Black & Decker LPHT120 Hedge Trimmer Review

Here are the Benefits of the Black & Decker LPHT120 Hedge Trimmer:

• As with any cordless tool the quality of the battery defines how well the tool is rated overall. Many tools get bad feedback and are slated by people simply because the manufacturers used a poor quality battery that has a limited runtime and takes forever to re-charge. However you needn’t worry about that with the Black & Decker LPHT120, as you get a 20-volt lithium-ion battery, which is incidentally used by a number of other products in the Black & Decker range. So if you have some B & D cordless power tools on the shelves in your garage, you might already have a number of batteries that the LPHT120 can use. On average the battery should last for 20 – 30 minutes, depending on the conditions you use it in. Going through fairly thick branches one after the other is one way to lessen the runtime you get. It packs a decent amount of power too, dealing with the majority of things pretty easily. Only the thicker stuff will have to be dealt with manually.
• With an elongated shaft that measures 6 – 1/2 feet, you have a long reach when using this trimmer, giving you the ability to get to those tricky spots that usually have you standing unbalanced on a ladder, stretching every muscle in your body and risking serious injury. So if you have tall, thick hedges around your property, this model is a good option.
• The 18 inch cutting blade deals with branches up to 1/4 an inch easily, and in most instances you’ll be able to get through branches that are 1/2 an inch thick too. Not only can you trim up high but it saves you from bending over when trimming anything below waste height too. In fact a number have users have said the Black & Decker LPHT120 doubles up as a decent weed whacker, dealing with weeds and thick overgrown grass effortlessly.
• The other notable feature on this trimmer is the pivoting head, which can be set in 5 different positions to help you deal with almost any situation as comfortably as possible. Black & Decker are particularly good at producing ergonomically designed products that are designed to put less stress on your body and this is more evidence of that.

Reported Disadvantages of the Black & Decker LPHT120:

• When used above head height, a number of people have commented that the Black & Decker LPHT120 can become extremely tiring to operate. This is because much of the weight is located in the head of the trimmer and the further this weight is away from your body, the harder it becomes to manage. Even if you keep in shape it will become tiring after a while and you will feel it particularly in the shoulders. In other positions it is pretty easy to manage, but if you are likely to be trimming overhead for any length of time, you might want to consider this first.
• You can’t lock it into “on” mode either, meaning you have to be holding the trigger at all times which isn’t always that comfortable when you are trimming hedges and bushes. Also, if your hand becomes fatigued and you want to change position (which is fairly common when trimming for extended periods), you will have to take your hand off the switch and the unit will power off. This is fairly easy to resolve though by adding a zip-tie over the trigger. It’s important to be careful when taking this zip-tie off as the blades will still be moving.
• You are only able to use this model at one length (6 – 1/2 feet), which isn’t very useful when you want to trim something up close. There’s no way to shorten the shaft though. So it’s really best used for hard to reach areas.