Customer Reviews

Black & Decker HT018 3.0 amp 18-Inch Electric Dual Action Hedge Trimmer

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I should have bought this a long time ago, instead of suffering with hand clippers all of those years. It definitely does the job, lots of power and low vibration. I have 4 different type shrubs I used it on, plus two 6ft ficus tree's and a 8ft citrus tree. It trimmed all of them with very few problems. Some of the new growth "Green" citrus branches where over 1/2 in. thick, and it went right through them. However you will have a problem cutting though old growth "Brown" branches close to this size. Fortunately for me I had very few large old growth branches to cut. All and all it worked out well for me, and cut my work time by more than half.

This trimmer is quite comfortable to work with, it's not to heavy and the handles are positioned where they are comfortable to hold. The low vibration of these clippers help in the comfort factor. I did not feel overly fatigued even after working with it for a fairly long time.

Unfortunately as some of the other reviewers I managed to cut my extension cord also, it's not that hard to do. Now I wrap the cord around my neck with the long end over my shoulder and behind me. Plus of course pay more attention as to where it is.
Also it's a good idea to lubricate the blades often, I do it every 20 minutes or so, and again when I am finished with it.

However if I had it to do over again, I would consider the B&G Trimmer with the 20 or 22in. blade. That would give me a bit more reach and the extra .08 amp of power would be a nice plus for cutting through the larger old growth branches.

For a light-duty, corded bush trimmer, this is as close to perfection as they come. It does the job well and it gives no headaches.

- Packaging: Ordered from Amazon, my first emotion was one of concern. The trimmer came in its retail box, scotch-taped and looking a little battered. I's an odd-shaped box that follows the trimmer's shape and was afraid that the blade might be broken but, lucky me, all was fine. Packaging could be better.

- Assembly: Not much assembly required. The only thing that needs attaching is the handle. A one minute job.

- Manuals: There's not much you need to know about operation and it's all in the manual which comes with some illustrations of proper bush-trimming techniques. And, if you don't understand English, there's a French version included too.

- Operation: Once a cord (NOT INCLUDED) is attached, you are ready to cut. The trimmer is light enough for me to operate it with one hand for minutes at a time without getting tired - when I do the tops of some of our taller bushes.

- Safety: You need to pull a trigger and to squeeze a lever for the trimmer to operate but I can do both with one hand so I would NOT call this 'child proof'. Must be careful not to cut the power cord and, of course, you must take the customary common-sense precautions when operating a live cutting device.

- Performance: It cut through our bushes like a butter knife cuts through butter. I imagine it would have some difficulties cutting through thicker growth but in our case, where everything we need to cut is rarely over 1/4 inch thick, we had no problems, whatsoever.

To conclude: if you have a long enough power cord and you are not engaged in any heavy-duty trimming activities, this can be your tool. I know it's mine. The only issue, as I mentioned, was the packaging but this is not what I am reviewing here. The trimmer itself deserves the 5 stars and the 5 stars it gets.

P.S. - My wife just managed to cut the cord while trimming. She says that she understands how this works now and it won't happen again.

I purchased this trimmer to cut creeping fig that grows up and over my cinder block walls. It has never been trimmed so you can imagine the state it was in. I took the trimmer out of the box and it never got stuck. I'm glad I didn't get the 24", in tight spots it would have been a problem.

Great trimmer at a good price. My old one broke B&D 20+ years old. I was NOT looking to buy a trimmer but my wife thinks the old one was a chainsaw. I'm glad she broke it, the new one cuts with dual action at twice the speed. I was a little worried when I got home and saw the bright orange box at the door. It was taped with clear tape and the box was broken right were the blade started. If ordering one of these units have it marked as a gift so as to conseal its contents and maybe better packaging. Mine was not broken and works like a charm. No vibration like the old one, tingling fingers. Wear gloves, glasses and earplugs for safty and an orange cord if you have one, it's easier to see in the greenery. Put your name on it right away, the guy next door will be over in the morning to borrow it. A 4 hour job in a little more than an hour. For a home owner you just have to love this machine.

I have 3 large shrubs, plus a hedge. We get a lot of rain up here, which makes them all grow faster then normal. For years I have had to cut these with a pair of hedge shears, and for years, its always been a hassle. Whats even worse, is when my hedge shears start to dull up, then they don't want to cut worth a darn. Thats when I find myself trying to use them karate style and looking like a complete idiot.

OPERATING: In old electric power equipment, while operating, the electric cord would get yanked out of the machine, all the time! But, since the year 2000, electric power equipment usually include a cord grabber, which keeps that from happening. I find that the blade is actually pretty sharp, sharper then my hedge shears for sure. lol

SHRUBS: When hedge trimming, what you want to do, is keep a good fluid, and even motion. For example, while cutting my shrubs, I like them to be round shaped. So, I like to go slowly, and let the trimmer do the work. I find that it cuts really well, and leaves a very clean and even cut. I was pretty happy with how my shrubs turned out, and never needed more power for the job at hand.

HEDGE: Hedges are the reason why hedge trimmers were made. Hedges are usually long, and require a lot of trimming to get them to look nice. I am sure you have passed by a business and said to yourself, "Oh, I wish my hedges looked that nice." The truth is, they can be, if you use a hedge trimmer. Never expect them to look nice, when cut with a hedge shear. I like to trim my hedges in the standard square shape, and I like them to be even.

Just like with the shrubs, I like to go nice and slow, to let the machine do the work. With hedges, I like to use a vertical sweeping motion, upwards and downwards. I find that this trimmer, cuts fine and even, just like with the shrubs. Though I don't need to, you can use pieces of string, to create a straight line to trim along. On the top of my hedge, I use a horizontal sweeping motion, moving slowly just like before. And just like before, it cuts finely and evenly, as long as I maintain my fluid motion.

DURABILITY: I find that the trimmer overall is pretty durable. The plastic handles, guard, and cord grabber, are made strong. And the switch and trigger are also made well. I don't feel that any of these parts are flimsy at all. The motor appears to be made strong, judging by the fact of how heavy the motor weighs. Like I said, B&D makes good power equipment. The blade however, does not feel to be commercial quality. The blade can, and will flex sometimes, so its highly important that you don't force it to do a job, it was not intended for.

CONCLUSION: I felt that this electric hedge trimmer by Black & Decker was quite good. I am a fan of their products and the implements they come up with. I felt the motor had plenty of power to get the job done, and I am happy with the length of the blade. Just remember, its for home use only, not to landscape somebody's 4 foot wide by 100 foot long hedge.

Very good trimmer and it sure beats trimming with hand shears. However in dense brush it is very easy to get the cord in a position where it will be cut. I also found that cuts of dense growth near the ground should be made from the ground up to avoid dulling the blades by stiking the ground. I recommend the 18 inch or longer model.

I have used my new trimmer and it works good on shrubs etc as long as the branches are not to large - it is easy to hold and to trim with - the cord detaches easily if you get it caught in the limbs. Sure makes the trimming go a lot faster.

The trimmer worked very well on the small stuff but on limbs 3/8 of an inch it locked up. If I knew this I would have bought a stronger trimmer.

The trigger lock can be difficult to engage; otherwise, it is perfect for trimming the bushes in our yard.

the handle provides multiple hand positioning while cutting either horizontal or verticle. nicely made and thought out product, much better balance than previous style cutters. lots of power!!!