Testing battery-powered hedge trimmers
Keep hedges tidy with these lighter alternatives to traditional trimmers
Hedges need regular trimming to keep them in good condition. Hand shears are very laborious and time-consuming, while petrol-powered hedge trimmers are heavy and noisy and those powered by electricity have one major safety drawback – a cable that can be easily cut through! Battery-powered models are now an excellent and reliable alternative and I tested 10 models on leylandii conifers to find out which performed the best. Run time for all was around 40-45 minutes, and all are one part of battery-operated systems, so the battery can be used with other tools in the company’s range.
BEST SMALL HEDGE TRIMMER 1 Bosch EasyHedgeCut 12-35, £100
This compact 12V, 2.5Ah hedge trimmer has a 37cm (14½in) cutting length, 1.5cm (½in) tooth spacing and is lightweight (just 1.86kg/4lb 2oz), making it ideal for small hedges. It features a blade anti-blocking system, which allowed cutting even a lot of plant material without clogging, and sharp diamond-ground blades.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier Bosch, 03447 360106, shop.bosch-do-it.com/gb/en
2 CEL 144HT Cordless Hedge Trimmer, £59.90
The lightest on test, at just 1.75kg (3lb 14oz), which made this 14.4V, 1.5Ah hedge trimmer with a 35cm (14in) cutting length and 1.5cm (½in) tooth spacing perfect for small hedges, topiary and tight spaces. I found the removable clipping collector to be superfluous. You can also buy it without a battery and charger (the hedge trimmer on its own costs £31.90), if you already own these.
Quality ★★★★ ★ Performance ★★★★ ★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier CEL, 08453 889769, cel-uk.com
3 Cobra H5024V, £74.99
This mid-powered 24V, 2Ah hedge trimmer has a 53cm (21in) cutting length, 1.5cm (½in) tooth spacing and a two-speed Eco or Turbo setting, depending on the type of material being cut. It’s quite light at 2.5kg (5lb 8oz) and well balanced, making it easy to manoeuvre. The battery charge status lights on the battery and handle made it easy to see when it was ready for recharging.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier Cobra, 0115 964 5915, www.cobragarden.co.uk
4 Cobra H5540VZ, £91.99
This larger, more powerful Cobra uses a 40V, 4Ah battery, has a 57cm (22½in) cutting length and 2.8cm (1¼in) tooth spacing. It weighs 4.4kg (9lb 11oz), and is back-heavy which reduces its manoeuvrability somewhat. It comes without battery (£124.99) and charger (£42.99), which have to be bought separately, saving money if you already have other Cobra 40V tools.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★ ★ Comfort ★★★★ ★ Value for money ★★★★ ★
Supplier Cobra, 0115 964 5915, www.cobragarden.co.uk
5 EGO Power+ HT5100E, £199
This beefy 56V hedge trimmer has a cutting length of 52cm (20½in) and a tooth spacing of 3cm (1¼in). It was the heaviest tested at 5.03kg (11lb 1oz), although a battery backpack that’s separate from the trimmer is available to make it lighter. It features two-speed cutting (fast and very fast!), a solid metal end bar blade protector, battery charge status light and the handle rotates through 180 degrees for optimum hand position. The 2Ah battery costs an extra £84.99 (larger batteries are also available), and the charger £74.99.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★ ★ Comfort ★★★★ ★ Value for money ★★★★ ★
Supplier EGO Power+, www.egopowerplus.co.uk
BEST LARGE HEDGE TRIMMER 6 Mountfield MH48Li, £99
A 48V hedge trimmer with a 60cm (24in) cutting length, using laser-cut blades, and 2.8cm (1¼in) tooth spacing. It weighs 3.77kg (8lb 5oz) with a 2Ah battery, 500g (18oz) more with 4Ah, and is well balanced and was easy to manoeuvre. The handle rotates through 180 degrees and there is a charge status light on the battery. The 2Ah battery costs £99, the 4Ah £139, and the charger £39.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★ ★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier Mountfield, 0800 669 6325, www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk
7 Ryobi ONE+ RHT185020, £119.99
This 18V, 2Ah hedge trimmer is part of the ONE+ system of more than 70 tools, so the battery is interchangeable with all these other tools. It has diamond-ground blades with a cutting length of 54cm (21¼in), tooth spacing of 1.6cm (½in) and weighs just 2.73kg (6lb). It’s well balanced and was easy to manoeuvre and use.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier Ryobi, 01628 894400, uk.ryobitools.eu
8 Stiga SHT 24 AE, £219
A 24V, 4Ah hedge trimmer with 52cm (20½in) cutting length and 1.5cm (½in) tooth spacing. It weighs in at 3.25kg (7lb 3oz), has fairly good balance for manoeuvrability, the handle easily swivels through 180 degrees to allow you to change its orientation, so your hands are in the optimum cutting position and there’s a battery charge status light.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★ ★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★ ★
Supplier Stiga, 0800 669 6326, www.stigalawnmowers.co.uk
BEST MEDIUM HEDGE TRIMMER 9 Stihl HSA 56 Set, £199
This 36V, 1.4Ah hedge trimmer has a 50cm (20in) cutting length and 2cm (¾in) tooth spacing. It’s quite heavy (3.69kg/8lb 2oz), but well balanced so was fairly easy to manoeuvre and use. It features a sturdy blade end protector bar, battery charge status lights and additional safety locks. It’s also available without battery and charger for £149.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
Supplier Stihl, 01276 417678, www.stihl.co.uk
10 Wolf- Garten 72V Li-ION Power 55H (Set), £319.99
This is a very powerful 72V, 2.5Ah hedge trimmer with a 57cm (22½in) cutting length and 2.8cm (1¼in) tooth spacing. It’s heavy (4.95kg/10lb 15oz), which made it tiring to use for long periods. The swivelling handle can be set to five angles, so your hands are in the optimum cutting position, but it was awkward to change. It’s also available without battery and charger for £159.99.
Quality ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Usability ★★★ ★★ Comfort ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★ ★
Supplier Wolf-Garten, 01869 363674, www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk
The voltage (V) rating reflects the power output, and the amp hour (Ah) refers to the amount of charge the battery holds, and so effects how long it will run before it needs recharging.