Side by Side Comparison of: Black & Decker vs BLACK+DECKER

I bought this to replace an older B&D trimmer that had been handed down to me and finally saw its day. The old one worked great and this one is even BETTER.It arrived early on the day it was promised, so kudos to the seller's shipping team.Attach the handle and guard and that's it, you're ready to go.I gave it a quick test and was impressed even with the trigger.The wheel is a nice touch, my old machine didn't have one and definitely makes it a little easier to do the edging.*** I purchased this item at a discounted price in return for an honest and unbiased review***

I had an older version of this and needed to replace it, this was perfect and I haven't had any problems with it at all. I rethread the line myself, as that's cheaper than buying the spools, and I can not be happier with how easy that is. I had many problems with my old one and debated buying another black and decker--but this did not disappoint!

This thing has power! My last electric trimmer gave out after less than a year which was annoying and disappointing. I decided to try trusted B&D and as always, they did not disappoint.Edited: I've had this less than 2 months and used less than 3 times and the plastic piece that hold the spool n in place literally melted :/

This Black & Decker GH900 corded string trimmer outperforms other trimmers. How do I know that? I purchased four other competitors and compared them. My review and story is below:Last summer, I purchased a B&D GH900 and it performed flawlessly. The automatic line feed system worked brilliantly. Also, this model has only one line, which I prefer. The dual feed line trimmers are difficult to load and unnecessary because of the GH900's high motor RPM speed. Anyway, after using it few months last season, the GH900 developed a problem. The motor would labor and not get up to high speed, so I decided to replace it with a competing brand. That was a mistake.Over the past month this spring I purchased three more corded string trimmers from different manufacturers and they all failed miserably. Most notably was the automatic feed system. None of them worked properly. Even another model from Black & Decker.I read another review where the person gave it a low rating because it only has one trimmer line instead of dual trimmer lines. I give this B&D GH900 five stars because it only has one. The GH900 has incredibly motor RPM rate and dual feed is not necessary. Besides, when you have a jam in the trimmer head out in the field, you can quickly disassemble and re-feed the single line quickly even while wearing gloves. With a dual feed, you have to return to your garage and perform the complicated task of re-stringing it. That's a real pain.In my opinion and from experience, this Black & Decker GH900 auto feed single line trimmer is my choice. It's made of quality materials, has a telescoping shaft for comfortable use by every height user (I'm 6' 5" tall). It's light weight, but most of all the automatic single line feed system works perfectly. I highly recommend purchasing this Black & Decker GH900 string trimmer. I purchased another one and glad that I did.

My old Black and Decker trimmer finally gave out after 6 years. I was very bummed as I had come to know exactly how to use to squeeze in tight place and around plants without whacking the string off or cutting the plants. So, I decided to check out another Black and Decker trimmer that was environmentally friendly and easy to use.After reading some of the reviews, I was afraid this Black & Decker GH900 wouldn't be tall enough for me (I'm 5'11). However, I found the height to be great and I love that you can adjust it to your needs.The other thing I was concerned about was the plant/string issue. However, with the guard, I don't have to worry about chopping up my aloe or other ground plants. It snips right to the edges and cleans up perfectly. I feel the same with the edger (which I have never had a wheel and guard). It's easy to use and I don't have to worry about hitting my pavement.All in all, the Black & Decker GH900 doesn't disappoint at all.

I am 5'2" and am 50+ years old. My husband has a large and heavy gas powered trimmer that he and my sons use but I wanted one that I could use. I decided to buy locally but wanted to do a review here because this is where I started my search. I ended up with this Trimmer for a couple of reasons-reviews, price and accessibility locally. First let me say-LOVE IT! You have to snap 2 pieces on-the 2 black pieces you can see in the photo which takes a mere 2 minutes and you are literally good to go. We have 4 acres and I thought I would just do around the house but this machine is so amazing I couldn't stop! There is that instant gratification you get with a machine like this and well I just kept going. I won't say I have done the whole 4 acres but if I could put enough electric cords together I could absolutely do it all. It is very easy to operate, lightweight enough for me and the shaft can be shortened or lengthened so my sons and husband can use it too. I like it because I just pick it up and go while my son was mixing oil/gas and pulling on the cord to get his going! I was able to get through some areas of the lawn that let's just say were "overlooked" by my boys so they were pretty overgrown-tall and dense and no problem at all. I am using the spool that it comes with and I would say I have used this for a couple of hours each of the last 2 days. Another plus-a good workout for your arms! Even though it is lightweight and easy to use holding a machine you don't normally hold for hours will make your muscles sore! I thought this would be our back-up trimmer but everyone really liked it so I am saying this is going to the front of the line for use around the house and the gas powered for further out on the property. I just wish I had purchased this a long time ago.

Perfect fit and cheaper alternative than the big box stores. I originally thought I got the wrong string but found out that my trimmer was actually missing a little piece that kept the string from auto feeding. Amazon is a great place to find these little gems and when I originally thought I got the wrong item, they were making it too easy to return. Thankfully I figured out what the problem was and we are back in business.

Works great with my old Black+Decker weed wacker. Recently I had been refilling with bulk string from the store, but was having issues with the autofeed system.Ordered these and now the Autofeed is much more consistent and better. For a few bucks a summer it is sure worth it!Will keep these on hand! :)

Do you pay a premium for these? Yes. You could probably just reuse the same one and wrap with new string. However, I'm an honest person and I'll tell you, I'm just too darn lazy to do so. I find a value in being able to simply grab a new one and pop it in, especially when I run out of string halfway through my trimming. These work well and seem to last a decent amount of time. They aren't the cheapest way to go about it, but I don't find that I feel short-changed by using them either.

Easy to install. So much better than the old gas trimmers that were a total cluster to re-string. The spool that came with the trimmer lasted 3 months, just installed a new spool. Estimate I will go through around $8 worth of line per season trimming and edging a 1/4 acre city lot. Well worth it!

I never thought that I would be writing a review on trimmer string, but the difference between this and the 3 packs I have been purchasing at Home Depot is remarkable. The HD product jams constantly, and I spend more time pulling the spool off and fixing the kinks than I do trimming. This works perfectly, feeds smoothly, and my work gets done with a lot less aggravation. I will never go back.

These Black & Decker AF-100-2 replacement spools are extremely fast and easy to change and are long lasting. I admit, at first, I was hesitant to buy them as they only contain 30 feet of line; however, after a VERY rainy summer and a broken down lawn mower and grass that quickly became three or more feet high, the original 30-foot spool (also Black & Decker AF-100-2) that came with my trimmer cut the entire lawn seven to eight times before needing to be changed. The durability and amount of trimming completed with the original spool amazed me. The area I trimmed with the original spool is approximately 50' x 50' and includes unwanted blackberry canes and rock garden bed borders. Also, I'm not kidding about the grass -- we bought the trimmer after the lawn mower died and had to wait until the constant rain subsided a bit. We purchased the trimmer in early June; it is now the end of August. We replaced the original spool with one of these replacements. These spools last, and last, and last!

Works well, mine was slightly defective, and the switch failed very early in it's use. Fortunately it uses the same switch at the trigger as for changing modes via rotation of the trimmer head. I literally have no idea what the other switch does? Maybe it was for limiting string output during the other mode, but I switched the two switches and it has been working fine for 2 seasons. I'm on my second spool of trimmer line so havn't used it too much but any way pretty reliable. Works every time you plug it in if you can stand dragging out the cord every time...

Have used it twice to trim the grass and weeds around the house. It cuts very well as intended. Has plenty of power to get through any thick grass with ease. The only down side is the handle. No matter what position I lock the handle in, after several minutes of use it will slip out of the locked position and rotated all the way up. May have to use duck tape to lock it in place. Overall, it cuts with precision and ease.

After wasting too much time and money on gas trimmers from 3 different manufacturers that were heavy as hell, a PITA to start, and maybe lasted three times before they died ignoble deaths, I gave this electric trimmer a shot. It's light, you pull the trigger, and it whacks like crazy. I had this 6' tall marsh grass growing in the backyard in some dense clumps and this thing took care of it. Even some woody vines were chewed up nicely. Stuff much thicker than a pencil stymied it, but what did you expect? A chain saw?The initial spool of mono that comes with it is pretty skimpy, and the replacement spools weren't cheap. But they do drop in and go, a total cinch. What's your time worth? At least you have the option to rewind spools, but I hardy see myself bothering. The mono is good quality as the replacement spool took out the majority of the marsh grass and there's still about 2/3 of the roll left. Haven't had use for the edger, so I can't comment on that.And yes, dragging around a cord kind of sucks. But considering the price and the performance of the trimmer, I found that a little intelligent planning makes cord management not too dreary. Definitely a 4 star product for what it was designed to do.

Much better than the two string models that are overly complicated to keep the feed mechanism going. I did have to rewind the string it came with, but after that it worked like a charm.

GREAT FOR SMALL YARDSbought this as a replacement for one that came with my Black & Decker MTE912 12-Inch Electric 3-in-1 Trimmer/Edger and Mower, it was a perfect fit after 1 modification i had to use the smaller guard from my old trimmer .i used the living daylights out of the old one and i was very pleased with it so i had to replace it. this is the perfect replacement

I've only used it once so far, but I can honestly say I'm very happy with my choice. It was the first mow of the season so the lawn was a bit scraggly and overgrown, so it was a good test of performance. I removed the edging wheel because I have a separate B&D edger for that purpose and I figured why not reduce some weight. The trimming power is perfect and since I mainly use it along my fence I wouldn't want it to be any stronger because this one easily has enough power to damage the 8 year old wood fence if I'm not careful.I previously owned a Black & Decker 18 volt battery powered GrassHog. That particular trimmer was great, but after 3 years those batteries barely hold a charge and the replacement cost at $40+/each is quite high. I'm hoping I get a longer lifespan out of this corded version.[UPDATE July 1st, 2014]I've been using the trimmer for a few months and I'm happy to report that I'm still very satisfied.[UPDATE April 9th, 2015]Some good and bad news to report... The trimmer seized up on me during the first mow of this season, but thankfully B&D has a 2 year warranty on it. I brought it to my local B&D service center and was told that it does not have any serviceable parts, so they sent me a brand new replacement unit.

These spools are great! I've used my Black & Decker lightweight weed eater for 3 years and am pleased with the performance. The spool is so simple to insert and it feeds easily with bumping it on the ground.

The weed whacked seems to go they this faster then it did the original nylon thread that it came with. Not sure why that is the case as this is supposed to be OEM replacement.Otherwise works fine and fits the model we have as expected.

Exactly what I needed. I take care of my lawn even though I am in a power chair, this trimmer and string are the best I have bought with adjustment on the trimmer and string that goes a long way.

This works well with my Black and Decker battery powered trimmer. The auto-feed feature worked flawlessly with the spool that was already on the trimmer when I purchased the trimmer. When I put on the first replacement spool it would not auto-feed for the first several times I used it. I had to manually remove it and unwind it each time the line got short. After a while the auto-feed started working again. I don't know why it wasn't working, I didn't change anything before it started working properly again. When it works, it's great so I'm still giving it four stars.

I'm not usually mechanically challenged but the instructions on this were not great so it took longer to replace than I thought it should but considering how these things used to work it's akin to sliced bread in the handiness. Little more clarity on instructions and it would be a 5 star.

It was well packed and shipped, but I had to return it and the trimmer be cause the trimmer was not heavy duty enough for my type of Floridagrass, line is .065 and it went through the one that come with the trimmer 15 minutes.

Not a huge fan. I didn't realize this was an electric weed eater, but that wasn't a deal breaker. used it once and it went through an entire spool of string. I didn't know that until the 2nd time I went to use it (of course). It has an auto feeding string, which I much prefer the manual feeders. I also looked forward to the rolling trim feature. It was ok at best. I'll give it another shot when I get some more line, but I'm not real optimistic that I'll love this ever.I recommend getting one with a manual string feeder.. or a traditional gas one. walking around the yard with an extension cable is about as fun as it sounds.

I've used several trimmers over the years, this one isn't my favorite, but it gets the job done.-1 star for the auto-feed design. It well let out a bunch of line if the line is wrapping around something, like a pole. When I'm not careful, that long line, when cut, will whip me right in the ankle -- not fun if you're not wearing long pants.-1 star for handle slippage. The handle is adjustable but has the tendency to slip out of place once or twice during each use requiring me to break my stride to fix it.The wheel is a two edged sword -- great for edging, but bad for getting into really tight spaces.

This is really only suitable for a shorter person with a tiny yard and a lot of patience. It doesn't lock into place, it's always loose and sliding out of place. The wanna-be edger part will do okay once you get a feel for it, but only if you have about 20 reams of line for it (line that fits this is so thin and weak it breaks constantly and is all gone about every 15 feet. There's no heavy duty line in a size of .070 like this weedeater requires.) If I had a bigger budget for this I woulda gotten something more substantial for my little suburban yard... this is way overpriced for its abilities.

The edger works fine but the only problem I have with it is that when you secure the electrical cord it is so close to the start lever that it has hit it several time and started the trimmer before I was ready. Once it took a big gash out of my ankle. Now I am a lot more careful when inserting the cord.

I always take a low percentage of negative reviews as user error or lemons, so went ahead & purchased via Amazon. While worked was acceptable for trimming/edging, line replacement/feeding & ergonomics. Worked for 2 years then simply quit. Works out as $25/year. Intentional depreciation B&D? Acceptable return? Not for me, but maybe my expectations are too high. Written as I sit in lawn chair after troubleshooting as recommended to no avail, so have 1/2 way done yard.

no control over feed. wastes a lot of line.otherwise it runs well.

Kept unwinding even before I had it in the weed wacker.

too thin,lasted about 3 minutes,and about 20 feet of edging!

Maybe someone can help me with this, but I followed the instructions exactly, yet the spool gets stuck and does not feed automatically the way it's supposed to. Using a BLACK+DECKER GH900 6.5-Amp String weed cutter.

Cuts well but I feel like it feeds too fast when doing edging?

They're overpriced, but they're easy to install and last a somewhat reasonable amount of time. If I had to use my weedeater more, I would just want something where I can spool it myself for far cheaper.

These come in b&d packaging so I hope real thing, but ordered 2 packages 6 weeks ago, and a reel in The 2nd package literally broke INSIDE the weed wackier compartment. Past the 30-day return policy so I am posting my disappointment here. Used to buy the 3 packs at Home Depot but this was more cost effective. Now, maybe not if 1 out of 4 goes bad - & this never happened with the packages from HD, and we've had b&d weed walkers for probably 8 years. Not sure about the quality of product Amazon is buying or how old it is (& this was Amazon, not 3rd party)...

This would probably be the perfect edger for me, being a petite woman taking care of a small yard. It's light weight with a lot of power and the wheel provide easy movement for edging. HOWEVER, I used the line it came with before even finishing one side of my very short driveway. I then bought additional line to finish the driveway and I had to refill it THREE times before finishing. I think I spent more time replacing line then I did actually edging. I thought this was a good deal and was saving money by going the electric route but in the end I'll spend a small fortune and a lot of valuable time on the line. Will return and go back to gas.

If you buy this, wear long pants when using it and buy Stock in the Line Company! The "Autofeed" does a lot of that! Too much in fact. The line is then cut off by a little blade in the Guard and flies into your shins and cuts them if exposed.

I bought this two years ago (thus the warranty does not apply any longer--I should have returned it sooner). Most aspects were great: it's lightweight and did a fine enough job of trimming and edging. BUT the string and the spool--always always a hassle. I found that I had to extend the string each time I went to use this product and sometimes more than once during a session (the area I use it for is approximately 20' x 8'). Often I had to open the cap to perform this function and every time the string would loosen on the spool, so I would have to wind it tight again and sneak the cap back on before it unspooled again. Finally, a piece from the spool housing cracked off. I would have to completely disassemble the spool housing and replace it (the replacement part looked around $40 for a $65 product). Sigh. Not worth the effort and certainly not worth the constant work overall. I gave this two stars because when it worked, it was fine. But in retrospect, not worth those few and far between moments.

I have owned 4 B&D trimmers over the years. They all had a particular life span and I was well satisfied with their performance. This current model gh900 was using up trimmer line faster that I could put it in. With my other models I could trim my property entirely on about half of a spool. This model I went through 2 spools and I was only about a quarter finished. At about $5 a spool this is crazy. I will search for another trimmer.

I bought this in August 2016, loved it, worked great as a trimmer and really liked the edger feature. Pulled it out in April 2017, first time to use it in the spring season and it died while edging my sidewalks. Seems to be an electrical short or something. Has a two year warrany, but closest authorized repair center is 90 miles away. Still debating whether it is worth repairing, even if under warranty, because the price was so low. I don't think I would buy Black and Decker again.

Main issue is the amount of string it uses. Have to change it at least every mow. I remember growing up and only needed to change the string about once or twice per season. I don't understand how we're going backwards 20 years later. It's not like Black and Decker is making more money on string My last unit was a Black and Decker battery unit that only needed to be changed every month or so. . With this unit, I ran out of the string in the starter spool before finishing on the first use. I had to re-spool to finish the job. Keeps loosing string like crazy.Other than the string, the unit seems fine and has plenty of power to get the job done. The wheel helps with edging. Would give it 5 stars if not for the sting issue.

These didn't seem to last nearly as long as other black and Decker string replacements I have gotten. Going back to other product, not sure if these are fakes, but the others would last me an entire season on three spools. Went through 4 of these this year already and now need more.

I’m lucky to get through weedwacking my yard one time without running out of string. My previous weedwacker and string lasted at least 3 times.

There is nothing automatic about these "Autofeed" spools. I have to stop every few minutes, remove the cap on the spool, rotate the spool a bit to get some more length, and then replace the cap. Tedious. Fortunately, I don't use this thing every week.

Be careful when you order the Black and Decker Trimmer because the "also bought" suggestion for replacement cord MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT spools for the trimmer in your cart. I had to return the two spools that were shown with my Black and Decker cordless trimmer (which is really nice) and go back and find the right replacement spool.

Line is constantly breaking. Never had this problem before.

I chose the 2-pack, b/c the unit price was lower than either the singles or the 3-packs. Got two 2-packs. Just finished the first spool and was surprised at how fast it went. Much more brittle and shorter-lived than the one that came with the trimmer. Also, realized after purchase/delivery that you can buy a big spool of line and re-wrap the existing trimmer spool yourself. For some reason I had previously thought that wasn't an option with this model.

The single line setup uses too much of the spool. There is no consistent spool control. You will spend more money on spools over time.

Warning: The power connection on this does not allow a 3 prong extension cord to be used. The two prongs to which you are to connect a power cord are set down in a casing. They made the casing for the power plug too small to fit a 3 prong extension cord. I want to be able to use a 100 ft extension cord. The manual suggests at least a 14 gauge cord for that length. I am having trouble finding a 14 gauge (or 12) 2 prong that will fit it. I might have to find some kind of extender piece or just break off some of the plastic casing to make room for a cord. I might revise my review once I actually am able to turn it on. What kind of extension cord is everyone who is rating this highly using???

I've had WorxGT battery operated unit before this one. The batteries would no longer hold a charge so I bought this. Being corded, it was much more powerfull than the Worx unit, but used more line in less than one year than in 5 years of useing the Worx. The whole issue with spitting out line is a serious design flaw. I couldn't even complete the edging, let alone the weed waking with a single full spool.Then 11 months after having it the motor has seized up. Going to go with another brand now.

Immediately after taking it out of the box and using it the string drew into the spool with their winding of string. I tried at least 10 times to wind it properly and still withdrew back into the spool. When it withdraws I had to stop pull off the spool and rewind the string, this take up to 5 minutes each time. Almost every minute it withdrew into the spool. I sent it back.

Well, the Black and Decker weed whacker died so this is useless.

The string is terrible. I went through three spool in an hour of weed eating. I wasn't weed eating anything tough--it was waist-high grass. I hacked one of the spools to add a small length of electric fence wire (about the same diameter), and it lasted a *lot* longer.

Ugh. Don't bother. Breaks every 3 steps. The whole reel was used up before I finished edging my small driveway. Waste of money and time.

I ordered what I thought were 2 original OEM Black and Decker spools as shown in the picture. What I got were 2 RED (not black) colored spools with made in China written in big letters on the package. I decided to try 1 spool of the 2 pack only because I needed to do some weed eating ASAP. The OEM spools would last through several battery recharges on my BD cordless weed eater and get hours of use. This spool emptied out after 20 minutes. Don't waste your time or money on this product.

These worked ok. Until a piece off the plastic lever that feeds the spool broke on the B&D weed eater it goes to. We are in Afghanistan and that was our only Weed eater. Apparently it was not built for such harsh environments. Needless to say I was more than disappointed.

These spools are terrible. B&D should be ashamed to put out a product of this poor poor quality. The spool that came with the weed eater came apart on the second time out. Ordered a two pack. Stuck a new one in and second time it came apart. Have the third one in now. We will see next time out.