Keeping your garden in shape entails diligence and hard work. Tidiness, exquisiteness, intrinsic details, and designs are essential factors that you need to maintain to boast your yard to relatives and friends. One of the features you can work within your garden is the hedge.
However, preserving the beauty of hedges will require proper and regular trimming. You can use garden tools, including a hedge trimmer, to help you accomplish these cutting and trimming tasks faster.
It aims to make users feel more comfortable when cleaning their gardens, from a small-sized one to those with larger areas.
Also called a shrub or bush trimmer, the latest models are lightweight and easy to control. Hedge trimmers are versatile that you can easily use them anytime you need to make a quick cut in your garden. With this tool, getting rid of sprouting shrubs and bushes can be more enjoyable.
Trimming hedges requires patience and precision for you to get that well-manicured look for your garden. To prevent wasting time and effort in cleaning your yard, you can turn to the most dependable electric hedge trimmers rather than manually.
But choosing the best one may not be as simple as you think and requires a wise selection from various models.
What to Consider
Maintaining well-manicured hedges foster healthy growth on plants that give shipshape borders and fences. This neat structure adds to the aesthetic design of your garden. Hence, choosing the appropriate tool that fits your garden is necessary.
Trimming hedges is no easy task. You may cut into the plants too deep or not enough to miss a lot of leaves behind. If you want to avoid these unnecessary mishits and misses, it might be wise to get the best hedge trimmer to help you achieve beautifully cut hedges.
Choosing the best one means that it is of the right type, size, and power that will allow you to work comfortably and efficiently. Additionally, the hedging tool’s right features will help you achieve the perfect cuts for your hedges.
Blade Quality and Length
One of the most vital parts of your trimmer is the blade. Using quality and sharp edges can perform much better and provide more precise cuts. This way, you will feel less vibration while using it and will not strain your hands and arms.
You might want to look for diamond-ground or laser-cut sharpness in a blade since these features can give you a smooth and high-quality finish. Getting the right blade length is also an essential factor. It controls how wide of the hedge you can cut with the tool.
So if you have a smaller hedge, 200-400 mm blades may be sufficient. However, if you have thicker and more mature hedges that need regular trimming, it would be best to get units with 500 mm blades or more.
Tooth Gaps
If you have big hedges and thick shrubs to cut, you will need trimmer teeth with wide spaces in between. The wider the tooth gap, the easier it is for you to cut through more mature hedges and stems.
So if you are regularly trimming thick branches, go for tools with a 30 mm tooth gap or broader. However, if you have small hedges, blades with a 15 to 20 mm difference would be sufficient.
Safety and Added Features
It would be best if you choose a tool that has safety features. Additional features also help make your work more convenient. Here are some of the essential safety aspects and characteristics you will need in a hedge trimmer.
Blade Tip Protector
You can expect hedge trimmers have durable and sharp blades to cut thick stems and shrubs. Therefore, getting exposed to this tool poses hazards to users and on your walls and fences. A blade tip protector will ensure that the machine will not cause any damage to your beautiful home.
It will prevent unintentional scrapes and grazes to your home pavement and masonry. Additionally, the protector will also help keep the tool in excellent condition for a more extended period.
Safety Switches
You do not want any accidental start-up with your hedge trimmer. One of the essential features of electric trimmers is its dual and triple safety switches. It will avoid accidental powering on, especially if you do not intend to use it just yet.
Further, it is wise to store your tool safely when you need to go on a break after long hours of gardening. Select a spot where the blade will not cause any danger to anyone and where accidental start-up will not occur.
Rotating Handle
It will be beneficial to choose a tool with a wraparound handle since it is comfortable to use. Moreover, a rotating one will enable you to hold the trimmer at any angle to give the most efficient cutting results.
Looking for the perfect tool may sometimes be daunting. To make it easier for you, we made a review of two of the most prominent cordless hedge trimmers available today.
Both products come from reliable gardening tool brands – KOBALT and Black and Decker.
KOBALT 40V Max 24-Inch Dual Cordless Hedge Trimmer
When looking for a user-friendly hedge trimmer, you don’t have to look any further since the KOBALT 40V Max will be your perfect partner in everyday gardening. Aside from being a powerful tool, it is easy to use and has safety features.
The KOBALT 40V Max will make your hedges and shrubs look neat as you want them to be without any frills and fuss. Read on to know the various features of this product.
Powerful Tool
This KOBALT tool is a powerful 40V device that provides comfort and convenience while you work. It has 24-inch dual-action blades, making it an ideal tool for cutting stems and branches of up to 3/4-inch thick. This feature allows you to cut larger twigs and shrubs aside from trimming bushes.
Further, this tool can deliver more torque and speed with a maximum cutting speed of up to 2,800-SPM, which gives you faster and exceptional work results. This power will allow you to work on almost any 1/4 acre yards and lawns.
It also provides the versatility you need, from which you can choose between slow and fast, depending on the speed you need while cutting.
Easy to Use
The natural and soft-grip handle makes this tool very comfortable to use. As a cordless and battery-operated device, you get less mess, noise, and fumes making your gardening experience more enjoyable and comfortable. This machine, weighing just over six pounds, is lightweight and very easy to maneuver.
You can also quickly start this tool in seconds, without the inconvenience of mixing fuel and oil or regular maintenance.
This easy-to-start feature allows you to work on your yard immediately without any hassle. Finally, it has a lock-out button to prevent accidental start-up and additional security for users.
Durable Product
The coated steel 24-inch dual-action steel blades provide maximum durability when working on your garden. The blade edges, protected by a blade guard, offer efficient cutting with variable speed depending on your project needs.
Additionally, its Lithium-ion battery delivers longer running time, and it can also be used with other Kobalt 40-volt Max gardening tools.
Its durability will ensure that you will get the most out of this tool for years ahead. It will also prevent you from spending more than you should in buying replacement products for the less reliable ones.
Black and Decker LHT360CFF 60V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Black and Decker is a famous brand offering various gardening tools. The company’s goal of helping the environment makes it one of the leading brands that manufacture and distribute cordless power tools for professional and household users.
Users will love this tool since it can handle thicker branches; hence, making trimming and cutting so easy.
As a trusted brand for power tools, you can be sure that you get a quality product if you buy a Black and Decker unit. It is known for its durability, innovation, and efficiency.
Let us look at the other features of LHT360CFF to see whether it is the perfect fit for you.
Power Cut Feature
This feature enables you to go through jams and thick bushes with a mere touch of a button. The easy push button makes cutting and pruning more convenient and controllable without sacrificing efficiency. It also comes with a 60V maximum voltage that provides more power in every cut.
The 24-inch sturdy blades can trim shrubs and branches up to 1.5 inches thick. These dual-action blades give less vibration and make you cut hard-to-reach branches. It allows you to perform more massive tasks for an extended period without hurting your hands, arms, and shoulders.
Lightweight Design
The LHT360FF weighs less than you expect from a tool with such power. It weighs only a little over eight pounds. It is also designed with a softer grip zone and auxiliary handle to provide efficient horizontal and vertical controls and more freedom of movement.
Cleaning your hedges has never been this easy with this tool from Black and Decker. Thanks to its innovative features, hardened blades, and robust performance, it makes trimming even the roughest hedges more accessible.
Excellent Battery Life
Initially, you can have the battery fully charged within six hours. Succeeding battery charges will only take you about two hours to complete. One fully charged cell can provide four to eight hours, depending on the level of use.
Moreover, the tool has a “State of Charger” indicator that allows you to determine how much power you have left.
The battery indicator will ensure that you will unexpectedly run out of juice in the middle of a critical trimming job. It is one of the most helpful features that you cannot find in other hedge trimmers.
FAQs
In buying your ideal cordless hedge trimmer, you need to check a variety of factors like the battery, power, blades, design, and cutting capacity, among others.
These may be a lot of things to consider, but you cannot leave one thing behind to ensure that the tool will perform as you expected.
We hope that this article has helped you make the best choice for a hedge trimmer. If you still have unanswered questions in your mind, read on to see the frequently asked questions about this portable and handy garden tool.
What should I use to lubricate my hedge trimmer blades?
If you are keeping your hedge trimmer in the shed for a few weeks, it would be wise to lubricate it before storing it. Failure to do so can cause blade friction, making your machine less efficient the next time you need to use it.
You can use light machine oil to lubricate the trimmer and fight against corrosion. It is affordable and effortless to find. To get the most out of your hedge trimmer for many years, always remember the lubricant’s power.
Which is better, a corded electric trimmer or a cordless, battery-operated one?
Electric hedge trimmers are lightweight, quieter, and create less vibration. It is ideal for home use and light jobs. If you need to work on massive gardening works, petrol-powered models will be more fitting. However, these trimmers tend to be noisy and release fumes.
When is the best time to trim my hedges?
For old and overgrown hedges, you might want to follow the three-year rule. You need to remove 1/3 of the thick stems down at the plant’s base. It will stimulate the growth of new plants.
Repeat this process within the next year, and the year after that, for smaller yet healthier bushes and shrubs. It is also ideal for performing the pruning of your plants in the late winter since plants usually are dormant and have no buds during this season.
How should my hedges look like?
If you leave hedges unattended, they will eventually look broad at the top since it is the part that gets the most sunlight. This situation gives you V-shape hedges. However, your fences must look narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.
The upside-down V-shape is applicable whether the hedges’ tops are flat, rounded, or pointed.
To do this, you must start at the bottom when shearing, and you can work your way up toward the top. You will need the proper tool to execute this task precisely. Finally, you must be able to determine how high and wide you want your hedges to become before planting so that you can choose the right plants to use.
Can I use my hedge trimmer to cut tree branches?
All hedge trimmers are specially designed for light leaves and thin twigs of bushes and shrubs. Since the tool’s grooves are about 3/4 to one full inch wide, it might not be ideal for tree branches.
Additionally, hedge trimmers do not have enough power to cut the thick branches of trees, which will generally require more energy and strength to achieve precise and clean cuts.
If you have a pole saw in your tool shed, you can use it instead to trim hard-to-reach tree branches. Pole saws can help you cut high tree branches, but it can never replace the efficiency of your trimmer for regular hedge-cleaning jobs.
Conclusion
The defining plants and shrubs of hedges are beautiful borders to keep away unwanted visitors from your homes. However, nobody wants to look at woody, unkempt, and shabby hedges in any yard. Hedges require regular watering, feeding, and trimming.
Your best partner to upkeep your garden greeneries is a cordless hedge trimmer. It is a reliable and convenient tool that you can use anytime and anywhere without preparing the necessary mixtures. Getting one with dual-action blades will allow you to trim branches and twigs correctly and efficiently.
