Black & Decker 6-Inch 6-Volt Cordless Electric Detail Shrubber #DS600

List Price: $69.95 Discount Price: $34.00

Features:

• Detail shrubber offers cordless convenience and increased power for the precise cutting and shaping of small shrubs around the yard
• Feather-light design for less fatigue and more control; safety lock-off switch prevents accidental start-up
• 6-volt NiCad rechargeable battery provides up to 30 minutes of charge; external battery charger plugs easily into any household outlet
• Hardened, machine-sharpened steel blade allows for precise trimming with less wear
• Blade length: 6 inches; weighs 3 pounds; 2-year full warranty

Accessories:

Black & Decker Extension Utility Handle #GSH500

Customer Reviews:

Just not enough power [Posted on 2007-06-02]
I'm returning this item after one use. It just doesn't have enough power to cut properly. The cuts remind me of a chewed dog bone. Not what I had in mind for pruning.

I tried it to prune two holly bushes. That was mildly satisfactory except the cuts were poor. I also tried pruning some English Ivy. The vines would actually wedge between the blades and cause the cutting blade to "seize up" and I had to gently bang them to get them moving again. Now after about 1 hour of use, the blades don't move freely enough to even work. I assume a good cleaning will make them work again. This is way too much maintenance. If you're going cordless, pick a model with a bigger battery.

Personally, I think I'll stick with hand pruning. I don't think it was much slower than trying to make this thing work. The 18 volt battery units are so heavy I don't see how you could do much with them. The electric has the cord mess. I don't have enough pruning that trying to make current units work is worth it. Too bad, I'm all in favor of using a power tool whenever possible 8-)

Good for smaller use [Posted on 2007-06-15]
Nice and small and lightweight. Much nicer to carry around than a fullsize corded model. But it's not too powerful. If you're going through thick brush, you have to go very slowly. This would be better for detail or small trimming work only.

Has Its Uses [Posted on 2007-06-26]
This product is good IMO for very small jobs. I found it didn't cut as well as I had thought it might. I had to keep going over the same places time and time again to get all the growth. I was not cutting large stems -just small boxwood new growth.

I love the size and weight of the shrubber. Makes it very easy to use. I just wish it cut better. Also, you need to work fast as the battery wears down in about 20 minutes which isn't a lot of trimming. Very small. light jobs - great. Anything more than that I recommend going up a level.

Cuts well, up to coneflowers and BE Susans [Posted on 2008-01-23]
I love this shrubber. It worked very well on a late fall cut-back of the following: coreopsis, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, salvia, daylilies, and small perennial grasses.

It worked on my small asters as well, but the stems of the large asters were too big and it would not cut them. It did not work on larger grasses, either. I would say it definitely works on stems up to a pencil's width, but it cannot handle stems that approach the size of one of those fat crayons for very small children.

I also tried it on my taxus evergreen bushes, but I did not find the cut clean enough for me there, so I think I will stick to manual pruners for them.

I did not find the battery life to be an issue. The unit is heavier than electric grass shears, so I found that my arm was tired before the battery died anyway. Sometimes I wished the blade was longer, but overall I would not opt for more weight just to get a longer blade.

I would definitely recommend this product over cordless grass shears; it does a great job on a variety of larger plants. I am very glad to have it. It is not a complete solution--I will still be using my large corded unit for my large grasses, asters, and other plants--but it is a significant help.

sore thumb [Posted on 2008-03-27]
It's nice and conveniennt for keeping your small shrubs in shape, but it will not run unless you have your thumb on the the switch at all times. My thunb got tired after a while.

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