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Product Reviews
Very decent for basic use, July 7, 2004
Reviewer: Andrew L. Ma
I think this is perfect for someone who really:
1) dislikes the noise and smell of the gas trimmers
2) wants something fairly light
3) does not want a cord to always worry about
4) already has firestorm or B&D 18 volt products
(batteries are interchangeable)
I have used all 3 types of trimmers, gas, 120 wired, and
this cordless one and I have to say the convenience is
great. Instant on with a press of the switch is great. The
plastic is a bit cheap feeling but it seems to do the
work. I think it could've been much better constructed,
but the battery life is pretty impressive and the
speed/torque of the trimmer is also pretty impressive on a
well grown/groomed lawn. It did have a bit of trouble
instantly tackling a thick busy section of grass but after
going over it 2-3 passes...it took care of it. This same
spot has given me trouble even with the corded 120 volt
version from Toro so this was expected. The gas one I had
chewed through it easily but that's gas...
I think for light to moderate work, it's fine. If you have
thorny and thick undergrowth or even small plants with a
fibrous stem, it'll take more work to get down than a gas.
Oh..if you even TRY to 'bump and feed' this unit, you will
find the spool falls off VERY easily with a solid thump to
the bottom (THAT was a pain in the as* as it flew off and
unwound a ton of filament that I had to rewind by hand and
figure out how to put it back on!
If you have 18 volt black and decker goods like I do, then
you'll REALLY like having the two extra batteries and one
extra charger. I have 4 batteries and 2 chargers amongst
all the goodies now so I know i'll always have more than
enough juice for anything around the house.
I would vote 5 stars, but the plastic has a cheapy feel.
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Pretty good - but don't get rid of your corded trimmer,
April 6, 2004
Reviewer: A home improvement enthusiast
I just bought the B&D NST2018 trimmer along with the NS118
cordless blower. I have a corner lot with long parkways
and a lot of sidewalk footage, and have grown tired of
dealing with up to 175 feet of extension cables for my
corded trimmer and blower. I've had a nice battery-powered
mower for several years, and felt it was time to go all
cordless. This new pair of tools seemed promising,
particularly because of the removable battery design.
After only one use I can say I'm reasonably satisfied, but
not fully sold.
Handling: This is probably one of the lightest cordless
trimmers available and is easy to handle. The automatic
feed system looks similar to the ones in other B&D models
and seems to work properly. The shaft length is adjustable
and the cutting head flips over for vertical edging.
Power: The trimmer is clearly not as powerful as my corded
one. It deals with grass and light ground cover
adequately, but has a hard time on anything with thick
stems. Not recommended for whacking big stuff.
Battery: The batteries are compact. The trimmer comes with
two of them, and I needed them both to complete one job. I
guess I'm okay with this approach. It makes sense to lug
around only as much weight as is necessary rather than
carry a much heavier battery the whole time. If you buy
this along with a blower as I did, you'll have four
batteries and two chargers available for swapping. And if
you happen to have a FireStorm 18v drill, you can
apparently swap batteries with that system as well.
Quality: Build quality seems similar to most B&D stuff,
meaning it will probably work for a few years.
Overall: Going cordless does simplify my work and save me
time, but this tool isn't appropriate for all trimming
jobs. I have a month to make up my mind about keeping it.
But even if it passes muster, I suspect I'll want to hang
onto my corded trimmer for the occasional heavy job.
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My first one broke, I bought another!, March 27, 2006
Reviewer: Pete P. Poplawski "Pete Pop"
I must like this trimmer because my first one broke after
a year and I went ahead and bought another one. Like other
reviewers I'll agree that it does a good job of light to
medium trimming. I abandoned gas trimmers mainly because
of engine problems, noise, smell, weight and heat. With my
first grasshog (after a year) the spool decided that it
would not stay on the trimmer anymore. While trying to
coax the spool to stay on I leaned a bit too hard on the
fully extended handle and heard a cracking noise. That
clinched it, I retired it and bought another. I looked at
other brands of cordless trimers but came back to this
one. A few other models had real heavy batteries. This
model is reasonably light. The two batteries are more than
enough for most normal 1/4 to 1/3 acre plots. If my first
purchase didn't break I would have given this 5 stars.
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Decent, but not durable, March 7, 2006
Reviewer: K. Morrison (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
I have a fairly small yard - less than a quarter acre
total, and did not want to mess with a gasoline trimmer
again, and I hate dragging extension cords around, so I
bought this thing. Feeling it was a bit overpriced, I was
nevertheless reasonably satisfied with its performance. It
worked fine for minor trimming and edging as long as I
stayed on top of things and didn't let the weeds get too
thick.
Within the first 6 months (I'm in Florida so I have to cut
my grass pretty much year-round) the batteries started to
degrade a bit. What used to be done with one charged
battery now took a battery change part-way through in
order to finish. But I expected that with Ni-Cd batteries.
Unfortunately, though, something inside the trimmer broke
after about 8 months of use and it quit working. I would
not buy this trimmer again.
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Perfect for My needs, March 2, 2006
Reviewer: Jimmie Bolin - See all my reviews
B&D trimer is exactly what I needed. I have a small yard
and this thing stays charged as long as it takes to do all
my triming. The automatic feed works flawlessly. It is
very lightweight and a breeze to handle. It has the power
to cut thick clumps of tall fescue. I am very satisfied
with this purchase.
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Good product; works well and is worth the money, November
4, 2005
Reviewer: Seeker
Cuts well and is very easy to use. The only drawback is
battery life, but that is pretty much run-of-the-mill for
any cordless, battery-operated products.
On the upside, it comes with two batteries, and after
purchasing at Lowes I received a rebate for a dual-port
battery charger. You can get about 30 or 40 minutes of
cutting time between two batteries, which is more than
enough for most lawns.
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