Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

I am in the market for hedge trimmer and I'm considering one of the two Gtech trimmers or this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Light-Weight-Challenge-Cordless-Electric-Pole-Hedge-Trimmer-1-2m-Head-18V/232535692493?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.S EED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3De4366 2adca884d7f9e36a0805d360629%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D 4%26rkt%3D7%26sd%3D253103131454&_trksid=p2045573.c 100033.m2042 or are there any others/better ones I could buy please? Would prefer to pay under £100 if possible, though I appreciate you only get what you pay for. Many thanks.:)

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

Can't really advise on brands but does it have to be cordless? Might be a good idea to go to a large garden centre and handle a few to see how much the weight difference is between A/C and battery powered. If your hedges are high it's important to try holding the trimmer up fully extended in the showroom to see if you can manage it easily. They can soon start to feel quite heavy but if you only have small hedges and are happy to take regular breaks in the action that might not be an issue. Your choice will also depend on the size/type of hedging. If you could purchase from somewhere which will enable you to try it out and return it if you're not happy that'd be a good idea. GTech offer a 30 day return option but ask that items are returned in 'original condition' so you wouldn't be able to try it in action. Places like QVC also sell these from time to time but it's the wrong time of year now so you probably won't see any for sale on TV until spring. The benefit there is that you can actually use the items and then send them back within 30 days if you're not happy. Given that your hedges aren't going to grow much more now, if at all, might it not be an idea to wait until spring then buy something you can actually try out?

I love and have quite a few li-ion battery powered tools but have always avoided them for garden equipment as my feeling is they do yet have the power and battery life I would want - I hate getting half way through a job only to run out of power...

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

Many thanks for that Osem. I really wanted a cordless pole trimmer as I don't do ladders, and although our hedges are not too tall I still can't reach up and over for the hard to get at bits. Got charged £50 last time I had one hedge cut, so I'm thinking a couple of visits and I could have bought our own trimmer.

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

I've used 3 different top-brand models that an elderly neighbour bought. All were very underpowered compared to mains versions, and discharged quickly. Charging times ranged from 2 to 5 hours.

The hedge actually belongs to their neighbours who let it grow above 3 metres and across the boundary line, but refuse to do the trimming on both sides or reduce the height. The High Hedges Law cannot help as the over grown hedge is to the north of their garden.

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

I agree - far better to buy your own. You can buy mains powered pole trimmers which is what I was actually referring to above and they can be quite a bit cheaper than the cordless.

Here's a couple weighing in at around 4kg:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010DY1C..._t2_B01NGTW23N

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Einhell-GC-...+trimmer&psc=1

They obviously don't have quite the same freedom of movement as the battery powered ones but don't run out of juice either though and will almost certainly be more powerful. You'd want to connect it via an RCD for safety obviously.

Seriously, I'd take a trip to the garden centre and handle a few to see what you think about how heavy and easy to handle they are typically, then buy what you want from the cheapest decent source you can. Bear in mind that most of the weight is at the cutting end so they'll be easier to handle when not fully extended and feel heavier the more you extend them. If your hedges aren't too tall you may get away with little or no extending necessary though. If you buy now though, it'll be sitting around doing very little for quite a few months, even if you do get to cut the hedge one last time this year.

:tu:

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

Hmmm food for thought Osem. I foolishly got the ladders out today and cut off the most offending sprigs, not ideal, but maybe staved off the time when I must decide what to buy.


Many thanks for all the replies. :)

Re: Light weight cordless electric pole hedge trimmer?
 

You're welcome. Ladders can be dangerous so use the time until spring to see what's available and what suits you and the hedge won't grow much more now until spring. A good garden centre will offer that advice and you'll should be able to handle the goods to get a feel for how bulky or heavy they are. The likes of QVC have some very good offers at times so maybe you could see what they come up with in spring and benefit from having 30 days to actually use the machine before deciding whether to keep it. In a situation like yours that's quite a valuable concession. Ideal World offer a similar 'use it and see' guarantee albeit for just 14 days.

You could also ask a local independent garden equipment supplier for their advice as to the pros and cons of what's available. They're often very helpful even if they can match the cheapest price you might find online.

Best of luck and keep away from those ladders... ;)

:hugs: