VonHaus have got something of a ‘budget brand’ reputation, which is no bad thing of course, everyone likes a bargain. At the same time though, this usully means their tools are pretty no frills in other respects too. Therefore it’s quite refreshing to see that this cordless trimmer is a strong competitor to other models from big name brands such as Bosch as far as its features go, and with the added bonus of a cheaper price tag.
The most obvious thing that puts this strimmer on an equal footing with other brands is the now standard interchangeable battery feature. In other words the same battery can be used with other 20V VonHaus tools, and although it’s a bit of a marketing gimmick, it can be pretty handy to be able to nab the battery from the hedge trimmer when the other one is discharged, plus it’s a cost saver if you share one or two batteries among several tools.
It must be said that this trimmer looks pretty well designed, it’s handles are comfortable, and again the telescopic shaft and fully adjustable cutting head are pretty well standard among strimmers of this class, but it’s still nice to see.
If you’re not a fan of ‘bump fed’ plastic strimmer line, then you’ll be pleased to learn that the 15/069 instead features replacable clip on plastic blades. In many ways this is a far easier system to work with, especially when the bump feed on other strimmers ceases to work properly (which is all too often the case). Although it probably does work out to be slightly more expensive in terms of replacement blades, if it’s conveniance you’re after, there’s no contest.
Pros
- Approximately 1 hour of charge time for 30-40 minutes of run time make this ideally suited to pretty large areas of long grass
- Interchangable garden tool battery system is conveniant and cost effective
- Comfortable, fully adjustable design makes the trimmer suited to both trimming and edging
- At 2.2kg this is remarkably lightweight, a testament to the battery, and more importantly very easy to carry
Cons
- As great as the plastic blades are, hard surfaces won’t be at all forgiving on them, so avoid accidentally hitting things like trees and patios at all costs – the blades are a little on the fragile side!
- Will stall on very thick areas of grass