Hedges seem to require constant attention otherwise they will grow out of control, getting bigger and bigger to the point where shears would have trouble cutting through it all. Doing it with hand tools would also require a lot of time, time which many people would rather be doing other things. To keep them looking their best, perhaps it would be time to invest in a hedge trimmer, a power tool that will not only save hours upon hours of manual labor, but make that work easier and more precise as well. Whether you need a regular, old hedge trimmer, a long hedge trimmer or another type, we'll figure out the best for you.

The Blade

First of all, choosing the correct blade length would be a good start for determining the most important part of the hedge trimmer: the blade. The normal rule of thumb would be 46cm or less for small hedges, 47-57cm for medium hedges and 58cm or more for big hedges.

A furthermore measurement, the blade width, will be important for determining the width between the teeth on the blade, which in turn results in how thick the branches are that it can cut. Hedges with thicker branches may require more careful pruning and therefore having smaller teeth and leaving them to other tools might be necessary.

Method Of Power

There are three options available to you for powering your hedge trimmer: rechargeable battery, petrol or mains powered. Clearly, they all have advantages or disadvantages, so let's go through them

Mains electricity is a simple plug in and get going method, where you need not worry about a limited power supply. It makes no smoke, is more convenient and happens to weigh less than other models. However, there have been cases of people cutting the power cable, which is a very dangerous event and therefore all precautions should be taken. Also, if the hedge is further away from the house than the cable can stretch or if you have no extensions to enable such use, then this form of power is useless, as does the lack of a power supply.

The rechargeable method is one of marginal pros and large losses, depending on the size of your garden and how quickly you work. The mobility, lack of a wire and low noise level are excellent for dealing with any part of the hedge in safety and relative comfort. However, it firstly requires between five and seven hours of recharge just for thirty minutes of power and secondly, it requires two batteries to provide continual power. So if you plan on some hedge trimming, you'll need to recharge it the night before and be careful you don't lose the batteries or adapter either.

Finally, petrol. There's no cord and it can be used anywhere, like the rechargeable option. However, due to the petrol engine, it tends to be a larger machine and can be much harder to handle, especially on top of a ladder, though a long hedge trimmer might be more suitable for that. Also, costs will be up due to the need to buy petrol, enough to provide a continuous refill while in use. A further disadvantage is that the noise is much higher than the others and it does create smoke.