Chainsaw recommendations?

Zither

Morning All,

I need to cut back a big hedge from around 9 feet high down to about 4-5 feet. Unfortunately my hedge trimmers aren't up to the task, so I need to buy a chainsaw. The hedge isn't super thick but a lot of the branches are about 1-2 inches thick once you start cutting into middle of the hedge.

So, my question is - can anyone recommend me a cheapish but good chainsaw please? It's one of those items that I'd probably only use about once a year (if that) so it's not soemthing I want to invest massively in but likewise I don't want it to break after the first use. Electric would probably be fine. Any thoughts on wattage etc?

Thanks!

Z

gamston

I had a few chainsaw's over the years, used to get stihl ones, but get them cheap Chinese one's now
at the moment I have a Chinese 18" one and got a small 26cc one from SGS engineering
the 26cc one is nice for small tree's easy to use lightweight only problem is can't find cheap replacement bar & chains for it

martinthebandit

A chain saw? Really? Just for that job?

Buy yourself a good quality (do not skimp on its quality, especially the blade) bow saw.

DaftyDuck

Any of the electric chainsaws in the lower price bracket are much alike, and often share the same mechanics. Black and Decker, Qualcast, they may be cheap, but they work, and will be fine for that kind of work.

Aldi and Lidl sell them as well, with a 3 year guarantee. Never had problems getting spare chains for any chainsaw.

Spend the money you save on good protective clothing... Gloves, trousers and helmet!

Davesnave

.....Or Screwfix have an electric chain saw. Their guarantee isn't as long as Lidl/Aldi, but getting another when it malfunctions is easier.

Been there, done that. The second one has lasted 3 years and seems fine.

A bow saw is often recommended fot hedging, but it's useless compared with a standard hardpoint saw, which goes in between the branches much more easily and works better for me. I just buy a new Bahco or Sandvik saw every winter for hedging.

Laz123

I got mine from Lidls and it was good. Or you could use a good lopper, which I also got from them.

Zither

martinthebandit wrote: »

A chain saw? Really? Just for that job?

Buy yourself a good quality (do not skimp on its quality, especially the blade) bow saw.

Yeah... I did think about just getting a good saw but the hedge is about 6 meters long and well... time is money!

Zither

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Any of the electric chainsaws in the lower price bracket are much alike, and often share the same mechanics. Black and Decker, Qualcast, they may be cheap, but they work, and will be fine for that kind of work.

Aldi and Lidl sell them as well, with a 3 year guarantee. Never had problems getting spare chains for any chainsaw.

Spend the money you save on good protective clothing... Gloves, trousers and helmet!

Yeah it seems the florabest ones from aldi/lidl seem to come up every so often but I can't see any on offer at the mo! Otherwise I would have got one of those. Yeah to be honest the idea of using a chain saw scares the bejesus out of me so will definitely be getting som of that gear!

Zither

Davesnave wrote: »

.....Or Screwfix have an electric chain saw. Their guarantee isn't as long as Lidl/Aldi, but getting another when it malfunctions is easier.

Been there, done that. The second one has lasted 3 years and seems fine.

A bow saw is often recommended fot hedging, but it's useless compared with a standard hardpoint saw, which goes in between the branches much more easily and works better for me. I just buy a new Bahco or Sandvik saw every winter for hedging.

I was looking at this earlier -£55 seems like an OK price and reviews are strong. I think I'd use it like twice a year at most (maybe also to cut my mums hedge back) so I don't imagine the one year warranty would be a problem? In dog years that probably about a 10 year warranty!

Zither

Laz123 wrote: »

I got mine from Lidls and it was good. Or you could use a good lopper, which I also got from them.

One of the florabest ones? Have you seen them on offer recently? No problem with a kipper but it would be A LOT of lopping! I just want to get the main cutting done in half an hour or so... will need the rest of the time to bag it all up and take it to the tip!

peter_the_piper

What type of hedge is it? If a natural one then carry on, if a conifer hedge the stop there. Conifers (most) look carp when cut as vigorously as you intend as most don't grow from brown wood.
Why not ask around for a contractor to cut it, could be cheaper in the long run and they remove the brushings.