Which one would you choose? (B&D GTC 390 Accu Cordless)

Member Name: SueMagee

Product:	B&D GTC 390 Accu Cordless
Date:	30/09/01 (1806 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gives good cut, not a great deal of effort required, quality machine.

Disadvantages: Heavier than a conventional trimmer, requires skill to get a good cut, doesn't pick up after itself

In the Magee household we make use of two hedge trimmers. I'd like to tell you about them both.

My husband favours the Black and Decker cordless. I'm not generally one for worrying about the looks of garden machinery but this is smart, even elegant, with its matt black finish and neat sheath which can be wall-mounted. We've mounted it in the back of a cupboard and stored the charging unit and energy pack separately so that there's no possibility of a lethal weapon falling into the wrong hands.

It would be lethal too. There's a 27" double-sided blade, which means that you can cut on the forward and backward strokes. Do remember to wear goggles and protective clothing, particularly if you're planning on working from steps. A charger is supplied and this is used to recharge the energy pack. Once charged up this clicks very smoothly into the handle of the hedge trimmer which is now ready to use. We usually recharge the energy pack overnight and this provides sufficient power to do all our hedges and we've got quite a few of them. It's a two-handed operation with a trigger handle which contains the power switches for the leading hand and a ring handle for balance and support. There's also a shield which prevents clippings from being thrown up onto the face and hands.

It isn't light, certainly not as light as a conventional trimmer run directly from the mains, but then that would hardly be expected. The additional weight is offset by the increased manoeuvrability of not having to contend with a flex, particularly when you're perched on the top of a step-ladder. It's also a great deal safer as all the people who've cut through a flex will testify. The balance of the trimmer is good which helps to minimise the effect of the weight.

We've used the clipper over a period of years now and we've never had any trouble with it. I understand from someone "in the
trade" that spare parts are readily available.

The cut is as fine as any cut that you'll get short of using conventional shears, but obviously a lot less effort is required and the job is done very much more quickly. It copes equally well with beech, privet and my friend's leylandii. It's a little fiddlier to clean than conventional shears but not so much that it's a chore. A drop of oil after each use keeps the blades moving freely.

The chore with hedge clipping is not the clipping itself but picking the clippings up afterwards and unfortunately there's no attachment to the machine to do this! A Garden Vac gets rid of some of it, but there's always a lot left over when my husband's finished. I know it's a back-breaking job so I haven't the heart to complain. I didn't like to complain either about the fact that you could get sea-sick looking at the top of the hedge when it's finished. Good as this trimmer is, it does depend on the skill and eye of the person operating it and this is where my hedge-trimmer comes in.

Soon Peter will say that the hedges could do with their autumn hair cut and we will agree that the trimmer should be charged up on Friday night. Before then I'll make it my business to bump into a delightful young man called Chris. "How's business?" I?ll say. "Busy" he'll say "very busy." "I don't suppose you could fit in our hedges this week could you? Any time to suit you, I'm not worried. I'd just be so grateful..."

Chris will turn up with his professional machine and in a couple of hours he will have done all the hedges to perfection (and by eye alone!) picked up every piece of clipping, deposited it in the back of his truck, drunk a cup of coffee and told me all the village gossip. Peter will come home and be shocked. "I was going to do that" he'll say. "Oh, well,"
; I'll reply "it was a bit of a coincidence really. I just bumped into Chris and he was saying that he had a couple of hours to spare, so it just struck me that if I got him to do the hedges you could play golf this weekend...?

"It does look better", he'll say.
"Never mind. You can do it next year."

It works every time.

Summary: