Customer Reviews

Black & Decker Hedge Hog 24-Inch 3.0-AMP Dual Action Hedge Trimmer HS2400

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I bought the B&D HS2400 electric hedge trimmer after a fiasco with B&D's CHT500 cordless trimmer. (See my review of it.) It's already assembled, so there's nothing more to do besides remove it from the box and plug it in.

The handle is comfortable and easy to hold both horizontally and vertically. Its good balance makes it very easy to handle. The trigger is large and easy to depress. The lock is a bit difficult to engage, and I find it easier to just hold the trigger down.

But, this trimmer really shines when it comes to cutting. I have about 100 feet of honeysuckle bushes that grow to be about eight feet tall every year. They're incredibly woody and difficult for smaller trimmers to cut. The first thing I did with the HS2400 was to sweep it across the honeysuckles about five feet off the ground. It cut through them like butter. The dual-action blades virtually eliminate vibration, and I easily guided the trimmer through the bushes. The 24" blade reduces the amount of time you spend trimming as well as helping you make a straighter cut. The trimmer worked equally well on the front sides. I cut through those bushes faster than my kids could stack the branches. My wife was cutting the front sides with our old B&D 16" trimmer and it was faster for me to just do the whole thing with the HS2400.

Black & Decker states that the trimmer can cut up to 3/4" branches, and it does that with ease. Most trimmers struggle when they reach their maximum capacity, but the HS2400 just lops them right off. If you don't hold the trimmer steady, a few branches might be a bit ragged at the ends, but it's easy to trim them again to clean up the edge.

The hook that holds the extension cord to prevent it from being yanked out of the pigtail is a bit small and the opening a bit tight. I'd like a slightly larger opening and a larger hook, but it holds the cord. In about three hours of use, it only fell out once. It would be easy enough to use a small PVC cable tie or rubber band to improvise a different way of securing it, but I don't think it's worth the effort.

Please keep the extension cord in mind when using an electric trimmer. Buy a bright orange or yellow cord. In my opinion, despite their neon color, the bright green ones are less noticeable in bushes and grass. Also, buy twice as much cord as you think you'll need. You want to have about fifteen feet of cord next to you, and patio furniture, trees, and other obstacles inevitably reduce the amount you have available. Spending an extra two dollars for another fifty feet will ensure that you don't have to worry about your extension cord. Plus, you'll be especially glad of the extra length if you have to trim the other side of a hedge. Trust me--my old fifty foot cord has two sets of electrical tape where my old trimmer bit through it because it was too difficult to manage a shorter cord.

Update: I finished the hedges today and, although I was careful not to hit my chain link fence, I didn't notice a bean plant holder. The trimmer doesn't cut through 1/8" steel rod. In fact, it torqued one of the teeth so badly that the blade is ruined. My fault. I'll see if it can be repaired cheaply enough, but if it can't, I'll buy another one. That's how much I like this trimmer.

HS2400 summary:
Cuts incredibly well, even 3/4" woody branches (but not steel)
You rarely need multiple passes.
Well-designed and balanced.
Easy to maneuver. No vibration.
Comfortable handles and easy to use horizontally and vertically.
No vinyl blade sheath (unlike the CHT500--why?).

This B&D Hedge trimmer does a far better job trimming hedges/shrubs than any other electric I have ever used. It's main feature is that it can handle branches much thicker than most competitors. (I find it very useful when trimming my out-of-control holly trees.) However, don't expect this to be a tool sturdy enough to pass down to your grandkids.

When doing trimming of twig-size branches, it does about as well as any electric; you just pass it over the branches, and they just fall away. However, that is work you could be doing quite easily with a good pair of manual trimmers.

Where this really shines is with the thicker stuff. Because of the way the blade is designed, it makes steady work of any branch that will fit in it's substantial blade. However, while you are cutting these thick, woody branches, it doesn't exactly cut them like a pair of scissors; instead, it shakes like crazy while sawing away at the branch. You just have to keep applying gentle pressure to the branch (you don't want to stall the motor), and hold on tight. It isn't going to wrench itself out of your hands, but it may wander off target unless you keep a firm grip.

Many other electrics cannot handle branches larger than about a 1/4". (They claim 3/8, but who are they kidding?) This one can handle branches up to a shade over 1/2" without too much trouble. If you expect to do a lot of large branches, you really need to get a gas trimmer.

I purchased this model at my local supply store and started using it out of the box with ease. While perhaps just slightly heavier than the B&D HS1010 model, this one adds 4 inches of reach (24 vs. 20) and has a more powerful motor.

The vibration reduction and double action blades (shared by these two models) makes two or three hours of use very easy. Of course the ergonomic cushioned grip and multi-position loop handle in front enable easy, safe use both vertically or horizontally with either a right or left-handed grip. Compare this with photos of some other brands' squared off loops and this design looks superior. With the power and 3/4 inch cutting capacity, I was able to not only trim ivy, but easily trim and straighten hedges that had gone a year without attention. The extra reach was definitely helpful in both cases.

Some reviews have commented on noise levels of various models. All my power yard tools are corded electric. I use and recommend hearing protection for all - this seems to just be a fact of life. Also, concerning the pigtail cord connection, with a 12AWG extension I loop the tool's pigtail through the slot since the extension is so thick that this is difficult. In many hours of use so far I have never had any problem.

Unless you have only small depth jobs, I'd say the extra [money] step-up from the HS1010 makes this model's 24 inch reach the better value. Enthusiastically recommended.

This trimmer works great when you get it home. But after a few uses, the teeth wear down, get pitted and dinged. I keep my tools clean, and it was disheartening after each use of this trimmer to note the progressive wear on the supposedly hardened steel teeth. I probably wasted all that time cleaning it after each use because it ended up in the trash so quickly. This hedge trimmer is essentially disposable.

After 3 uses, you start to learn which teeth won't chew through a branch. After 6, it won't cut anything bigger than 3/8 inch. After 10 uses, it won't cut through 1/8 inch. A couple more uses, and it won't cut through tall grass.

Unlike other B&D models, you can not buy replacement blades for this model. Why not, you ask? I suspect it's the dual action design, which means it'd be tricky to tune the blades if you did replace them. And what's more, they're not really something you can sharpen yourself. The teeth have an odd spur on them, so a file won't do the trick.

But let's say you're like me. You sharpen your shovels, you sharpen your drill bits, you sharpen your saws, so you take a stab at sharpening the trimmer teeth. What you'll discover after the first few strokes of a file is that the steel is soft. The good news is, it won't take long to sharpen each tooth. The bad news is, there's 42 of them, and each one has two sides. But the deal killer is that the edge won't last more than a few uses.

Get a different model, even if it's a couple of inches shorter. You'll save time and money in the long run. And remember, a dull trimmer is a dangerous trimmer, especially if you're on a ladder.

Like the other reviewer, I am exclusive to electric garden tools. This Hedge Hog is the longest and most powerful hedge trimmer made and it is by far my favorite tool. It makes light work of most shrubs and really allows for precise sculpting of shrubs. I have even used it to chop up branches in my compost bin, which it was able to do with aplomb. The controls are safe, and I find that tying the extension cord a second time around the handle leaves it secure. (The danger with the extension cord becoming unplugged is if the tool is locked "on" when you plug it back in.)

My only complaints are that this Hedge Hog is slightly heavy and I wish that it were 36" long when I'm trimming bigger hedges. Nevertheless, this is so far the biggest size they make. I would buy it again and again.

I have one big hedge bush at home that needed tameing. I got the baddest trimmer I could find on the web which was the 24 inch black and decker I didn't know if it would do the job or not but it did, that bush was 10 ft tall and bigger than 4 pick up trucks now it is a little bush the black and decker 2400 does what it sayes it will, cuts the big stuff, if you are just cutting yearly green growth it won't even notice that stuff. I'm writing this because when I was looking for a trimmer I couldn't find much in the way of reviews. That bush I have had not been trimmed for 15 years and it is by the road and has its roots in the sewer system and it was growing like a weed but the black and decker 2400 tamed it.

I am a past owner of a Black and Decker 22" electric trimmer and decided to upgrade to a newer one that was a little longer and had a little more power. Unfortunately my first and ONLY experience with the new 24" was extremely diasppointing and I ultimately had to finish trimming my 30 ft. honeysuckle hedge with my old trimmer. The new trimmer continually jammed! According to the package it states that it can cut braches up to 3/4 inches - this was false in my case. I had the trimmer jamming every 2 minutes on branches that were no larger then 1/2". The main reason I believe the trimmer was jamming is due to the blade design. When I compare it to my old trimmer there are a log more little crevices for twigs and branches to get lodged in thus causing the trimmer to jam.

I have owned a BD 24" hedge trimmer for several years and have been pleased with the performance (the green body one, forget the model no.) except for the screws on the handle occasionally pulling through (larger and larger washers are needed to fix).
When the handle came off the last time I decided enough! I trashed it and bought an HS2400 expecting even better results given a few years of improvements.

WRONG!

The HS2400 does indeed "hog" through a thicker branch than it's predicessor, however it leaves behind a mauled mess of the hedges. The handle hangs down underneath the body where it constantly snags on the branches. The trigger switch is located right where your finger will be constantly bumping it and releasing the "lock on" switch - most annoying.

Over all a very poorly designed machine.

Kirk

This makes simple work of any hedge. The balance is good, so it's easy on the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The balanced handle is padded so you can handle it with no stress points. You can hold the trigger down or engage a lock to keep it trimming, his is very good on stopping on fatigue. Very little vibration. Trims through branches that usually require lopping-shears. The longer reach also prevents you from trying to over extend.

Well designed, worth every penny.

I bought the Hedge Hog 24" to replace another B&D hedge trimmer I've had for over 10 years.

The good:

The Hedge Hog is quite lightweight, especially for its size. It is lighter and easier to handle than B&D's previous generation hedge trimmers, and I can use it for long periods of time without much fatigue. The 24" reach is wonderful, and I can use it with one hand if I need to stretch and take out a stray twig.

The amount of vibration is also substantially reduced. The biggest problem with my old trimmer was that my hands felt numb after using it, due to the vibration. I do not have that problem with this model.

The Hedge Hog handily cuts branches 1/2" thick, and can do bigger if you are patient. The "stay-on" trigger lock is a good feature: a necessity if you use it for extended periods of time.

The bad:

The blade did not maintain its sharpness very well. After a season, I can still cut down the branches, but for "finer" work, the Hedge Hog creates an incomplete swath through my hedges. I have to run the trimmer back and forth several times through the hedges to get it to cut completely without leaving partially chopped greens behind. This is a real shame. What I do now is use the 24" Hedge Hog for the initial trimming, and then switch back to my 10 year old hedge trimmer on the same hedge for the finer trimming. I wish I could just replace the blade on the Hedge Hog, as it is relatively expensive to lose its sharpness so quickly.

Conclusion:

If you have more "woody" hedges to trim, the Hedge Hog works quite well. You will get great satisfaction from chewing right through thick messes of branches, and will not feel tired. On the other hand, if the hedges you have are "softer" with consistency closer to thicker grass, the cut quickly becomes inconsistent, and you may become frustrated and surprised that the Hedge Hog seems uninterested in cutting it completely. Rather, it "strips" the grass-like growths without making a clear cut through. If you have hedges more like this, then you'd best spend your "bacon" on something other than the Hedge Hog.

UPDATE (8/29/10):

Replaced this with another B&D Hedgehog trimmer after this one died, having lasted two years. The replacement now barely cuts even a thin boxwood branch, and seizes up with a loud noise in protest. I'm sad to say that it also only lasted a couple years with only periodic use in the warm seasons. They do *not* make these like they used to! I am guessing the lighter weight means they are using more plastic parts which wear more quickly. I noticed another reviewer experience the same short life expectancy with only light seasonal use. Disappointing. Modifying my rating to two stars because of the short lifespan. And my old, now 14-year old B&D trimmer? It still works, and better than the last two "successors."