Petrol hedge trimmer

sevenhills

What is important when buying a pole hedge trimmer?
One I was looking at had a 52cc engine, is a bigger engine better?
Length of the blade? I do a little extra gardening, but I am a long way from being a pro.

Section62

sevenhills said:

What is important when buying a pole hedge trimmer?
One I was looking at had a 52cc engine, is a bigger engine better?
Length of the blade? I do a little extra gardening, but I am a long way from being a pro.

Weight is probably the biggest factor IMV.  If you aren't used to it, holding a considerable weight at the end of a long pole and swinging it round is hard work.  A petrol trimmer with the engine the opposite end to the cutter may be easier if it acts as a counterbalance, but overall weight is still an issue.

No point buying any tool if you find it too difficult to use.

Bendy_House

52cc is a decent size - many are in the 30s cc. It's good to have adequate power behind it. 

As S62 says, tho', weight is also a major issue, and I guess the bigger the engine, the heavier it'll be. A trimmer might feel 'not too bad' when you pick it up, but - lawdie - after just 10 minutes you'll think differently...

What could be a good consideration in your choice, then, is a well designed harness that takes the weight, but still allows good movement. If the engine end is slung pretty much in front of your body at groin height, then the trimming blade can be swung around the balancing point to hopefully do it's job. You will be limited in the reach of the blade like this, tho', so will likely find yourself physically lifting the whole machine, so suddenly it's heavy again... So, 'perhaps' a model with an extra extension section might be useful, if you anticipate needing this extra reach, so the harness can keep doing it's job?

That's just a theory.

Woolsery

The other question is "Why petrol?" A hedge trimmer that is used only occasionally can become a beggar to start when carb dries out and gunge accumulates in the jets etc. If it's used more often than seasonally, then in theory the grunt needed to remove thicker stems won't be necessary.

If you decide you must go petrol, a badly designed and made Chinese cheapie at 52cc may not be any better than a well - engineered 35cc machine from a respected manufacturer that will also hold spares should you need them. I'm sure you know it's all about the blade gap. It won't be, say, 26mm on a respected manufacturer's machine if it won't cut that properly.

shiraz99

Agree, with the above, do you really need a petrol cutter? I have rather large hedges which are a pain to manage but I get away with a decent long reach (700mm) Bosch hedge cutter combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bit unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

I've had the pros out on occasion and the only time they reach for their petrol, pole trimmer is when I ask them to trim a tall conifer I have out the front. They stick with a traditional, albeit petrol, hedge cutter for the actual hedge work.

Section62

shiraz99 said:

...combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bity unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

Electric pole trimmers generally have the motor at the cutter end which puts most of the weight at the end of a long lever arm and these are difficult to use.

Petrol ones tend to put the engine at the opposite end to the cutter, so the weight is more balanced.  Also, a small (say 25cc) two-stroke engine is not excessively heavy in comparison to a mains voltage electric motor.

Woolsery

shiraz99 said:

 I have rather large hedges which are a pain to manage but I get away with a decent long reach (700mm) Bosch hedge cutter combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bit unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

You have exactly thesame set up as me! I also have a Bosch battery trimmer and a Lidl battery pole saw which is way better than it ought to be for £50.

I agree the long arm hedge cutter is heavy, but I'm ....ahem...of mature years and short stature and I can cope for an hour or so at a stretch. It's due for renewal now, but again, at about £60 and with 7 or 8 season's use it doesn't owe me anything. At least I know when I get it out of the barn it's going to run.

shiraz99

Section62 said:

shiraz99 said:

...combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bity unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

Electric pole trimmers generally have the motor at the cutter end which puts most of the weight at the end of a long lever arm and these are difficult to use.

Petrol ones tend to put the engine at the opposite end to the cutter, so the weight is more balanced.  Also, a small (say 25cc) two-stroke engine is not excessively heavy in comparison to a mains voltage electric motor.

Not the one I have.

Section62

shiraz99 said:

Section62 said:

shiraz99 said:

...combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bity unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

Electric pole trimmers generally have the motor at the cutter end which puts most of the weight at the end of a long lever arm and these are difficult to use.

Petrol ones tend to put the engine at the opposite end to the cutter, so the weight is more balanced.  Also, a small (say 25cc) two-stroke engine is not excessively heavy in comparison to a mains voltage electric motor.

Not the one I have.

"generally"

shiraz99

Woolsery said:

shiraz99 said:

 I have rather large hedges which are a pain to manage but I get away with a decent long reach (700mm) Bosch hedge cutter combined with a cheapish Lidl branded electric pole hedge trimmer for the areas I can't quite get to. Even the latter can be a bit unwieldy at times, I'd hate to think what would be like with added weight of a petrol version.

You have exactly thesame set up as me! I also have a Bosch battery trimmer and a Lidl battery pole saw which is way better than it ought to be for £50.

I agree the long arm hedge cutter is heavy, but I'm ....ahem...of mature years and short stature and I can cope for an hour or so at a stretch. It's due for renewal now, but again, at about £60 and with 7 or 8 season's use it doesn't owe me anything. At least I know when I get it out of the barn it's going to run.

The one I use is mains powered (Bosch AHS 70-34). I picked it up for next to nothing in an auction, it was brand new but wouldn't power on, but a cheap fix (new microswitch) later and I have an £180 beast of hedge trimmer that steams though any hedges. Been using it for 7 years now and still going strong. It is slightly heavy but not as heavy as my last one and certainly not as heavy as a petrol version and it's very well balanced so doesn't cause too much issues.

sevenhills

Bendy_House said:

52cc is a decent size - many are in the 30s cc. It's good to have adequate power behind it

Hyundai do a 52cc long reach for £180 that has a 3 year warranty.