Sun Joe SB601E Sharper Blade Stringless Electric Trimmer/Edger, Green

After reading some of the reviews, I was a bit hesitant to try this trimmer. But I needed an alternative to string trimmers to help keep my 600 sqft back yard in shape.After my first use, here are my impressions:1. The documentation is excellent. It comes with a well written and illustrated manual (in 3 languages).2. Assembly is a breeze, no tools needed.3. I'm a 5'6 middle-aged woman and had no issues using this trimmer. It's neither heavy, nor is it super light weight. I like that it has an adjusting telescoping mechanism as well as an adjustable handle for your left hand. It lets you configure it to your size/comfort level.4. The blade is interesting... while it is sharp, it isn't completely rigid. Once in use, it becomes a bit pliable which is great because that prevents it from breaking when it hits a solid object.5. The plastic guard at the bottom was the only piece that gave me issues during use. It wiggled loose twice - until I figured out that you had to firmly press the two little latches on the wide side into the groves on the trimmer. Once it snaps into place, it actually stays put.The only draw-back to the firm vs string blade is, that naturally you can't get into corners or cut as close to solid objects. I knew this going in. To me at least, it offsets the hassle of dealing with string.I will update this review to report how the trimmer holds up over time.Update May 2019:I've had this trimmer for 2.5 years now and it has been working awesomely. My backyard is an assortment of weeds and vines more than anything. A mower would have a hard time. It's dog terrain and I trim 3-4 times a year. The blade is overdue for replacing but it still chops away. I've hit tree roots, fence posts and the side of my house with it and it doesn't break. I did manage to slice the outer layer of my power cord this past weekend, due to not paying attention. The yank pulled the plug out from the trimmer. Thankfully no wires got exposed.If you use the trim guard, it is actually pretty hard to kill this blade. It is designed to be forgiving because a rigid blade would break much easier. The trimmer slows down when you hit a patch that it can't get through easily or when your blade gets dull.I would recommend this over a string trimmer any day.

This is a new review. The original is below this one. I'm elderly and short and love that the trimmer being only 8 pounds is light enough for me to handle easily. I also love not having to deal with restringing and to being able to adjust the length of the shaft. I use it to trim along the fence and to cut the lawn in a 12' x 32' dog yard where it's too difficult to use a mower. Another plus is the flower guard which keeps me from hitting the fence or house and I find the blade is strong enough to cut through all the weeds I've encountered. And being small and older, having it electric so there's no pull cord is a big plus. I've never used the edger so I cannot comment on that feature. The only con I can give this trimmer is neighbors have said that it's loud. After I wrote the first review Snow Joe contacted me saying they were sorry I had a problem and asked me to contact them as they stand behind their products. The customer service rep I spoke to gets an A+ in customer relations and the company replaced the old trimmer with a new one. All they asked was that I return the old one and they paid the postage. You can't get any better than that.original review ... gave item 3 stars....I bought this in September last year to use in a fenced - in area for my dogs where it was too small and difficult to use a lawn mower. The first time I used it was this spring. After each use I cleaned off the outside with a cloth and brushed the grass from the blade area and stored it inside the house. Last week when I tried to cut the grass it wouldn't turn on. I tried plugging it into 3 different outlets and nothing, However, I have to say, the 5 months it did work I was happy with the results. I'm 78 years old and found the unit was light enough for me to be able to handle. I just wish it had lasted longer.

i looked at all kinds of electric/cordless trimmer/edgers and finally "settled" on this one. was nervous about the blade because of a couple of reviews, so i bought an extra. after using this thing a few times already, i'm very happy with my purchase. it's fully adjustable so you can put the handle and shaft in a position that's comfortable for you, which makes using it that much easier. then rotating it from trimming to edging couldn't be any easier, i'm thinking it takes about 15 seconds at the most.the thing i was worried most about was edging, and how the blade would hold up. edging is slightly tricky because if you don't pay attention the blade can dig in, and i'm not sure if this could damage the motor. it can also kind of fly off and chew into your lawn. once i figured this out and concentrated, edging wasn't too bad at all and the blade was only slightly beat up while making mistakes, but it's still sharp and didn't break. speaking of the blade, i can probably see replacing it every season or two, even less if you aren't careless with it.expect to see some updates on durability in the future, as most of this thing is plastic.[UPDATE] 5/18/2016: finally figured out how to do a better job edging, but it comes with a caveat. make sure you buy at least one extra blade with this, as edging will wear a blade down. i still love this product, as i get used to using it my lawn looks better and more manicured, but i can imagine that i'll go through 2 or 3 blades each spring/summer season. at $14/each, that's higher than what string would cost, but it's a damn good edger/trimmer combo.[UPDATE] 5/31/2017: so, i need another blade, #4 (one came with, purchased 2 add'l), and i refuse to do it as that would basically have me up to the point of paying for a whole other unit. in the process of looking for a replacement, cutting my losses on a $90 lesson on what not to buy. i could have spent the same money in aggregate and gotten a pretty good cordless string trimmer and a couple of replacement spools, so i'm kicking myself pretty hard on this one. like most men, i hate to admit when i'm wrong but i'm taking a big L on this one. the moral of the story is: don't buy this.NEWS: i contacted customer service and received a speedy response - they're willing to swap this out for the comparable string trimmer. not necessarily a win but not a complete loss either. encouraged by the promptness of the customer service rep, as i'm considering buying a snow joe snowblower. customer service saved them a customer. i still don't recommend the sb601e, at least not until they do something about that darned blade.

Excellent! However replacement blades are on the expensive side considering they tend to break easily!

Works great & it’s just as it’s advertised very pleased

It is Poor Quality, terrible design, lacks power. I spent last week in the hospital and now am unable to return it. My teenage daughter was using it whilst I was laid up, and she told me it was not left hand user friendly, had motor surging, so was not operating at a good steady level, and it was only used 3 x from time of purchase up to yesterday May 25, and the blade already chipped off, and was w worn after only 3 uses. I did purchase a back up blade that I will be returning now, as when I tried this unit yesterday myself, I found everything my daughter told me to be true, Just not made well, and your not saving any money on this cheap product that does not stand up to the test. Already not working after only 3 x use in a small yard. Very disappointing,

Does a good job but is quite heavy and requires practice to not scalp grass. Also doesn't get as close to a hard edge as the fishing line ones do but I don't misd that stupid string

I was very happy with it once I learned to use extreme caution around the the landscaping stones surrounding our gardens. I chipped the first blade first time out, so I ordered more blades. The real problem is that the motor quit on me the third time I used it. I think it was a fluke because the reviews I read were pretty good. I would like to get a replacement but I don't know how to go about it. The window for returning it expired June 30th. I would think that there should be some kind of guarantee for cases like this.