Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Electric 12-Inch Grass Hog String Trimmer/Edger #NST2018

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.


Pretty good - but don't get rid of your corded trimmer   April 6, 2004
195 out of 199 found this review helpful

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.


OK replacement for a corded model   June 11, 2006
William R. Stockstill (Marietta, GA United States)
115 out of 120 found this review helpful

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.


Newer should be better...........   April 9, 2005
Tony (Queens, NY USA)
44 out of 44 found this review helpful

I used the older 12 volt trimmer before purchasing the newer 18 volt trimmer, hedger, and blower. I do appreciate the fact that the new 18 volt trimmer is lighter but the battery life is woefully inept. The older model would complete my yard work which included trimming and edging 3400 square feet with some power to spare. The newer 18 volt uses 2 complete batteries and is gasping for breath at the end. I then use the last charged battery with the blower and rush to finish clearing my driveway before it requires the use of a ventilator. Is it necessary to wear a bandalero of charged batteries to do lawn work?

What is the advantage of using 18 volt batteries if there is no increase in power or longer battery life? The added voltage will keep you warm on chilly days but I would rather sacrifice a hot battery for one that lasts longer than 5 minutes at full strength.

Like I said, it is good to use lighter tools but I don't see the promised increase in power. Both trimmers rate at 6800 rpms and both blowers have the same air speed at 120 mph. Yes, the 18 volts recharge quicker but I don't mind overnight charging if the 12 volt is going to complete the entire task.

B&D's new lawncare trio is really the only choice in cordless technology but could they have given us the new lighter weight tool while keeping the same or better battery longevity?
Interchanging batteries with other B&D products is admirable but developing a better overall lawncare product should have been the top priority.

Black and Decker makes good products, that's why I expected more from their latest offering.


I vent, therefore I am......
Tony
Jupiter, Florida


Buy it and you'll be sorry   May 12, 2005
J. Maxson
41 out of 46 found this review helpful

This trimmer is woefully inadequate. First off, the batteries last all of about 11 minutes on a full charge. I have fully charged BOTH batteries five times each. Ten full battery charges STILL haven't finished my 1/2 acre yard. Using a quality voltmeter, a fully charged battery reads approximately 20.8 volts. It becomes unusable and requires recharging at around 18 volts. The less-than-3-volts spectrum of usable power renders this product pretty much worthless.

Further, the Auto-Feed System (AFS) string feeder uses WAY more line than a bump-feed trimmer. Again, without even having completed my yard ONCE, it has already chewed through a whole 30-foot spool of line. This is entirely unacceptable. Much of that 30 feet was completely wasted. Bump-feed trimmers hardly waste any line, as YOU decide when to let more line out. Portraying the AFS system as simpler than bump-feeders is ludicrous - really, how hard is it to bump the spool when needed?

This Grasshog is going back to the store TODAY. Which is a darned shame - I'd much prefer a cordless trimmer to a corded or gas-powered model. But only if it WORKS, of course. I consider 2-stroke engines environmentally unfriendly, and a pain to deal with. But what's ultimately important is they WORK! I will be reluctantly replacing this Grasshog with a Troy-Bilt gas trimmer - tougher line (.095 instead of .065"), much more power, larger cutting swath, accessories-capable, and it won't die every 10 minutes!