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Toro 51490 Corded 22-Inch Hedge Trimmer Review

When you are seeking new outdoor equipment for your home, certain brands are always going to appear on your list. Toro is a company whose reputation for quality earns them a spot on any short list of potential outdoor equipment purchase.

The Toro 51490 Corded 22-Inch Hedge Trimmer continues this tradition. If you are in the market for a new hedge trimmer, this model deserves your consideration.

Features of the Toro 51490 Corded 22-Inch Hedge Trimmer

The first feature you will notice is that unlike some models of trimmer, the Toro 51490 comes fully assembled. While assembly of trimmers is not normally extensive, it is a nice bonus that this one comes out of the box ready to use. 

The obvious first question when buying a hedge trimmer is “Is the cutting power sufficient for my needs?” The cutting power of the Toro won’t disappoint you on big jobs. Our review found that the 9/16 inch cutting power had no problem cutting ½ inch branches and removing even heavy brush or large bushes.

The Toro 51490 features dual action 22-inch blades that cut at over 2300 strokes per minute. The 22-inch blade is a mid-length blade for a trimmer. While you can certainly buy a longer blade for an extended cutting field, the 22-inch blade will be more than sufficient for normal home trimming projects.

This Toro trimmer features dual action blades. This double cutting power means faster trimming and the ability to cut the time of your yard work requires. Dual action blades also tend to have less vibration than single action blades. Decreased vibration decreases the physical strain of using the trimmer.

In terms of pure power, this trimmer features a 4-amp motor. The puts the Toro 51490 on the higher end of power for a trimmer of this type. This cutting power helps to ensure it can tackle bigger brush, hedge, and vine clearing projects.

The Toro 51490 features a work grip handle design. This handle is padded and provides 180 degrees of gripping area. The large handle makes it easier for the user to find a comfortable hand position when trimming at a variety of angles. This is designed to minimize stress and hand fatigue during your trimming. While it does have a 180-degree padded handle, it only has a stationary handle. Some similar trimmers feature not only a padded 180-degree handle but a rear handle that rotates. If you are trimming from multiple angles the lack of a rotating handle could make the job more difficult.

As when purchasing any lawn equipment with blades, safety should be a concern to the consumer. This product features a shield to protect the user from flying debris. Upon a visual comparison, the guard of the Toro 51490 appears to have a large shield than similar trimmers. Another key safety feature for this trimmer is the fact that you cannot lock the power button. If you lose pressure on the power button, the trimmer will shut off thus helping to prevent injuries.

This is a corded trimmer so it must be connected to an electric source during the duration of your trim job. Like most corded trimmers on the market, the Toro 51490 features a cord lock. This lock helps prevent accidental unplugging while you work stopping disconnection from the electrical power source.

As one would expect with a company of this reputation, Toro’s customer service features are impressive. As a Toro customer, you will have access to both online, phone and in-person customer service. Online you will find an extensive customer service section that includes:

  • Tutorial videos on a variety of lawn topics
  • A FAQ section
  • A section on safety information
  • Election manuals for products

But what makes Toro truly unique in the world of law products, is the availability of in-person service. Toro has dealerships located across the country and you have the ability to go in-person for assistance with your product. As a person who is not particularly mechanically inclined, the ability to access a real live person one-on-one for trouble shooting is incredibly appealing. While online tools are a fantastic addition to modern life, nothing really beats hands on personal instruction and support. When you purchase a Toro product you have the ability to get just that.

Beyond support for your product, Toro offers the industry standard 30-day return policy and 2-year warranty for this trimmer. The protection provides ease of mind for consumers.

As a final note, please remember that with all trimmers of this type you must supply your own cord. This means you need to have a 16-gauge extension cord for this trimmer to work. It does not have an independent cord built in. A 16-gauge cord is a standard type of cord you can purchase easily. You should seek a heavy-duty outdoor quality cord to ensure safety. This model can work with a cord of up to 150 feet in length. This cord length capacity is longer than some other models which max out at 100 feet.

Overall Rating

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As with any purchase, there is no perfect hedge trimmer. But there is a perfect hedge trimmer for you and your needs. When evaluating here are some pluses and minuses for the Toro 51490 trimmer.

What We Like

  • While this unit still requires connection to an electric source it can utilize a longer extension cord than similar models. This until can be used with an extension cord of up to 150 feet compared to the 100 feet of some other models.
  • Toro has a reputation for quality products and our review indicates this follows this tradition. You are not going to be disappointed by purchasing an item from this hard working well known brand of outdoor tools.
  • In addition to extensive online customer support, you have access to a full range of Toro dealerships for in-person assistance if needed.

What We Don’t Like

  • The suggested retail price for this trimmer is close to $20 more than other similar models. While the reputation of the Toro brand the work horse quality of this trimmer may make this investment worth it, it is worth being aware of the price differences.
  • The Toro 51490 does not have a rotating handle. This could make trim jobs with multiple angles more difficult.
  • This is a corded trimmer, so you still must have easy access to an electric outlet for it to serve your trimming needs.

Final Thoughts

As a consumer, you can never go wrong purchasing a piece of outdoor power equipment from the Toro company. Their reputation for quality and durability is well earned.

But for consumers with smaller yards or smaller trimmer products, there are more economical models of trimmers that would be just as capable. When deciding on a trimmer, you should ask yourself is this trimmer more than I need? Sometimes the value of getting a model that is right-sized for the job at hand is more important than seeking out the best-known brands on the market.


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