!: Long Reach Hedge Trimmers - Petrol, Electric or Rechargeable?

Many gardeners these days have a veritable "arsenal" of tools at their disposal and over recent years, long reach hedge trimmers have become very popular and fit into that category of "why didn't any one think of that before". Prior to their development, gardeners would spend hours balanced precariously on stepladders, trying to stretch up to the top of those high hedges, whilst trying somehow to cling on with their leg muscles.

It's all so much easier with a long reach hedge trimmer. You can simply stand on solid ground and still achieve a nice, neat cut without putting yourself in danger. It can also be a real cost-saving too. Previously you might have had to employ a gardener to do this type of work.

The types of jobs which can be tackled include trimming and shaping conifers, trimming and cutting hedges, cutting ivy, cutting shrubs and the pruning of some of thinner, unruly tree branches. They are also very handy for reaching areas which might normally involve squeezing yourself between spiky, dense shrubs.

There are three main types of trimmers to choose from.

* Petrol
* Electric
* Battery (rechargeable)

There are distinct differences between the three options, although areas of overlap do occur.

Petrol

In general, petrol models tend to be the most robust option and are usually the choice of professional gardeners. They can be the most expensive option and can be noisy, smelly and dirty to use. They need filling up with a mix of oil and petrol to work. If you are worried about pollution, then this is not the option for you! However, the advantages are that they stand-alone pieces of equipment, requiring no leads or batteries and they tend to be the most powerful cutters so the best choice if your garden is large and somewhat high-maintenance.

Electric

Electric long-reach hedge trimmers are the most popular option. They are economical to use, clean and have a simple push-button starter. However, you are constrained by the length of the cable. You can use an extension cable, but any extension you buy should be heavy-duty and have a circuit breaker fitted. It is generally recommended that you do not use an outdoor cable of longer than 100 metres. At the first sign of any rain, you should discontinue use and move the machine indoors.

Rechargeable

Rechargeable long reach hedge trimmers are by far the easiest to use in some respects but are restrictive in some ways. The charge they hold is often limited to around 30 minutes solid use and recharging can take anywhere between 5-12 hours. To overcome this, some will buy a spare battery and keep it charged up. However, they tend to be less powerful than the electric and petrol powered models and as such, are more suited to lightweight jobs in smaller gardens rather than major shaping and cutting down.