What kind of hedge trimmer is best for you?
What hedge trimmer is best for you? Double sided, long reach (shafted), cordless, corded electric or petrol engine?
You’re suddenly startled by the sound of your father shouting from outside the house. Upon inspection, you see that the cord on his electric hedge trimmer is not quite long enough and has been yanked from the socket. 10 years later, you’re ready to take on the trimming of your own hedges, and luckily, have a lot more options when it comes to avoiding power- source related fits of rage.
So, what kind of hedge trimmer will allow you to get the job done with ease and without exposing the neighborhood to your exceptional repertoire of foul language.Let’s break this up by looking at power sources, different kinds of hedge trimmers and what they’re all best at.
POWER SOURCES
Corded (electric) hedge trimmers:
Pros:
Corded electric hedge trimmers give
Unlimited run time (providing you’ve paid your bills)
Offer decent power.
Are generally low cost.
Cons:
The cable restricts maneuverability.
Risk of cable being accidently snagged by the blades.
Range of work limited by length of cable.
Petrol Hedge trimmers:
Pros:
Petrol engine hedge trimmers offer the most power
Long run times.
Engines are easy and fun to maintain.
Cons:
Noise levels are high compared to electric and battery models.
Having to deal with fuel and exhaust emissions.
Higher levels of vibration.
Cordless (battery):
Pros:
Battery powered hedge trimmers often have very good run times,
Generate very little noise and 0 emissions.
Higher voltage models like ECHO's 50V DHC-200 hedge trimmer are suitable for both residential and professional users
Cons
They currently don’t offer the raw power of petrol engines.
Battery life must be considered.
TYPES OF HEDGE TRIMMERS
Double-sided Hedge trimmers
The most common kind of hedge trimmer and for good reason. The double-sided blades allow you to change the direction of trimming with ease. This makes them really well suited to most jobs and even more advanced and precise shaping. So, it makes sense to think of double-sided hedge trimmers as all-rounders for general use. Since this is the most common form of hedge trimmer you can easily find corded, battery or petrol models.
Long reach (shafted) hedge trimmers
Long reach hedge trimmers, also known as pole hedge trimmers, are ideal for dealing with tall and wide hedges. The blades sit atop a long shaft and can be articulated to cut at different angles. This means operators do not need to use ladders to trim hedge tops. Shafted hedge-trimmers are most commonly used by professionals.
TYPES OF WORK
Domestic small – medium garden hedges.
Overall, we’d recommend a double-sided cordless battery hedge-trimmer. For larger hedges, consider a higher voltage option with longer cutting blades.
For more heavy-duty tasks, take a look at the ECHO DHC-200 which uses ECHO’s new 50V lithium-ion battery and offers exceptional power and run times.
https://www.echo-australia.com.au/en_au/products/hedge-trimmers/double-sided-hedge-trimmer/dhc-200
Domestic medium – large garden hedges
If you have a large garden to maintain then there are more options that’s work. If you’re comfortable with petrol engine power tools, then the ECHO HC-1501 is a great choice. This double sided gas hedge-trimmer is lightweight and versatile with a large blade opening. Like all ECHO hedge trimmers, the HC-1501 features blades which are sharpened on all 3 faces, for a superior finish.
Professional landscaper, large grounds outdoor maintenance
If you’re an outdoor greenspace professional, then depending on the kind of work you do, you’d probably need more than one hedge trimmer. Whilst a double-sided hedge trimmer could tackle most jobs, when time is money, you want the most efficient tool possible.
Our top choices:
Double sided hedge-trimmer
Petrol
HCR-185ES
Battery
DHC-200
https://www.echo-australia.com.au/en_au/products/hedge-trimmers/double-sided-hedge-trimmer/dhc-200
Shafted pole hedge trimmer
At present ECHO only offers petrol / gas powered pole hedge trimmers, our go to for professionals would be the X-series HCA-2620ES-HD
You may also want to consider a combi-tool system as an alternative to a dedicated long reach (shafted) hedge trimmer. These combi-tools, also known as multi-tools or versa tools can be fitted with a range of attachments for different jobs around the yard. The ECHO PAS system features a 26cc powerhead that can be fitted with a range of attachments including short and long articulated hedge trimmers. Use the link below to see the ECHO PAS Multi tool system.
https://www.echo-australia.com.au/en_au/products/pro-attachment-series