****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES****
Scroll down to see the winning comment chosen by Random.org…

Summer is here and it seems every Saturday morning we wake up to the sound of lawn mowers, trimmers, and mulch trucks. While we’ve been focusing primarily on the inside of the house we’ve been gearing up for some more exterior projects. We’ve been keeping up with helping the grass be all nice and green, pressure-washing and whatnot… but when it comes to actual landscaping… baby steps, people!

Last week the folks over at Black & Decker sent two packages to our doorstep. It was… drumroll… their new Lithium-Ion Cordless Trimmer and Sweeper! Knowing that B&D makes good quality products, we were really excited to break them out of their boxes and put them to work.

After some minor assembly and charging of the batteries, I headed outside to break them in. The first thing I noticed was that these tools are light. Actually the Sweeper was so light, I wondered if it could actually blow anything around! The build, quality, and finish on these tools is something B&D could definitely write home about. Everything fits together nicely, and while they’re made of mostly plastic and aluminum, the tools seem thick and sturdy where it counts. As long as you don’t abuse them, they would hold up for a very good amount of time.

First up to bat, the Lithium-Ion Cordless Trimmer/Edger…

I fully expected the trimmer to do its job, and it performed just as well as I thought it would. I wouldn’t go trying to chop down any small trees with it (Yes, I tried. Sort of. It was a weed turned small tree. Don’t ask.) but it does a great job on hard-to-reach grass underneath the edge of bushes, shrubs, etc. This “little” guy would be great for those quick jobs where a gas-powered or corded trimmer would be too cumbersome… Like that line of grass that sticks up right next to the front steps you’ve neglected to trim because you would have to spend ten minutes pulling out the big trimmer for 30 seconds of work. We’ve totally been stalking you (kidding!).

Another perk of the B&D Cordless Trimmer is the adjustable angle on the handle. It’s smooth to click into place and makes the trimmer even easier to maneuver. A total plus in my book!

Another really cool feature on the trimmer is the edger setting. You loosen a piece on the shaft, turn the head 180 degrees, then lock it back down. Then you can pull out the guide, place it on the edge you’re trimming, and just slide it along. My only criticism here is the guide could stand to have some rollers or something to make it easier to slide along rough/hard surfaces. Overall, the trimmer did it’s job really well in both the “normal” and “edger” positions.

Next up to bat, the Lithium-Ion Cordless Sweeper…

The sweeper is pretty simple (hence the lack of pictures) and easy to use as well. Now, earlier I voiced my doubts about the performance due to the blower being unbelievably light. Well, my doubts were laid to rest the first time I flipped the ON switch. This little guy packs some punch for its size! We successfully swept up all of the grass clippings that we had created with the trimmer, and did so in short order. I will definitely use it to keep the car port cleaned out and “sweep” the driveway from time to time.

Pretty cool, right?! Here’s what’s even cooler… the very generous guys (and gals) at Black & Decker are giving one of our lucky readers their very own Lithium-Ion Cordless Trimmer and a Lithium-Ion Cordless Sweeper!

PRIZE: One (1) Black & Decker 20-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Grass Hog Trimmer/Edger and one (1) Black & Decker 20-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Sweeper. A $200+ value!
2 CHANCES TO WIN: 1) Leave a comment on this post with the words “RECHARGE MY YARD!”. 2) “Like” Black & Decker on Facebook and come back here and leave a second comment letting us know (Don’t forget to enter their Recharge Your Life Sweepstakes for the chance to win a $2,000 Gift Card and tons of B&D tools! It’s a Win-Win!). If you already “Like” B&D, tell us what your favorite B&D tool is.
NUMBER OF WINNERS: One, Uno, Un, Eins… you get the picture.
PRIZE SHIPS: The US of A & Canada
GIVEAWAY WILL WRAP UP: Friday, July 1st @ Midnight EST. As usual, to keep things fair and square, up to two entries per email address. The winner will be selected using Random.org and will be announced right here on Saturday, July 2nd.

AND THE WINNER IS…

CHRISTY B! Congratulations Christy and we know you will enjoy your new Black & Decker yard tools! Have fun “recharging your yard” this summer!

Even though the folks at Black & Decker were super nice by gifting us these spiffy tools, the above comments were not persuaded in any way and as always, this is our honest-to-goodness opinion.