Are you in the market for a hedge trimmer? Is it your first one? If so, you’ll have a few decisions to make before plunking down your hard earned cash. Here’s a look at a few of them:
Type of Hedge Trimmer
One of the first decisions that you’ll need to make is whether or not you want to buy an electric hedge trimmer or a gas hedge trimmer. Over the years my husband and I have owned both types. Right now we have a corded, electric hedge trimmer.
Based on my experience, the electric hedge trimmer is light weight, easy to use and cheaper to maintain than a gas powered hedge trimmer. The gas powered trimmer we originally had cost a lot to repair and the fuel would gel up when the temperatures dropped ever so slightly. That’s part of why we switched to an electric hedge trimmer.
We chose a corded model because it was more powerful than the cordless ones and we needed a machine that could cut through thick branches. In addition, all the bushes that we tend to trim on our property are close to an electrical outlet. Thus having a cord wasn’t an issue. If you have a large property with bushes scattered about and limited access to electrical outlets, you may want to go with a gas powered hedge trimmer or a cordless, electric powered one instead.
Type of Hedge Trimmer Blade
Once you know what type of hedge trimmer you want, you’ll need to decide on a blade size and a design. Blades may be dual-sided or single-sided. They can also sport teeth gaps from ¾ inch to well over 1 inch. The blade’s size and design will help to determine the type and size of bushes you can cut with it.
Because my husband and I were dealing with big, thick, established bushes, we chose a trimmer with a long, dual sided, high-carbon steel blade with a large gap. This allowed us to make big, even sweeps in both directions and cut through heavy growth with ease. The blades we chose are also capable of being sharpened when needed. If you have smaller and thinner bushes, you may want to choose a shorter, single sided blade with a gap somewhere in the ¾ inch range.
Other Hedge Trimmer Features
Other things to consider when selecting a hedge trimmer are safety features, the design of the handle and the availability of add-ons. We did not concern ourselves with extensive safety features or add-ons. Instead we went for an ergonomically designed handle, a lock-on feature and a pigtail. In my opinion, all three of those features help to make the trimmer easier to use. The wraparound handle comes in handy when we are trimming hard to reach places and the lock-on feature helps to reduce hand fatigue when we have a lot of bushes to trim. I also find the pigtail especially useful in keeping the trimmer from losing contact with the extension cord. Depending on your property’s landscaping, you may want to go for a trimmer with additional bells and whistles.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys completing home improvement projects with her family.
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