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My New Toy - A Black & Decker Hedge Trimmer

Ranked #8,345 in Home & Garden, #102,158 overall

Guilt + Frustration = Action!

I am not a work-in-the-yard person. I don't mind the physical labor, but I never seem to be getting anywhere. And I don't really have a clue what I'm doing. Which is why I stick to ... well, paying people to do my yard.

But while my grass is beautiful, my shrubbery is a bit overgrown (it would scare the Knights who say Ni). As in parts of what should be about waist-height are now taller than the edge of the roof. I'm pretty sure that's not right.

My neighbor had put his house on the market, and in the interest of being a good neighbor, I got out there last weekend to clean out some of the crap and realized the bushes really just needed a good trimming. But after hacking away for a while with my dull clippers, I realized this was a lost cause.

Enter my new toy! An electric hedge trimmer - a Black and Decker 17-inch trimmer to be exact. And three hours later, I have neat hedges in my back yard. (Which doesn't help my neighbor, actually, but there's always tomorrow!)

Get the Black and Decker electric hedge trimmer

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There she is!! Ready for action! 

Why I Chose This Electric Hedge Trimmer

Factors to consider when picking the best hedge trimmer for you

I started looking for a hedge trimmer after the frustration of trying to trim back my hedges with dull clippers. No fun. Here's why I choose my little Black & Decker model.


  1. Cost - it wasn't $70 or more. I didn't want to invest a lot into something that wouldn't bring me a lot of joy.

  2. Ratings - This was a Consumer Reports pick, but they weren't the only place I checked. And everywhere I looked, others were raving about it.

  3. Weight - At less than five pounds, I knew this was a unit I could easily manage without wearing myself out. Well, outside of the general I'm-a-desk-jockey-who-gets-no-exercise wearing out.

  4. Electric - I didn't want to deal with gas. Plus, those cost way more than I wanted to pay and have way more power than I really need.

My bushes before. It was worse than a jungle. Is it supposed to touch the eaves like that? 

All neat and tidy now!! If a little naked. Hey! There's a window there! 

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Halfway through the box hedge. What a difference! 

Cons of My New Hedge Trimmer

Nothing is perfect, although this guy was close

Really, after three hours of work (with a few breaks!), I didn't have any complaints. It cut through branches thicker than I thought it would be able to handle and was nice and light. I had some trouble keeping the plug in for some reason, which I've never had with the edger, so I gave it a little more slack and that took care of it. The vibration was a bit much, but if you aren't having to cut down the forest I had to, it shouldn't be that much of an issue for you.

This is what happens when the hedge gets overgrown. Thick branches that the trimmer can't cut. 

Safety First When Working with an Electric Hedge Trimmer

Things to keep in mind while trimming your hedges

Hey, read the manual and use some common sense. But if you've never trimmed a hedge before, here are the basic rules for safety.

  • Ears - This guy really wasn't that loud, but I knew I was going to be out there for a while. So I wore my ear protectors. You can use ear plugs or whatever you have. We all want to be able to hear when we're old!

  • Eyes - Make sure you have something whether sunglasses or safety glasses. I had at least one thing fly up at my face and was glad I had my sunglasses on.

  • Hands - Wear some gloves. Your hands get sweaty, things get slippery, bad things happen. Plus, when you're trimming prickly bushes like I was and need to brush stuff out of the way, it's nice to be protected. I wore my leather gardening gloves.

  • Two hands on the wheel - This trimmer allows you to lock it in an on setting (not exactly a safe idea) and there's the temptation to hold with one hand and brush away trimmings with the other. This is when things like accidentally bringing together hand and blade happen. Or blade dropping to your side to meet your leg. Not good. The openings on the blade were big enough for me to get a finger in there so be careful!

  • Cord - This is an electric unit, so you do have an extension cord to worry about. I've cut through a cord before with a trimmer and it wasn't a big deal, really. Unpleasant, but not overly painful. But it was a big pain in the butt to have to go get a new cord! I keep the cord draped over a shoulder to ensure it's away from the blade, but it can be easy to forget where it is when you get into the cutting. Always be mindful of its location.

  • Skin - Sunscreen, hat and for me, lots of bug spray. The mosquitoes around here don't understand that they aren't supposed to be out during the day. And they have some kind Twitter-like network that means they all show up when I come outside.

I look like an airport baggage handler. What? I can't hear you! 

Get Your Safety Gear!

Everything you need to stay safe while using an electric hedge trimmer

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My supervisor. Yeah, whatever. That looks fine. 

Do You Do Your Own Yardwork?

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Do I pass inspection? (Well, mom, you won't get a job trimming the topiaries at Disney, but it'll do.) 

Other Stuff You'll Need For Hedge Trimming

Because no small electric hedge trimmer can do it all

I recommend ratcheting shears as you can get through thicker branches with them. The saw? Well, I had to cut those really thick branches with the heavy artillery. The bath bombs? Because you will be really stinky when you get done!!
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Let's Hear From You!

Comments about the lens, yardwork or my lovely new hedge trimmer.

  • SusanVillasLewis Jul 13, 2008 @ 2:37 pm | delete
    So glad it worked well for you, John! I keep thinking that I might need to get out there to trim it up a little bit more again. Keep up with that maintenance so they don't get insanely out of control again.
  • JohnB Jul 13, 2008 @ 11:45 am | delete
    Thank you for review. I went out and bought one this morning as soon as Sears opened. I worked with it for about 40 minutes, then the heat of the day started up, so I decided it was time to clean up the wreckage. My usual trimmer is a Mantis gas engine coupled with their three foot cutting bar. I think the combination weighs about 15 pounds. Working with this little unit at less than 1/3 the weight was a real joy in comparison, although it will not cut branches as thick as the Mantis can. I wish it was cooler out so I could keep on going.
  • JaguarJulie Jun 1, 2008 @ 6:48 pm | delete
    Now, how did you get inspired to tackle that job ... inquiring minds want to know. Great minds think alike in that I too wrote a lens about my yard work! 5 stars on the tip-top job you did ... girl power.
  • CherylK May 31, 2008 @ 8:51 pm | delete
    Excellent lens, as usual. Don't have a hedge but if I did, that'd be the hedge trimmer for me :)
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SusanVillasLewis

Idea hamster. Design lover. Makes things happen. Random crafter. Voracious reader. Liberty lover. Marginal shooter. Singer. Writer. Marketer.

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