BLACK+DECKER GTC3655PCLB-XJ, 36 V Lithium-Ion Anti-Jam Hedge Trimmer, Bare Unit, 55 cm (Battery not Included), Orange

Used the Black & Decker Hedge Trimmers for a few days every year for 3 yrs to cut laurel / LLandis Hedge. At the end of the third year it started to loose power even on a full battery with the result even the smallest of branches began to jam in the teeth. I checked with the Service centre and was advised that it would not be cost effective to have it repaired as it was out of warranty.

I am reluctant to give a 5 star review on a product I have had for around 24 hours but I fail to see how I can give anything less (clearly if the trimmer fails in the next few months I will revisit this review but let’s assume that will not happen). Product arrived in a pretty badly damaged box but appeared unmarked itself and was clearly brand new. I have the same product lines strimmer so already have a battery so was able to test it worked immediately. Actually used it in earnest today and, despite the fact it is pretty quiet which made me worry that it wasn’t very powerful, it cut through everything I chucked at it. I do not have a lovely looking young hedge made out of beautiful soft plants (I wish I did) but rather an old ratty one with plenty of very thick branches and nasty brambles. The trimmer didn’t care and cut through it all with ease. There were a number of times I needed to grab a saw or some pretty heavy duty cutters but, unless you are running an industrial strength petrol trimmer, then nothing else would cut that (I also have a Bosch cabled trimmer and that would not have cut it either).I ran the unit for around 10 to 12 minutes and the battery indicator still showed 3 lights so I am guessing a 30 minute plus run time is realistic (if you have hedges that need that length of time it may be worth getting an extra battery.Unit is not heavy so easy to manoeuvre and it was nice to not have to worry about where the cord was to ensure you don’t cut through it (frightening experience to which I can attest)They clearly are improving the power of cordless devices all the time as the two 36v versions I have are certainly good enough for my requirements.Would happily recommend based on initial experience.

The hedge trimmer arrived on time, looks smart and is lightweight. However after inserting my own 36v black and decker battery the machine turned on before making a strange sound and emitting smoke from the motor. It then refused to turn on again.This alone could simply be bad luck. However the problems only start here. I quickly discovered my £70 battery was damaged in the process. I contacted tooled up via amazon to raise this issue and request a replacement trimmer and a new battery. I received no response after 3 days and so approached amazon directly. They made contact with tooled up who then responded. They accepted the return, as to be expected, but at the point of writing this review they have refused to accept liability for the battery saying it is a warranty issue. I continue to await their reply after challenging this and reflecting to them consumer protection law with regard to damage caused by their negligence via the provision of a faulty item.I have also run into problems with the return of the trimmer - the returns label is not prepaid. On contacting tooled up they provided an overly short reply stating it should be prepaid, but no suggestion on how to remedy it. I have contacted them again but via amazon support to get this sorted.Overall the seller has proven to be evasive, unhelpful and unprofessional. I feel a simple issue that could have been rectified early on has been drawn out unecessarily and reflects badly on their approach to customer service.

The trimmer is powerful and the battery life good. It will cut through hedges quite easily and I haven't yet experienced it being unable to cut branches, even 2-3 cms

I have used battery hedge cutters before, and all have been inferior to my corded one which I've had for many years. However, having just completed this years hedge cutting, this one does all I expected of it, and I didn't need to resort to the corded one at all. And the convenience of not having to run a cable extension cable all over my garden made the job so much easier.This trimmer is actually lighter than my corded one, and much easier to maneuver due to lack of cord. My arms don't ache at all after using it, and they did a lot with the corded one.In 5 days of cutting over 100m of complex hedge, I didn't get any occasion where the battery ran out, though I made sure I put it on charge at tea and lunch breaks.The most impressive thing is that I could cut through quite thick stems - up to 20mm approx, which I wasn't expecting a battery trimmer to do. My corded trimmer does that, but other battery ones have jammed when I've tried it. (It doesn't go straight through but nibbles away for a few seconds until the cut is complete. This one only jammed a couple of times, and was easy enough to free.It did just stop on me once for no reason, as another reviewer says, but popping the battery and re-inserting it fixed the problem.Overall, an excellent performer and a purchase I'm delighted with.Oh, and I bought the one with no battery because I already had the B&D strimmer that uses the same battery and didn't need a second battery.

Being battery operated I expected it to be ok for a light trim, but the battery life is exceptional.I have a nightmare hedge 9 ft tall and 100ft long, and I am responsible for both sides.I already have the Weed Eater and blower, so adding a hedge trimmer for light trims between professional cuts.While doing a light trim, it just cut through everything, effortlessly, so got more carried away.Ended up trimming back a couple of feet of spring growth for 30 feet before I realised and still showed a full charge.So overall I’m impressed.

A useful addition to my hedge trimmers at a good price.