Best Cordless Hedge Trimmers
Ozito PXCHTK-218
unbelievable – I think I must have had this hedger for well over 5 years and have used it constantly. I'm shocking at looking after tools and yet this budget… Read more
product keeps just going and going. The batteries have survived too. I'm a 71 year old woman and its just so light and easy. Wish the pole hedger was as light...but this is beyond value for money.
Ryobi 18V ONE+ OHT1851R
Be very careful if handing this item to another person as the normal way to hold is by the loop handle that releases one safety switch and the… Read more
receiving person naturally takes it by the handle that releases the other safety switch- all go, no fingers! Otherwise a good lightweight unit that does a good job. Sweeper attachment is useful.
Stihl HLA 65
This is a toy! – Stihl make toys and then do not honor their warranty! A six-months old cordless hedge trimmer, used on nothing except hedges...no fences here, no… Read more
metal. Nothing that my last hedge trimmer didn't handle for 10 years or more. They tell me it is basically totally kaput and I will need to buy a new one. Plenty of other places from where to buy all my gardening gear in future.
Stihl HSA 45
Battery and electronic products have lower dB noise than petrol ones. So th there is less damage to your hearing and it is easier on the neighbours… Read more
too. Recently there was a commercial gardener trimming a neighbours hedge at 9pm on Sunday night!
The HSA 45 easily cut through the growth in our pitostrum hedge. We only needed a few minutes with a pruning saw to tidy the remainder.
Also consider the plug in version of this at around $149.
Dewalt DCM563PB-XE 18V
Not a quality product – This hedge trimmer is very light duty, even when used as such the blades have quite a bit of clearance between them and the result is that they clack… Read more
on the opposite side of the cutting and not only dull quickly but make resharpening almost impossible. I don't recommend them at this price or any price.
Stihl HLA 56
Excellent pole hedger – I purchased the entire STIHL AK 36V battery system with 3 x AK30 batteries and fast charger which includes this BGA 57 leaf blower. This replaced my… Read more
7 year old Victa Vforce mower, trimmer, hedger, leaf blower/vac, pole hedger and pole pruner. Prior to that I have had numerous brands and models of petrol powered garden tools.
The first thing to say about the STHIL AK garden tools range and this pole hedger is the build and manufacturing quality is excellent, the best of all the battery gardening equipment I looked at and researched. Ryobi, Victa, etc are poorly made, plastic crap compared to the quality of STHIL.
I use this HLA 56 pole hedger together with the HSA 56 hedger to maintain several hedges of box and Lilly Pilly totalling probably over 200m.
The HLA 56 is a two piece unit, the battery holder and trigger unit can be separated from the hedge cutting bar and motor. It's really easy to connect the two units using a nice large thumb screw.
One thing to note about his pole hedger is that the motor is located on the cutting bar, this makes the hedger top heavy. I moved the rubber pole grip down towards the trigger switch and D grip more towards the pole connector. This gave me the best balance of the unit. Once you get used to it and set up correctly for the job, I found the HSA 56 easy to use. The adjustable cutting bar angle and long reach means I never have to use a ladder to trim the top of my hedges again, which makes for a much safer way of pruning my hedges. You can get an optional accessory 50cm extension pole/shaft to give a higher reach. I don't have the extension pole and can't comment on its use with this.
Don't be put off by the top heaviness of the HLA 56 in the shop, it takes a bit of getting used to, but once setup correctly and with practice, this hedger makes pruning the top of hedges and high hedges a breeze. Once again STHIL have put a lot of development and engineering into this pole hedger to make it one the best pole hedges I have ever used.
The 55cm cutting bar is adequate, but I wish it was a little longer, 65cm would be perfect. It cuts through my hedges with ease and makes a very clean cut of up to 15mm branches. The cutting bar blades appear to be a unique design with a droplet shape and does a far better job of all the hedge trimmers I have had previously. I am really impressed with the ease and quality of cut, my hedges look like they have been pruned by a professional.
Battery life is excellent.
The cutting bar doesn't get clogged or jammed up and is easy to clean. I use a stiff scrubbing brush and the must have STHIL cutting bar cleaner and lubricator which comes in a spray can.
What would make this pole hedger the perfect garden tool would be the optional accessory of a pole saw pruner. The 2 piece design and extension pole accessory makes this HLA 56 perfect to also use as a pole saw pruner. If you are reading this, please email, write, call your local store and STHIL head office and ask them to develop and add a pole saw pruner attachment to the HLA 56.
Stihl HTA50
Tree pruner excellence – Great tool, comes with a shoulder strap and 10" bar. The AK10 battery only gives reduced performance and about a dozen cuts of 10". Get the AK30S battery for more power that lasts. Show details
Echo DHC-200
Lightweight and cuts well – I bought this hedge trimmer to replace my heavy petrol hedge trimmer (given I'm now using it every few weeks on a short hedge). Its alot easier on my… Read more
left arm thanks to its much lighter weight than the petrol machines. Its also cutting very well, I've cut some fairly fine stuff, and some thicker stuff with it, and its going well. Its got a 2 year commercial warranty on it, and the battery life is decent (seems to run for a few hours before needing to be charged).
So far I've only been using it briefly every few weeks since I got it in June 2023, so I'll update this review if anything happens in the future.
Greenworks 60V 46cm SP Mower Kit
I'll be right up front and say that I've only had the mower (kit) for about a week and only used it once. So my opinion is short term, it may change… Read more
once I've had the mower for weeks/months/years.
So far it's been a positive experience. My yard is quite long between having my previous mower away (trying to get fixed under warranty) and Cyclone Alfred. So my first mow was on a yard that hasn't been touched in nearly a month. As a result the mower did stall more than once, and it was more noticeable while using the self-propel feature. Basically when pushing it, if it bogged down I'd stop pushing before it stalled. But with the SP on it'd sometimes stall before I cut the power to the wheels.
Frankly though the yard was really high and thick so it'd have easily stalled my defunct AEG and probably my previous Victa petrol too. So I can't downrate it for that. Once I got the pacing of the SP feature right (or just didn't use it) it performed just fine.
While on the subject of the SP feature it's something I wasn't looking for but the kit was priced too attractively compared to the standard (non SP) mower so I grabbed it. And having used it I'm glad I did. On the flat it's no big deal but on the uphill runs it's so nice letting the mower do the work. I've read other people complaining about the handle used to activate the SP feature. I have to say I didn't have issues with it. I think it could be better designed (shorter range), but I didn't find it painful to use or difficult to keep in place. I would like to move the speed control to the top of the handle though because it's current location (about halfway down) is inconvenient if you want to adjust it regularly.
Pace wise the top speed seems too fast, and ultimately I had to dial it way back to slowest pace. I think the top speed is fine (it'll work for younger, fitter people) but oldies might find the slowest pace to still be too fast. It's also "heavy" for a couple seconds after turning SP off. I guess the wheels are still connected to the driving mechanism. So you need to turn off SP, push gently for a second and then the mechanism disengages and you can turn the mower or drag it backwards more easily.
I think between the heavy load (thick, long grass) and using the SP a lot it's very hard on the battery. I got less than a quarter of my yard done, and it lasted less than half an hour. However, I think that'll change dramatically once I'm doing "normal" mows. This brings us to the charging, which is super fast but sounds like a hair dryer. This is because the charging unit (and possibly the battery too) has a cooling fan that is active while charging. It's ridiculously noisy, so don't expect to charge the battery while having a nap anywhere nearby. It does however smash the charge in really quickly. I didn't time it, but the 60v 4ah battery was definitely done in less than an hour (from flat).
The catcher has one interesting quirk. I say quirk because I'm not sure if it's a problem or not. Basically half the space where the grass exits to the rear is completely blocked off. So it's only throwing grass into the catcher through a hole about 20cm wide instead of the full width. It seemed to catch roughly as well as the AEG did with a full width gap so I'm not sure it's makes a difference.
Other than that, build quality seems quite solid, the handles fold well, and it can be stored upright. The cut seems a bit wider than on the AEG, but I think that's because the blades are the same length but the body of the mower is narrower. So you're getting closer to the full width of the mower when making a pass. There are some plastic components underneath the mower that I'm worried about trapping grass near the deck and becoming a potential rust risk. Will have to keep an eye on that.
All in all I'd like to give it 4.5 stars not 4, but can't do that. So the deduction is for the slight niggle adjusting speed and that it feels a little too fast in SP mode.
Dewalt DCMPH566N 18V
We live on small acreage with over 130 metres of 2-metre-high hedge that is 2-2.5 metres wide (see photo) and since 2012 we have used the Stihl Hedge… Read more
Trimmer HS45 (which is still running today and also in a review by me titled “Stihl HS 45”). Getting older now and found that the HS45 great for sides and to do the walk of both sides to cut the top (60cm in), but finding harder to do regarding the rest of the top in total. Got a quote from a contractor for $640 just to do the top, so the DeWalt DCMPH566N 18V pole Hedge Trimmer came into play at a cost of $318 delivered and that machine has given me an opportunity to continue doing the hedge by myself for many years to come. I have read many reviews by other people on Product Review, other forums on the internet including the sales pitches by DeWalt. This review is on the item itself and not DeWalt. From an Engineering perspective the head connection does feel flimsy and it does droop a little and the machine would have been better if the ring that the locking pin goes into was adjustable so that any pin/ring wear could be catered for. This machine is not built like a HS 45 and it needs to be treated as such. When it comes to regrowth of the top of the hedge the time to trim is now when the growth is around 6mm Diameter max (preferably less) and this machine handles it with ease as long as it is done slowly (so head joint not put at risk). What is great is the reach which just leaves a little on the other side of the hedge when one part of the top is cut. The other reviewer wrote that there may be better machines and this may be so, but I needed one fast due to musculoskeletal disorders. This machine makes me happy, has run for 1 year and four months with no issue, blades still as sharp as when bought it and still going and thus, it gets 5 stars.
Stihl HSA 86
I would hate goin back to petrol – I love these hedges lighter and extendable. But there are issues with switches and overheating. Hope stihl do more to fix these as in the industry know of them failing often. Thanx Show details
Makita DUN461WZ
Pole Hedge Trimmer – A little awkward trying to hold the on/off trigger button and reaching to loop leaf and small branches. I use a 3v or 4v battery which is adequate for my small yard. I am very happy with the machine . Better than climbing a ladder. Show details
Victa 82V Pole Pruner Skin
Excellent performance, well balanced, ultimately discontinued line – Powerful, made short work of pruning branches safely around my acreage garden. Agreed, wife found it too heavy. I had an Ozito pole saw which flexed - not this Victa - cuts through even 5cm hardwoods like butter when well -maintained. Show details
Ego Power+ Multi-Tool Pole MHT2001E-X
- See all
Rubbish. Straight to landfill product – I left a review on the site I purchased it from, but it seems they don't list 1 or 2 star reviews on their site, so I am here to give my review and… Read more
warn others to stay away.
DO NOT BUY.
Cheap and extremely heavy. Revs at such high speeds which cant be controlled. Instructions and assembly an absolute nightmare to navigate. To top it off, some of the screws to attach the handles and strap were missing from the box.
Ozito PXCPHTS-018
Needs strength – .. and god spine discs. The 4.2 kg weight is largely concentrated in the cutting head. It works fine for hedge trimming but not for fruit trees underneath power wires. The diameter limit it will cut is about 1 cm. Show details
Ozito Cordless Pruner OCPS-036
This is fantastic. So easy to use to select the branch the button and there’s a clean clot. Doesn’t do thick branches but great for pruning especially because I have arthritis in my hands. Show details
Very handy pruning saw, simple and easy to use – My wife was looking for a little saw that she could easily handle to prune trees and branches <150mm thick (size most of our low-level trees and… Read more
shrubs requiring pruning) and expressed interest in one of these little saws which offered one handed cutting (depending on the size of the battery used which adds weight). The skin without battery weighs 980 grams and with 4-amp battery is about 1.5 kilograms.
The saw is very well built (consistent Ryobi quality) has a powerful brushless motor and to my surprise is very quiet - I armed up with earmuffs to use it, based on most chain type saws being noisy but was impressed with how quiet and smooth it runs. The design is clever, enable left- or right-hand operation with activation switch either side of the handle (to suit left / right) and has a moulded grip are on top to enable pressure from the hand not on the trigger when cutting. There is a spring-loaded guard over the top of the chain which is designed to assist in the unlikely event of kickback (less likely to kick back with a 140mm cut length)
The chain tensioner is very well designed and simple to use - no tools or effort required, easy to adjust. The saw doesn't have an oil reservoir as do larger chainsaws, but it is recommended that you manually oil the chain whilst using - the instructions in the manual suggest 3-5 drops of oil dropped on the cutter bar / chain - we used an old mini detergent bottle filled with good chain oil (not general lubrication oil) and squirt oil into the sprocket area driving the chain and a little run of oil along the top of the chain - not lubricating the chain and bar will increase wear and shorten its life.
On top of the handle is an LED panel to indicate the load sensing on the bar and chain whilst cutting - Green = normal load; Amber = high load; Red = overloaded; For people not used to chain type saws this is a handy feature, and it doesn't take long to work out how the saw is performing in relation to load.
The cutter bar and chains are manufactured by both Oregon and Ryobi according to the manual - it appears that Bunnings stock the chain but not the cutter bar, which I believe is a buy in order through the service desk. I would suggest that the chain will wear out before the cutter bar, but it is important that wear parts like these are available and is part of the consideration when buying.
Ergonomically the saw is well balanced and easy to operate - I have used the saw, as has my wife who had no trouble using it with either one hand operation or two hands if a little more pressure needed on the bar when cutting, and she is very happy with her purchase! The saw comes with a 4-year warranty from Ryobi, and you receive an extra 2 years if you register online by joining up with Ryobi and adding the tool and uploading the receipt which is simple to do.
In addition to gardening, we think this saw would be excellent to carry when camping, to round up smaller branches for firewood as it can cut up to 140mm with no problems at all.
All in all, a great addition to our gardening and general tools. Wouldn't be without it, makes pruning a pleasure.!
PROS very well designed, ergonomic and easy to use, left and right hand operation Well built, good quality Brushless motor, smooth and powerful 140mm diameter cutting capacity 6” (15cm) bar length Tool-less chain tensioning, very easy to use. Load-sensing LED panel is helpful.
CONS No significant faults but would be handy if cutter bar was stocked along with chains.
Bosch GHE 18V-50 TP Professional
My trusty Stihl HLA56 battery pole pruner finally give up in the middle of cutting some very high hedges. Repairing it was not an option as it… Read more
literally melted. I wanted a Pole hedger with Brushless motor and a metal motor housing as the bottom of my Stihl was very worn due to the heavy use on prickly hedge material. The Bosch GHE-50TP was the answer and I can honestly say that going 36V for the Stihl made sense at the time, but times have changed the 18v brushless motor has many advantages and I am impressed as it really is that good as well as the telescoping pole extension, built in.The HLA56 has pole extension options .Negatives while I have many 5ah batteries they did not perform as well for heavy and prolonged use. I purchased an 8ah Bosch Procore battery giving more power and incredible run time. Depending on the job I can recommend the pole pruner and if needed the Procore battery is the icing on the cake.
Ryobi 18v One+ HP 55cm R18XHTR10
Brushless Ryobi Hedger – I added to my Ryobi collection, I already own a Ryobi pole hedger. However when browsing in my favorite store (Bunnings )I spied the 55 cm hedger… Read more
And I had to have it for the easy to get to sections when I hedge !! I purchased the kit which came with a 2ah battery , however you can purchase tool only with no battery This is a 18v unit so I can use any of my 18v batteries I really like the brushless motor technology that Ryobi are introducing to most of the tools The tools seem to run quieter and have more power This is the case with this hedger it cuts thicker branches up to 25mm with ease I like the anti jam feature it gives a smoother cut The hedge sweep function is a bar that removes debris as you trim it is a feature when trimming a long hedge to ensure that you have a even surface This is a very good hedger I highly recommend it
Ozito just keeps on giving and giving – I now have five battery operated OZITO products after the hard work I gave my first purchase over a year ago. All of them are going great. Here's my… Read more
latest, happy use of my Ozito pruning saw, I've had for about six months now. And it's done a lot of pruning, plus extra small jobs. One of which is making a small 'mini' hot house's, out of used plastic water containers. Firstly they will act as a hot house for seedlings. Closing lid at night. Then I'll plant the seedlings into the container with the bottom cut out and plant half into soil. With the lid cut off entirely. Good water retainer for my hot summer conditions. So this little saw is a good fit around here. Makes life easier, as you can see, I've used it for cutting back very large Argave and nasty prickly plants. I've sliced a wedge into the middle of the stalk and poured some weed killer into it. It kills them, as I dig out smaller Agave plants ok, but not large plants. So this saw makes life so much easier. Jobs now are so quick to do.
Stihl HLA 66
Powerful-Light and Quiet – Its been over 10 years since I purchased the Stihl HLA 66 pole hedger when my 55M long hedges grew above a height that the petrol hedger could reach.… Read more
What a fantastic machine!! First thing I appreciated was the lack of fumes in my face, the lack of noise for me and my neighbors but the performance was also a pleasant surprise. With the standard battery I can cut all of my hedges at least twice on a single charge with some charge remaining, that equates to over 4 hours of cutting. The battery will charge in about 30Min and hold charge for weeks over winter. Cannot fault this tool and will follow up with a Stihl battery mower when my petrol one dies.
Husqvarna 522iHDR60
The Ultimate Woody Weed Hacker: Pros: * High-torque reduction gearbox doesn't stall under heavy load Cleaves massive, woody branches easily… Read more
(30.5mm opening)
Incredible runtime and balance on the smaller 4.0Ah promo batteries
Cons: * The skin isn't cheap (but worth it for the time saved)
If you're dealing with thick, neglected Aussie natives, this is the tool. The 522iHDR60 runs a high-torque reduction gearbox and coarse-cut blades with a massive 30.5mm tooth opening. I was genuinely surprised at the sheer thickness of the branches this thing will cleave straight through—stuff you'd normally reach for the loppers to clear—instead of just chewing the bark and stalling out like standard residential gear.
The biggest surprise is the runtime on the smaller cells. I snagged the promo 4.0Ah battery (the 40-B140) with the skin, and it punches way above its weight. I was expecting to need my heavy-duty BLi300s to get through a decent stretch of hedging, but the promo battery just keeps going.
Using the lighter battery drops the rear weight significantly, which perfectly balances the tool and saves your shoulders when you're doing long vertical sweeps. Put down the 2-stroke and grab this.
Ryobi 18V One+ R18PHT120
Handy hedge trimmer and optional saw – I have a lot of hedges and trees around my yard that I needed to keep under control. I already have some Ryobi One+ tools and was happy with them so… Read more
I took a punt on this combination and have been really happy with its performance and versatility. It easily switches between the two tools and I’ve given both a good run and they’re still going. Great tool.
Makita DUN501WZ
Very nice snd easy to use – Light weight powerful and easy to use i have owned it for over 12 months as my main hedger. Commercially Show details
Stihl HSA 66
Stihl Electric Hedge trimmer – I have had this Stihl HSA 66 Trimmer for about 6 years now, it has never given one problem. The battery is strong and last easily for about an hour's… Read more
trimming. It is very capable and chops easily through hedging plants like camellias, etc. I went to the Stihl shop to buy a petrol one, but the dealer said don't worry about petrol take this older used loan one home for the day and tell me when you come back that it cannot do the job. Well I was so impressed I went back to the shop and bought a new electric one the same. Mine has now a couple of broken teeth, (this always happens when you loan it to the kids aye? ) But the lack of 2 teeth don't affect its performance much that I can tell. Make sure you oil the blades thoroughly before and after use, and you should have no problem with it.
Worx Nitro 25mm Pruning Shears WG330E
Great product never let's you down – Halved my pruning time and like all worx tools light & easy to use. I have not bought any other brand tool for 10 yrs and just purchased. Just purchased home Reno oscillating tool WX693.9 to do laundry tiles.Let you know how that goes. Kerry
Makita UN001GZ
I have had it for a couple of months and it has preformed as I had hoped. Plenty of power. With the 8AH battery it has an incredible run time. Worth the investment.
Ozito PXCHTS-650
Good Cutting Reach and it's trimming ability are adequate – I bought this item from Cash Converters as it was the Cutting Reach I needed and was half the price of a New Item. I already had Ozito Batteries… Read more
for other Ozito equipment (which I have been very pleased with). Whilst I acknowledge it is heavy it performed quite adequately and did the hedge-trimming job ok. I'm quite happy with it.
Ryobi 36V Pole Hedge Trimmer RPT3600
I suffered a major injury using this trimmer due to what I believe is a serious fault in the safety mechanism. While lifting the unit, my right hand… Read more
was on the trigger handle and my left hand was near the blade. Even though I did not intentionally activate it, the trimmer suddenly powered on and nearly severed four of my fingers. I spent a week in hospital, required plastic surgery, and was unable to work for six weeks.
I immediately reported the incident and sent the unit to Ryobi Australia for investigation. Their response was that “nothing is wrong with the product,” and that was the end of the matter. This is unacceptable given the life-changing risks involved.
This product is dangerous, and I strongly advise anyone considering it to think twice. A hedge trimmer should never operate in this way, and Ryobi’s lack of accountability is deeply concerning.
Makita DUN461WSF
Sturdy, reliable brand – Purchased this Makita Pole Hedge Trimmer kit (trimmer, charger and battery) to replace an older model Ryobi hedge trimmer with limited reach. The… Read more
Makita is advertised as being light in weight (just 3.7kg with battery), which probably is considered trivial for someone young and strong, but for an elderly person like me, I did find it a tad weightier than I was expecting, but manageable nevertheless.
The blades are super sharp so be cautious, even when wiping down after use. It cuts up to 10mm shrub branches with ease. It’s rather quiet and unobtrusive too, which I thought was a plus. The thing I did find a bit annoying was the lock button. It must be pushed and held in (from either side) to firstly squeeze the trigger to start the trimmer. Once the trimmer activates, the button stays in by itself but if you happen to release the trigger even for a second, the button resets and the process needs to be repeated. I found having to do that several times while trimming more than a little irritating, to say the least.
I found it much easier to operate the trimmer with the blades in the straight position, because once the angle of the blade assembly is altered up to say 90°, the blade assembly and motor unexpectedly become top heavy making the tool somewhat unwieldy. Possibly not an issue for a younger person with a good grip, but for those of us of advancing years, it is something I thought was a definite flaw which was possibly overlooked.
Overall though, I gave the Makita Pole Hedge Trimmer four stars. It basically performed as good as I expected it would and I anticipate that once I’ve used it another couple of times, initial issues will likely be forgotten.