Black & Decker TR116 3-Amp Hedge Trimmer, 16-Inch

I am quite pleased with the performance of this 16" trimmer especially for the price. While you will have the issue of dragging around an extension cord, the cord attaches firmly and has a cord-catch to prevent it from pulling out of the socket. Since it's electric, there is no concern about charging batteries or losing power in the middle of the job. Also with no battery, the trimmer is extremely light weight and balanced. Except for the hand guard, its fully assembled right out of the box and all you have to do is remove two screws, snap the guard in place and reinsert the screws - it takes about a minute. It cuts through any branch under half an inch with ease and is so light weight its practically effortless to use. To activate the blades, you need to slide the safety/lock button up before you can pull the trigger but once its running, it requires no effort and doesn't tire your hands. Of course, this has moving blades so one needs to exercise caution to avoid a serious injury - in other words don't be an idiot when running power tools or let kids use this thing. Since it's so lightweight it is easy to shape shrubs and the cuts are clean, not mangled though I would imagine this may change as the blades dull. The only complaint would probably be that the guard is made of a flexible plastic , which seems a bit flimsy and it could be a little larger. Still, this sure is a huge improvement over trimming each branch one at a time with hand clippers. Definitely worth the purchase.

A great little addition to my gardening tools. It's my first electric trimmer so I can't say how it compares to others, but it did the job I needed. Can't say anything about longevity either since I just got it. It works so far. I used it for pruning a Juniper tiered ball topiary, a Boxwood hedge, Dwarf Brush Cherry topiary, Dwarf Mock Orange shrub, and a Breath of Heaven shrub. It handled well with all but the breath of heaven, which is just too willowy. The branches push away before they can be cut. Though, I did finally manage to get it pruned after a few minutes of extra effort, but probably easier to use hand shears on that one, at least for the strays that get left dangling. I like that it doesn't have its own chord, but rather just a plug for the extension chord. Makes it easy to store. It hangs on a wall nicely too. I also prefer the fact that it uses an extension chord rather than batteries as all the power tools I've had that needed batteries end up dying all too quickly (as in the batteries aren't any good and it's not worth buying new batteries for them). I'm thinking this tool will last longer (I hope).

I tried a B & D hedge trimmer that was cordless. The darned thing constantly ran out of battery power before my hedge was finished. So, I bought this corded version. It made quick work of my hedge. Very easy to use. My only complaints are I wish the guard did not have to be screwed onto the product - I had it down at the hedge with the cord, I took it out of the box, and then I had to go back upstairs to get a screwdriver. Since the screwdriver is stored on our 4th floor, that's a pain. Also, I wish they had a corded version that had a shorter blade area. Our yew hedge is planted too close to a wrought iron fence and it's a challenge to trim around the fence. A shorter trimmer would have been easier but this was the shortest corded version I could find. It does make getting the top of the hedge down quick and easy to get level.

This was ordered as a replacement for our old TR116, which was a great trimmer, lasting for 4 plus years of heavy duty trimming, and very lightweight. Ideal for people who can't lift the heavier battery powered trimmers. I definitely recommend this trimmer.The cord shown with the trimmer didn't fit. DON'T order the cord shown!The only downside of this trimmer is it is very easy to cut the cord. Have a couple extras in bright orange! Trimmer is 2 prong and some 3 prong cords will fit it, and some won't.

I am just starting out with my quest for a nice, do-it-yourself yard. I have a large, overgrown rosemary bush which needed tending and I thought this would be a good idea. It was! This little trimmer is lightweight and powerful to trim a bush. Not that it matters, but I am a smaller woman so I don't have the muscle most landscapers have. Handheld trimmer blades are not my idea of a good use of time or elbow grease. You need to have a long outdoor cord to attach to this, but other than that, its great for the price. You will need to affix the safety panel yourself, but with a screwdriver, that's easy. I think 1/2 inch twigs etc would be max with this. I store it face down in the box it came in, in my garage as the blade will need to be covered to avoid accidental injury. The safety panel won't allow it to store upright as it arrived, but it works.

This thing is useful for only the smallest of jobs, and even then it is completely annoying. The problem lies in the trigger mechanism, which makes it almost impossible to keep the thing running, and only then, with quite a bit of finger and wrist pain. This poor design also tends to cause the user to lose grip on the device. And i'm no wimp either - I'm a strong guy who does yard and trim work all the time. I actually had to tape the trigger/lock into the "on" position in order to complete what I was doing - a dangerous gerry-rig that I don't recommend anyone try or use. It does seem to cut fairly well - some branch textures more than others, though after only two hours of use, it already seems to be dulling a bit.This device was inexpensive, so I hadn't much to lose (except my fingers, I suppose), but I wouldn't buy it again - not even for small jobs. This seems to be another situation where manufacturers using the cheapest means to meet safety requirements has resulted in a device more dangerous and much less functional than it should be.I'd look elsewhere - maybe not at B&D at all.

I wanted a light, not too long trimmer that would allow my wife to putter around the bushes and trip what she wanted. Alas, all the battery powered units are much too heavy, so we ended up finding this unit which was totally manageable for her, despite the need for an electrical cord (which she cut through the first time she used the unit!). It's now been a month of use, and the trimmer has tackled all the bushes around our garden with no issue, slicing through some of the thicker branches quite nicely, and I have had no reports of "too heavy" even after a half hour of use.So, from a weight point of view and an efficiency around the garden point of view, this B&D unit has come up trumps. Sure, there are more powerful units, and units with longer trimmers, but this was a very good bargain at the right weight and length. No issues whatsoever. Recommended.

This product is perfect. Its not too heavy and the blades are not too long so i can have full mobility and control when trimming my hedges.I would, and have recommended this trimmer to others. My aunt saw me trim my hedges and asked about this product. After trimming a hedge, she ordered one later that day when she went back home.5/5

This item has worked very well for me since purchased in August 2017. The length is a bit short though - wish I had purchased a longer one, but for the price of $37.86 + tax, that was hard to beat.

It's light and it cuts well. I did find that when cutting my hedge at shoulder height, the left side of the motor does blow air onto your face which can be annoying. The 16 inch blade makes it very manoeuvrable on smaller shrubs.

It is nice and light but I have arthritis in my hand, which makes squeezing and holding the trigger a problem. I could jury rig something to keep it cutting, but I have gone back to my old B & D trimmer which has a simple on-off slide switch. I'll save this TR116 for handling the thicker shrubs.