hedge trimmer

[Dodgeuk]

Hi all

whats the best trimmer for small hedges and shrubs i have the following cutters

hs81 r for rough cutting

hs45

km100r long reach attachment

 

i did own a husq 122 60d which lasted one season, good little cutter and for £180 cheap but would like something a bit more robust the hs45 ive had for years but the vibes are too much after a while any ideas will be great:thumbup1:

[flatyre]

I have a couple of long reach Tanaka's, great machines, very compact engines make them light as a feather yet have very robust cutting heads. You can swing them about all day and most of the vibration is lost in the shaft before it reaches you. I rarely use my short reach cutters as a good set of long reach cutters can do everything the shorter ones can! I also feel I have more control cutting in big arcs.

[spudulike]

Echo are well worth a look at. I don't use mine professionally but when they get used....they get USED and rate them as many others do. I have the longest 1 metre (I think) blade, very useful as I can face off 8' tall hedges with no ladder and it has the scoop so the trimmings don't falling to the hedge and stifle it in time!

 

Oh - and they have low vibes and are well made:thumbup:

[Darrin Turnbull]

What about a quality electric model with a generator

[NFG]

Echo are well worth a look at. I don't use mine professionally but when they get used....they get USED and rate them as many others do. I have the longest 1 metre (I think) blade, very useful as I can face off 8' tall hedges with no ladder and it has the scoop so the trimmings don't falling to the hedge and stifle it in time!

 

Oh - and they have low vibes and are well made:thumbup:

 

1 metre reach is a monster

 

Echo have a good warranty AFAIK, 5 year domestic & 2 year professional

 

 

N

[Couldyajust]

Echo are well worth a look at. I don't use mine professionally but when they get used....they get USED and rate them as many others do. I have the longest 1 metre (I think) blade, very useful as I can face off 8' tall hedges with no ladder and it has the scoop so the trimmings don't falling to the hedge and stifle it in time!

 

Oh - and they have low vibes and are well made:thumbup:

 

I have one of those its the Echo HC-341ES 40" it is usually the one I reach for leaves a brilliant finish but I do find it struggles with thicker stuff on neglected hedges so have a 30" stihl HS86 for rough stuff & a HS246 hedgecutter attachment that fits on an 026 for the really tough stuff that doesn't quite warrant getting the chainsaw out.

[chopper brown]

I really rate the stihl battery hedge cutters as a different option to look at. I would never have them as a stand alone option but i have both short and long reach and am very impressed.

 

The better batteries last me a solid half day cutting and with the best charger only take about 20mins to charge.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jim

[spudulike]

I have one of those its the Echo HC-341ES 40" it is usually the one I reach for leaves a brilliant finish but I do find it struggles with thicker stuff on neglected hedges so have a 30" stihl HS86 for rough stuff & a HS246 hedgecutter attachment that fits on an 026 for the really tough stuff that doesn't quite warrant getting the chainsaw out.

 

 

Yes, that's the one, I find it OK for the 70 metres of conifer hedging I have, makes topping it a lot easier and I can do most of the facing off bar the top couple of feet with it.

 

If mine struggled I would port it:blushing:

[Couldyajust]

Yes, that's the one, I find it OK for the 70 metres of conifer hedging I have, makes topping it a lot easier and I can do most of the facing off bar the top couple of feet with it.

 

If mine struggled I would port it:blushing:

 

You own something that's NOT ported

 

I get a lot of agricultural type hedges to do, very dense mixed hardwood often not trimmed for 3-4 years. Ambitious for any hedgecutter. On softer stuff like conifers or willow the echo does a very good job or on anything recognisable as a hedge rather than a row of densely planted trees come to that.

This year I also had a brief run on hedges that hadn't been trimmed in 40+ years as ownership had been in debate. When ownership was finally agreed upon I was expected to work miracles. None of my hedgetrimmers were up to that, 9"+ blackthorn stems & 50'+ mixed broadleaf trees to turn back into something that resembled a hedge was too much of a challenge so had to get the chainsaw & polesaw out instead.

[Dodgeuk]

The echo looks a good buy for £387 and I like the 2 yr pro warranty, I have considered an electric hedge cutter the ones with the battery pack strapped on the back. Just for the simple fact that the fumes blowing in your face when you have the hedge cutter near you any one had experience with electric hedge cutter:thumbup: