Black & Decker GH1000 Grass Hog XP 14-Inch 7.2 Amp Electric String Trimmer/Edger
|
List Price: Our Price: $64.99 You Save: $78.10 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker GH1000 Grass Hog XP 14-Inch 7.2 Amp Electric String Trimmer/Edger
Customer Review: A tentative, 2nd-chance review
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought a GH1000 the first season it was available, and promptly experienced all three of this model's well-documented flaws: it's track-and-field aspirations (launching the spool cap like a discus), diarrahea (spitting out almost line clippings as grass clippings), and eventual paralysis (the wearing down of internal plastic drive components). The first two I got around by replacing the head with blades (prop from a model plane no less!), which worked wonderfully for a season (bladed it could take down small trees!), until the drive shaft lost its connection to the powerhead.
Worst of all, B&D refused to acknowledge these issues .... "We have no record of these problems ...." "Oh? have you asked any of your customers? you DO field test prototypes, right?" ... until they suddenly recalled them, in an effort to fix 1 of 3 problems. And their fix didn't work (for me anyway). Clearly, B&D took a fine idea--"Let's make an INSANELY powerful electric trimmer!"--and then forgot to do the requisite engineering to handle that power. 7.2-amp trimmer in a 3.5-amp body. The product design / marketing guys did a great job on the curvy handle though.
So why, after a couple of seasons, am I trying the GH1000 again? The power. No other electric trimmer comes close, and with some ingenuity, ots other problems can be dealt with. And, it has been on the market awhile. Perhaps it was released prematurely, but surely they've tweaked it, right?
Well, after 5 minutes of initial use, this one began to smoke. !@#@#$&! With nothing to lose, I gave it another shot the next day. And last week, for an endurance test of sorts, I 'mowed' the front yard with it. After about 90 minutes of total use, it appears that the first two problems have been fixed: no flying caps (no lacerated legs, yay!), and if it has burned any line, I can't tell. No more rain of 1" green strips!
Now if it makes it to year's end, I might up this to 4 stars.
If it's still running next spring, I'll go 5.
Even though, after 90 minutes, the black plastic shield is already about to fall off (geeeeeeeeez).
In short, not for the casual, light user. Flawed but powerful, if you can work with it.
Well, it's November. The GH1000 made it. Had to juryrig the guard with 2 bolts, big washers, and a length of insulated wire, and now it's far more solid than the original installation!
See you next year!
Customer Review: AUTO FEED IS A PIECE OF JUNK
Summary: 1 Stars
THE FIRST B AND D XP TRIMMER I PURCHASED WAS USED ABOUT 1 MONTH WHEN THE AUTO FEED QUITE WORKING. AFTER CONTACTING B AND D CORPORATE OFFICES, THEY AGREED TO SEND ME ANOTHER TRIMMER.
THE NEW TRIMMER WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THEN WOULD NO LONGER FEED THE STRING. THE STRING IN THE B AND D SPOOLS WAS STUCK TOGETHER AT VARIOUS POINTS AND ALSO ADDED TO THE PROBLEM.
I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER B AND D TRIMMER.
Customer Review: AWESOME
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this at the beginning of last spring (2008), and I have nothing bad to say about it. I must've been lucky, 'cause mine already has the orange cap and is not a recalled version. And only today (Aug. 24, 2009) did I run out of string. I'm sure my string would've lasted even longer if I was careful of rocks, trees, or other landscape obstructions. I've seen reviews in which people complain about things flying and their legs getting beat up, but I've never had a trimmer that DIDN'T do that. You just need to wear pants or long socks, and wear protective glasses (you know, precautions you SHOULD be taking anyway). I don't have much property, so I really don't want or need a gas trimmer. This one is perfect.Customer Review: Absolute Piece of Crap
Summary: 1 Stars
This trimmer is the last B&D product I ever buy. It goes through line like mad. It chops off the line in about 2 inch chunks and leaves them all over your yard. One of the replacement spools lasted about 2 trimmings for me and I have a small yard. The replacement spools are about $15 at Home Depot. I think B&D makes most of their money off the replacement spools. As mentioned by other reviewers, you better wear long pants when using this trimmer or you'll end up with welts and cuts on your shins. I got so frustrated with this trimmer I threw it in the trash. On second thought, I should of shipped the thing back to B&D.Customer Review: Absolute junk...Why haven't they recalled?
Summary: 1 Stars
Mine had less than 3 hours weed-eating on it when I had the same problem everybody else seems to be having: motor spins, string head doesn't! I work in manufacturing and I can't imagine a company being so unresponsive to consumer input, or putting out a piece of garbage like this. If this is what B & D has come to, I don't think I can ever trust another one of their products. I hope everybody reads this review and is smart enough to STEER CLEAR of B & D products!
By the way, Amazon, you need to add a "0" star rating. :)