmed, so I can get away with using a trimmer like the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer. For those with big weed cutting problems, this trimmer will not work very well.

Toro claims that this trimmer can hold its charge for about 45 minutes, but this is a little misleading. Yes, the line will continue to spin for 45 minutes until it comes to a complete stop, but that doesn't mean that it provides 45 minutes of useful charge time. I have found that once I hit the 30 minute mark, the motor starts to slow down, and this is easily noticeable based on the lowering of the motor's pitch to a slightly more sluggish sound. At this point, you know the motor is weakening and unless you have only a small amount of work remaining, it is best to stop, take the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer back to the garage or workshop, and plug it back into an outlet.

Overall, the Toro 8- Inch 12- Volt Cordless Electric Trimmer is an acceptable trimmer for smaller yards and smaller trimming jobs. I like the cordless operation, the ease of assembly (consists of two parts out of the box that need to be snapped together), the lightweight design, and the quiet operation. But this is certainly not a powerful trimmer and based on individual needs, it may not be powerful enough to take care of your yard's business. For small jobs, it performs adequately, but for heavy weeds or a larger amount of yard space, this trimmer will cause more frustration than it's worth, even if it does retail for about half as much as a gas- powered trimmer.