Advantage of Electric over Gas
Now the advantages of having a electric powered garden tool are many. First you do not have to buy gasoline or any other fuel, you just need to plug-in the battery so that you can recharge. By not buying fuel you no longer have to buy ethanol free gasoline nor do you have to buy motor oil. Both of which are required for two-stroke and four stroke engines. On top of that you do not need to worry about changing oil, changing air filters, changing spark plugs, or noise and fumes associated with the gasoline engine. Another advantage is that you do not need to pull the motor to start, just pull the trigger and go.
Specs and overall Power
The unit itself also comes with a low setting so that you can attack different types of foliage easily. In terms of power some have even found that the trimmer could get through 1 inch thick saplings. Saplings? Could we use this as a brush cutter?
Operations
Heavy Battery – What you do have to worry about an electric powered garden tool is that the size of the battery is as heavy or heavier than the motor that it replaced. And whenever you have a heavy garden tool, it requires the use of a harness. This particular unit does not come with a harness the box so you will have to use one that you already have or purchase new one.
Ergonomics – In the case of this Dewalt string trimmer, it has straight shaft. We like straight shaft. But the heavy battery does not allow for good balance. If you have a shoulder strap you should definitely use it. Overall when using the string trimmer the vibration is low and because it is not an engine strapped to your back.
No Fumes – With a power string trimmer there aren’t any fumes from the gasoline, and more importantly the headaches associated with those fumes.
General Ease of use – Many female users were not bothered by the weight, and one older woman said that she used it very easily. Tall users thought that this machine was great. Long straight shafts make it easier for tall people to use garden tools because they do not need to bend over as much.
Power – Power is the usual the concern of people who switch from gas to electric. In the past electric power tools did not have the will nor power to do the job. If they did not run out of charge, there was not enough charge in order to cut the necessary weeds.
In the case of this Dewalt string trimmer you can use it for 60 to 90 minutes before you need to recharge. Many were surprised by the nice torque. A lot of users realize that would’ve been a better idea to get larger battery volts rather than two small batteries at 20 V.
Line Feed – Now it comes to cutting the actual lawn many found that the feet of line from the head needed to be changed. The design requires the user to follow the head line, which is not optimal. And when it comes to adding more line to the spool it was very difficult.
Debris – Now when the line is actually trying many found that the debris would come back at them. Especially if they were right handed. And one user in particular found that it was hard to cut wet grass with this Dewalt string trimmer.
DeWalt vs Black & Decker
One user made a comparison to Black & Decker the walls found that the B&D was better for small lawns, and the Dewalt better for larger lawns. I don’t personally agree with that.
The Black and Decker Unit is lighter, so that makes it easier for small lawns – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a small lawn doesn’t have big lawn problems. The DeWalt is a heavier machine because of the big battery. Larger battery means both more power and more endurance. If the B&D can get the job done by all means, choose that one over the DeWalt, but if you’re not sure – go with a DeWalt or higher powered option.
Conclusion
All in all this has been the best electric string trimmer that we have reviewed. We wholeheartedly recommend the string trimmer for people to small lawns big lawns and the occasional farm.