Black & Decker Shrub trimmer / grass shear combo (cordless, 3.6 V)

I reach for the GSL35 when a full‑size hedge trimmer feels like overkill and scissors are too slow. It’s a compact cordless shear/trimmer combo that lives in the middle ground: light pruning, shaping soft growth, and tidying grass where a mower or string trimmer can’t safely reach. After several weeks using it around beds, paths, and containers, I’ve got a good sense of where it excels—and where you’ll want something bigger.

Design and ergonomics

The GSL35 is small and genuinely light. In the hand it feels closer to a cordless screwdriver than a hedge trimmer, which is exactly the point. The soft‑grip handle is comfortable, the balance sits forward enough to keep the blades planted, and one‑handed control is easy even when I’m crouching in a bed or leaning over edging stones.

Weight listings vary by retailer, but in use it’s featherweight. I could trim for long stretches without wrist fatigue, and the compact body made it easy to sneak between stems without bruising adjacent plants. Noise and vibration are both mild; I could hear birds while working.

Blade swap system

Two blades come in the box: a 6‑inch shrubber blade and a 4‑inch grass shear. Swapping them is toolless: slide the release, pull one off, click the other on. The mechanism is quick, and once seated correctly there’s minimal play.

A tip: after a blade change, give the assembly a firm tug to confirm it’s fully latched. If you snag the blade on a woody stem and twist, a poorly seated module can pop loose. Seating it properly avoids this.

Cutting performance: shrubs and perennials

With the shrubber blade, the GSL35 is best for soft, green material and thin woody tips. It’s ideal for:

• Touch‑up shaping on boxwood, lavender, santolina, and small ornamental grasses
• Cutting back spent annuals and herbaceous perennials
• Nipping suckers and water sprouts on shrubs while they’re still soft

On soft stems up to about 1/4 inch, it snips cleanly and the motor keeps a steady pace. Push into drier, harder wood and you’ll find its limits quickly: it can stall or hesitate, and forcing it will only gum up the blades with sap or risk a jam. For anything beyond light topiary passes or seasonal tidying, I’d step up to a higher‑voltage shrub trimmer.

Cutting performance: grass and edging

The 4‑inch grass shears are the hero attachment. I used them to:

• Trim around irrigation risers, drip lines, and ground‑mounted lights
• Clean up tufts around stone pavers and along raised‑bed edges
• Knock down overgrowth around berry canes without nicking the canes themselves

The shorter blade is easy to steer with fingertip control, and the cut quality is surprisingly neat as long as the grass isn’t wet and matted. Compared to a string trimmer, this is slower but much more precise and far less likely to gouge bark, mulch, or plastic edging.

Power, runtime, and charging

This is a 3.6V, 1.5Ah lithium‑ion tool—more in line with a compact hand tool than a yard machine. In mixed use, I’ve been getting roughly 25–35 minutes per charge with the grass shears and a bit less with the shrubber blade when cutting denser material. As the battery depletes, the motor slows before it quits, which serves as a gentle prompt to stop rather than forcing the tool through resistance.

Charging is old‑school: plug in the included wall charger and plan on an overnight top‑up. The manufacturer’s stated full charge time is 12 hours. There’s an LED indicator to show charging status, which is helpful, but there’s no fast charge or battery gauge beyond that. The upside of the low‑draw battery is shelf stability—I could leave it a couple of weeks between light sessions and pick up where I left off without topping up first.

Note: some listings sell the tool bare; others include the battery. Check the kit contents before buying.

Controls and safety

The GSL35 uses a safety interlock that must be pressed with the same hand while squeezing the trigger. It’s a two‑step operation designed to prevent accidental starts. The safety does not latch; you hold it down the whole time.

Functionally, it works—and it’s safe—but it’s not the most ergonomic solution for everyone. If your hands are small or you have grip issues, sustaining the interlock plus trigger can feel awkward during long cuts. For quick snips and spot trimming it’s fine; for extended hedging passes it becomes noticeable. I’d rather have a lock‑on option, but I understand the safety tradeoff.

Build quality and maintenance

The housing is mostly plastic with steel blades. For the price and size, that’s expected. The blade change mechanism has held up well so far; my only caution is to keep it clean and free of grit.

Maintenance matters more on a low‑power trimmer like this:

• Wipe the blades after use, especially if you cut sticky or sappy plants
• Add a drop or two of light oil to the blades before each session
• Don’t muscle through woody stems; let the tool cut at its own pace
• If the tool slows, stop and recharge—heat and sap buildup are runtime killers

Kept clean and lubricated, the blades stay sharp longer and the motor is less likely to bog down.

Black & Decker includes a two‑year limited warranty, which feels appropriate for a light‑duty tool. Given the simple mechanics, I’m more concerned with battery longevity than anything else; storing it at moderate charge and temperature will help.

What it’s good at

• Precision trimming where space is tight and accuracy matters
• Quick tidy‑ups between major pruning sessions
• Grass cleanup around obstacles that string trimmers tend to damage
• Low noise, low mess, grab‑and‑go chores

Where it falls short

• Dense hedges and thicker woody stems
• Long, continuous hedging passes (fatiguing safety control and limited battery)
• Fast turnaround charging—this is an overnight charger
• Users who want a single tool for both fine work and heavy pruning

If your yard routinely throws 3/8‑inch hardwood shoots at you, you’ll be happier with a 7.2V or 12V shear/shrubber, or jumping to a compact 18/20V platform. Those bring more speed and torque, often faster charging, and sometimes a lock‑on switch—at the cost of weight and price.

Practical tips from use

• Lead with the tips of the blades and use short, overlapping passes for the cleanest finish
• For grass along hard edges, tilt the tool slightly to undercut rather than scalping
• Keep a small brush in your apron to flick sap and debris off the teeth mid‑session
• Store it with the blades oiled and covered; a sandwich bag works in a pinch

The bottom line

The GSL35 is a handy, lightweight helper for light pruning and precise grass trimming. Its strengths are accuracy, comfort, and simplicity; its limitations are power, charge time, and a safety control that won’t please everyone. Treat it as a finesse tool, not a hedge‑eating machine, and it performs well.

Recommendation: I recommend the GSL35 for homeowners who need a compact, affordable shear/trimmer for soft growth, bed edging, and touch‑ups—especially if low weight and maneuverability are top priorities. If you expect to tackle thicker woody stems, want rapid charging, or prefer a lock‑on trigger, consider stepping up to a higher‑voltage model.