Black & Decker TR117 3.2-Amp Hedge Trimmer, 17-Inch

I actually purchased this trimmer to help out an elderly neighbor who needed serious help with hedges gone awry. I hadn't had an electric trimmer for years, but this was so reasonably priced that I couldn't see how I could lose. I have to say that I'm amazed, for such an inexpensive product, the device is much more powerful than trimmers I've used in the past, it's very lightweight and very easy to control. We sculpted the overgrown hedges, and the results were outstanding. If I were trimming a row of traditional hedges, perhaps a longer trimmer would help to maintain a consistent, flat cut, but for my purposes the shorter blade was a positive. I've read a lot about the mobility of the cordless trimmers, but many of those reviews speak of shortened run times and limited power. While working with an electrical cord can sometimes be challenging, I think it's worthwhile for the additional power and runtime that a corded product offers. I would definitely recommend this model to a user who needs a maneuverable, lightweight, yet powerful trimming solution.

Our house has a lot of hedges and shrubs surrounding it. I heard that the previous owner used to trim them weekly with a hand trimmer, and I shudder at the thought of how much time she spent on this. I have two young kids and between them and the rainy spring, our the shrubs were out of control. I have a battery-powered trimmer that I've used previously, but the battery didn't last that long and I decided it was time to buy a corded one. After using it this past weekend, I cannot believe that I waited this long.This thing cut through the hedges and shrubs very easily, and I had gone around the whole house in less than an hour and a half. Worked great on both straight hedges and round shrubs, everything looks perfect. That probably would have taken me 8 hours with the old trimmer.Some notes:- You need an extension cord to go with this. The cord wraps around a notch on the handle and then plugs in under the handle. That really does help with preventing it from getting un-plugged while trimming.- The blade is a good length for handling both straight hedges and rounded shrubs. Cuts a good amount with each sweep, but still easy to manage and maneuver.- The black blade protector falls off easily. I just took it off after the third time and figured it really isn't needed. That didn't bother me.- It does vibrate more than my old battery-powered trimmer, but is also way more powerful. I still thought it was pretty comfortable after having used it for basically an hour and a half straight.- To turn on you have to push the black button on top and the one on the inside of the handle, then just hold in the one on the inside of the handle to keep it running. That button runs the whole length of the handle, so is pretty comfortable to hold while trimming. Stops as soon as you let go of it.

I bought this to replace a similar B&D hedge trimmer I had for about 25 years. (The motor finally burned out on the old one). This one is slightly improved. It's extremely light weight which makes reaching and one-hand use very easy. The strain-relief for the power cord is an improved design. And the overall cutting performance is much better. It really hacks through some of my heavier shrubs, which I have let get a little overgrown over the years because my old trimmer could only do so much.The only thing I don't like is the dead-man feature. My old one had a trigger with a lock. Once you locked the trigger on, it would continue running until you pulled the trigger again. Not a dead-man at all. This model has a thumb safety that you press to enable the dead-man, which runs the full length of the grip. But the dead-man gets tiring after extended use. You have to keep constant pressure on it with your fingers. Most dead-man features are located on the back of the grip where the palm goes and remains engaged as long as you just grip the unit. That way you can change or readjust your grip without getting fatigued and the unit continues to run.The price is very reasonable.

I'll start by saying I had a pair of these trimmers as far back as 1990. I remember using them as a teenager. This is my first full spring/summer with plants, bushes, shrubs since last year those were just being planted at our new house. A set of corded Black and Decker trimmers were one of the first things on my "needs" list. Call me stubborn, but I don't like those cordless ones. I do like the cord holder that is built-in to these though. I have at least one memory of getting the extension cord wrapped around my arm and slicing right through the cord in the past.These trimmers had no problems with our little shrubs. My only complaint is I read in a few of the questions about this model of the trimmers having the lock-on switch, which my old ones had. I had already taken back the 16" pair to a local department store since it didn't have the lock-on switch. Then received these and no lock-on switch. Instead, you have a safety switch you have to push to use them. Why all the concern about safety? I like the lock-on switch. I can't help but think if you need a button to press before using them you probably shouldn't be using them. Either way, the trimmers work very good. Nice and light especially if you're like me and try to trim the hedges after mowing. That lightness feels good on your already tired arms. Lets bring that lock-on switch back and I'll buy those too. I live in one of those snooty neighborhoods where everyone tries to keep up with everyone else. They are look at my corded trimmers with their noses up in the air, but they probably are getting their blades stuck on tiny twigs.