BLACK+DECKER String Trimmer, 7.5-Amp (GH3000)

Well-powered device. Feeds line well (see notes below). Well-balanced with heavy motor in handle instead of end of long stick. Cord management securely holds my very-thick 12ga cord in place. Easily switches to "edging" mode.** Automatic Feed System (AFS) **If you have looked at reviews of any AFS-equipped edger/trimmer you will see a large number of complaints about the auto-feed. These fall into two obvious categories usually: (1) the system does not feed, or (2) the system feeds too much and works through line like crazy. In fact, you see both complaints on the same device (this device's reviews are a great example). This is because ANY auto-feed mechanism is in a fairly precarious balance between not feeding enough and feeding too much. The most important thing is to recognize that the AFS system is not magic and will not always keep a just-sharp-enough-for-your-needs tip on the end.AFS works as a balance between two centripetal forces: the force from the line whipping around pulling it out and turning the spool clockwise, and the force from a small lever which pushes the spool slightly counter-clockwise. If the latter wins, the lever comes out, pulling a nub out of position in the spool ratchet, then while out lets a small (couple of inches) amount of line out while it is pushed back in. The "stable" state allows the line to win, though, which keeps the nub in place in the sprocket. What puts this out of balance is when the line gets shortened: if too short the line will exert less force pulling the spool clockwise, so the spool goes counter-clockwise letting the lever win and sending new line out.Now, things affecting this balance are:1. How easily the lever moves (ex, is there dirt or debris up in there)2. How much the line weighs (ex, if the line is lighter weight than designed it will need to be longer before reaching equilibrium; if the line has a bunch of dirt accumulated on it it will be shorter before reaching equilibrium)3. Proper seating of the nub of the lever in the sprocket of the spool (follow the instructions on snapping the spool all the way in place, including rotating it while pushing that last millimeter in so the nub falls properly into place rather than being compressed or splintered)4. Proper unspooling of the line (ex, if the line is partially melted together as I've seen much too often in pre-packaged Black and Decker line spools, the line will not feed out)On my particular device, equilibrium is with the line at about 12" from center, which you might note is a bit less than the 14" from center the device is advertised as. However, this equilibrium point is much better than one at 15" from center, which would cause the line to constantly feed. If I had a device constantly feeding I'd check for debris in the lever area, verify that I have the right line in place (0.080" round cross-section), and that the spool is properly seating the nub in the sprocket.One thing to note is that this entire sprocket mechanism is in the base of the part that pops "off". Compared to the opposite location (in the molded part closer to the shaft), this seems to keep more dirt out as well as making it really easy to replace the mechanism if something happens to it.Another thing to note is that many AFS systems only feed on start up / shut down. This is because the relief of the "push" from the motor throws the above balance back out of balance, letting the nub advance in its track. The benefit of this is that if the AFS auto-feeds on stop/start then "pulsing" the motor feeds out new line. On my particular device, this didn't seem to be happening. Pulsing didn't pull new line out. Your mileage may vary (again, this isn't necessarily an issue with the design, but the specific balancing of a specific device).Overall line usage: about a quarter of the original (30"?) spool was used on an average-sized suburban front lawn with multiple trees to edge around and curved grass lines. The rest was used clearing about a quarter acre of thick and tall weeds (height generally doesn't matter other than that the tall weeds fall down and get re-cut usually). This is actually a little less than what I'd go through with my older 0.065"-line-using trimmer (which was about 15" of line for the same job). Obviously if you don't want to buy line a string trimmer is not for you. About $1 of line for the full yard seems quite reasonable to me though (as mentioned below, I wind my own spools from bulk line which keeps this cost reasonable).** Prewound Spool Quality **There were a few times working through that first spool (the one that came with the device) where line-meltage inside the spool required me to take it apart and pop the line off the spool. As I noted above, this seems to be very common with B&D's prewound spools. The solution is to just buy bulk line (always 0.080" ROUND, not any kind of shape to it!) and wind the spools yourself. Really takes just about a minute to wind a full spool, which is much less than a trip to the hardware store, and bulk line runs about $3/40 ft instead of $9/20 ft for prewound line (so I can get 6 spools of line for the price of one, and all for about 6 minutes of my time).One thing I did note, though, is that the spool had a lot of "molded" lines where the original line had been, seemingly from having been melted in place during transit. This makes the first layer of rewound line a little more difficult than it should be. Next time I reuse this spool I'll try smoothing out the spool first using duct tape.** Ergonomics **Generally speaking, the ergonomics on this are quite good. I am tall (between 6'2" and 6'3"), so was a little worried about the very minimal "extension" adjustment the device can make (at the same place which governs rotation for edging). The first time out I found myself hunched over because I was trying to hold the motor end too high, as I would have on a longer-shafted edger. However, when I brought the handles down to hip height (as shown in the instruction manual, I might add), it sat quite comfortably in the hands and made good contact with the ground.The one somewhat-unavoidable issue is vibration. After a particularly large job clearing a field of foxtails and milkweeds, my entire arms were tingly and numb from the constant vibration. I'd highly recommend padded gloves to reduce this vibration. B&D could improve the device by providing more thick-foam padding on the handles, although that padding will inevitably break down over time so relying on easily-replaced gloves to provide the padding is probably smarter.** Effectiveness in Operation **As always, it is important to remember that string trimmers cut best at the outer edge of the line (NEVER bring the line "down" on grass; ALWAYS "cut into" the grass with the outer tips). Even with my device sitting at about 12" instead of 14", the outer edge of the line has devastating velocity which absolutely sheared through the various weeds I pushed it through. I found that one particularly fibrous variety of weed (not even sure what it was, but it has a very thick and fibrous stalk) would cause problems and slow the cut down, but taking these slow (so they didn't get past the outer tip) worked well. Note that the line spins clockwise from the top, so cutting such weeds on the left side kept them from getting caught up on the rock guard and really causing issues.** Overall **Pros: Well-balanced and easy to use for the power it offers; construction is solid; cord management accommodates very thick cords; easy edging optionCons: AFS head can be replaced, but not changed out to a bump head if the user gets sick of the inherent issues with auto-feed; edgine can not control depth (and depth will vary if the line auto-feeds while edging)

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. My strengths lie in anything in computers, gadgets and electronics. When it comes to anything dealing with landscaping or home improvement, I usually hire someone to come in and do it. I already have a landscaper that comes in and takes care of my lawn.However, when I recently had a 10x10 fence built for my small dog (complete with access door), I ran into a problem that I did not originally anticipate....overgrown grass and weeds.Once the Summer hit, I found the dog pen overgrown with weeds and grass. I went into panic mode, because I didn't quite know how to deal with it. Honestly, I was going to purchase a small electric lawn mower to take care of the problem.Then it hit me....look for a trimmer.I poured over Amazon reviews on different trimmers. This Black & Decker GH3000 seemed to have the best overall ratings, though with any product, it had a few complaints as well. I figured I would take a chance and try this trimmer. If it were to fail, I could easily return it to Amazon.The trimmer arrived in a large, long box. It was delivered through UPS. Upon opening it, I found three pieces: The trimmer, the trimmer guard and the handle. Everything was nicely packed, so you can rest assured that the likeliness of damage is minimal.The instructions looked rather confusing, at first. However, upon reflection, they had easy-to-figure diagrams and only a few initial steps that needed to be accomplished. You first insert and screw the guard into the base of the trimmer. Next step is to attach the handle, which easily slides into place between two buttons that you push in. I believe I had this trimmer set up in under 10 minutes -- and it probably could be done faster with someone who has more experience with these things. In all, it's a very easy assembly process.The next step was to run a heavy extension cord from the inside to the outside of the house. Before I actually inserted the plug, I almost said a silent prayer to myself as I wasn't certain this thing was going to work and was wondering if I had set it up properly.A slight push of the lever in the handle and the trimmer came to life! WOW! You could feel the power of this thing in your hands. I started moving it back and forth over the grass and weeds and watched as they were cut to shreds. I had the entire 10x10 pen area mowed down in about a minute. It was one of the most amazing things I have done as of late. I was very proud of the accomplishment --- really.This trimmer is the bomb! It's VERY powerful. It has no problem cutting through thick weeds. It just gets the job done in the most minimal amount of time.My biggest mistake was not taking BEFORE pictures to include here. But I did take AFTER photos so you can see the amount of debris I cut down.Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to change the string spool. Doesn't look like I need to do it yet. I only used it in a small area. I am certain that will not be an overly involved process and I already know what spool to purchase.Yes, as an idiot who has never used one of these things, this was the most awesome experience as of late. It was easy to put together and it did the job better than I imagined.You will want to purchase this!