If you are passionate about gardening and your day does not start without spending time with your green friends, then I am sure you know what hedge trimmers are all about. To know which are the best trimmers, read on.

A hedge trimmer is a type of agricultural or garden tool. And as the name suggests, it is used to trim hedges. There are mainly two types of these, viz., manual and electrical. Amongst these, there are some variations that have been mentioned below.

Types

• Stand Alone:
  A stand alone hedge trimmer could be either power driven or manual. The power driven stand alone trimmer uses gasoline or electricity for operation. However, the manual trimmer, which runs on human force, is the best when you consider environmental factors, and it is cheaper and easy to operate too. Generally, gas powered or electrically powered trimmers are equipped with safety devices. The mechanism is such that they operate only when the operator has both his/her hands on the handles.
• Tractor Mounted:
  This type of trimmer is more suitable for pruning of plants and crops. This comes in two varieties, without a movable arm or with one. The ones without movable arms depend only on rotating blades on a couple of central pivots placed on the tractor's side. These are best suited for growing grapes, or more specifically, for making wine. Small tractors driving between the grape vines are mounted with these type of trimmers.

Reviews

• Stihl Hedge Trimmer HS81T:
  Well, this one is surely up for grabs. Stihl HS81T is a great option for keeping your hedges in a perfect shape. It is lightweight, with a balanced design and low vibration levels. It has a 24-inch or 30-inch double-sided blade. It is also equipped with a rear swivel handle for enhanced comfort at different speeds. The engine power is 0.7 kW and it weighs between 5.2 kg and 5.4 kg, depending on the blade size. It is good especially for shaping and sculpting your hedge. Its only disadvantage is that it does not start on the first pull sometimes.
• Black & Decker NHT518:
  You would love this if you do not want the whole baggage of fuel, electric wires, and so on. It is cordless and runs on a battery and 22 inch blades that give a smooth and level cut. It does a neat job of branches less than 1/2 inch thick, and you get optional extra battery packs. However, it gets a thumbs down from users with regards to poor battery life. On the other hand, users like the cordless design. Again, they say that it is not as powerful as corded trimmers, but it is lightweight and makes minimum noise.
• Echo HC-150 Petrol Commercial Grade Trimmer:
  Users say that this is a very efficient hedge trimmer. It is a high performing and commercial grade trimmer that is powered by petrol. It is smooth and jerk-free, and is great for pruning and trimming. Durability is apparently the forte of this Echo HC-150 . Superb double reciprocating blades cut on their return and forward strokes, which give a smooth, uniform finish to your hedges.
• Makita UH6350 Electric Trimmer:
  This is a well-designed tool with a great cutting action, according to a magazine on mechanical products. It is light in weight and can deal very well with branches up to ½ inch in diameter. Although, one disadvantage is that you have to bear with a cord and has a single blade operation.

Take your pick according to your requirements and any hedge trimmer is good so far as it helps you keep your plants in good shape.