Black & Decker's Grass Hog offers the convenience of cordless power without the mess of fuel. Requiring virtually no tune-ups and no fussing with gasoline and oil mixtures, the Grass Hog gives you quiet, reliable, maintenance-free power at the flip of a switch. True, battery power doesn't measure up to the strength of a gas engine, but maybe you don't need all that power (and pollution) anyway.

This trimmer takes just a few minutes to put together, and its durable construction--backed by Black & Decker's two-year warranty--is immediately obvious. With a 12-inch cutting path--the largest of any battery-powered trimmer--the Grass Hog works quickly. It is limited to light-duty cutting of grass and foliage but can handle most homeowners' needs for weekend weed whacking. The straight-shaft design lets you easily reach under decks and stairs, and the adjustable handles offer a comfortable grip. The auto feed spool releases trimmer line as it's needed, with no tapping of the spool head required. The edger feature is easy to engage and does a decent job of cleaning up around paving stones and concrete, although it's not as powerful as gas and corded electric models when cutting extensive edges along walkways and driveways.

Great Unit but it doesnt last

We just burned up our third one of these, this one just slightly out of the warranty period. We love it, but we will be looking for something a little more durable...

Not for 1/2 acre..as advertised

I have less than a 1/3 acre lot, so I figured this should be adequate since the box says for up to 1/2 acre. The goods: well built, string feed seems to work well. No need for power cord, gas. No battery memory (claimed) Quiet, no exhaust. The bad: I'm 6 feet tall and find the handling real ackward. The battery last less than 15 min on a full charge. I do light trimming and edging and I find that I can only do 1/3 of my 9000 square feet lawn with each charge. A two hour recharge bought me another 5-7 minutes. The narrow 12" cutting path exacerbates the problem since sometimes I have to make 2 passes to finish the job. There is not enough power to cut tall (6" or more) grass. I returned mine and bought a gas powered, which I'm much happier with. If you live in an arid area where grass never gets real tall, and your lot is very small, this may be perfect. The reason for 1 star is that it is not appropriate for lot size anywhere near 1/2 acre as stated right on the box.

good whacker

I've had one of these units for coming up on the third summer, now. I've found it to be a reliable weed-whacker that has adequate power for grass and small vines with an amount of charge good for the acre I patrol on grass-cutting day, and some charge to spare. ^M
^M
My only gripe with it is that the battery pack is inordinately difficult to dislodge when it's time to recharge; I've actually cut my hand on two occaisions trying to do so. So where some gloves, something I rarely do. Other than that it's a good household unit that will provide a relief from either toting around a cord or having to refill a fuel tank, and provide great service.