I have used all 3 types of trimmers, gas, 120 wired, and this cordless one and I have to say the convenience is great. Instant on with a press of the switch is great. The plastic is a bit cheap feeling but it seems to do the work. I think it could've been much better constructed, but the battery life is pretty impressive and the speed/torque of the trimmer is also pretty impressive on a well grown/groomed lawn. It did have a bit of trouble instantly tackling a thick busy section of grass but after going over it 2-3 passes...it took care of it. This same spot has given me trouble even with the corded 120 volt version from Toro so this was expected. The gas one I had chewed through it easily but that's gas...

I think for light to moderate work, it's fine. If you have thorny and thick undergrowth or even small plants with a fibrous stem, it'll take more work to get down than a gas.

Oh..if you even TRY to 'bump and feed' this unit, you will find the spool falls off VERY easily with a solid thump to the bottom (THAT was a pain in the as* as it flew off and unwound a ton of filament that I had to rewind by hand and figure out how to put it back on!

If you have 18 volt black and decker goods like I do, then you'll REALLY like having the two extra batteries and one extra charger. I have 4 batteries and 2 chargers amongst all the goodies now so I know i'll always have more than enough juice for anything around the house.

I would vote 5 stars, but the plastic has a cheapy feel.

309 of 313 found the following review helpful:

Pretty good - but don't get rid of your corded trimmer  Apr 06, 2004

I just bought the B&D NST2018 trimmer along with the NS118 cordless blower. I have a corner lot with long parkways and a lot of sidewalk footage, and have grown tired of dealing with up to 175 feet of extension cables for my corded trimmer and blower. I've had a nice battery-powered mower for several years, and felt it was time to go all cordless. This new pair of tools seemed promising, particularly because of the removable battery design.

After only one use I can say I'm reasonably satisfied, but not fully sold.

Handling: This is probably one of the lightest cordless trimmers available and is easy to handle. The automatic feed system looks similar to the ones in other B&D models and seems to work properly. The shaft length is adjustable and the cutting head flips over for vertical edging.

Power: The trimmer is clearly not as powerful as my corded one. It deals with grass and light ground cover adequately, but has a hard time on anything with thick stems. Not recommended for whacking big stuff.

Battery: The batteries are compact. The trimmer comes with two of them, and I needed them both to complete one job. I guess I'm okay with this approach. It makes sense to lug around only as much weight as is necessary rather than carry a much heavier battery the whole time. If you buy this along with a blower as I did, you'll have four batteries and two chargers available for swapping. And if you happen to have a FireStorm 18v drill, you can apparently swap batteries with that system as well.

Quality: Build quality seems similar to most B&D stuff, meaning it will probably work for a few years.

Overall: Going cordless does simplify my work and save me time, but this tool isn't appropriate for all trimming jobs. I have a month to make up my mind about keeping it. But even if it passes muster, I suspect I'll want to hang onto my corded trimmer for the occasional heavy job.

401 of 416 found the following review helpful:

OK replacement for a corded model  Jun 11, 2006
By W. R. Stockstill Jr. ""Bill""
I got this trimmer to replace a 14" corded Grasshog. Getting the cord out and dragging it around is a hassle. I had a cheap gas weedeater before and I could never get it to start, just ended up with a sore arm from pulling the cord. So I opted for this model. My first impression was that its wimpy. The string is almost too short. The battery drains quickly. It would be useless if 2 batteries were not included. But, it trims my 1/3 acre yard with hardly any juice left in the second battery. So, it does the job, but if you let your yard go for a few weeks plan on spending the weekend getting it back under control with the wimpy trimmer and anemic batteries. The auto feed, edger guide, and no cord are its best attibutes.

90 of 90 found the following review helpful:

A great utilitarian instrument!  Jul 30, 2008
By Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector"
A new era of my life was begun this summer when I bought my own grass trimmer/edger and lawn mower. After five years of hiring one lawn service after another, I decided to mow and tidy my own lawn. Mind you, I am a senior citizen on the young end, a woman, and not a lover of machines with sharp edges that I must handle (not the edges, the machine). Just to make sure I could do this, I borrowed my brother's equipment. He showed me how to use them and I buzzed away.

On July 4th, I declared independence from lawn services by buying my own lawn mower and grass trimmer. I was nervous at first, but now I get out there and have the best time.

Here are the reasons that I like this particular trimmer (Black and Decker 18-volt cordless electric 12-inch Hog String Trimmer/Edger):

1. It is electric! That means no cord! When I was using my brother's corded unit, I kept thinking, wow, the person who invents a cordless unit will make a ton of money.

2. Other reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with the cordless machine because it was not strong enough or didn't last long enough or took too long to charge. Here are my findings:

a. Strong enough to do my job--didn't find this complaint true for me
b. I couldn't believe the unit faded out just as I finished. True, a yard any larger would require more charging.
c. The instructions say to keep the unit on the charger all the time. My unit is always ready to go when I am!

3. One of my biggest complaints about lawn services and one which they totally ignored me concerning was stripping the grass blades to just strings. These poor blades never got over the shock nor did they ever grow again. Since the lower part of my yard slopes, rain water washes the top layer of soil down the yard every time, creating a barren look. I could never get the grass to build up or soil to stay put. There are no stripped blades now!! The same is true wherever they trimmed: along brick edgers, around night lamp, and the area around my gigantic oak tree. Grass now grows right up to the roots which project from the trunk.

When I want to edge, I flip that shield over and edge away. Of course, one should always wear protective goggles.

Another great aspect of this trimmer is its spools of string. When I used my brother's, I had to restring the unit several times because the string became loose. My unit has already-strung spools to go with it. I can't believe how wonderfully this works! And no more bad words!

This trimmer is incredible and works only as well as the person in control! Plus, best bonus--my yard looks great!

92 of 93 found the following review helpful:

This is a GREAT product  May 21, 2004

I bought this trimmer because my old toro 7" 6 volt cordless trimmer finally died. This one has a ton more power,and the one I bought came with two batteries. The batteries are of the type that you can leave on the charger without damamging them, they are kept at full charge. I got about 30 minutes of continuous use out of the batter after its first 9 hour charge. Subsequent charges take 3 to 6 hours. The unit is also lighter in weight than several other models and the adjustable shaft is nice because my wife and I both use it and we differ in height by several inches so we can both use it compfortably.

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