For any outdoor gardening, having the right gardening tools is critical, especially when you’re doing it all yourself. There’s a lot of effort required in the garden, but it can all be made a lot easier when you have the right tools to hand.
Understanding what tools you need is important to get the most out of every session you spend on your garden. Choosing the right hedge trimmer will depend on matching the tool’s power and blade size, alongside your specific garden needs.
Rather than just buying the most expensive option, homeowners should look at the benefits of what’s available on the market, specifically when it comes to cordless battery-powered trimmers in particular. These often provide the best balance in power, convenience, and are, of course, low-maintenance.
What Essential Garden Tools Do You Need For Your Gardening?
The essential garden tools are important to have when you’re responsible for maintaining your own garden. These include the following:
Lawn Mower
An essential for maintaining the height of the lawn. Battery models offer higher mobility, and corded offering unlimited runtime.
Grass strimmer/edger
Necessary for when you’re trimming any grass along borders, fences, and areas where the mower can’t reach.
Hedge trimmer
Crucial for shaping and maintaining shrubs and doing so efficiently.
A leaf blower
This can simplify cleaning up leaves and debris around your garden, saving significant time compared to raking it.
Pressure washer
If you’ve got patio areas, driveways, and garden furniture, pressure washers are great for addressing these areas in particular. They help to really transform a space in seconds.
How to Pick the Right Hedge Trimmer
Now that you know all of the essential garden equipment required, how do you go about picking the right hedge trimmer? You’ve got a lot of options when it comes to hedge trimmers, but the most critical decision is what power source you use.
Let’s break down some of the criteria you’ll want to consider when it comes to picking a hedge trimmer for use in your garden.
Power Source: The Most Critical Decision
The most critical decision you have is the power source. Do you opt for battery, electric, or petrol? Which one is best?
A cordless, battery-operated one is best for most users. Most modern systems will approach that petrol-level power but without the unnecessary noise, fumes, or maintenance required. They provide freedom to move around large properties, too.
Corded electric ones are best for smaller, urban gardens. They’re the lightest and most affordable, providing constant power, but are restricted by a cable. That might not be too much hassle if you have an outside source of electricity already and only have a small garden to contend with.
Petrol is best for professional and heavy-duty needs. Necessary really for only the larger and neglected or very woody, dense hedges. They’re loud, heavy, and require regular maintenance, which is a lot in comparison to the cordless ones now available.
Blade Features That Matter
Blade features are an important one to factor in, too. Blade length-wise, you’re looking at the following options:
- 16-18 inches – Ideal for shaping, topiary, and small, delicate, or formal hedges.
- 20-22 inches – The sweet spot for a lot of suburban gardens. Versatile for both shaping and long, straight runs.
- 24+ inches – Best for large, tall, flat-topped hedges, which help to reduce the number of passes required.
You’ve then got tooth spacing, which essentially is the cutting capacity of the hedge trimmer. These vary from
- 15-20mm – This tooth spacing is suitable for young and small hedges or for light and soft growth.
- 20-25mm – Good for typical, established, and general-purpose hedge maintenance.
- 25mm+ – Essential for thick, mature, or woodier hedges.
Blade quality is important, and so when you’re shopping for hedge trimmers, look out for laser-cut or diamond-ground blades. This helps provide a cleaner cut that keeps the plants healthier.
Dual-action blades, where both of the blades move, will significantly reduce vibration.
Features for Comfort and Safety
It’s important to have a hedge trimmer that’s comfortable to use and that it offers safety features that keep you safe.
A rotating rear handle is a top priority for comfort. It allows you to rotate the blade 90 degrees to make it comfortable and provide clean vertical cuts without twisting your wrist. Look for a tool that’s under 8 lbs, as heavier tools will likely cause fatigue quickly when held horizontally.
A blade tip protector helps to prevent accidental damage to the blades when you’re cutting near walls, fences, or the ground. It will also often include a hole for storage.
Look out for a safety switch to ensure the trimmer has a two-handed safety switch. This stops the blades immediately if one hand is removed.
Special Scenarios
In certain scenarios, some trimmers will likely be more suited than others. For example, if you’re tackling tall hedges, then it’s worth investing in a pole hedge trimmer, rather than using a ladder, which can be dangerous if you’re doing it on your own.
It’s also useful to buy hedge trimmers that work with batteries that you already own to save on costs.
General Tips for Hedge Trimming
When hedge trimming, especially if you’re a beginner, there are some key tips to help maximize your success. These key techniques include:
Shape
Aim for an A-frame or a tapered shape where it’s wider at the bottom so the light reaches lower branches and prevents bare patches.
Method
Cut the sides first, moving from the bottom up, and then trim the top.
Safety
When it comes to safety, be sure to wear protective equipment such as gloves and goggles. Never trim with electric tools in the rain or with a damaged cord, as this is highly dangerous.
Handling Overgrowth
Overgrowth is also an important factor in. For severely overgrown hedges, make sure to cut back hard in winter. For any conifers, you should avoid cutting into old, brown wood, as it often won’t regrow.
Hedge trimmers truly make a big difference to your performance in the garden, so consider buying a quality hedge trimmer.
