Best Hedge Trimmers

Hedges are a classic landscape design element. A neat and tidy hedge frames a garden view nicely, and can also offer privacy for homeowners and food and shelter for wildlife. Using a powered hedge trimmer not only keeps bushes healthy and dense, but saves you from sweating too much when using old-fashioned shears. Continue Reading...

What can you use a hedge trimmer for?

A powered hedge trimmer is great for neatening a variety of hedge types - from the classic square hedges, to curved hedges and wall hedges. There are different blade types, lengths and power sources to suit your particular hedge and garden.

Hedge trimmers are also versatile, which is good news if your species of hedge only needs a tidy-up once or twice a year. You can also use these tools to clean up the garden by pruning shrubs and other small plants, or dead-heading flowers.

Can a hedge trimmer cut through branches?

Along with cutting bushes, most hedge trimmers will be able to cut thin branches up to about three quarters of an inch wide. To figure out the thickness of branches a hedge trimmer can cut, look at its tooth spacing. When cutting branches, the teeth act like little saw blades. A tooth spacing of 18mm (or ¾ inch) means that this is the maximum branch thickness the trimmer can tackle.

If you’re looking to cut thicker branches, avoid using an underpowered hedge trimmer with the wrong tooth spacing - this can damage the hedge bushes.

A hedge cutter may be up to the task, as they’re more powerful than hedge trimmers. However, if branches are over a finger’s thickness, you’d be better off using a pruning saw.

Types of Hedge Trimmers

Petrol Hedge Trimmers

Most petrol trimmers use 2-stroke engines, which are powered by a mix of petrol and 2-stroke oil. There are more powerful 4-stroke models, but they aren't readily available and can be expensive.

In a nutshell, petrol hedge trimmers are best for heavy-duty jobs or commercial applications. They’re reliable and efficient, but also require more care and maintenance than other hedge trimmer types.

Pros

The most powerful and efficient hedge trimmer type. High quality petrol is a reliable power source, and a petrol hedge trimmer can work for a long time without interruption.
Good for gardens with a lot of large, thick hedges to get through.
The most suitable option if you’re using a hedge trimmer for commercial purposes.

Cons

Requires experience or knowledge to mix fuels correctly, and to handle the pull starts.
Petrol trimmers are heavy to operate.
They are noisy and emit exhaust fumes, and aren’t particularly environmentally friendly.
They’re the most expensive of all hedge trimmers.
Require regular servicing, which may be better left to a professional - an ongoing expense.

Cordless hedge trimmers

Cordless hedge trimmers work using an in-built lithium ion battery. The average battery life for a cordless hedge trimmer is around 30-50 minutes per charge, which can be sufficient for a small to medium sized garden.

If you’re not sure whether this is enough time, a battery hedge trimmer may still be a good option if you invest in a second battery that’s been fully charged just before your trimming session, to have on stand-by.

Pros

You won’t have to worry about finding or installing a compatible electrical outlet, or straying too far from it.
Quiet and lightweight operation makes them easy to handle, and a suitable option for beginners.
Some models are quite small and compact, making them a hassle-free way to trim small hedges.

Cons

If the battery life is poor or you’re doing an extensive job, you’ll have to keep stopping to charge the battery.
Often the price for a cordless trimmer includes the tool only. This means you have to pay extra for a battery and charger.

Corded electric trimmers

These are powered directly by a mains power supply. Check the cable length to see whether it will safely reach the hedges you’ll be cutting. Generally they work better in small gardens, where you won’t need to roam too far from an electrical outlet.

Pros

Offers a consistent power supply (unlike corded models, which can slowly die as they run out of charge).
You won’t have to remember to charge batteries before or after trimming sessions.
The most affordable hedge trimmers you can buy.

Cons

Your range of movement is limited by the cord length.
Not practical if you don’t have a nearby power supply handy.
A trailing cable can be a safety hazard.

What to consider when buying a powered hedge trimmer

Blade length

A standard blade length is around 45-50cm, and will be suitable for most trimming jobs. Shorter blades are lighter and easier to handle, and are suitable for beginners or those with less experience handling power tools.

A longer trimmer blade lets you cover more surface area of a hedge in one sweep. It also provides a neater finish. Blades over 50cm long are better suited for large or tall hedges (like wall hedges), as they make the trimming process quicker and more efficient. A longer blade will be inconvenient if your hedge backs up against a wall or fence, as you’ll feel cramped, and the blade will crowd the small space.

Pole hedge trimmers

Also called long-reach or extendable hedge trimmers, these are made for tall or wide hedges. The blade is connected to a long pole that's often telescopic, so with this hedge trimmer you don’t need scaffolding or a tripod ladder to cut the hedge top and hedge face. They often use a rotating handle that lets you choose the best angle, and helps a lot with vertical edging. The total length of the trimmer is commonly 200-250cm.

man_trimming_tall_hedge_top_with_extendable_hedge_trimmer

Tooth spacing

The amount of space between the teeth on the blade indicates the width of leaves and branches that a hedge trimmer can cut. The tooth spacing on most trimmers for household use ranges up to three quarters of an inch wide.

The larger the gaps in the teeth, the more powerful a hedge trimmer will be. If you’re doing heavy-duty jobs, you'll need a trimmer with large gaps, or alternatively a hedge cutter or pruning saw.

Single or double sided blades

This is another indicator of cutting performance. A single-sided blade will cut more slowly, but it’s easier to handle, and also safer, as the cutting side of the blade can be faced away from you.

Double-sided blades are faster, more efficient and powerful. They’re better suited for cutting thick hedges.

Ease of handling

The following all make a trimmer easier to handle: shorter blades, single-sided blades, a lighter weight, and a cordless operation.

Weight is an important factor - while 4kg may sound light enough, it might get cumbersome to carry it around while handling a power tool over a long period. If you’re opting for a cordless model, it can help to go into the store and add a battery in (which can increase the weight by over 2kg), to see how heavy the trimmer is.

Noise level

A hedge trimmer is a power tool, so it’s impossible to avoid all noise when using one. However, if noise is a concern for you, check the dB rating of a hedge trimmer before buying. Cordless models are the quietest to operate, while petrol models are the noisiest. Wearing ear muffs or ear plugs is always recommended.

Price

You can grab a cordless or electric hedge trimmer from between $70-$300, with cordless models making up most of the cheaper offerings. Petrol trimmers start at around $300 and can go up to $899 for models with powerful 4-stroke engines.

Features

Rotating handle: Sometimes called an adjustable handle, this allows different working positions and heights. This is helpful if you need to cut a hedge vertically, rather than horizontally (e.g. tall wall hedges). Most have 3 adjustable settings, but some have 5.
Adjustable speed settings: There are usually 3 speed settings, for different levels of power depending on the thickness of your hedge.
Tip protector: This puts a rounded edge on the end of the trimmer blades, to avoid damage to fences or the blade itself.
Battery indicator lights: These let you know how much charge a battery in a cordless trimmer has remaining.
Continuous-on lock: Many models require you to depress a button continuously for power, but this ‘on’ lock means you don’t have to (it can be more dangerous, though).
Anti-jam function: If large or tough plant waste gets stuck between the blades, this function safely gets rid of it without you having to touch the blades.
Hand guard: This shields your front hand from the trimmer blades, and also stops some debris flying back at you.
Safety switch: requires both handles to be gripped before the trimmer can be operated.
Blade cover: protects the blade when it’s not in use. Look for covers made from a sturdy material, and which encase the whole blade.

Wrapping up

A good hedge trimmer can keep your garden shrubs and bushes in healthy, tip-top shape. Before investing in a hedge trimmer, consider the amount of hedges you have, how dense they are, how tall and how wide.

Also consider your garden’s size, and your level of experience using power tools. These will help you choose a suitably powered trimmer. Factor in any extra features that would make using a hedge trimmer easier for you, and weigh these up with how much you’re willing to spend.

Best Hedge Trimmers