Best Ryobi Cordless Hedge Trimmers
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Ryobi 36V Pole Hedge Trimmer R36PHT20
Started out impressive but soon got jammed and then the blade stopped working, motor was spinning but blade just vibrated in stuck position . Got a… Read more
replacement and exactly same thing happened. Appears there is an inherent fault in the blade mechanism. Pity as I used the previous model for 5 yrs without any issue until it stopped working (just outside warranty period unfortunately)
This was a replacement for the previous model. The one before it seized after pretty heavy use but still iin warranty. As luck would have it, the… Read more
new equivalent is $100 more expensive and Bunnings had to exchange like-for-like not price-for-price. The cheaper one does not have the handle rotate feature. My joy was short lived. This thing is ridiculously heavy making it exhausting to trim our hedges and harder to get straight lines. It also makes trimming on the ladder dangerous because it drastically changes your balance of weight. The requirement to hold down the leavers as far in as they go is frustrating - even the slightest movement on it and it stops. It isn't repsponsive when starting and every time you think it's jammed. The only good thing is it cuts well when it is running. At the end of the day, the reality is I hate it.
Ryobi 18v One+ 20cm R18HTR130
I do NOT recommend Ryobi 18V One + hedge and grass shears R18HTR130. Product box and specs says it has cutting capacity up to 8mm. It couldn’t even… Read more
cut 2mm Rosemary stem.
Unit goes into some sort of protection mode whenever it strikes a rosemary stem. I had to remove the hitting head and twist the cogs by hand to reset it. It would then run until it hit another firm stem then go into safe mode again. Repeat the head removal and cog twisting routine. Useless for anything other than very soft stems. That generally is not a hedge.
Ryobi should remove this product from sale as it cannot perform as advertised.
Bunnings did a great job of effortlessly replacing and when the 2nd one had same issue, they replaced it without issue. Their customer service person contacted me about my negative feedback.
Ryobi customer service person called me after my negative feedback on the Ryobi Australia website. Have committed to following up with their product team.
Ryobi 18v One+ 20cm R18HTR132
I am very disappointed with the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 20cm tool. This is my second unit — the first one was replaced — and the replacement has exactly the… Read more
same problem straight out of the box. The unit starts cutting normally for a few seconds, then the sound changes, power drops, and it cannot cut anything at all. The motor runs, but it becomes completely ineffective and unusable. Resetting or restarting makes no difference — the problem repeats every time. Given that this is a brand-new replacement, this appears to be a design or quality issue, not a one-off faulty unit. At this point, the product is simply not fit for purpose. I’ve used other Ryobi ONE+ tools without issues, which makes this even more disappointing. I would not recommend this product, and I have lost confidence after two failures in a row.