Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger By Black & Decker |
Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger description
Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger Feature
- allen wrench handle : Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger Check Product Rating
Black & Decker NST1024 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger Reviews
Purchased this trimmer several weeks ago and I've put it through it's paces since then. I have owned several Black & Decker products in the past and I must say I've never been more disappointed with one of their products.You can talk all you want about what a nice job it does trimming and edging, but the bottom line is the current battery system they are using is woefully inadequate for all but the smallest of yards. 20 minutes of usable power is pathetic. Not to mention the 10 hours it takes to recharge the battery.I almost choked when I saw they wanted $70 for a second 20 minute battery, and $35 for a 2-hour recharger. Are you kidding me? Black & Decker, if you're listening, prove to your customers you have their best interests at heart and come out with a corded adapter for this product. I would buy it in a heartbeat.Otherwise, I cannot recommend this product in good faith.
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/edgerBackground: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!
Spring is on its way here in Kansas, but it hasn't arrived yet, so I can't do a video review showing really cool weeds, but, since all of our snow had melted by this morning, I was able to experiment with this a bit on an early patch of grass in our front yard.ASSEMBLY: There were three parts to assemble together, the cover and the front "bale" handle needed to be assembled to the basic edger.The cover for the edger went on using ONE Phillips head screw. It assembled easily.The bale handle was supposed to go on equally easily, however I ran into a slight snag, when the hex wrench (included in the top handle) wouldn't come out. I finally was able to pry it loose using a flat-head screwdriver. After that, it was a simple matter of removing the four screws, lining it up where I wanted it on the edger, and replacing the hex nut screws.BATTERY: The battery comes without a full charge and it is recommended that you charge it completely before using it. The recommended time is 10 hours. The length of time the battery operates is based on speed. Information on Amp Hours and run time are included in the specs above.Tim from "Tooltime" (Home Improvement) would get really excited about this tool, because not only does this powerful trimmer/edger have a 24 volt battery (instead of the standard 18 volt), but it also has 2 speeds! At the top speed, it will cut 60 square feet a minute - and spins at 9000 RPM. It made ME feel pretty powerful just turning it on!The lower speed is intended for regular use and will conserve your battery.USAGE: When I tested it, on the lower speed, it cut the small patch of grass that had already come up easily AND did a nice job of edging along the sidewalk (it changed positions with the push of a button). The 13" swath is a nice size for a bit of grass trimming. Also, the safety switch can be held from either side, and it fit my small hand easily, making my task a bit easier.Without any really big weeds to check it out on, I took a small tree branch (about 1/4 inch) and let loose. It went straight through without breaking the string. I am now looking forward to "hitting the big weeds" with it this summer and watching them fall as easily as the tree branch.But the best part of all (for me at least) is its adjustability. I'm short and my husband is tall. This often means that equipment that I buy doesn't fit him, and I am unable to use equipment that he purchases. In this case, both the length of the handle is easily adjustable (a simple twist lets you expand or contract), AND the bale handle can be adjusted to the location that best suits your physical characteristics.I was a little worried about the weight (about 2 pounds heavier than the standard one), but it wasn't the problem I expected. AND, it's a lot more handy for the area I normally "trim" since the yard area extends 60 feet - and the electric trimmer I've used in the past uses a 50 foot extension cord - so I'm always short a few feet, and I have to unwind and rewind the extension cord without "trimming it" along the way.I've used battery-powered Black and Decker products in the past (including a hedge trimmer) and I have been pleased with the long-term battery use. Since this is a new battery, I will update my review if I experience any problems with it over the long haul.However, after checking it out on my "early spring lawn," I am more than impressed with the power and capabilities of this trimmer/edger.My only negative comment is that while it is advertised as "environmentally friendly," I do have to admit that an electric trimmer/edger with an extension cord does NOT have a problem of battery disposal - which is an environmental concern. It most likely IS more environmentally friendly than a gas powered trimmer.Five Stars!
Hello Everyone, i want to say that i purchase this trimmer to upgrade from the 18v version. Here are my pluses:PLEASE NOTE: From other readers about the problem with the batteries dying quickly. If you got 1 battery that died real quickly and then got a replacement and it works fine, it is possible that it is a manufacture defect or the battery could of been mishandled in a store enviroment (the packing doesn't offer a lot of protection for the battries). If you get 2 or 3 batteries that have the same problem, then it could be the trimmer is a defective unit. I know how much that is annoying, the good part is the 24 Volt trimmer is availible from Home Depot and Lowes, so if you buy it there and have this problem they shouldn't give you a hassle about exchanging it.1) This unit has more balance and does not tire out my hands so quickly2) The 2-speed use is nice, but the 5400rpm speed is sufficient for the majority of jobs that i do with it3) The 2 black rings at the center make is easy to adjust the height4) Attaching the handle was a little difficult because it was hard to get out the allen wrench that comes with it, but i understand why now, if it didn't hold on so well, you'd probaly lose it the next time you use the trimmerNegatives:1) Battery life could be a bit longer, and there is a solution for that, buy the 24 volt firestorm extreme batteries (a $5 premium over regular 24-volt) they quotely last 40% longer. I will see in a few days when i get my pair2) Instead of including the overnight charger with the unit, let me pay another $10-20 for the unit to include a 24-volt rapid charger.3) I noticed very quickly if you put the spoll of wire in upside down, the wire just flies out, make sure you have the gear-like looking side of the spool facing down away from the cap you put on. You should see a matching gear-like look on the trimmer to know you have it installed correctly.Suggested add-ons for this unit:1) Buy the 24-volt firestorm extreme batteries so you can get 40% more run-time, my guess would be about 40 minutes (conservitately speaking)2) Instead of buying the silly 1 battery charge, buy the 24-volt dual charger, you'll save electricity from only having 1 transformer for charing the batteries, and it will take up less space3) If you old cam-corder when you used to record movies with them, if you still have the bag with the strap, use that to lug the batteries around. The 24 volts are so big i cannot hold 2 in one hand at the same time, like wit the 18volt ones4) When using the battries, when they start to get low, put it into the speed boost mode of 7200rpms. Try wearing the batteries down pretty good, if you don't, they won't accept and hold a charge well after about 5 or 6 charges5) If you cannot bring the batteries inside over the winter and you have them in a unfinished and / or unheated garage, leave them in the rapid charges only, this will protect them with trickle charging to keep the batteries from dying.
I have a yard designed to drive non-gardening folks like me crazy. Weeds grow like crazy and I have all kinds of fence lines, patios, sidewalks, etc. that constantly need work. I always hate edging in particular, due to the large size of my yard and the hassle of dealing with power cords, so this battery-powered model is right up my alley. I have tendinitis in my arms so heavy power tools can be a real problem for me, particularly cordless models with those heavy batteries attached. This is certainly not the lightest model out there but I found to be quite easy to handle and not bad for the amount of time I had to use it. The assembly was probably the most painful part of using it, but even that took me only about 10 minutes to do, less if I had bothered to open the manual.Safety features are well in place, the edger ships with a cable tie in place to prevent it turning on until fully assembled and ready to use (and of course, I am outside frustrated at trying to get it to start before I noticed it!) As with most tools of its type, you have a two-button power system for safety. After charging the battery overnight, I gave it a run for its money. Set it to work on the weed factory that passes for a garden in my yard, and it went through everything like it was butter. Awesome! I didn't even need to try the higher power setting, it went through everything I needed it to fast and easy. The adjustable handle makes it very easy to set the right height for your size, and the swiveling head is a great feature to easily go from trimming to edging.The NiCad battery of course is the only downside with these kinds of power tools, they are slow to charge and have limited life, particularly if you are not careful how you use them. But it's pretty hard to find anything else for a cordless trimmer, certainly in this price range. Hopefully we'll see lithium batteries for these kinds of tools start to come down in price and become an option as well.Overall, I would highly recommend this tool, particularly if you have more than average trimming/edging needs and want a tool with sufficient power to handle fairly thick patches of growth.
Received this trimmer as a gift so I couldn't return it. But I would if I could. Tried it out a few times in my large yard but found that as well as it had trimmed my weeds, the battery life wouldn't allow me to finish the job. It is frustrating that such a good product has such a woefully inadequate battery that lasts no more than 20 minutes but takes 9-11 hours to charge. I refuse to pay the $70+ for a second battery. I'd rather buy a comparable product with an adapter so I can complete my yard work.
There are many good things about this trimmer, but I'm going to start off by talking about the most crucial factor, which is bad. After getting everything put together, I plugged in the battery to charge it. They say to charge it for 11 hours the first time, and I did charge it until the "done" light came on after being on overnight (at least 11 hours). Installed it in the trimmer. I have high weeds in my yard, about 18 inches tall. At first I tried the regular/standard power to trim them, but it was going pretty slowly and I was having to go over the same spot repeatedly, as I would expect with any regular trimmer. So then I switched to "Boost" mode, which dramatically increased the power of the trimmer, although probably not twice as strong. It worked GREAT in Boost mode, slicing through weeds like they were ugly green butter. I mowed a path about 3 feet wide and maybe 80 feet long in 15 minutes at which point the motor rapidly lost power and the battery ran dry. I did not repeat the experiment using Regular/Standard power, but I would *guess* that it would last probably not even twice as long, so at best 30 minutes. I don't think that even 30 minutes is enough to finish anything more than edging around your driveway. There is also no indicator of time remaining on the battery, so you just have to guess, or learn the hard way.It's too bad, because this is the most sturdily constructed weed eater that I've ever used. The shaft length can be extended quite far, farther than any I've used before, which really saved my back a lot of pain - I didn't have any discomfort from having to lean over. The self-feeding line works perfectly. The second handle attaches using an allen wrench (or screwdriver - can't remember), but it doesn't slip like the ones that are hand-tightened with wing nuts.But overall, the battery dies WAY TOO QUICKLY, and it takes 9 hours to recharge it! You can buy another battery pack, but they cost half as much as the trimmer, so it's not an economical option. If this battery lasted longer I would SWEAR that this is the best weed trimmer ever made.
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