Choosing your hedge trimmer – A quick summary

If you

• Don’t have lots of thick branches (more than 15 mm) or
• A large garden to trim (taking more than 50 minutes

Then get a cordless trimmer.

From my experience:

• They are light
• They will save you hours of trimming time.

I would recommend the Bosch AHS 52 LI Lithium-Ion model – do not go for the Bosch AHS 52 Accu model – this does not include the anti-jamming mechanism.

Overview

This post tells you

• Why I chose this type of hedge trimmer
• Why this particular trimmer
• What you get
• Does it work

Do you need a powered hedge trimmer?

For me they make hedge trimming less of a chore. I also damaged my hand using a manual trimmer – the soft tissue injury took 6 months to repair.

What type of trimmer

There are broadly three types:

• Petrol powered
• Electric with a cable
• Electric cordless

Petrol Powered

These are undoubtedly the right machine for heavy duty work If you have a lot of trimming to do their will be a model to meet your needs.

Advantages

• You can go anywhere without needing to be near a power socket.
• Can handle large branches ( blade width can be 20 mm +)

Disadvantages

• Can be difficult to start
• Heavier For example the Homelite HHT2655 55cm 26cc Petrol Hedge Trimmer weighs 6.6 kilo compared to 2.6 kilo for a typical cordless
• Because it is heavier it is more difficult to handle.

Electric with a cable

These are lighter but you are limited to working near to a power socket.

Advantages

• Lighter in weight than petrol – e.g. the Bosch AHS 7000 Pro T 70cm 700W Electric Hedge Trimmer weighs 4.5 kilo compared to around 6.6 kilo for a petrol model
• Can cut larger branches than a cordless – typically 30-40 mm
• Easy to start

Disadvantages

• Heavier than cordless
• Because it is heavier it is more difficult to handle.
• There is always the risk you can cut through the cable if you are not careful.

Electric cordless

These are lighter but you are limited to working near to a power socket.

Advantages

• Lighter in weight than electric model with a cable around 2.6 kilo compared with for example – e.g. the Bosch AHS 7000 Pro T 70cm 700W Electric Hedge Trimmer which weighs 4.5 kilo.
• Easy to start
• Because it is lighter it is easier to handle and so possibly safer
• As there is no cable, you cannot cut through it and is therefore safer

Disadvantages

• Need to recharge batteries
• Limited to smaller branches typically 15 mm compared to 30-40 mm for a corded model

Bosch AHS 52 LI Lithium-Ion Hedge Trimmer

What’s in the box

Well actually not a lot…

The instruction manual

This is reasonably clear with the usual endless health and safety warnings

Initial Battery Charge

The manual says:

Note: The battery is supplied partly charged. To ensure full capacity of the battery, completely charge the battery in the battery charger before using the power tool for the first time.

So you plug the battery in and wait and wait… In my case it took 2 hours 40 minutes before the battery was fully charged.

Bosch product description

The official product details include :

• 15 mm tooth spacing, enabling you to cut even medium-weight branches perfectly
• Winner by weight comparison: up to 30% lighter than comparable tools
• Optimum balance and ergonomics due to new design and softgrip
• Laser-cut, diamond ground blades for a clean cut
• “Anti-Blocking” System for extra cutting power and prevents stalling
• Lithium-ion technology: more power with less weight, no self-discharge, no memory effect

Does it trim effectively and easily

Yes it does. You can undoubtedly save time compared to a manual pair of shears. I’d say trimming with the cordless trimmer reduces cutting time to about 25% of the manual time. But :

• If you have branches thicker than 15 mm it will not cut them and you need an alternative approach.
• Your hands will tingle after a while. If you suffer from bad arthritis you might want to split your trimming work into small sections.

These photos illustrate what can be quickly achieved:

Before:

After:

 Does it jam when cutting larger branches

From my experience it does not. This model includes an effective anti-jamming mechanism.

What you can do to trim thicker branches

I found that a clippers with inbuilt leverage work brilliantly. The pair I use looks like this:

You can get these from most hardware stores. This particular model is the Wilkinson Sword Large Gear Action Bypass Lopper. The key to its success is the lever action that magnifies many times the pressure that you exert on the handles.