Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)QUICK SUMMARY: This Black & Decker cordless trimmer/edger has more power to cut through stubborn St. Augustine grass shoots, but a few minor design complaints and a short-lived battery life keep it from being a 5-star product. Recommended!
What I LIKED:
- 24 volt battery pack creates power that rivals a gas-powered trimmer
- easily mowed through thick, overgrown, St. Augustine grass
- quickly cut the St. Augustine grass shoots spreading over my sidewalk
- uses its predecessor's 18-volt battery packs, too!
- assembly was a cinch to do
- stronger shaft is now made of strong, lightweight aluminum (not plastic)
What could be improved:
- the trigger to activate the trimmer/edger requires too much pressure to hold down, so using this unit for more than a few minutes grows tiring after a while
- removing and reinstalling the allen wrench (used to reposition the handle) is hard to do
- the battery life still isn't long-lasting enough to fully trim/edge my lawn
- adjusting the handle requires using the allen wrench, so it's not easy to have two people of different heights using the same trimmer/edger
Background:
This is my second Black and Decker cordless trimmer/edger. My first one has just about died now after a few years of use. The shaft on my old unit is made of plastic, and the weight of the unit stressed the middle of the shaft to the point where it cracked and had to be kept together using duct tape. I was happy to see, then, that this new Black & Decker trimmer/edger has a shaft made of aluminum now, which should be more durable.
I live in Florida, and our lawn is made of St. Augustine grass. If you're not familiar with St. Augustine, it's like crabgrass except it's highly heat tolerant and it isn't a weed. St. Augustine spreads via spreading grass shoots, and those grass shoots grow over my front yard sidewalk. They're very hard to cut while edging my sidewalk, even when I had a gas-powered trimmer/edger. My old B&D trimmer/edger, which uses 18-volt battery packs, struggled to cut the thickest grass shoots and it took quiet a long time to edge my 50-foot-long sidewalk.
Using the Trimmer/Edger:
In my first time using this trimmer/edger, I was pleasantly surprised at how much power it seemed to have over my 18-volt trimmer/edger. The 24-volt battery pack that comes with this unit delivers a lot power that, I think, rivals my old gas-powered trimmer/edger. I had a large, very overgrown patch of St. Augustine grass over my septic system's drain field that needed to be whacked away before I could mow over it. This trimmer easily cut through the thick St. Augustine grass with no trouble -- and this was without even using the power boost setting that is available on this model!
The harder task came when edging my sidewalk. I had St. Augustine grass shoots that hadn't been edged in months now, growing over my 50-foot sidewalk. Using this trimmer, I was able to pretty quickly cut through those hard-to-cut grass shoots. The task went much more quickly than when I was using my old 18-volt trimmer/edger.
Unfortunately, I ran out of power before I could complete the edging of my sidewalk. I got 75% finished before the battery pack's power noticeably waned. In sum, I probably worked about 20 minutes total whacking a large, overgrown grass patch in my front yard and edging 75 feet of my sidewalk (I completed one 50 foot stretch on one side of my sidewalk, but then only 25 feet of the opposite side of the sidewalk).
Here's one good thing, though: this trimmer/edger works with all my 18-volt battery packs! So, I was still able to finish my lawn using my 18-volt battery packs. If you've already invested in some of the 18-volt battery packs, you'll really appreciate the backwards-compatibility of this new Black & Decker trimmer/edger.
Because the handle requires loosening and retightening four screws, it's not going to be easy to share this trimmer/edger with another person in your family who is of a substantially different height than you are. It would have been better to design a handle that could be readjusted without screws.
My biggest design complaint is the finger pressure that's required to keep the power-on trigger depressed. It requires substantially more effort to hold down the finger trigger on this new, 24-volt trimmer/edger than my old Black & Decker trimmer/edger. After about 10 minutes of grass-whacking, I required frequent rests to my finger that was holding down the power-on trigger. I also don't like the safety lock that you have to slide and hold firstly before you can depress the power-on trigger -- I think it's in an awkward position for your thumb to get to.
Conclusion:
Black & Decker certainly improved their cordless trimmer/edger by giving it a 24-volt battery pack. It now has power that rivals a gas-powered trimmer/edger. It also has an improved build quality using aluminum instead of plastic in the shaft. But this trimmer/edger's power is short-lived still. Unless you have a very small lawn with very easy-to-cut grass, you'll run out of power before the job is done. And if that's the case, you'll want to buy a 2nd battery pack so you finish the job. I'm actually very impressed with this Black & Decker cordless trimmer/edger, and will be happy to use it more frequently now that the warm weather has arrived.
Recommended!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger
Designed to make yard work faster and easier than ever before, the Black & Decker 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer and Edger (NST1024) provides unmatched power and convenience in a battery-powered, easy-to-operate design. This high-performance tool offers two cutting modes for improved control, making it the perfect solution for those in search of a reliable, powerful, environmentally friendly string trimmer.
Powerful, Cordless PerformanceLike all Black & Decker cordless string trimmers, the NST1024 delivers a high level of cutting performance without the hassles of gas, oil, or pull cords. It comes equipped with a long-lasting 24-volt battery pack and a newly developed 9,000-RPM motor. The motor gives the trimmer the juice it needs to quickly take down the tallest weeds and expertly trim along fences, houses, landscape beds, and more.
Two Cutting Modes to Meet Your NeedsThe NST1024 boasts a patented gear drive transmission to dramatically increase power output over all other cordless trimmers on the market. And for optimum control of all that power, PowerCommandTM enables users to select between two cutting modes. Normal mode maximizes battery runtime, while Boost mode delivers twice the cutting power of leading 18-volt string trimmers.
Versatile, Comfortable, and Easy to UseThe adjustable aluminum shaft and soft no-slip grip areas make the NST1024 comfortable to use. With the touch of a single button, the trimmer head rotates and converts to an edger. To cap it off, the NST1024 trimmer uses Black & Decker's patented auto-feed spool system, which automatically advances the cutting line as it wears down.
Environmentally FriendlyIn addition to power and versatility, the NST1024 offers an array of environmental advantages. Unlike gas-powered engines that produce a total of over one million tons of polluting air emissions a year, the NST1024 releases zero harmful emissions when cutting. In addition, its charging system is Energy Star certified.
As an added bonus, the NST1024 is much lighter, starts easier, and has lower operating costs than traditional gas-powered models. It is backed by a two-year warranty and 30-day risk-free trial.
About Black & Decker: Nearly a Century of InnovationAs a global manufacturer and marketer of power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology-based fastening systems, Black & Decker has established a reputation for product innovation, high-quality, durable design, and value. The company enjoys worldwide recognition for its innovative product development, and its global distribution is unsurpassed in the hardware and tools industry.
Based in Towson, Maryland, Black & Decker was founded in 1910 by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker. In 1917, the company invented a portable electric drill and quickly received a patent for the drill's pistol grip and trigger switch. In the years that followed, the company's success led to entry into foreign markets, and later, the development of individual tool lines.
What's in the BoxBlack & Decker 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer and Edger, high-output 24-volt battery, charger, and manual.
Click here for more information about Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger
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