May 23, 2007

Black & Decker Alligator Lopper 4.5 Amp Electric Chainsaw

This is a new one to us. Is it a chainsaw? Is it a set of loppers? Is it a weapon from Duke Nukem 3-D? We guess it’s a combination of A and B, but we’re not sure. With the Alligator Lopper, it appears that Black & Decker has created a tool that is essentially a lightweight, electric chainsaw with an interesting look and some nice safety features.

The Alligator has a set of scissor jaws that grab and hold onto the branch while the small chainsaw blade between them makes the cut. With this setup, the blade not only stays far away from your face but the jaws also act as blade guards, greatly reducing the chances of injury.

The Alligator has a dual switch (one in each handle) to virtually eliminate false starts. Also, because of its design, if you are dealing with branches on the ground, you don’t have to keep propping them up against one another like you would if you were using a chainsaw. You now have the ability to trap the wood in the jaws and cut side to side. This is much safer and also eliminates the self loathing involved in sinking a freshly sharpened blade into the ground and ruining it.

With a 4” cut capacity, you’re not exactly going to be Paul Bunyon with this thing, but you should be able to get plenty of brush clearing done in a timely (and safe) manner. The Alligator looks ideal for those times when the job is too large for a set of loppers but too small to justify spending 30 minutes trying to get your chainsaw started.

The Alligator retails for about $70, which, if what Black & Decker says is true, sounds like a reasonable price to us.

At Amazon.com