Latest news with #GTech
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Shoppers rush to buy £220 Gtech lightweight hedge trimmer slashed to £150 with exclusive code
WHEN it comes to the dreaded hedge-trimming season, no one wants to wrestle with tangled cables, awkward ladders, or heavy tools. But the GTech Cordless Lightweight Hedge Trimmer makes hedge care easier than ever, and you can save £70. Save £70 off GTech LHT50 Hedge Trimmer with code: GK68 The LHT50 model is Gtech's lightest hedge trimmer yet, but shoppers say it also delivers in terms of performance. A third lighter than the original HT50 trimmer, the LHT50 model features the same robust motor that makes light work of garden maintenance and has an impressive 10ft reach. Crafted from premium and durable materials, this ergonomic design boasts reinforced handles and a safety harness, so you don't risk straining yourself. Originally £219.99, the LHT50 Lightweight Hedge Trimmer can be snapped up for £149.99, which is a saving of £70. To take advantage of the special offer, use the code: GK68 at checkout before 31 July. Thanks to seven adjustable head positions and a 140° rotating blade, you can tackle every angle of your hedge, including the tricky top edges and the base, in little to no time. The LHT50 's cordless, rechargeable battery delivers up to 60 minutes of uninterrupted run time from a single charge. A handy LED display keeps you informed of remaining power so you'll never be caught short while you're trimming. Customers are loving the LHT50 for its perfect balance of lightness and cutting power. One shopper wrote: 'This lightweight hedge trimmer is easy to use and handle. "I'm in my 70s and had no problem using it at full stretch.' A second comment read: "Wow, this is truly a lightweight hedge trimmer but with a heavyweight cutting action. "This certainly fits the bill, and I can recommend it." While a third happy buyer wrote in a five-star rating: "Great hedge trimmer and is light enough for a 5'2" senior lady to use, which was the problem with all the others I tried. Fab.' Top 5 Spring Gardening Jobs *If you click a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue Nick Grey, Gtech Inventor and CEO shared the tasks to crack on with as Spring arrives. 1. Clean your garden Make sure to clear away all leaves, soil and plant debris from your patios and flower beds; this creates a healthier environment for new growth, especially as we get into the summer months. Gtech's Garden Safety Kit includes durable gardening gloves and safety glasses; perfect for comfortability whilst tackling those outdoor tasks. 2. Weeding Early Spring is the best time to tackle weeds; if you can introduce some regular weeding into your routine, you can guarantee a tidy garden all year round. 3. Hedge maintenance Spring is the ideal time to tidy up overgrown hedges and shrubs, as regular trimming ensures healthy growth and reduces pest issues. Using a tool like the Gtech Lightweight Hedge Trimmer can help to keep your greenery looking sharp and neat. 4. Composting Starting a compost heap this spring is a pro-active, cost-effective way to harness nutritious soil for your plants and recycle organic waste that will benefit the overall health of your greenery and foliage. 5. Look after your lawn Lawn care is hugely important in assuring your garden stays looking beautiful. Make sure to rake away any excess leaves and trim your grass routinely.
Tom's Guide
15-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
It's shedding season for my two dogs — this GTech K9 vacuum is the perfect solution
As I write this, it's early summer, and both of my greyhounds are shedding their fur. Luckily, I've been testing the GTech AirRAM 2 K9, and its compadre, the Multi K9 Cordless Handheld Pet Vacuum (which I'll be reviewing separately) — and my carpets are as free from dog hair as they've ever been during shedding season. The AirRAM 2 K9 is a modified version of the GTech AirRAM 2 (I know, what a surprise). According to GTech, the K9 variant features aluminum reinforcements at key areas to help it deal with the added strain of sucking up thick fur. I was keen to see how well this vacuum coped with my two dogs shedding. However, I also wanted to see how it dealt with the moultings of another creature in my household — one that sheds even more than the dogs — my partner, with her long, thick, endlessly-shedding ginger barnet. Essentially: how suitable is the AirRAM 2 K9 for general purpose vacuuming? In short, the AirRAM 2 K9 is pretty good for pet hair. It has enough power to suck up clumps of fur from thicker pile carpets, is very maneuverable and is generally pretty easy to use. While it's powerful enough for pet hair, though, I find myself missing our more powerful vacuuming for deeper cleans. For the full lowdown, read on for my GTech AirRAM 2 K9 review. Specs Dreame R10 Pro Price $164 / £279 Type Upright, bagless Bin volume 27 ounces Max runtime 40 mins Battery charging time 3 hours Number of tools None Filters Washable, not HEPA Dimensions 44 x 11.6 x 10 inches Weight 7.3lbs Bagged or bagless Bagless The GTech AirRAM 2 K9 has an official MSRP of $249, although at the time of writing, this model now being a few years old, it costs just $164. Despite products in the U.K. usually being cheaper than in the States, the AirRAM 2 K9 is significantly more expensive at £279, worth about $370 at the time of writing — a crazy and unwarranted delta. A cynic may look at this and assume the brand is leveraging a longer-standing reputation in its home territory to charge more. In the U.S. and U.K., the AirRAM 2 K9 can be bundled with the GTech Multi K9 Cordless Handheld Pet Vacuum for $340 / £407. The handheld vacuum is $142 / £199 at the time or writing, so it makes more sense to buy the two separately in the U.S. (prices may fluctuate though). The AirRAM 2 K9 is relatively lightweight at just 7.3 lbs — it was certainly a lot lighter than my ageing corded bag vacuum. I had no issues lifting it over a wooden lip to get it out of the utility cupboard, nor when taking it upstairs. The AirRAM 2 K9 features a grab handle about halfway down its neck (which can be shortened for stowage or vacuuming in tight areas), which makes it supremely easy to control when it's on the ground. The neck can pitch downwards 90-degrees from upright to lie flush with the vacuum body and virtually flat on the ground. The neck also rolls 180-degrees, making it extremely easy to get into odd spaces or under sofas. I had no issues getting it all the way under our large sofa, which I could do before with our larger bag vacuum. There's a light on the front, too, so you can see all the sub-sofa filth you're picking up. There isn't a detachable tube, though, which means the AirRAM 2 K9 isn't suitable for getting into narrow crevices. The vacuum can't convert into a hand vac either, and if you want a handheld and/or to get into narrow gaps, you'll need the GTech Multi K9 Cordless Handheld Pet Vacuum (see the 'Price & availability' section above for my advice on that). The vacuum is started by tapping a large button on the base, which is easy to do with your foot. Of course, the primary objective for the AirRAM 2 K9 is to clean up pet hair, and I can happily report it does a pretty good job. The vacuum has no issues pulling up pet hair from my rugs (both short and long pile), long pile carpets, hardwood floors and vinyl floors. Even fur that has been trampled into long pile rugs pulled away easily. It also had no issues pulling up my partner's and my moultings, too (we both have long hair), although these did clog the brush — more on that later. The AirRAM 2 K9 does a respectable job of picking up household dust and spills, making it adequate for use as a light general purpose vacuum. On hardwood floors, the K9 has no issues pulling up dirt and dust in my kitchen and living room. On carpeted floors, the K9 has no issues with the surface dust and pet hair, but starts to struggle on deeper dirt, where it feels very underpowered. My partner and I were moving furniture between rooms, underneath which were very dirty carpets. The K9 wasn't able to get the deeper dust and marks from the pile. About this time, my partner commented that she missed using our old (but powerful) wired bag vacuum. My home testing results were borne out in our standardized lab tests, which involve vacuuming over 20g each of cat litter and cheerios (in separate tests). We weigh the vacuum bin beforehand, then weigh it again after we've run the test to see how much of each product the vacuum picks up. The AirRAM 3 was so powerful, it picked up everything spilled and more (hence more than 20g results). Carpet testing Cat litter (20g) picked up Cheerios (20g) picked up Dreame R10 Pro Cordless Vacuum (II setting) 18.9 16.1 Dreame H12 Pro Cordless Wet and Dry Vacuum 19.4 20.2 GTech AirRAM 2 K9 18 17.4 GTech AirRAM 3 20.2 20.4 Dyson Gen5Detect (Auto mode) 19.4 13 As you can see in the carpet results table above, the K9 didn't do as good a job as its sibling, the GTech AirRAM 3, or the Dreame H12 Pro. It was the worst performer for kitty litter, but picked up more cereal than both the similarly-priced Dreame R10 Pro and the much more expensive Dyson Gen5Detect. Hardwood floor testing Cat litter (20g) picked up Cheerios (20g) picked up Dreame R10 Pro Cordless Vacuum (II setting) 20 19 Dreame H12 Pro Cordless Wet and Dry Vacuum 20 20.2 GTech AirRAM 2 K9 20.4 21 GTech AirRAM 3 14.2 19.2 Dyson Gen5Detect (Auto mode) 13 19 On hardwood floors, it was a different story, with the AirRAM 2 K9 performing best of all the hoovers we tested alongside it. As you can see in the results above, it picked up more than the original 20g of each spilled item. There are a few frustrating elements to the AirRAM 2 K9's cleaning performance which you may wish to consider before buying. As I briefly mentioned earlier, the K9 has no handheld mode, nor an extending detail nozzle, which proves very frustrating in use, forcing you to swap vacuums entirely for higher-up worktop spills or cleaning crevices. Another frustrating issue is the 'AirLOC' system used by the K9. This locks up the brush as you pull backwards, essentially keeping the vacuum still for longer, meaning more gets sucked up. This does indeed increase what gets vacuumed up, but it feels incredibly cumbersome in use, slowing you down every time you pull backwards. It also proved disastrous on my thinner rugs, which were repeatedly sucked up into the brush. I've found the GTech AirRAM 2 K9 a pleasure to store. It's light and compact enough to tuck into tight spaces. The vacuum fits perfectly in a small gap between a sink and door in my home's utility area. As it's an upright vacuum, you don't need to worry about drilling holes into your walls and fitting a bracket to stop it falling over either, unlike the Dreame R10 Pro and Dyson Gen5Detect. The K9's bin is extremely easy to empty. Simply pull up and remove from the vacuum, pop open the side of the bin and use a push rod to empty entirely. Reinserting the bin requires a firm push, and it's easy to miss that it isn't positioned correctly. The filter is located inside the bin and can be removed with ease for cleaning and replacing. The bin itself is very small at just 27 ounces. I used the vacuum for a whole house clean and had to empty the bin after each room, two rooms at a push. Again, I reaffirm that this vac is best applied to light duties. The brush is very easy to remove and clean, popping out of the base with ease. As always with brushes, if you have anyone in your house with long hair, you may need to get out the scissors to cut through some of the wound-up strands. The AirRAM 2 K9 uses replaceable scent tablets (a spare is included). These exude a pleasant, fresh scent, so no unpleasant lingering odors as I've experienced with other vacuums in the past. This is also a super useful feature for a pet vacuum, as it can help to mask those funky pet smells. GTech claims the AirRAM 2 K9 is good for 40 minutes on a single charge, which bore out in my testing. There's only one cleaning mode, so no eco mode to stretch out battery further. As I mentioned in the 'Cleaning performance' section above, I did a whole-house clean (a medium-sized 3-bedroom house). The K9 managed almost all of the house, but conked out in the penultimate room. Charging isn't overly quick, at around 3 hours for a full charge using the supplied aims adapter. What I love, though, is that the battery is removable, so you could keep a spare to swap in. This also means that you don't need to store the vacuum near a socket when not in use. It can go wherever fits. At the sub-$200 U.S. price, the GTech AirRAM 2 K9 is definitely worth considering as a budget alternative to the newer, pricier GTech AirRAM 3 ($299/£399). I wouldn't say it needs to be confined to pet owners, either, although it isn't an ideal model for deep cleans, so is best for light duties — pet hair, dust, spills etc. In the U.K., I don't think the AirRAM 2 K9 justifies its high price whatsoever. I'd spend a little more on the newer model, which seriously impressed us with its cleaning power and should still be able to handle pet hair. The Dreame R10 Pro is similarly priced and performs better in carpeted floors, but bundles the added versatility of being a handheld. The GTech AirRAM 2 K9 is a fairly decent vacuum for pet owners. It has no issues cleaning up pet hair, human hair, dust and light dirt. Lightweight and nimble, with plenty of articulation, it's easy to manoeuvre and get underneath sofas or beds. It's easy to empty, and to replace the filter and brush, too. In general, it's a perfectly acceptable vacuum for keeping on top of pet hair, and for light general cleaning duties. At the sub-$200 U.S. price, this vacuum makes a lot of sense, as the low price remedies the K9's issues — namely, low power, a small bin and no handheld mode or extending nozzle, all rendering it ineffective for deep cleans. However, at the much steeper U.K. price, an outright recommendation is a little more difficult, and I'd instead advise spending a little more on something with more power and features.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
West Midlands firms feel Trump tariffs leave an uncertain future
Firms across the West Midlands say the future feels uncertain as they brace themselves for the impact of the new US import President Donald Trump, has announced a long list of tariffs that include, a universal 10% tariff on products imported to the US and a 25% tariff on the global car Grey, owner of the floor cleaning and garden product firm GTech, said the change was "even worse" for his company as the products it exports to the US come from China, which has been hit with a 54% tariff. Mr Grey added that the business, which has its headquarters in Worcester, had been working towards expanding in the US, but said the plans were now "in tatters". "[The tariff is] usually 2% and it's built into your business model, but now this is huge," he said he understood what Trump was trying to do, but "a longer term view" was needed."We've spent three years working to expand business in the US," he said. 'We need time to think' In facing challenges previously he said he had "just coped"."In time, you have to cope, you can't just go home and give up because everyone loses their jobs and you have no income," added Mr Grey."[But] I'm not really sure with this one, we just need time to think".Darren Mather-Hutchinson, who owns Axiski, a ski/snowboard shop in Worcester, said his products can be used on snow, sand and frost, so the firm has a large customer base in the US."For 10 years it's been my baby, my passion, but with this news, it dulls the fun," he said."It's going to make it nigh-on impossible for me to find a customer who will buy my goods and then expect them to either pay for the tariffs or I somehow subsidise it." He added that the tariffs meant he may need to "restructure" the business and said he would have to consider moving production to the US."The last thing I want to do is pull the plug, but I am having to explore options," he said."There is such a demand in North America for my product, but I need to find a way to make it amenable for myself as a business person and for my customers." 'Profound impact for Midlands cars' Prof David Bailey, of Birmingham Business School, said the 25% tariffs on the car industry would have "a really profound impact" on the Midlands as it was the UK's "number one exporting region" to the US. For the Coventry-based manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), for example, the US market accounts for about a quarter of its total revenue. JLR, which also has sites in Solihull and Wolverhampton, said its luxury brand had a "global appeal" and its business was "accustomed to changing market conditions"."Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms," a spokesperson said. Andy Palmer, former CEO of luxury car maker Aston Martin, which has its headquarters in Gaydon, said the 25% tariff on cars was "bad news for everybody"."That cost will be passed to the American customer, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in volumes, as will retaliatory tariffs on US goods coming into countries around the world," he said."The reduced volumes mean we all end up having to reduce our workforces. Job losses are inevitable." He said companies like JLR would be looking at other markets to "offset the US losses".The car industry works on "very small margins" and the 25% tariff had the potential to "wipe out all profits", Mr Palmer said."The industry hates uncertainty, so while our government needs to react with a cool head it also can't take a long time."Unite the Union has urged the government to make sure workers do not "pay the price" for the US decision to impose new tariffs. 'Other markets could open' Staffordshire-based JCB, which manufactures construction equipment, has announced it plans to "double the size" of a factory currently being built in Texas, in the belief while the tariffs will bite, the impact will not be long CEO Graeme Macdonald said: "In the short term, the imposition of tariffs will have a significant impact on our business."However, in the medium term, our planned factory in San Antonio will help to mitigate the impact."Anton Gunter, managing director of Telford-based shipping company Global Freight, said the announcement was "shocking for the world"."We're going to have to work harder and we're going to have to rely on the government to push British products and British manufacturing to the US and to the world for that matter," he Mr Gunter said he remained optimistic. "While one market gets more expensive other markets could then open," he added. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
