Customer Reviews

Black & Decker GH1000 Grass Hog XP 14-Inch 7.2 Amp Electric String Trimmer/Edger

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(216)

 

 

There is a recall on this product. If you have a black spool cap, you are affected. Getting the new spool and cap fixes all of the complaints I am seeing here. I was pretty irritated with this machine before I got my replacement parts.

Clipped from the recall notice:

Trimmers with date codes 200546 through 200645 (representing manufacturing dates of Nov. 14, 2005, through Nov. 6, 2006) are included in this recall. Consumers can find the date code on the underside of the trimmer's handle. Trimmers with black spool caps are included in the recall, but products with orange spool caps are not.

Black & Decker urges consumers to contact them for a free repair kit.

Consumers can contact Black & Decker at 888-742-9158 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and the firm's website.

Wear eye protection, long pants and hang on tight. Lots of power but control is difficult. Bought it last September, have used it 7 or 8 times, now motor runs but trimer doesn't spin. This seems to be a common problem, a real piece of junk. I just used it for very light duty work, purchased to replace an old Sears trimmer that was about 25 years old. Now I am back to using that old Sears trimmer which is a little bulky and isn't as fancy looking but still does the job. Update, I took it apart, rubber drive belt was shredded and plastic gear on drive assembly was partially melted, cheap componets and poorly constructed. Watch for screw fastener hidden under decal, it makes dissassmbly a minor challange.

Like many reviewers, I had spindle problems with the Grass Hog XP when I first got it. But one call to Black & Decker got me a newly redesigned spindle sent to me via UPS, and I've never had a problem with it since. And, as of this writing, it's now with every model that's out there today. No biggie.

In any case, this has got to be the most powerful trimmer/edger that I could find which could be plugged into an outlet. Being that I hate everything about gas trimmers (i.e. bad smells, loud noise), I relished being able to just plug in the Grass Hog XP, pull the trigger, and just get the job done. I like its edging feature!! It makes the cement walkway leading up to my front door look that much more presentable!! And if you need a little more extra length, just push the black button that's in front of the handle, pull the poll forward, and it just clicks into place. Every one in awhile, I have found that the AFS will give me a little too much line. But I just simply get some scissors, cut off the excess & I'm back on track (I wonder if the reviewers who whined about that have a pair handy???)

In short, the Grass Hog XP is the best alternative that I've found to a smelly, stinky & noisy gas trimmer/edger!! Just plug it it, pull the trigger and it's instantly on. Other electric trimmer/edger products that the competition put out pale in comparison.

The negative reviews here refer to a recalled version of this tool. The problems with the cutting head has been fixed in the version now being sold. And with that fix, this is a truly outstanding piece of equipment and I couldn't recommend it more enthusiatically. It is extremely powerful -- taking out huge areas of tough weeds and vines (including all kinds of thistle, poke and other tough-stemmed weeds) with ease. I wish it had a variable-speed trigger but that's a relatively minor drawback. The trimmer string feeds smoothly and lasts quite a long time -- especially given the tough stuff I am attacking with it. I reload the reel myself -- it's easy and effective if you take your time about it and get the string wound smoothly. I find that 15 feet of string on each section of the reel works perfectly -- just be sure that the pieces are the same length when you start or else one will run out before the other and result in more waste than is necessary. Overall, this has become an indispensible tool for me -- giving me a huge working range with a 100-foot extension cord since I have outlets on each side of the house and in the shed. I always hated gas trimmers -- hard to start, prone to failure, smelly and noisy. This trimmer is a dream compared to that and I give it 5 stars without hesitation.

What happened to the days when a B&D product lasted forever? I still have B&D tools my grandfather bought 30 years ago that work fine.

Not so with this product.

I have a very small yard. On each of the first 2 uses, I had similar issues as other reviewers with the cap popping off and having to re-wind the spool. Yesterday, this happened repeatedly...again... and about a half-hour into the trimming, the entire mechanism holding the spool just fell off. Upon closer inspection, this product generated heat sufficient enough to melt both the safety guard AND the plastic teeth on the spinning portion of the trimmer. It melted through the plastic, and the subsequent spinning "mushed" the entire gearing out of the spindle...it's a perfectly round opening now with a splatter pattern of melted plastic around it. Basically, it self-destructed.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS TRIMMER!

This one was the "expensive" replacement for a B&D trimmer/edger that I bought 2 summer ago. I got 1 1/2 summers out of the $25 model (which, amusing enough, also "lost it's head"... which rolled down a sewer drain before I got to it, so I don't know if it melted through as well). I thought "that's what I get for buying the cheapest model...I upgrade to a better one."

Apparently the cost doesn't improve the product...I'd have been better off with another cheap one.
Never thought a B&D product would be "disposable."
Very disappointing.

With only five minutes of use the line case cracked and line went everywhere. The working end is of a low grade plastic that can not withstand serious use. I would not have purchase this product knowing that the working end was made of a low grade material.

(Update: sometime after the review below was written, B&D issued a
product recall for this first model, and there was a repair kit
which was supposed to fix the problems mentioned below. Newer
production models may be better, but I haven't tried them.)

Powerful enough, but the thin plastic locking prongs on the hub cap/string spool mechanism are too weak and it often flys apart when cutting anything but short grass. The box advertises "For cutting tall weeds and grasses", but during an hour's use in weeds the hub cap and spool flew off half a dozen times, with the cap sometimes being thrown as far as 60 ft into neighbors' yards; half of that hour of use was spent looking for the cap, rewinding the string, and reassembling it. Even when the cap doesn't fly off, periodic checking shows that the string often pulls up out of the metal guide eyelets to under the plastic cap's edges, bending the thin cap and crimping the string. This is probably what causes it to fly apart. One gets the impression that this trimmer wasn't tested much before putting it in stores, and that manufacturing cost-cutting took priority.

I bought this yesterday and did only my small front lawn cutting a few areas of heavy weeds and the other taller grass that the mower would have a problem with. Toward the end of that time, I smelled something burning, and the reel started smoking. This was after it flew off 3 times and had to be re-wound. Even with careful rewinding, it seems to catch and get jammed in the automatic feeder. I exchanged it for a new one to see if I could at least get my back yard under control with it, but based on the previous review, it sounds like this will go back anyway.

I have owned several gas & electric trimmers over the years and the B&D XP Grass Hog is the best by far. This is the best consumer trimmer out there today. Some reviews are exceptionally critical, but this is **NOT** the model to buy if you are going into a landscaping business. This is **PERFECT** is you want to trim at your home or small farm.

It is exceptionally powerful - perfect for some really overgrown areas. It is easy to hold and is weighted so you can do long straight runs. I like that the unit flips/converts/rotates from standard trimming to edging - very easy, very convenient. This model has a flip-down guide to use when edging, so you hold the unit at the proper height. This makes for nice straight lines without hacking up your yard or wasting a lot of line. I also like the auto-feed, which has worked flawlessly for me - much better than many of the "bump" trimmers I've owned.

To those who have had a problem with the cap coming off: Black & Decker has issued a recall if your model came with a BLACK end cap by the string. The new caps are orange. See the Black & Decker site for more information.

I have had this unit for four months and have not had a single problem with it.

My one disappointment is that replacement line for this model is expensive - about $8/spool. I use one spool every two months or so. However, given how quickly I get my yard work done now, I guess the price is fair.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this model. I have quite a few B&D products in my garage (edger, lopers, blower, etc). This one is the best yet!

Wow. I really wish I had read some of these reviews before buying this at a local hardware store. This is a dangerous piece of junk. The first time I used it I was wearing shorts. Ok, that was not all that bright; but I did not expect the auto line feeder to try and cut off my legs at the shins. This thing goes through the line quick, and when it gets to about half way through the line, it starts endlessly feeding more line until either the spindle is empty, the cover and spindle fly off, or you are dead. I ended up with about a dozen bleeding welts on my shins.

Thought I must have done something wrong, so I reloaded with a fresh b&d cartridge, put some jeans on (i am not THAT dumb), and tried again. Same results, except no welts and no blood. I was very glad I was wearing sunglasses though as I got hit in the face by pieces of line twice. At this point my back yard was showing bits and pieces of green line all over the place.

I wonder how many people this thing has seriously injured?

Not that it needs saying, but avoid this product at all costs.

$70 competely wasted, and two months later I still have a couple of scars on my shins.