Bosch Grass Trimmer UniversalGrassCut 18 (Without Battery, 18 Volt System, Cutting Diameter: 26 cm, Adjustable Handles, in Carton Packaging)

Great little strimmer, very happy with it. I was getting a bit fed up getting out an extension lead, unwrapping power cords. moving them all from the front to the back garden and then putting them all away (seemed to take longer doing that than the actual strimming). So started to look at cordless battery models. Picked this on as I tried holding it in a local (large) DIY chain and found it easy to hold and light (you may want to do the same before buying), and also I have other Bosch 18V tools. As some have said this uses the newer battery (my other tools used the older 18V type) - only difference is the charger, but both battery types work in all tools. I did toy with the idea of a bare (no battery model) but got this 2.5Ah one at a reduced cost so thought it a bargain for an extra battery. It feels a bit 'weak' compared to the corded strimmer I have (a 'heavy duty' model) but is actually fine for grass/weeds, cutting through it very easily. I've got about 55m of edges to strim (I take my time and go over a few bits to get them neat), after first strim the battery (using my drill, as this tool doesn't have a battery level indicator) still showed 3 out of 3 bars, falling to 2 out of 3 bars on second use.

So this is for the most part an incredibly well designed strimmer but there are a few flaws that bosch really need to sort out.First is that the collar that goes around the spool is made from too soft a plastic, what happens is the line cuts into the collar cutting a channel and getting stuck meaning it no longer auto feeds and you have to keep stopping to pull the line manually. Every single spool I've put in does the same thing.Second, and this is what broke on mine, the foot lever to adjust the angle and make it turn into an edger seized. It's about to be collected for a warranty repair..... Hopefully! Having a foot operated anything is just asking for too much load to go through the mechanism, a simple hand operated pull and twist would be much more robust. Also having the mechanism down low is just asking for it to get gummed with detritus.Third is the edging wheel snaps off, thankfully you can order this as a spare part and it simply clicks in, but any kind of lateral force will snap it off. Other manufacturers have a far more robust connection to the chassis of the strimmer, just look at the black and orange strimmer for a good example.The handles are genius, the two handed hold is so much more comfortable, the motor is low on vibration and the strimmer cuts well, but the weak points ruin what otherwise would be the best home strimmer going. Come on bosch, sort this out, I'll even help you test a new version!Update 13th May 21, to The credit of Bosch the warranty return was slick and in a matter of days they told me that they would replace the whole machine, the new one arriving two days later.So first up, Bosch have changed the collar design so that both faces of the opening are now covered in stainless steel, which will undoubtedly solve the line cutting problem.The foot operated lever feels much more positive in action and more robust. I can't prove it but suspect they've made changes here too.The stick on edging wheel is still bobbins and liable to break but at least that's cheap to replace.The ergonomics of this strimmer are great, it also cuts well, battery life with our 4ah batteries are also good.My new machine is a has a 2021 manufacturer date if it helps.

Battery life is fine. I managed to do front and back edge strims 3 times before recharge. I already have a spare battery as I have other Bosch 18v tools. The machine lacks the power of plug in rivals but to be fair it was good enough for lawn edging and a few border weeds which is as much as I need. It folds down quite small and is very light and mostly easy to use. there's a pedal to change the head angle to do edging but I still need to end up getting my hands involved. Also the the ajustable main tube does not lock in the fully retracted position which is a bit of a nuisance. It does what I want it to though and a lot easier than extension leads and tripping over cables all the time.

I got this about a month ago and have used it a few times since then. I wanted to leave it until I'd used it a bit.I bought it to replace a very old and very dirty 2 stroke petrol strimmer and so far it's doing a great job. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't be powerful enough for what I wanted or the battery life would be too short, but so far it's all good.The battery lasts about 20 minutes, so if that's a problem then you'll need to get a second battery. I expect that I will with time.It's much lighter and more comfortable to use than the petrol one and seems to get the job done in about the same time. Its also very convenient as it doesn't involve the usual hassle 9f finding the petrol can, realising its empty, looking for 2 stroke oil, and then spending15 minutes swearing whilst trying to get it started..As long as you remembered to leave the battery on charge, its available instantly. Its much quieter and doesn't vibrate as much. An added bonus is that it creates less mess as it doesn't splatter you with mushed up grass as much.All in all I'm very happy with it. It could do with being about 4 nches longer, but then couldn't we all ?