Zazbot Discount Shopping

Power Hedge Trimmers are one of the best tools available for gardeners that have a lot of shrubs and hedges around their yard. I inherited an old Black and Decker from my father in law and have been using it for over 30 years. It happens to be electric and although it only has a short 24 inch cutting blade on it, this machine has been a mainstay for me for all of these years.

Most homeowners will have some shrubs that need trimming every year, even if it is just the shrubs that the builder provided you with. Most will do minimal landscaping, providing you with the mandatory shrub in front of the house. More and more people are doing some level of landscaping around their home, with some arranging for landscapers to design and install thousands of dollars worth of small trees, hedges and shrubs.

Whether they are self installed or they were installed by a landscaper, they all need trimming within a year of planting and a power hedge trimmer is one of the best tools to perform this work. Many people will let their plants become over grown until it becomes a real mess. At this point some of them even have to be removed, because it is impossible to trim them properly and still have them look presentable.

Hire a Landscaper

If you are the type that is not comfortable using a power hedge trimmer around your yard or perhaps just do not want to be bothered with this type of work, then the best solution is to either not plant any shrubs or to hire a landscaper who will come twice a year to prepare your shrubs in the spring and trim in the fall.

Many trees and shrubs will benefit from being fertilized in the spring and mulch spread around the  base to protect the roots from drying out as well as to provide a finished trimmed look to the gardens. There is a proper time to trim shrubs as well and it really depends on the type of shrub or hedge that you have. Some can be trimmed all year round, since they grow so fast, while others should only be trimmed in the late fall. A power hedge trimmer is one of the best tools to use for this purpose and your landscaper will come equipped with everything they need to perform the work quickly and leave you with a well manicured landscape.

Do It Yourself

Many people would rather do the trimming themselves for a variety of reasons. Some will do it simply because they can save a few bucks, while others will do it because they enjoy the work and like to take the time to mold the shrubs in exactly the way they want them to appear.

Either way a good power hedge trimmer is a useful tool that can make your life a lot easier. Most consumers will use an electric trimmer with an extension chord that will stretch to all corners of their yards. If you have a large yard that will not accommodate an electrical chord then you need to purchase a power hedge trimmer that is gas powered. They are just a little more expensive than the electric ones and require a bit more maintenance due to the gas engine.

Trimming Hedges

Most shrubs are easy to get at and can be trimmed while standing on the ground and walking around the shrub. Hedges on the other hand present more of a problem. A tall hedge is going to require someone getting up on a ladder to reach the higher points, which is fine as long as you take the proper precautions.

If you do get up on a step ladder, there is a tendency to lean out to reach as far as you can which can make the ladder unstable and you could tip over. Always arrange for someone to hold the ladder steady to prevent you from tipping and falling while holding a running power hedge trimmer in your hands. This point is very important since many people are injured in just this manner every year.

Another approach is to purchase a power hedge trimmer that has a longer cutting blade. Some will come with a 40 inch blade which will reach a little bit further. Other models come with extend-able shafts that allow you to reach longer distances, especially if you need to reach the top of the hedge from the ground or if you are on a ladder and must reach across the top of the hedge to trim the top. These can be very useful and much safer to operate than trying to lean across the top of the hedge while holding an operating power hedge trimmer in your hands.

Not Recommended

I mentioned that I have this old power hedge trimmer which works very well. I have a hedge that is about 12 feet high and 5 feet across at the top. I obviously cannot trim this hedge without using a ladder and I need an extension as discussed in the above paragraph.

I looked for a power hedge trimmer that was on sale and at the time could not find one, so I made a work around that works great for my situation, however I would not recommend it for everyone.

I took an 8 foot one inch diameter steel pipe that I had laying around and duct taped my power hedge trimmer to the steel pipe. With that simple solution I now have a power hedge trimmer that can reach to top of my hedge from the ground and across the top of my hedge while standing on a ladder with someone holding the ladder for me. I had to lock the on switch in the on position and I have to hold the power hedge trimmer with the pipe out a long distance which means that the leverage makes the trimmer feel heavier than it really is.

Never the less this solution works for me and the cost was a bit of duct tape which I have to replace every couple of years. As I said it is not recommended for everyone, however if you are comfortable using power hedge trimmers you might try it and save some money.

Comments on this post are appreciated and any ideas that our readers find useful.

Tags: electric hedge trimmer, extendable power hedge trimmer, gas hedge trimmer, power hedge trimmer, power hedge trimmers

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.