True Shopping are a brand that we have reviewed before, in our cordless lawn mowers category, so it shows that they are trying to make waves in the cordless arena. The difference is that they are not trying to compete with the big name brands like Bosch and Black & Decker; they are going for the budget end of the market, which is great if you are after a garden power tool on a budget.
Quality– NiCAD battery type – Adjustable, aluminium telescopic tube | Usability– Charge time of 5+ hours – 3kg in weight | ||
Robustness– Build from lightweight, durable plastic – Satisfactory build quality for the price | Performance– Usage time of 20-45 mins, terrain dependent – 23 cm cutting width |
- Telescopic pole easily extends for use and collapses for storage
- Reasonably sized 23 cm cutting width for the smaller garden
- 6.5 m cutting cable which should last a reasonable number of cuts before requiring replacement
- Spins at 8000 rpm without any grass in the blade
What Users Say
The majority of users who own this product really enjoy using a well designed machine that does a no nonsense job and are prepared to sacrifice some luxury features in order to lower the buying cost. Most people using it do so on a small area of reasonably well maintained grass, which is what it was designed for. It was not designed to be used on wildly overgrown or very long and stubborn grassy areas, as some have found out when it does not meet their expectations.
Gardeners have found that the running time can vary from anything between 20 and 50 mins. This really does depend on the type of grass you are trimming and how you use the grass trimmer. For lighter grassy areas without stop starting all the time, so the motor is kept running at a constant speed, would result in the most prolonged use of the strimmer without the need for recharging.
Some users have complained about the durability of the battery life, which is understandable and perhaps warranted because the battery is of the older, less durable type called NiCAD. Newer and more expensive models use lithium batteries which are much more durable and less likely to suffer from degradation issues over time. Check out the Black & Decker and Ryobi cordless grass trimmers that we have also reviewed for better, but more expensive, alternatives to this one.
Advantages
- Cheap and easy to use
- Small, lightweight and easy to store
- The height when in use is adjustable for the user
Disadvantages
- Battery is of older type, NiCAD, so less durable
- Quality is not as high as other trimmers but at this cost you wouldn’t expect it to be
What We Say
True shopping are targeting an area of the market which is hard to please. People want to get a product for as cheap as possible but still want it to perform like a top of the range model. This is just not possible. This is a no frills grass trimmer that will work effectively for a period of time and then is likely to decrease in performance as the battery begins to die a slow death. Unfortunately this is the price you pay with this type of battery (NiCAD).
It’s lightweight and small so you can use it easily around the garden for small jobs and to keep your garden edges looking crisp and fresh but anything that gets very long and thick is unlikely to cut effectively with this machine because it doesn’t have the cutting power to deal with it. To be fair, not a lot of the cordless tools do yet, and especially not without taking a large reduction in running time.
If you are after a cheap grass trimmer for small areas around the garden for the lowest cost this is a tool that ticks the boxes and will work for you. However, paying just a little more money will get you a much better model such as this Black & Decker STC1815-GB, which is just a little more expensive but has a newer Lithium battery which should last much longer and a better build quality.
Is it Right for you?
As I said already, it’s great for those who want a no frills, cheap grass trimmer to tidy up the loose odds and ends around the garden without the requirement of needing it to last for over 30 mins at a time.
Where to Buy
Amazon are our preferred way for purchasing this kind of tool because they deliver fast and are secure. Buy with confidence.
True Shopping Cordless Electric Grass Trimmer
A no frills, easy to use grass trimmer that does exactly what it says on the tin…and not a lot more!
Advantages: Cheap, easy to use, lightweight
Disadvantages: Battery life and charging time
Approx. price range: £30 – £40
Verdict
- Noise
- Economy
- Weight
- Build Quality
- Power
- Features