Haven't battery tools come a long way...

[Tim Watts]

My Ryobi petrol strimmer finally blew up - threw a lump off the engine. Killed it's hedge cutter unit 2 years ago thanks to a crappy plastic gear. Will not be buying their stuff again...

So my latest toys are:

(Bosch 36V Li-Ion hedge trimmer)

and

(Black and Decker 36V strimmer).

The hedge cutter is fantastic. The supplied battery went through 1/3 of my hedge which hasn't been cut since last summer, on a single charge - it's also a bastard hawthorn. The cutter really does chew through quite heavy branches. Not in one bite like a petrol unit, but I'd say it has the same capacity (15-20mm). Feels almost like a mains unit.

I do have a second battery for it so with a 1 hour recharge time, I can go more or less non stop but I've run out of wheelie bin space until the dustmen come.

The strimmer is just as good as the Ryobi for capacity and better in every other way - lighter, quieter, no buggering about with petrol and burning my arm on the engine. Run time is adequate but as I can alternate with hedge cutting it's not really a problem.

Very very impressed... Now to see how long they and their batteries last.

[John Rumm]

My first one ingested something (probably a lump of its own carb!):

Since I had loads of add ons for it and saw a 4 stroke for £60 in Makro, I got a second one some years back. Don't think I would buy one if choosing from scratch again though. So far the replacement has worked reasonably...

That will be the interesting bit...

[Tim Watts]

I did have a dirt cheap NiCd hedge cutter as a distress purchase 2 years back - it was weak and the batteries finally gave out completely this year.

However, my laptop, phone and Bosch cordless driver have all gone well over the 3 year mark all with heavy use. So I'm optimistic for the Li-Ion batteries.

[Brian Gaff]

I think looking after them, ie not leaving them in cold damp sheds all winter is a good idea. Brian

[Tim Watts]

Quite likely. I have vowed to clean these after each use and give the hedge trimmer a spray of light oil after each use. It's not actually hard - just means keeping a cloth, a dish-brush and a spray oil can next to them.

[stuart noble]

I think they'd get pinched from a shed

[Bob Eager]

Speaking of which...I got caught out with our Numatic Charles (wet cleaner and carpet cleaner). It was put away (by son) without flushing through with warm water. Result: pump stuck solid.

Quite a lot of dismantling and fiddling to fix that.

[DerbyBorn]

Tim Watts wrote in news:j5su2b-l3k.ln1 @squidward.local.dionic.net:

Lubrication is so often missed nowadays. No lube = more friction = shorter battery life.

[Bill Wright]

Here is an actual quote from my GP:

"The more lubrication you use the better."

Before you reach an erroneous conclusion this was during a discussion about eye problems.

Bill

[Sam Plusnet]

Brand new batteries, brand new & sharp blade - so it might not be a fair comparison. It's a bit like comparing the start up time of a PC that has a newly installed OS with one that's loaded down with several years worth of cr@p.

[Gazz]

Japs eye problems?

[John Rumm]

Was it making them water ;-)

[polygonum]

From personal experience, I'd disagree if it contains preservative.