Black & Decker 20V MAX Hedge Trimmer Kit, 18-Inch

A compact trimmer that’s easy to live with

A tidy hedge is less about brute force and more about control, comfort, and cut quality. That’s where the Black+Decker 18-inch 20V trimmer stands out. It’s a lightweight, cordless hedge trimmer that trades raw power for maneuverability and consistency—exactly what I want for routine yard maintenance on shrubs, small hedges, and seasonal touch-ups.

Setup and battery ecosystem

The kit includes a 20V MAX lithium-ion battery (2 Ah) and a charger, so you can get started right out of the box. If you already run Black+Decker’s 20V MAX tools, this trimmer drops right into that ecosystem; the battery is interchangeable, which simplifies charging and spares. Owning a couple of 20V packs is ideal here: one on the tool, one on the charger, and you’ll rarely feel stalled.

The battery latches securely, and the overall balance with the pack installed is good. Weight lands at about 5.6 pounds, which is notably light for a hedge trimmer. That matters when you’re stretching for the tops of hedges or doing long vertical passes—your shoulders will notice the difference.

Ergonomics and control

The design is straightforward and effective. The built-in T-handle up front gives you a confident, neutral grip in several orientations, and the rear handle lines up naturally with the blade for predictable tracking along a hedge face. There’s no rotating rear handle, so if you do a lot of vertical cutting you’ll feel your wrist angle more than you would on a pricier, pro-oriented model. Even so, the trimmer’s light weight and compact size make it easy to manage in tight spots, around fence lines, and under low branches.

The trigger is responsive, and the guard is generous enough to keep your hands out of the debris path. As always, wear eye protection—this trimmer will happily fling dry twigs back at you when you hit old growth.

Cutting performance

The dual-action hardened steel blades are the headline feature here. Dual-action means the opposing motion of the blades cancels out a lot of vibration while producing a clean, even cut. With fresh, soft growth on boxwood, privet, spirea, and similar hedges, the finish is neat with very little leaf bruising. On evergreen hedges (yew, arborvitae) the trimmer creates a crisp face without tearing new tips—a common issue on cheaper single-action models.

The 18-inch bar sits in a sweet spot for small and medium shrubs. It’s long enough to establish a straight line across a hedge top yet short enough to weave through tight landscaping without clipping garden lights or downspouts. If you regularly shape deep or tall hedges, a 22–24 inch blade will reduce your number of passes, but for typical suburban shrubs, 18 inches is nimble and confidence-inspiring.

Black+Decker rates the cutting capacity at 5/8 inch. In practice, that’s accurate. It chews through green stems up to about half an inch without bogging, and with a nudging technique—easing the branch into the blade rather than forcing it—you can cleanly sever pieces near the upper limit. For anything thicker or woody (older laurel or holly), grab bypass loppers or a small saw. Trying to power through oversize branches with any hedge trimmer shortens blade life and roughens cuts.

Vibration and noise

Dual-action blades pay dividends in comfort. After 20–30 minutes of continuous trimming I didn’t have the tingling hands I associate with budget single-action trimmers. The tool is also relatively quiet. It’s nowhere near gas-level loudness, which makes neighborhood trimming less intrusive. Noise is still enough that ear protection is smart, but you can maintain situational awareness while working.

Runtime and charging

Runtime depends on what you’re cutting and how aggressive you are with the trigger. With the included 2 Ah battery, I can tidy a typical front yard—two mid-sized hedges and a half dozen shrubs—on one charge. Denser hedges or extended shaping sessions will drain the pack faster. If you’re planning a full-property trim once or twice a season, a second 20V battery is the best quality-of-life upgrade you can make. Swapping packs is faster than waiting on a charge, and the trimmer doesn’t slow down until the battery is nearly empty.

One thing I appreciate: the power delivery stays consistent through most of the pack. There isn’t a steep fade-off until the very end, so your cut quality doesn’t deteriorate as you work.

Maintenance and blade care

The hardened steel blades hold an edge well with light, routine use. A quick brush to remove sap and clippings after each session, followed by a light oiling, goes a long way toward keeping cuts clean and preventing corrosion. If you regularly hit gritty debris along the ground or fence wire, expect to sharpen or replace the blade sooner. Replacements are straightforward to install; just follow the manual’s torque and safety notes.

As with any cordless yard tool, store the battery indoors and the tool in a dry spot. The 2-year limited warranty is standard for this class and gives some peace of mind for home use.

What it does best

• Routine trimming and shaping of small to medium hedges
• Touch-ups between major pruning sessions
• Working around landscaping where a compact, light tool reduces mistakes
• Households already invested in the Black+Decker 20V MAX system

The trimmer’s strengths are ease of use, low vibration, and a clean cut on new growth. It’s the tool I reach for when I want to refresh hedge lines before guests arrive or tidy up after spring growth.

Where it falls short

• Thick, woody branches at or above 5/8 inch aren’t its job
• No rotating rear handle for ergonomic vertical cuts
• The 18-inch bar adds agility but reduces reach compared with longer models
• A single 2 Ah battery may feel limiting for larger properties without a spare

None of these are dealbreakers in the intended use case, but they’re worth noting so expectations match reality. If you’re reclaiming an overgrown hedge or maintaining tall, deep runs of boxwood, you’ll either want a longer bar, more voltage, or a companion tool like loppers or a compact chainsaw.

Comparisons and context

In the 18–20V homeowner class, this trimmer is competitive with similar offerings from Ryobi, Craftsman, and WORX. They all aim for the same balance: cordless convenience, manageable weight, and enough bite for common shrubs. What tips the scales for the Black+Decker, in my view, is its especially low vibration and the sheer breadth of the 20V MAX platform. If you already own the batteries, tool cost-of-entry stays low, and keeping everything on one charger is simpler.

If you don’t have any 20V tools yet and anticipate heavy hedge work, a higher-capacity battery or stepping into a 40V class trimmer might make sense. For most yards, though, that’s more tool than you need.

The bottom line

The Black+Decker 18-inch 20V trimmer is exactly what a homeowner-friendly hedge trimmer should be: light, predictable, and capable of producing clean, consistent cuts on the sort of branches people actually trim most of the time. The dual-action blade keeps vibration to a minimum, the 5/8-inch capacity is honest, and the battery system makes it easy to keep working with a spare pack on hand.

Recommendation: I recommend this trimmer for homeowners who want an easy-to-handle, cordless solution for routine hedge and shrub maintenance, especially if you’re already using Black+Decker 20V MAX tools. It’s not built for rehabilitating severely overgrown hedges or chewing through thick hardwood, but for regular shaping and tidy-up work, it’s a comfortable, reliable choice backed by a reasonable two-year warranty.