Side by Side Comparison of: Black & Decker

I bought this trimmer looking to trim my shrubs and the stubborn ivy around our pool. So far, I have only tried it on the Ivy and it worked flawlessly for over 3 hours. It was just what I was looking for because I need something that is corded and will run as long as I need it to. It is fairly light weight and my arm never got tired of using it. It had great power cutting through probably some half inch thick vines and cut through anything that could fit in the teeth with ease. All you have to do is install the guard and plug it in and you will have your yard trimmed in no time.

My girlfriend was complaining about how shaggy the bush in my front yard was getting. Something had to be done. But not just any trimmer would be up for the task. I needed something that wasn't just powerful, but also precise. It was important to know I could get the bush trimmed neatly and tight without worrying about causing any damage to the wood.I have to say, when the trimmer arrived I was nervous. But I decided to just dive right in, immediately taking a hefty poof off the top. The trimmer just glided through the bush with ease. Then, I started on the sides and cleaned up the bottom, too. When all was said and done, my bush went from "irritable forest" to the most immaculately kept it has ever been. The thick wooden trunk now has room to breathe, and my bush is the envy of the neighborhood. Women are constantly asking me to share my secret with their husbands. And I just tell them, "Once you go Black (& Decker), you never go back."

Very useful tool. I have a lot of hedges and this things cuts through them like butter. It's light enough to do nice rounded edges and with one hand, which is extremely helpful when cutting the tops and it's a little higher than you.I've used this like a pro even in a drizzle without issue, not rain just a drizzle I got caught in and it's a little powerhouse. See the pic, it does my little rounded hedge and tackles those big brutes easy. I'd buy again, lightweight and tough.

I'll start by saying I had a pair of these trimmers as far back as 1990. I remember using them as a teenager. This is my first full spring/summer with plants, bushes, shrubs since last year those were just being planted at our new house. A set of corded Black and Decker trimmers were one of the first things on my "needs" list. Call me stubborn, but I don't like those cordless ones. I do like the cord holder that is built-in to these though. I have at least one memory of getting the extension cord wrapped around my arm and slicing right through the cord in the past.These trimmers had no problems with our little shrubs. My only complaint is I read in a few of the questions about this model of the trimmers having the lock-on switch, which my old ones had. I had already taken back the 16" pair to a local department store since it didn't have the lock-on switch. Then received these and no lock-on switch. Instead, you have a safety switch you have to push to use them. Why all the concern about safety? I like the lock-on switch. I can't help but think if you need a button to press before using them you probably shouldn't be using them. Either way, the trimmers work very good. Nice and light especially if you're like me and try to trim the hedges after mowing. That lightness feels good on your already tired arms. Lets bring that lock-on switch back and I'll buy those too. I live in one of those snooty neighborhoods where everyone tries to keep up with everyone else. They are look at my corded trimmers with their noses up in the air, but they probably are getting their blades stuck on tiny twigs.

I have only used this once but it worked great! It needs to be plugged it so I feel it will last longer and if you are using it for at home hedge trimming you wont be dissapointed. 30-something dollars, and it arrived FAST! My yard looks so much better now :)

I was looking for something to cut close to my rose bushes where the lawn mower couldn't reach. I tried the smaller cordless version from Black and Decker and was very disappointed with the battery life. I couldn't cut around them all in the 10 minute battery time. I ordered this hedge trimmer and it works PERFECTLY. I really wanted a cordless one but this one has so much more power and I don't have to worry about the battery running out in a short period of time.

I'm a computer nerd and not very active, so the several days after using this, I had trouble using my arms because they were so sore.Great tool to punish little brat nephews with, make them trim the bushes.

Good product. It went through the lantana like a hot knife through butter. It also had no trouble slicing through the extension cord it was hooked up to. YIKES - I really need to be more careful !

Good trimmer but hard to keep holding the trigger causing your hand to get very tired quickly. I had to improvise and make a sliding ring which allows me to keep it locked on without hand pressure yet can be slid off easily to shut it off.

Black and Decker is always a good brand to buy. I was looking for a small hedge trimmer that was corded. I shopped all the known hardware and outdoor stores. ( H & O ). The price on Amazon was way better. Please be aware the standard in the store is 22", this trimmer is 17". So i feel it better for small bushes or thin tree limbs. It you need a trimmer, You cant go wrong with a Black and Decker product

I like this lightweight hedge trimmer. I'm a left-handed, short lady and thought I would have a hard time trimming the neighbor's mutant eighteen foot high hibiscus. (I was using hand pruners in the past; hello, carpal tunnel). Using tools over my head and on a ladder can often be a concern but not with this trimmer. I was able to whack all branches evenly (well, almost) in less than 15 minutes. Meow.It's time to let the mow and blow guy go. No mas.Was missing the two screws that attach the guard. Had spares.

I bought this to replace a similar B&D hedge trimmer I had for about 25 years. (The motor finally burned out on the old one). This one is slightly improved. It's extremely light weight which makes reaching and one-hand use very easy. The strain-relief for the power cord is an improved design. And the overall cutting performance is much better. It really hacks through some of my heavier shrubs, which I have let get a little overgrown over the years because my old trimmer could only do so much.The only thing I don't like is the dead-man feature. My old one had a trigger with a lock. Once you locked the trigger on, it would continue running until you pulled the trigger again. Not a dead-man at all. This model has a thumb safety that you press to enable the dead-man, which runs the full length of the grip. But the dead-man gets tiring after extended use. You have to keep constant pressure on it with your fingers. Most dead-man features are located on the back of the grip where the palm goes and remains engaged as long as you just grip the unit. That way you can change or readjust your grip without getting fatigued and the unit continues to run.The price is very reasonable.

This hedger would better for smaller yards with smaller bushes. The cut was not as clean as I wanted it to be on larger bushes. This did well on the smaller to mid sized bushes.

Decided against the trimmer because of the 3.2 amps. Wanted a higher amp. did not take out of the box. This compares to the hedge trimmer I have that has lasted over 18 years.

This thing works alright, but it replaced a heavier duty, longer bladed model. It's too short for large bushes.

I don't really have a complaint about the trimmer. It is lightweight and easy to use. My grouse is the plug connection. Even though I have several extension cords, none of them fit the plug, which is inconveniently recessed into the handle of the trimmer. It is also telling that B&D hides this connection on the box pictures. They must have been embarrassed to show such a stupid design. Rather than return the trimmer, I bought a $5 plug at HD and installed it on one of my cords. If you are buying this product, and don't want to spend twenty bucks on a cord, then be sure you have a cord that has a single, small female receptacle. Further complication may come from the diameter of the cord wire for the strain relief on the trimmer handle to work. If the cord holder doesn't fit, then you will likely be losing the plug connection when it comes loose from the trimmer. I use a cable tie to keep the plug tightly connected to the trimmer. Too much trouble, but fortunately, I don't use a trimmer very often.

Just a 3 star due to no "hold" switch after you turn it on. You must hold down(pull back and hold) the switch button the entire time you are trimming. This is probably due government super safety rules and B&D has no choice. It just makes your job tougher. My older unit of 20 years ago had a switch that you could use to keep it running without holding it.

It does a great job of cutting. I really have an issue with the fact that there is no "lock on" button. My hand gets tired fairly quick from holding the trigger. If you have strong hands, this will probably not be a problem. Otherwise it is lighter than most and trims nice and clean.

The product description didn't make it clear that it needed a separate power cable, two-prong nonetheless. I am finding it difficult finding a power cable to fit it. Had I known, I would've purchased one that was ready to use out of the box!

Nice balance, light weight. Use it ONLY for light hedge trimming of thin new leaves and branches in a clear area where you are sure it won't hit anything else.I cut weeds with it and the wild berry bushes that were taking over the corner of the yard. Probably 4 hours total use. I hit some wire fencing in the berries and bent a tooth. The tooth started hitting the blade. My son the machinist tried to straighten the tooth, but now it catches the thin branches between the blades and totally jams. It is too integrated into the plastic body to be able to easily take it apart and straighten it properly. Time to throw it away.

After few uses is not as sharp and not able to deliver a clean cut which few days later it s visible since all the leaves and branches that were cut half way start to turn color.buy a gas one

This is 4th hedge trimmer over last 10 years. The first two lived long lives. The 3rd one works however I can't keep the power cord making contact. Very annoying and time consuming. so just purchased a replacement. I'll be darned if keeping the power cord connection is a problem with this one. I even changed out per cords and spread the prongs so thy hopefully would stay plugged in tighter. No luck. Quite annoying.

Not particularly effective at cutting/triming horsetail hedges. Twigs are cut cleaning vs the softer stemmed horsetails are kind of munched and ground into submission. Against all safety cautions, I found that the only way to get a clean cut is to hold the top of the stems with one hand guiding the oscillating blades toward them. We're back to using scissors, much more time consuming but at least we still have 5 fingers per hand...

not so sure it ca cut multiple 5/8"branches i tried and its already going dull after 5 uses choose a better brand

Worked fine for the first three light uses. Motor burned out on the fourth light use.

Brought this item to cut hedges. it had worked properly for about a week. Te next time I tried to use it it has stopped completely. never worhed again .I had tried to return it bu it was no longer eligible for return. Will not buy again,

If i could give this no stars i would. This item stopped working completely on the 2nd use, and of course my window of return closed two weeks ago. GARBAGE DO NOT PURCHASE

this worked for 5 mins then the motor blew and now I can't get ahold of anyone to replace my trimmer. very very upset and disappointed

Plugged it in and it didn't work.

This thing is garbage...I used it 1 time and then it stopped working. It was on very small bushes and way below the capability of this product. I figured I would buy a new one that would last a very long time instead of finding one at a garage sale. WASTE OF MONEY- And apparently it is past the 30 days so Amazon will not let me return it. Save your money!