Black + Decker GL7033GB Electric Strimmer Grass Trimmer, 700 W, 33 cm
Black + Decker 700 Watts Electric String Trimmer
The Black & Decker GL7033 Strimmer is a powerful addition to Black & Decker’s range of garden power tools. This 700W strimmer can be used for trimming excess grass growing against a wall, fence, flowerbed or pathway and gives the borders of your lawn a neat and tidy finish. Designed to tackle the toughest areas in only a small amount of time, it uses technology that facilitates the trimming process and increases your productivity.
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Power, speed, comfort and control strimmerPowered by E-Drive technology, the Black & Decker GL7033 strimmer boasts a high torque gear system and 700W motor to power through tough, overgrown areas quickly and without clogging. Its high-speed action, 33 cm swathe and long cable reach allow you to get the job done faster, even over large areas, and its wheel edge guide ensures neater lawn edges every time. | Intelligent technologyThe Black & Decker GL7033 has a heavy duty 2 mm line and a 7000rpm line cutting speed. It also features Black & Decker’s innovative, automatic single line feed system AFS (Auto Feed Spool) to save you time and effort, and comes complete with a 10 metre spool. | Saving time, effort and spaceThe GL7033 also has an adjustable, ergonomic second handle that can be locked in a variety of positions and a mid-mounted motor, this ensures that the strimmer is very well balanced making it ideal when being used for long periods of time. In addition, the GL7033 has a telescopic shaft that allows you to match the strimmer optimally to your height and an adjustable second handle that provides the ultimate in comfort and control. |
| Weight: | 3.2 kg |
| Size: | 700 W |
| Dimensions: | 22 x 11.5 x 114 cm; 3.2 Kilograms |
| Model: | GL7033-GB |
| Colour: | Orange |
| Manufacture: | Stanley Black & Decker |
| Colour: | Orange |
| Size: | 700 W |
Queen of electric strimmers
Having bought cheap strimmers over the years this one is by far the best buy and well worth the extra cost. I bought the higher power one for a larger garden and was so pleased that I bought the 700w for a smaller garden. The auto feed and edge trimming facility are perfect. I was unsure about the ergonomics of the curved shaft but I initially handled it in a shop. It uses 2mm line which is unusual for this type of strimmer. I’ve had little use for the separate, single cutting lines but they do cut through strongg weeds such as thistles.higy recommended !!!
Very good strimmer.
Very easy to assemble. Really like the ability to switch between heavy duty and normal with the easy interchangeable spools. Used it on my Very overgrown backgarden. It cut some very think long grass with ease.
Great value strimme
Great strimmer for the price. The push button release is amazing and saves any awkward threading through. Does the job really easily and quickly.
I Don’t Think I will ever need another Electric grass Trimmer since purchasing This item. It’s Quite strong and sturdy and seems To cope Quite well with The Toughest of edge Trimming that i have in my garden. comes complete in the box with the exception of screwing on The bottom base of The Trimmer your really all set To go. I found The adjustable handle very good to use no bending or back breaking using this Trimmer. i found it Quite light to handle plenty of cable for that extra large garden if you have it. But it’s The way it zips Through The Trimming of your garden edges That will impress you it really goes for it. can be adjusted To different angles to get into Those really Tough corner edges for you. It’s The first time i have really bought Black & Decker before in garden Trimmers and i am really hooked on this model. Overall it’s Excellent value for your money and most important it will get the job done for you comes Highly recommended.
Quality electric tool ,easy to use and makes a nice job
This is a nicely made electric tool. A small amount of assembly is required but very easy. It has plenty of power and is quite and hassle free to use compared to my old petrol machine. It is also a lot lighter and easy to operate around awkward areas.
Black & Decker strimme
I have only used this strummer 3 times so far but I am very pleased with it, it is a little heavy but eats through the grass very easily, the automatic feed has worked seamlessly, a whole world away from my previous strimmer would buy again on the evidence so fa
Powerful and well balanced. Does a good job.
Tried various other strimmers but they don’t seem to last long or don’t work well. This is powerful enough, well balanced and so far doing a good job. A little bit pricey but probably worth it. Time will tell.
Powerful strimme
Very powerful, and suited to hard work and clearing brush. Heavy so you need to take this into account before purchase.
Excellent value for money
Lightweight, sturdy. Good design. Well made. You get what you pay for.. why purchase rubbish little 20 ones every 6 months or season… comes with extra thick nylons for thick grass weeds and special spool.
Does a good job but...
This is quite heavy and I find it a bit unbalanced – it seems to tip forward and it makes my arms ache in use and, being a bit on the clumsy side, I actually managed to slash my ankle with it on one occasion (it looked worse than it was and healed up fairly quickly). Totally my own fault and that said it does do a pretty good job but I find it a bit of a pain to use (no pun intended) so I tend to not get it out as much as I otherwise would.
Having said that, however, if it was easier to use but didn’t do a very good job, I probably wouldn’t use it much then either. I should probably just put it on Ebay and not bother with a strimmer at all!!!
Joking apart, I would recommend this with reservations – as I said it does a really good job but it’s not my favourite tool. Would probably be ok for a big strapping bloke.
Damaged mains Plug. Suspect that the machine had fallen from packaging as ends were not secured .
The product looks and operates as presented. My complaint is that the package was delivered in its manufacturers box BUT the ends were not sealed which I suspect caused the mains electrical plug to become damaged. ie allowed the machine to come out of its packaging.
Dedicated B&D strimmer geek
I have been using B&D strimmers for a decade or more. I still have a perfectly serviceable GL 704 type 5 which is on its second drive cable, 2 strimmer heads and its 7th strimmer head belt (I used to be able to buy 2 for 8.40 but not any more? now I only get 1?) plus numerous caps.
I purchased 2 of the current model the first of which failed within 10minutes of of use which I returned for credit. The second one has been doing a good job for the last month or so but I still consider the GL704 is better.
Powerful but not so accurate
Nice and powerful, so great for cutting back large areas of overgrowth, but not so hot for trimming around lawn edges. Difficult to control the exact depth/position of cut. As with most garden tools, it works much better once you’ve learned the best way to use it.
It's the mutts nuts.
I like the fact that I could put it together and get cracking with it quite easily. It is great for edging lawns and cutting stuff back when I’ve been away for a month in the summer and the gardens gone wild. I know that its mains powered which can be a nuisance compared to a rechargeable cordless machine but I’ve a cordless hedge trimmer which never has a charge on it when I want to use it!
It is simple to use, not unduly heavy and I don’t have to keep pulling cutting thread through like I did on my old machine. It is a robust bit of kit and should last a couple of decades.
Excellent heavy duty strimmer!
It does what it says on the tin.. I wanted a heavy duty strimmer to cope with grass and weeds round the base of bushes and near a pathway. The last strimmer i had the cable just shredded itself and there were bits everywhere. This one is so much better. Both types of cable lasts for ages even when edging round the path. Def recommend.
Great strimme
This arrived one day after order. Unpacked and easy to assemble. Brief instruction booklet which covers everything you need to get started. Simple latch at base that rotates the head of the strimmer to do either edging or sides. Found the line feeder worked brilliantly, unlike some cheaper models where I had to constantly refeed after snapped lines. Made short work of some overgrown patches, and carved in some nice edges around the garden too.
Shortish mains cable, approx. 16m, meaning you will need an extension cable for most gardens.
Strimmer is effective for grass
The strimmer is very good at strimming grass using the green strimmer cord. The blue cord is for stronger weeds and is ok but doesn’t last long. I like the way you can hold one cord holder on the strimmer. It’s not heavy but I wouldn’t say it was light weigh eithe
Powerful stuff
Has more functions than I need
Switchable for edging is but it better be long, straight, deep edges.
Having two handles makes for a much more controllable device but, Warning, you Need both handles and don’t cut to the right of anything delicate – even with the two handles it’ll jump left and Goodnight Sweetheart to anything in its path.
A real beas
As good as any petrol strimmer I’ve every used. So easy to change between the straps and the spool. But the spool line is really strong anyway! The electric lead is a good length. I bought the straps advertised with the s trimmer and they are the wrong ones, you can make them fit but I advice the correct Black and Decker ones ( they have a black fitting in the centre). I recommend this trimmer, it’s a great bit of ki
Very powerful grass strimme
I am short and I used this strimmer to cut down many months of overgrown lawn in one session. The grass was about 12″ high. It is very easy to use. It is very powerful and, as it is corded, it does not run out of juice. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and a pair of sunglasses to protect yourself. I wish we had bought this and not the useless cordless predecessor.
A good Lughtweight and Versitile Strimme
Works well on edges – haven’t tried it yet on larger clearance jobs. The protective shield is locked on with one small screw into weak plastic. It quickly pulled off and tore the screw hole when the shield accidentally bumped a passing mower as I walked by with it. Otherwise, it seems to be a good strimmer.
lower back
use the double blades, the single blade!!! hard to replace the cord. the double packs are easy to find and they last a while even when you shave a pavement.
my one peeve, after 10 mins a lower back twitch so any puss out there tie a string to the handle. and round yer neck. i did this worked a treat.
i get the feeling one day the clutch system may give out. you can hear the mechanics inside and it sounds like that.
nice tool though.
Lightness
I found it ideal, lightness because of my age. When it arrived the guard should have had the retaining screw and the line trimming blade, which i had to replace from b&d myself, it was easier than returning it.
does the law
my previous strimmer ) Bosch was small and cutting the lawn with it was a long job..I bought this B&D as it has a wide cutter and can do the lawn in half the time. I cannot cut the grass with a normal lawnmower when it is wet hence the need to have a strimmer which I can use
I have a decently sized garden of little over 300m2 which had weeds and grass over knee length… I put this beast on heavy duty mode and gave it a little over 60 minutes of my time. It turned my ugly looking garden to something i cant take my eyes off now!!! It cuts anything, simply anything. And if you lose tilt a little more even for a second it can leave a patch. So Off course you cant replace with a lawn mower if you are looking for a well level lawn, but to get rid of hardly maintained garden. i am using it as a precursor to petrol lawn mower. However given the power of this killer animal, it is surely not easy on hands. I did feel the power and the vibrations on the hands after an hour long use for the rest of the day. But given the amount of work done, i can live with a few hours of discomfort. Overall i dont think there is any other machine with this power at the price point. A must have for every lawn owner.
Last word in Strimmers, your journey is over in finding that perfect lawnmower companio
So, when I was looking at literally hundreds of options to purchase a new strimmer, corded or battery? What brand? Motor size? Line feed or solid plastic cutters? I turned to the comments. ( often find these really useful in deciding the final cut (no pun intended) in choice). Well I did chuckle at one review that likened this strimmer to the legend that is Chuck Norris. So I was sold. Good price, brand that I trust, and performs like Chuck!! Today I used Chuck for the first time. I need to report that this strimmer is like Chuck crossed with Clubber Lang from Rocky. Oh my, live in fear you weeds lurking in the boarder of the grass, quake for your days are over.
Excellent grass trimme
I wish I had bought this trimmer years back. So good worth every penny. It is now so easy for me now to keep my big garden tidy with great looking eadges. It used to take me good few hours to tidy it before but now it’s matter of few mins. Very pleased and highly recommend.
I’ve used this once, so cannot comment on reliability. Although heavier than the model it was replacing, the motor is close to the handle which makes for good balance, and therefore easy handling. So far, it has coped easily with everything I have asked of it. I have used only the bump feed line, which seems to have worked well, and not broken, so I don’t know how easy it would be to re-thread. The manual supplied applies to 3 different models, and the heavy duty dual line spool does not attach to the shaft on this model, which may not be immediately obvious from the manual.
basic and straight forward review
The item is really strong, iv been using cheap replacement lines and it has enough power to cut through pretty high grass and some of the branches were bit thick.
using higher quality lines definetly makes a difference and its worth spending bit extra on the strimmer line because it helps get the work done much faster.
not had any reason to contact customer service so cant comment on that.
strength = happy with power, cut though tall grass and common garden weeds, gives good cuts
weight = some people say weight bit issue or the fact its abit on a curve but i have been using this for 1.5hrs and i find it completly fine and happy with it
length of cable = i find the length of cable pretty good, i use extra extension cable so its fine, i understand why some people may not like it isnt detachable but you can still find some ways to keep it organized
set up = its very easy to set up, instructions explains it quite simply and straight forward
conclusion – hapy with product, happy with its power, not too difficult to use and gets the job. only thing i hoped that it would take 3mm cable instead of 2.4mm max.
ALSO the price keeps changing so keep eye on offers!!
it was first for 100 and then went to 77 for short periods a few times.
Best electric strimmer I've ever used!
I have a fairly large plot with lawns front and back, both with a lot of intricate and varied borders.
With the GL9035GB it’s the 1st time I have ever been able to trim the whole garden without refreshing the cutting line, this includes cutting more than just grass!
The strimmer is very powerful and a pleasure to use. It copes with weeds with no problem, some quite substantial.
I have yet to use the heavy duty line but I’m pretty confident it will deal with light to medium brush with ease.
It’s a well balanced machine, slightly heavier than normal strimmers, but it does a lot more than ordinary strimmers so being a little heavier is small price to pay, though all except frail people should be able to use this machine ok.
Changing the cutting head to the heavy duty one literally takes just few seconds, as does extending more line from the standard head
I can’t make a comment on durability yet, I’ve only recently purchased it, but it feels like a solid and well built machine.
With my experience of this machine so far I can highly recommend it.
Well worth the money . Would buy this make agai
This is well worth the money. Got through my long grass in no time. And even did brambles and twigs and didn’t have to change the string in it. Long enough electric cable with out having to use extension lead. And pretty light weigh and easy to assemble the guard and handle in no time at all. Very pleased with this and very easy to use.
Works as you want.
All parts work well and can’t say much negative about it.
Little fiddly to fit parts together, possibly a little wd40 etc would help to fit together and separate parts as can be quite tight.
First impressions was “it looked good but can it perform”, I have used a petrol strimmer for a few years but really got fed up trying to start the damm thing so I set about trying to find a powerful electric one, and so I bought this.
Can it compare to a petrol one? Yes it can, but one thing that takes getting used to is that wheel at the front, I have to keep reminding myself that that is quite close to the edge limit of the cutting cord/line.
The only thing I do not like is the cutting line/cord, it is not as thick as the petrol strimmer and does look like it wears out quicker, not really a problem as I will use the thicker line and reload the spool so that should fix it, the other thing are the extra single line cutters, why make it so complicated and expensive? Could have been far simpler like the petrol strimmers.
The electric cable is long enough for a medium sized garden and it is powerful enough to compete with a petrol one (but far better to start! No more 2 stroke mix and pulling like mad to TRY and get it to start) But the auto line thingy is not, or ever will be perfect, and there is a far easier and less expensive way to do it that works without fail, but if they did that then they could not charge silly money for a new cutting line spool, just buy the line and reload it yourself with 3mm line and its a good machine.
Very happy indeed.
It’s great value for money and highly recommended. Never going back to corded now!
All parts effective at doing garden chores. The fact there are two batteries supplied is a godsend.
The chainsaw is most valuable as it easily manages bigger branches, without any fear of danger because it isn’t powerful enough to ‘kick back’ dangerously (as long as you have a firm approach). The hedge trimmer is very effective and lightweight as it’s only a heavy item when using the extension. The strimmer is great and self feeding with the only downside being it is one dimensional only cutting flat and not edging.
The connectors are a bit fiddly when separating and take a very strong grip to squeeze the catch release whilst pulling apart (the long pole especially).
Hefty machine
This is a pretty hefty machine, indeed possibly a it too hefty for the average garden. But if it is power you want this is for you. The whole spindle rotates to change from streaming to edging and this is a bit fiddly but OK when you get used to it. The power means it is a bit heavier than most average machines but it is well balanced so that is not a great problem. It also comes with some heavy duty fittings which I have not tried as the normal one is heavy duty enough. Also, wear safety goggles as this thing can throw out a lot of debris.
Superb.
Wow, this worked much better than I expected.
I purchased this to quickly remove long grass, nettles, etc… from my lawn, and to do it faster than a lawnmower.
I didn’t use the twine method because it’s only one sided, you would need to buy the adapter to make it so the twine comes out both sides. I used the stronger, but limited thicker plastic strips. These really took some battering, and would last to do a fairly large lawn. The result was great, and didn’t take long for my large lawn.
Holding the Trimmer was easy enough, and assembly was very easy. I especially liked how everything just locked together. You get plenty of strips, although I haven’t seen replacements in stock. The length of the power cable is nice and long, although I still needed a extension due to my lawn length.
It’s not too noisy, and it doesn’t vibrate that much.
Would recommend.
difficult to control
his is a good product, it is very powerful but this makes it difficult to control have managed to take a few chunks out of my lawn, the stronger line is very good on overgrown ground and the ordinary line does not last very long.
No more 2 stroke servicing and almost as much cutting power.!
I got fed up with my petrol engine strimmer not working at the start of every year, and then not starting at random throughout the year.
So I decided to give up trying to be macho and get a powerful 240v mains strimmer instead.
(The garden is not massive and unsurprisingly I already have and extension cable anyway)
There aren’t too many electric brush cutters to choose from in the 900W region or above, or those that qualify as a brush cutter.
I don’t mind Black + Decker as you can often get spares. There used to be a shop in Leeds you could just walk into and buy whatever part you wanted, BRILLIANT. but I see most spares are still easily available online.
This was a Amazon second, so slightly reduced in price but you would never know it had been opened or used in this case.
Assembly was literally a minute or two with no tools or scratching my head.
At the first use I was a bit disappointed that the ‘strong’ 3mm line only lasted less than a minute.
But by using the longer 2mm reel line I did the whole job in a hour or so and used the whole reel up ! Job done.
But now I have the weeds under control a reel will last months.
It easily went through everything except the thickest bramble, which is understandable without a metal cutter.
Turning the unit around to do edging was easy to do with one lever and has a firm click (SCHNICK!) as you turn the shaft to ensure a 180 degree fit.
Swapping the line over is easy too, (turn it upside down with no fear of petrol spilling out) and if you have a moderate thumb grip to open the locking mechanism it all pulls out and you quickly replace it with another loaded reel..
I really like this strimmer and it does all I want it to.
If I remove all the additional time and expense needed for a petrol strimmer I got the job done in half the time !
It has done the hardest cut – the first for a long while – with ease and I hope it will continue cutting with an easier life for a while to come yet.
I wanted a electric brush cutter strimmer, BUT as per usual amazon sold out of all the electric ones apart from the cheap tacky ones that got real bad reviews. I did some searching and come across this one. I had a super overgrown field sized garden, brambles, LONG grass and stingers galore, this strimmer chewed through the lot no issues at all. Its great I have used it several times since purchase and it has yet to let me down its great and worth every penny paid. You get a full spool of line and about 10 heavy duty lines too ive used it on my field sized garden and ive got loads of line left and plenty of the heavy duty lines too it really does perform far better than expected. I would recommend this strimmer all day long.
A joy to use
Read in one of the reviews that this would make me regret all the cheap strimmers I had wasted money on in the past. Oh, that was so true. This is a beast and did exactly what I wanted with a 100ft of wilderness. Was using the short heavy duty cords, suggest checking where to purchase ahead of time as local Wicks didnt stock and B&Q were out. To give an idea of the foliage I was carving my way through the brambles were around 1cm thick – heavier than that and cut em out first.
Does the job
Does the job well, had to throw my other Black and Decker ( 3 years old ) due to wanting new brushes and B and D don’t sell the brushes, only a new motor, which costs nearly as much as a new strimmer.
Buy aftermarket line.
It does a great job with aftermarket line! The included line (yes even the “heavy duty” stuff) was rubbish I only managed to get around 3/4 of the years before running out. I got 2.0mm vortex line and that turned this into a beast! Not sure why they only have one line though! It has the power to support dual lines. Maybe I will look at buying a dual head for it. Other than that I a very happy!
Heavier than I expected! Not so good on slopes, works well on edges or against walls.
Maybe I am getting older but I was surprised at the weight of this strimmer; this is an issue for me as my garden has double slopes and I have to hold the strimmer at varying heights – I find this tricky. But against walls or on edges there is a guide wheel that makes the job a lot simpler and very quick indeed. Can rotate the strimmer shaft to do grass edges, normal position strims fine against walls. Eats up the line though if you keep stop-starting. Have not had any spool line jams so far, pleased with that.
Very good strimmer, so much better than or petrol versio
What a great strimmer! Once you get used to the power cable they’ll be no stopping you… Compared to our old petrol strimmer this is, lighter, quieter, easier to start and run and with the heavy duty line attached can cut through most heavy stuff, oh and it doesn’t use petrol/oil which has to be a good thing!?
It comes ready to go and has a spare reel and x2 heavy duty lines. It has a good long cable however we do need to use an extra extension to get around the garden.
Ditch the petrol and go electric, help save the planet 😉
This has been a really good purchase for my garden and I’ve even found myself using all the bits!
Chain saw ready to handle and a perfect size for those smaller tasks. Makes light work of 20cm diameter logs (the biggest I need to handle)
Hedge trimmer is amazing – zooms through even the thickest hedges. One of the best tools.
Strimmer is ok – tends to get through more strimmer cable than my old plug in one but does the job.
Leaf blower – blows leaves!
The extension is a really handy addition to the hedge trimmer and chain saw for those out of reach branches.
The power unit is comfortable to hold but quite heavy with the extension pole. I can’t get the shoulder strap to be entirely comfortable but is fine for short bursts.
Battery life is ok at best – but at least they supplied 2 batteries so one can be on charge. The battery life is fine for short bursts – good for chain saw and trimmer but less good for a lot of strimming.
All in all pretty pleased with this – and no petrol to deal with or long cables
Powerful unit, weak cord.
Strummer has been used a number of times now and is really powerful and excellent overall. The only issue is the supplied cord is weak and continues to break. Replace this with a stronger line and you won’t be disappointed.
Great Strimme
I was looking for a good powerful Strimmer but did not want a petrol one or a cheap one that burns out after one or two uses . This does the job and more .
Easy to set up and demolished my weeds with ease.
I would recommend this product.
My only gripe is the Strimmer wire runs out very quickly but having the heavy duty line is genius and easily swapped over.
Powerful,pretty quiet and a total badass strimme
This review is for the 900w model…What a tool,I have just moved to a new place with a 90 foot garden,it was overgrown with nettles and clumps of thick long grass I spent around 1hr30 mins or so and cleared it all, this strimmer comes with 8 heavy duty strands and a spool of strimmer wire,easily change between the 2 types and I really thought I’d use most of not all of the supplied stuff,I did it using 1 and half of the strands and not very much wire(I don’t want to unwind it all to measure how much) I’m well impressed this is a good buy,I’ve not been a fan of black and decker for some time but they have won me ove
Good produc
This strimmer has proved to be very useful and reliable. It has a powerful motor which doesn’t become overworked over an extended usage time. It is very robust and easy to adjust to horizontal / level settings.
Two problems;
1 The total adjustable length is to short, which means that you are having to bend over to make contact with the grass / weeds etc for lengthy periods of time (creates shoulder and back ache)
2 The strimmer cable both standard and heavy duty doesn’t stand up to prolonged use. It needs the thickness (mm) increasing.
To summarize, it is well constructed and does what it says on the tin.
It cuts well
I got this to replace a Flymo strimmer which had a double line which was supposed to wind out automatically. It never really worked. This machine uses a thicker line which cuts better and, while not perfect, the single line does wind out on its own more often. I’m happy I made the change.
I don’t usually leave feedback but I am easily swayed myself my negative comments on a product, so I wanted to put anyone who’s as wary as me at ease with this product. It’s wonderful, you won’t regret buying it. I had a Black and Decker GL350 for years and it was great so I was absolutely devastated when I stupidly blew a hole in the spool by trying to operate the strimmer with the reel not properly fixed. I hate change so I was dreading getting a new one, but I can honestly say that this model surpasses the GL350 in every way. Again, if you’re like me, you’ll be sceptical about this review, possibly thinking it’s written by a Black and Decker representative, but I can assure you I’m just a regular bloke who’s very happy with my purchase. Maybe all the reviews I read are genuine after all!
Great for grass
Brilliant. Being under 5 ft and a petite woman, this is an excellent tool. Only downside is the spool/wire needs to be stronger or more should be bought with it as it breaks too quickly. Absolute monster with simple grass though!
Used a few times over the weekend and works well and is of good sturdy construction and light weight.
Strimmer seems to cut through most things up to small nettles. Found it was not quite strong enough for large nettles.
Battery life is about 20 minutes of general use but at least there are 2 batteries. Batteries do take a little while to recharge so worth keeping one on charge whist using the other and then swapping them over.
This strimmer performed admirably, better than expected in actual fact.
The garden hadn’t been touched since October due to weather and holiday so the growth and weed size were somewhat daunting.
I shouldn’t have been worried, I put the heavy duty line on and this strimmer absolutely ripped through everything it touched, incredibly impressed.
My only qualm is the weight, this is a heavy machine to use for a long duration, it took me 2 hours to cut the front and back, my fingers tips were tingling.
It would be nice for a shoulder strap like other brands to take the weight but to be honest, it’s a small gripe.
This has proved to be a faithful workhorse. I’ve had it 2 seasons and it does the job well.
It is more powerful than previous strimmers I’ve had and I think that’s been the answer.
I mainly use the fixed wires rather the lines as the line still does not seem to feed well. Too many stops to manually rewind it in and out.
I’ve use it on a quarter acre garden that was badly overgrown and it coped well.
I have got more skilled with it and am now able to cut lawn edges and gullies as neat as I used to with manual shearers. Much easier and faster too!
This is one powerful machine, cut down a years worth of growth in my garden with little issue. Even thick nettles, weeds etc!
Only gripe is the cord gets eaten up so quickly and is expensive to buy the genuine stuff to replace, heavy duty lines (Supplied) are much better.
Pictures on the instructions are poor. But still very easy to assemble. Makes light work of long grass, bramble, nettle motor hardly slows down!
Was originally looking for a petrol one, but to save the hassle of remembering fuel (and 2 stroke oil) thought this may be easier.
All the weight is at the top making balance much easier, and totally adjustable for tall and short alike.
Another reviewer called this Chuck Norris the strimmer. I completely concur,
Don’t waste your money on a cheap one. But do buy more cord it goes so quickly!
There has to be a way to get some small wire rope fed through the heavy duty head. Then it will last for ages !
good bit a ki
well just used this all of twenty minutes ago, well impressed, bought as a replacement for my old 550watt black n decker and i can only say its a good substitute. read a few reviews and they almost put me off, waste a money n all that jazz, they must be doing something wrong i reckon. made very short work of my overgrown garden(almost two weeks since my old b&d packed in) and its looking like it used too, buy one, you wont be disappointed
Powerful and does the job well
I replaced an old (and very cheap) cordless Bosch model with this recently. This was well reviewed and spare cord was easily available which put it ahead of other models. Really impressed. I’ve used this for the edges of the garden and very happy with it. It also made light work of a very over grown area at the back of the garden.
Only negative would be that using it for a long time does take it out on your forearm but that’s very minor.
I bought this based on the positive reviews – tested it out & can confirm for domestic & light brush use it’s a great trimmer (What the americans call a weed wacker lol). However I live on the edge of a forest with lots of stone stairs, long grasses & tough brush n bramble. In this setting I found the heavy duty line is literally gone in a few mins! Even trying to be careful & no chain fences.
Basically houses on the edge of forests or agricultural land need full commercial grade. The rave reviews don’t always mention that aspect. This unit could do with a shoulder strap & a slightly longer neck, but the motor does seem good & strong. The HD wire is fine for heavy domestic but just isn’t up to tough rural jobs so I’ve ordered some Rotary Black Vortex Professional Trimmer Line .095″ from Amazon (after watching some good YouTube recos). If that doesn’t work i’ll try the thicker .105″ or Husqvarna Titanium Force Line, ie one of the super tough lines the pros reckon is even better that pro Stihl square. If no joy after that next stop will be a swivel tri head metal brush cutter! Hopes that helps put things in context. Have fun!
Time will tell.
Delivered early, very good. Paid post and packing which consisted of a label stuck on the B & D box, the top of the box was open and had been sellotaped previously. Unusual but hopefully product is not a recon. Although it performs well there is a strange noise from inside the handle end of the tool. Having owned several Strimmers in recent years this is not normal. Time will tell.
Come with line ready to go just fit handle ,guard and route cable , as powerful as small petrol models , standard line will cut nettles , some care needed to avoid removing grass completely . Autofeed works well .nicely balanced.good cable length . Edge wheel works ok. Only grumble could be quieter, similar to a mains drill, at the price good value.
Good trimmer but buy spare threads
Its a good trimmer but it eats the tread ery quickly especially if you have tough plants or you are near a wall. I suggest you buy spare threads of you have a big garden.
It plenty of power for basically all trimming task and it’s easy to operate.
Good strimmer, but short cable
Only used once so far, but it’s a good strimmer, powerful, easy to use and self feed worked without any problems, so I will have to see if it continues to work OK after many uses, but at the moment I think it’s a very good strimmer. The only downside and that is the same with most electric tools, the cable isn’t long enough for the medium sized garden that the strimmer is supposed to be suitable for, so an extension lead is required and the plug and socket are dragged around the lawn, so a waterproof box is required when strimming damp grass. Why don’t manufacturers fit longer cables, or better still have a lightweight waterproof male and female connector like on my old hedge cutter, then you don’t have to drag a heavy three pin around a lawn. For this reason I have given 4 stars.
Black & Decker 900 Watt Strimmer.
This review is for the 900W model! The first time I used it proved its worth.
Far better than I had expected, this powerhouse munched through all in its path, I have only tried the heavy-duty line so far, it cuts like a laser! Above all, I am pleased that I bit the bullet and went for the 900W version. This will save a lot of work and time, a veritable bargain indeed!
Much more powerful than the cheaper light duty types
Thought I would try a heavier strimmer this time, I wasn’t disappointed the strimmer line is a lot easier than the old tap on floor type. Its well ballenced using the extra grab handle, I’ve tried it on the lawn edge and on the heavy weeds using the tough strimmer line provided, good results so far, its a bit noisy but thats just my opinion.
Out of the box, easy peasy...great strimmer.
After wasting lots of time with the Ryobi ONE+ strimmer/brush cutter with bike handle (very disappointing) I decided to go back to B+D as I had been so pleased with my very old model. It really stood the test of time. This is just as good and with my garden in a rural setting strong weeds are and issue so the extra power in the motor and the option of heavy duty line is fab. The old heavy duty lines which I had recently bought for my dead strimmer fit great in this new one so that was a good thing too. I would definitely recommend this B+D strimmer to anyone. Apparently there are great reviews for their cordless one so I was a bit torn. No regrets at all…It’s brill! Thanks B+D…no thankls Ryobi…after more than 2 weeks I’m still waiting for Ryobi customer support to call me back to help me with the problems it gave me.
I’ve had a Flymo contour 600 for years, worked, but annoying for a number of reasons. Finally got fed up trying to fit new line in it (again) so read a load of reviews – then picked this thing – it’s simply excellent. More powerful (boy is it!), no noisier, cuts more effectively (and through things you don’t want cut – so be warned). Only had it a couple of weeks, but so far can’t fault it (unless the lack of somewhere to coil the lead counts – that was one thing the Flymo beats it on). Heartily recommended.
Brilliant investme
Have went through numerous strimmers before buying this one.
Petrol – it made me feel light headed, expensive to run and heavy.
Battery – took a long time to charge and only lasted 25 minutes. Also seemed very flimsy. Died a few months after buying it.
Now onto this – i’m soo glad I have it. It was easy to put together and easy to change the line. I have a large hill of grass and it tackles it with ease. Also it seems to take less time to cut the grass back.
Very happy with this product!
Without doubt this is the best ever trimmer I have bought and used. The balance is perfect as the motor is not at the bottom of the shaft.
It uses 2mm heavy duty nylon and it is ridiculously easy to put on your own line.
I estimate that I can now do all my strimming in about 60% of the time I previously used.
This is a must buy if you are serious about gardening.
This strimmer is very powerful. It absolutely destroys anything in its path, clears large areas quickly and neatly.
The autofeed works very well, I am using BnQ own brand line and the autofeed still works perfect.
The power blades cut through brambles, reeds and large grass areas with no problem.
I used quite a powerful petrol strimmer before this, I found this one to be more effective.
Great buy.
Bought as a replacement for an expensive one from a big diy store.
Was dubious as I have a large garden and full of weeds brambles and nettles . This did the hob no problem.
Very easy to use, the line feed works well and if it has to be adjusted it’s easy to do, unlike the one I had beforw with twin line feed that Was a nightmare
Still on the line provided.
Still going strong.
Does what it says. Great buy
I have a petrol strimmer but it always takes ages to get it started so decided to try electric. I bought a basic Bosche which wasn’t all that effective and the bottom broke away after less than a years use. I bought this B&D, initially interested in the 7033 but went for the more powerful 9035 which was only 5 more on Amazon. It arrived today and I am more than impressed, simple to set up with some innovative ideas and best of all the automatic line feed is outstanding. It cuts through the most substantial weeds and the heavy duty line is not breaking when it comes into contact with a wall as some people said in the 7033 review. I don’t use it for lawn trimming, I am not interested in manicured lawns, I have a wild country garden that requires a mean machine … and this is it! This B&D strimmer is superb and I would highly recommend it.
What a beast, forget the piddly little strimmers that you get free with other tools , I was fed up changing spools all the time and qwatching bits of cord go flying off into the distance . This is the real deal , nothing stands in its way , I have cut all my garden ( very wild in places) and cleaned up my neighbours garden as well , oh what fun , I could at a pinch complain that its a wee bit heavy if you use it for longer periods but I could fashion a harness of some sorts to mcure this , Very happy with this product so it gets a 5 star from me.
I was fed up of cheap strimmer that you spend more time trying to maintain than actually doing g the job with. Fantastic bit of kit. The feed system works fantasticly and will cut through grass and typical garden weeds with ease.
The reason for picking a heavy duty model was for clearing some ferns and the like in adjacent property to our house. Oh my word it went through it like a knife through butter with the heavy duty line
If I could live my life again I wouldn’t have wasted the time or effort with crappy cheap ones
I ordered this strimmer on Friday. It arrived this morning Saturday. I did not pay extra for fast delivery.
This is my third strimmer, and I had always been depressed about strimming because of the usual problems with line feed. I had not paid much for my strimmers but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money and still have the same problems, and reading reviews made me realise that you could pay a lot and still not get a good result.
This strimmer has two alternative spools, one with a spool and a single line feed, and one with a clip on double line. Both lines look tough, different colours but looked approximately equally tough.
I had a thirty square yard patch with grass about eighteen inches tall, and some fairly tough weeds as well. Some brambles but not many.
Using the spool feed, I cleared this down to two or three inches in 6 minutes. I don’t know if the automatic line feed worked or if the line just wasn’t bothered, but it was the same length as when I started.
I had another patch of thirty square yards which was mostly brambles, growing up to two feet high in places. Both patches of garden, I should explain, I had hacked at with a billhook two or three times a year for the past three years, but otherwise they had not been disturbed. The brambly patch had some big slabs of slate on it which the brambles had grown over and I wanted to clear it back to the slabs.
I decided to use the double line on the brambles. It did great, but about a third of the way through the line had worn down. I think it goes from stress, because once it started to go it went completely. So I put another one in and that one went faster. Some of the brambles were growing around a concrete post and others against a sturdy wooden fence so perhaps that was why. I then changed back to the spool and completed the task with no problem, the line staying at the same length.
I think that means the automatic line feed was working perfectly which was a first for me!
The whole job, sixty square yards, including three spool changes, took half an hour.
After years of macho 2 stroke trimmers with the bump to feed mechanism, I at last got rid of them and bought this electric one, and I am not one bit sorry. It is so much lighter than the 2 strokes (I am 82 years old and have very, very large lawns to trim the edges of), more powerful then many 2 strokes, no mixing oil and petrol and probably best of all – no more having to stop every 10 minutes to unwind more line when the so called bump and feed mechanism doesn’t work. I don’t know how this B&D line feed works, but it sure does the job. I expect the electric is probably a lot cheaper too vs petrol and oil. An added feature I wasn’t expecting is the edger wheel that allows you to edge all around with ease. It says you shouldn’t use it to make a new edge but to use an edging tool, but I found it was very capable of cutting new edge with no problem. And last but not least, at 82 I just can’t keep pulling the 2 stroke cord to try and start it, so no more of that – just “plug and play”.
I needed a heavy duty strimmer for the large hillside garden, I’ve used several petrol strimmers over the years but find the noise and vibrations a problem. This is much quieter, has no problem with long grass provided you take it easy and do it in staged. One thing that would have been helpful would be somewhere to clip a shoulder strap on to it.
My husband was always complaining about his gas powered strimmer so I got him this electric one. He likes it a lot but I don’t think it is “manly” enough for him lol. I think he was just used to using the very powerful gas powered one & this one is quieter but it totally does the job. We have quite a large area to cover as well. I, however, have started strimming with this strimmer & I LOVE IT! It is perfect for a female. It’s not too heavy & absolutely does the job. No complaints here & I would definitely recommend for large or small gardens/male or female :).
I bought this strimmer to clear a 2m wide strip of field that borders my garden. It coped well with 4 feet high grass, nettles, cow parsely and other non-identified growths. So far I have used it with only the heavy duty line that I bought separately. It coped with everything and although I was disappointed with the line not lasting long enough I cannot fault the strimmer with its powerful 700W motor.
Wow, for a electric strimmer this has to be one of the best. Straight out of the box ready to go. Tip.. Trim the heavy duty cord(blue one) in line with the very edge of the orange roller, it will last for ages if you do not it will split if you hit a post or metal fence. I’ve a lot of fence post in my garden and I’ve used it 6 times and the cord still looks new. Top one B+D.
I bought this strimmer to replace a very basic, DIY store own-label, strimmer I had owned for a couple of years. It was OK, took a long time to do the job, but halfway through this year’s first-cut Spring grass strimming, before I was going to put the mower on the lawn, the strimmer literally burst into flames. It just couldn’t take it.
So, I thought, OK, I clearly need something with a bit more horsepower, and I bought this one.
Within a few seconds, I realised I was holding onto a very different device. This fellow not only strimmed grass and weeds, it hated them with a passion and wanted to annihilate them. I started swinging it like my old strimmer, which I now realise used to perform like an old lady with a pair of nail-scissors.
This strimmer is the Chuck Norris of strimmers. If you angle it a few degrees too much, you end up with a large patch of bare earth that no longer contains a single molecule of grass DNA. And Chuck is happy with that result. If you strim close to a mature tree (which my old strimmer did, leaving no visible marks), Chuck wants to cut the entire tree down. It even left deep welts in concrete paving!
So, beware! If you have a well-manicured, small garden and just want to trim a few straggly edges, Chuck is not for you. It is like sending in a fully-armed soldier to resolve a disagreement in the school playground.
However, if you have a large area to clear, with tall grass and weeds, and you don’t mind a few chunks of bare earth when your aim dips from 20-degrees to 22-degrees, or seeing some sturdy saplings that suddenly look the worse for wear, then Chuck is the very fellow for you.
You have been warned.
Very powerful. The cord not as much as a pain I thought it would be to gain the extra power and non drinking of battery. Tip, wear goggles. A quid at Poundland could save a nasty injury as it can propel things at great speed!
Received it after only 3 days. Took about 10 minutes to read instructions and assemble. It has an 11.6 m (about 38 feet) power lead permanently fitted. Weight as per my bathroom scale is 3 kg (or 3.8 kg including the lead). Comes with one 2 mm single feed spool, and eight heavy duty twin line strings (HDL). Seems that the practical cut diameter of these is about 30 cm. Changing the strings is very easy (just squeeze the tabs on the side of the spool holder and it disengages, and to replace just press into position and it snaps on). Can be used with either single line (trimming, edging) or twin line (heavier cutting). The clamp at the top of the curved shaft can be released, allowing the shaft to swing through 180 degrees to select trimming (horizontal cut) or edging (vertical cut). The shaft can also be moved in and out to suit users who are shorter or taller. the black top handle can be adjusted forwards or backwards to suit users with longer or shorter arms. My worry now is that this’ll make trimming the lawn too easy, so I’ll lose my sense of accomplishment!
Delighted with this strimmer so far. It arrived promptly from Big Red Toolbox and was easy to put together. It’s a dream to use, feeling light and well balanced, with no vibration. I found it a little awkward at first until I adjusted the shaft length (very easy to do) to suit my height.
So far I have only used the Spool line to cut thick spring grass. It cuts long damp grass effortlessly, and the Automatic Line Feed works well. Haven’t run out of line yet, after a long afternoon of strimming. The insert line provided looks good for tackling tougher vegetation, but I haven’t tried it yet.
I have a lot of rough grassy banks in my garden, and I can now cut in one afternoon what previously took two days with a mower, hand shears , billhook and electric hedgetrimmer. (Yes, I was a Luddite, but as I’m now approaching 70 I reckon I should be saving my energy when possible) I’ve used a petrol strimmer before but found it cumbersome to use when working in resricted space, and of course it’s a faff to start and maintain. This electric strimmer has plenty of power and is much easier to use and manouvre, altogether a great tool.
PS Do NOT buy the Amazon recommended A6487 Insert line if you purchase this strimmer: it doesn’t fit!
I bought this strimmer because I was fed up with Bosch models that did not seem up to the job. Bump-and-go strimming is not for me, as I seem to have a knack of breaking the bump caps.
Most of the strimming work in my garden is actually edging, against walls, and this model can switch between the two with little effort.
It has a handy wheel for edging which spaces the line at the correct distance for you, and once you become accustomed to it this is actually a very good feature. The motor is powerful and I noticed a big increase in performance compared to my former Bosch Art.21 strimmer. The GL7033 has a 31cm cutting width, which speeds up the job. My previous experience with B&D strimmers was that they had a huge appetite for strimmer line; I have not used this one enough yet to see if they have improved things in that area but my first impression is favourable.
I purchased the Black and Decker 900 Watt Strimmer because it was of the few that has a heavy duty line option
This model is twice as powerful as my 500 Watt Flymo strimmer
I like the fact the spool type are interchangeable from a spool line to a single piece heavy duty line
Over the years I have tended to purchase at the budget end for garden products – strimmers and lawnmowers etc. but I needed something to tackle a ‘wilderness’ at the back of a large garden but didn’t want petrol so went for this model after looking around. It works like a dream, has ordinary single line with auto feed for general strimming, but for those real tough jobs has a fixed two arm heavy duty fixed line which I swear will go through your leg if you aren’t careful!! Made mincemeat of the jungle of weeds and thistles plus took out a lot of the newer growth brambles as well.
The roller is a nice touch for edging the lawn, overall a very useful tool my only criticism is that it does feel a little tiring after extended use but nothing seriously bad. I wish I had got one like this years ago.
Having suffered with buying strimmers which simply do not work properly, mostly with the auto-feed, this model is the best by far. The auto-feed works well and you also have the option of slotting in some heavy duty cord for those more stubborn thistles and larger weeds. However, I found that the standard strimming cord provided with the unit worked very well and made short work of my lawn edges and weeds. Assembling the strimmer only takes a few minutes and the adjustable handle and height work well. My only small niggle is there is no cord tidy provided and the cord cannot be disconnected from the strimmer, otherwise, a good buy, you will not be dissapointed.
I bought this 4 months ago and I’ve used it a hand full of times. I can’t compare it to the lower wattage versions, but this 900w variant seems to be doing a good enough job of clearing the overgrown rear garden of our new home. It came with less than 10 meters of the standard line which hasn’t lasted all that long, and personally I find the auto-feed a little bit hit and miss, but it’s nothing I can’t live with. I note some people have struggled to find replacement HDL lines with the hexagonal centre. Once I found the Black and Decker part number (A6489), a quick Google showed me a number of vendors. Last time I looked, Amazon wasn’t one of them.
The Bugatti Veyron of electric strimmers. Oh yes, I’m well pleased with this piece of gardening equipment. It’s big possibly heavy, and although I am disabled and have to walk with crutches, I’m happy to use this strimmer.
I have to admit, I find it painful, hardwork and slow to use sometimes, but then,.. for me,.. so is walking. I like to buy items that do what they are supposed to do, this 900 watt motor with its 35cm cutting circle certainly does that. There is nothing worse than having to do things twice.
Why waste your money on anything less? As for comments about there being nowhere to store the cable. Just loop it between the front mounted handle and circular holder for the heavy duty strimmer attachment,…. easy.
Don’t be put off by negative reviews. Don’t be a wimp, if a seventy year old cripple can use it, then why not you?
My main disappointment was to find the convenient feature of being able to coil the long cable around the hooks on the
My first disappointment was to find the convenient hooks on the body around which the long cable could be stored as on my model GL685 has not been incorporated. I also thought the bottom guard was not as robust. I have only been using the GL9035 for about three weeks when today the trimming line became entangled and the spool jammed. I found it impossible to remove from its holder and hence the tool cannot be used No amount of twisting and pulling can free it. This was never a problem with the old GL685 after ten years of use! Please advise.
I bought this as a replacement for my Black + Decker Reflex GL687 when the electric motor finally gave up the ghost after many years of excellent service, with spares available online. Although well-designed and better balanced, the new model is not as robust a design as the old machine and doesn’t have any cable stowage or clip on it to store the other head. The older machine also used thicker string and had twin string feed. I am quite pleased with it so far, but preferred my old model even if the strings sometimes became entwined. The edging facility is a useful feature.
I have a small but very uneven piece of grassy land and this strimmer is the best I’ve had for controlling this area. Although heavier than other machines I’ve owned, it is better balanced and less tiring to use. I like the heavy duty standard strimmer cord and have not had to resort to the alternative individual lengths. Unlike others, the electric cable is a reasonable length but it does not have any provision for storing it. It is easier to clean than others and does not block the ventilation holes on the motor.
Previously I’d bought a Bosch cordless strimmer… which only lasts 10-15 mins and won’t work on long grass. This Bosch strimmer is the only Bosch item that I’ve even been disappointed with.
So bought this Black & Decker strimmer as corded. I had great reservations about using Black & Decker items, as previously their quality had been less than desired. However, I take back that opinion. This strimmer is awesome. She’s easy to use, powerful, almost like a petrol strimmer.
So far the line feed hasn’t failed or tangled up once – which is a shock to me.
Bosch v this model of Black and Decker… no contest. Black and Decker wins 100 times over the Bosch… again – a surprise outcome.
Black & Decker model GL7033-GB – amazing value as Amazon also sell same model with different title description for much higher price. In brief this strimmer has a heavy duty and high quality feel, it is very powerful but light weight. I also have a Stihl petrol strimmer and this is the first electric/domestic model that comes close to cutting power. Auto feed function works well, it is easy to adjust length so my wife can use easily despite being only 5 foot tall. I would recommend ordering a spare spool of nylon as you will use this strimmer a lot. I have given up buying Bosch tools which increasingly feel and perform like cheap Chinese versions, it is therefore refreshing to buy a brand which looks, feels and performs like a premium quality item. I will now add Black & Decker as a brand back onto my shortlists for other tool purchases.
Black & Decker GL360 350w Strimmer (25cm Swathe Bump Feed 2 Handles)
Using this strimmer every week at the moment to trim the edge of the lawn and places where a mower can’t go. I have read many of the reviews posted and have come to the conclusion that people think that this strimmer is capable of cutting an area of grass the size of a football pitch. Probably not but for a normal small area of lawn it is an excellent addition to my gardening tools. One point B&D should consider is adding some form of cable tidy to this machine.
I recently purchased this strimmer as the modern equivalent to my old B&D GL445C which finally packed up, having served me faithfully for about 20 years. I like the Bump-Feed mechanism, having used it on my earlier strimmer, but I would add that careful winding of the spool (in the correct direction, of course) is essential in order to prevent the jamming which will otherwise cause the line to snap.
Those with ailing backs may consider spending a little more on a model with a telescopic handle or counter-balancer. However, for short periods spent maintaining my small unruly “lawn”, this strimmer is a perfectly convenient and versatile tool.
My only complaint is that, in common with many electrical appliances these days, the mains cable is far too short, and only suitable for those wishing to strim their window-boxes and house plants. Those wishing to strim outdoors will require an extension lead.
This is not an industrial strimmer, but for the casual user it is a capable tool which represents excellent value for money.
Cheap & Easy
From the off I found this to be a simple and easy to use product. It arrived boxed and after a few minutes I had it fully assembled and ready to go (it was just a matter of putting in a few screws). The cable isnt too long but this was something I expected. Fortunately I already have a good extension which I use for the lawnmower. I quickly got to grasp with the “bump to feed” function on the spool and was around the garden in no time at all.
Have had this for a few weeks now and on the whole its been great!
Strimme
I needed a new strimmer. I didn’t want to mess about with petrol. I looked at rechargable ones but apparently you only get about 20mins per charge which would be no good for me. I purchased one locally, liooked great on the box but I could hardly lift it up. I realised weight is very important in a strimmer. This GL360 from Black and DEcker is much cheaper than the above and does not have all the bells and whistles. However, it is light enough for me to manage and does the job well. I have a big rather wild garden and it does the job well.
Line-strimmers are possibly the most unreliable tools in the gardener’s shed. I have had at least 5 of them in the past 15 years, & they all shared the same problems. Either the line won’t feed properly, or the line cut-off blade ends up missing or broken. My last strimmer had blades instead of line, but the blades were too soft & they couldn’t be sourced locally. The battery gave up after 2 years, so I priced a replacement one. It was 20. This didn’t seem like good value, so I bought the B&D GL360 strimmer, which cost a tenner more. This one is mains powered instead of battery driven, which restricts flexibility, but at least it does away with batteries that never seem to last a full cut.
It arrived in just 2 days, & within 5 minutes, it was assembled. The extra handle gives very good balance, & it’s very light to hold. The motor is powerful enough to cope with the jungle that I call a lawn & it doesn’t lose much speed when pitched against some tough long grass. The line has what B&D call a ‘Bump-Feed’ system. Basically, it works by pressing the strimmer spool against the ground during use. There is a button on the spool base that depresses & feeds out the line. How long this will be reliable for is anybody’s guess, but it seems no worse than the damned auto-feeds that usually plague these tools. It does, however, get in the way when using the strimmer in awkward areas because of the extra depth that the button adds to the spool.
The OEM line is awful: With previous line strimmers, I would have to set the line 2 or 3 times during use. The line kept flying off this one & needed to be set 11 times for one lawn trim. As soon as it has run out, I will replace it with a higher quality line that is available at the local DIY centre or from Amazon.
The cut-off blade is attached to the plastic guard; the mounting looks weak & it doesn’t inspire confidence. Other strimmers that have this arrangement have lost the blades very rapidly (whereupon the strimmer is impossible to use unless you cut the line with scissors). If this one lasts, I will update the review. Meanwhile, be aware of this, as it will cost you a new guard once the blade is lost.
In summary, the GL360 build & design is very average, but has some good features. To get the 3 star rating in perspective, only 1 of my previous strimmers would have achieved that rating: most would be 1 or 2 stars, including some very expensive ones.
ADDENDUM AUG 2012.
I have used this for over a year now & I have to eat Umble pie…….. the bump feed is still working & so is the cut-off blade (although it’s a bit blunt now). I changed the line last week for a fairly cheap one & wound it onto the bump-feed spool without any problems. I thought that the bump-feed would cease to work after that, but no, it works as well as ever. I have happily raised the rating to four stars. The line I used is ALM Strimmer line (1.5mm x 30M) @ 3.95. Now where did I put that pie?
AUG 2013.
Still going strong, therefore I have upped the rating to 5 stars. The Umble pie tasted terrible!
JUNE 2014.
No problems so far: I hate Umble pie but I love the strimmer!