Hedge Trimmers: A Buying Guide
EGO’s range of battery-powered hedge trimmers has everything users need to keep shrubs, bushes, and hedgerows neat and tidy. With variations in blade length, tooth spacing and cutting action, each will make short work of annual maintenance, trimming and shaping.
In this guide, EGO Power + explains the terminology and what users need to consider in order to choose the best hedge trimmer for their needs.
Hedge Trimmers: A Buying Guide
What’s being cut?
It’s important to know what type of plants are being cut, as this influences which hedge trimmer will do the best job. Dense, mature hedges of woody plants such as conifer, hawthorn or holly are likely to have thicker stems and need a trimmer that can cut through these small branches.
The spacing between the teeth on the blade determines the size of material that can be cut and the larger the gap, the bigger the stems it can handle. Anything with a gap of around 20mm will manage regular maintenance of twiggy hedges, where just a small amount of greenery is being removed, but for more robust tasks users should look for a greater distance between teeth. All EGO’s hedge trimmers have laser-cut, diamond ground blades with a gap of between 25mm – 33mm and a blade tip protector, so they can handle thicker branches with ease.
How large is the hedge?
Long, tall, or overgrown hedges can take hours to cut and using a tool built for the job will not only speed things up but make them more comfortable too. A longer blade allows users to cut more with each sweep however less experienced gardeners may find them harder to manoeuvre, so it’s a case of finding a middle ground.
EGO’s hedge trimmers come with 51cm, 61cm, 65cm and 75cm blades, so there’s something to suit most users and their gardens. For a smaller hedge, blades of around 40 – 60cm should be sufficient, although a longer blade can be helpful if the hedge isn’t accessible from both sides. Professional users or those with larger hedges will benefit from choosing a hedge trimmer with a blade over 60cm such as EGO’s 75cm-long HTX7500 – not only will it cut more in one go, but it will also help to reach the tops of tall hedges.
If you have a very tall hedge to maintain, you may want to consider using a long-range hedge trimmer with an extension pole, these usually come with simple angle adjustments to allow users to cut the finishing angles they desire.
Single or double?
Another thing to bear in mind when choosing a hedge trimmer is the cutting action. This will be either double or single and refers to the way in which the blades move against one another.
A single-action hedge trimmer has one moving blade and one stationary blade while a double-action hedge trimmer has two moving blades. The EGO range features both, as each has its advantages. With just one moving blade, single-action models such as the HT2410E and HT2000E have a simpler design making them great value and easier to maintain, but double-action models give a cleaner cut and produce less vibration because one moving blade cancels out the other. As a result, double-action hedge trimmers are generally preferred, especially for cutting larger areas.
Users will also see descriptions that mention double-sided and single-sided blades. Not to be confused with the cutting action, this simply means the hedge trimmer will either have teeth on both sides or just one side of the blade. It’s therefore possible to buy a single-sided hedge trimmer with a double-action blade and vice versa.
Powering through
Hedge trimmers can be petrol, electric or battery-powered. Battery-powered tools have a number of advantages for users: they’re cleaner and quieter with zero emissions and the reduced vibration and lack of cable to work around means they’re more comfortable and safer to use too.
All of EGO’s models use the company’s patented ARC Lithium 56v battery which is available in a range of sizes, including an ultra-powerful Professional-X backpack battery. Each one features intelligent microprocessors, Keep Cool Technology, and an innovative Arc design to optimise battery performance, run time and life.
When choosing a battery-powered hedge trimmer, users should consider the weight that the battery will add to the tool – the more powerful the battery, the greater the weight. In a smaller hedge trimmer, a 2.5Ah, 4.0Ah or 5.0Ah battery will be best, but in larger trimmers, a bigger battery will give a longer run time.
If the weight is too much, all EGO batteries are compatible with the BH1001 backpack harness kit, which allows users to carry the weight of the battery on their back.
Easy to handle
For even more flexibility and comfort when it comes to cutting, several of the EGO hedge trimmers have a rotating handle which allows the user to adjust the tool 45° and 90° left and right, to suit their working position. Variable speed control also allows users to increase or decrease the blade speed depending on the area being cut and to conserve battery power.
For more information on the EGO range of hedge trimmers, visit: https://egopowerplus.co.uk/products/hedge-trimmers
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