Review The Best Manual, Electric, and Gas Hedge trimmers used to create stunning landscapes

With three basic options from which to choose, manual hand powered shears, gas or electric trimmers and manual or powered pruners. In this article, we take a close look at both the pros and cons of each of these garden tool configurations. After all what models work best for different applications is something we should understand. Before we will feel good about knowing how to select the best trimmers, pruners or shears we will need.

Hedge clippers, pruning shears, or garden shears they all have one thing in common, they are similar in design to a set of dressmaker’s shears. Shears incorporate two sharp cutting edges that using a scissoring action pass by each other; referred to as bypass shears they make clean precise cuts without tearing or crushing plants stems.

Their compact size are easily used by one hand, pruning shears are great for making precise cuts on the stem of a rose for your vase, shaping yews, clipping small branches in your hedge plants, topiary and bushes. Limited to cutting plant materials ¼-inch or seven mm in diameter or roughly, the same size as a #2 pencil these hand operated hedge pruning shears are great for the small jobs that require finesse and small detailed pruning.

Trimming hedge plants with larger diameter stems ranging in size, say from the size of your thumb, or ¾-inch (19mm), through larger one-inch (25mm) branches. A good set of long handled loppers will work nicely.

Sometimes called garden loppers, tree loppers or even alligator loppers the long handles on these types of garden tools provide the additional advantage necessary to cut large woody stems and branches. Like the limbs and branches found in overgrown privet hedges, holly bushes and ornamental or fruit trees.

These types of manual hedge trimmers are commonly available in one of two cutting configurations, the bi-pass, or anvil style cutters. The bypass loppers and pruners are best suited for large rose bushes and canes that are hollow inside you do not want to crush or splinter, where the anvil style cutters are best suited for cutting woody branches, limbs and large stems, like fruit and ornamental trees and privacy hedges and bushes.

For many homeowners, renters and gardeners, when we think about trimming our hedges, the first powered hedge trimmer we think of using is an electric hedge trimmer. The thing about electric hedge trimmers is they require electricity to operate, so we either need a heavy-duty outdoor rated extension cord to power the thing or get a battery powered cordless hedge trimmer instead.

For those of us that have spent the better part of an afternoon trimming their boxwood hedge with a set of hand shears you will appreciate an electric hedge trimmer. Instead of spending most of the day trimming and shaping your boxwoods, a top of the line electric hedge trimmer will take only a few minutes to accomplish the same task.

Actually, you will spend more time raking and cleaning-up all the clippings, than you will spend trimming and shaping your bushes and decretive hedges. Have you ever thought about using a power hedge trimmer for other tasks in your landscape? They are ideal to use for cutting back your perennials such as mums, and your very showy, herbaceous peonies.

Corded electric hedge trimmers require an extension cord specifically rated for outdoor use. Yes, there really is a difference. Outdoor rated and indoor rated extension cords are not built the same. In the construction of extension cords rated for outdoor use, the outside insulating cover is made of materials that resist abrasion, nicks, cuts and moisture from the morning dew or watering of your plants, herbicidal soaps, oils and other chemicals found in your lawn, garden and landscape plantings.

You owe it to your loved ones to do everything you can to protect you and your electric trimmers, avoid electrocution, starting a fire and protect yourself and your garden tools from under rated extension cords causing the electric motor to overheat and fail prematurely. Use a properly rated extension cord, and prolong the life of not only your garden tools.

When choosing an electric hedge trimmer you will need to make a few important decisions. You will need to decide on either a single or a double-sided blade assembly, and just to complicate life a bit more both, single or dual reciprocating cutting blade assemblies are available, separating the user-friendly high-end models from the rest.

The Mantis DEHT19 19-Inch 4.5 Amp Electric Double Edge Heavy Duty Hedge Trimmer is a perfect example of a top quality garden tool, it is equipped with a 19-inch double sided, dual reciprocating blade assembly. That easily makes cuts through small limbs and branches up to one half of an inch / 13mm diameter, and is by far, one of the best electric hedge trimmers your hard earned money can buy.

Double-sided cutting blades make it easy to cut right or left, up, and down without changing the position of your hands on the tools handles, which would potentially create a dangerous situation for the operator with the hedge trimmers motor still running.

Dual reciprocating blades make better cuts, both for your plants and for your comfort. Dual reciprocating blades work a lot like a pair of pruning shears. The blades bypass each other making a clean cut, lessening the damage to the plants stem, leaves, and branches, not to forget to mention, fewer vibrations felt by the operator. The less expensive single reciprocating blade and anvil style cutters are prone to produce.

Resulting in the tips of the plants stems and leaves turning yellow, brown or both while causing that uncomfortable numbness in our fingers, hands, and forearms. The important thing to remember, a corded electric power hedge trimmer is limited to the recommended length of an extension cord; 100 feet / 30 meters is as far as you can safely get from an electrical outlet.

Cordless hedge trimmers are available in a range of sizes, from the Black & Decker GSN 32 compact trimmer with a six inches / 15cm blade, this little tool, designed for trimming small shrubs in tight spaces is lightweight and works surprisingly well. On the other end of the cordless spectrum, Black & Decker’s larger model NHT518 hedgehog 18-volt, cordless hedge trimmer. With the twenty two inches / 56cm dual action blades, the cordless trimmer provides a smoother cutting action, making the hedgehog quite a handy garden tool. The down side, you can only expect, twenty to thirty minutes of working time maximum on a fully charged battery. You can always purchase an extra battery just to have on hand when the need arises; but they are a bit pricey and are not always available at local retailers.

Gas powered hedge trimmers give you the freedom of a cordless trimmer without the limitations of a rechargeable battery, but are heavy, when compared to the electric hedge trimmers. The increase in weight is due to a combination of the larger more powerful gas powered engines, and the availability of heavy-duty longer trimmer blade lengths. Double reciprocating blades in either single or the heavier double-sided blades increase weight. Lengths that range from 20 inches / 58.2cm, 24 inches / 61cm to 30 inches / 76.2cm, and cutting capacities increasing to include materials three quarters of an inch / 19mm in diameter. Combine to increase the gas hedge trimmer overall performance in both cutting capacities, which increases the operator’s productivity by reducing the amount of time it takes to get their hedge-trimming task finished.

1. Hedge trimmers should feel balanced in your hands, and be as lightweight as possible.

2. Double-sided blades allow the right or left-handed homeowner or professional landscaper to cut in either direction, rather than from left to right, as does a single-sided blade configuration.

3. The comfort, safety and convenience of a wraparound handle are an excellent feature.

4. Electric trimmers are by far, the tool of choice for most homeowners; electric hedge trimmers are lightweight, inexpensive, and less noisy and are more environmentally friendly than a gas hedge trimmer.

5. Make sure you read the owner’s manual thoroughly, do not overlook the safety precautions, and the chart with the recommendations concerning the proper use and selection of the properly raided extension cord.

The thing we newbie and master gardeners should keep in mind, using the proper trimmers, pruners and garden shears for all our pruning and shaping garden chores. Will make a tremendous difference in the way all our garden and landscape plantings complement our home and lawns. Let us not forget, more rewarding for us.

Now before you run off, get started with your trimming, and pruning projects, please let me thank you for reading my Review the Best Manual, Electric, and Gas Hedge trimmers used to create stunning landscapes. I would like to hear what your thoughts are or answer your questions in the comments section.

Be well and happy gardening, Mike