On 23/07/2012 11:59, Mark wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:17:37 +0100, Moonraker
wrote:

On 21/07/2012 12:18, Mark wrote:
Does anyone know if the Wickes Electric Hedge trimmer is OK or just
cheap crap? http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/217663

We need a trimmer to do some smallish beech hedges and the occasional
conifer. Don't want to spend much since they won't get a lot of use.

Hedge trimmers, however good, are only designed to work with thin
branches, think a years growth. Anything thicker needs a light chainsaw.

I couldn't get the Wickes one but instead bought a Bosch AHS 45-16. It

You are much better off with the Bosch. I have one and it will easily
cut branches to 8-10mm provided you don't try to take too much on at a
time. The shed own brand ones burn out and jam pretty easily by
comparison. The Bosch ones will last (or at least mine has done).

does struggle with the thicker stems (10mm) but seems OK otherwise.
I've got some reasonable loppers to cope with the thicker stuff.

Not worth struggling on very thick stems you will shorten its life if
you force it to cut too heavy wood. Trimmer to take the bulk of new
growth off and loppers to tidy up thin back heavy branches.

If you don't do a bit of lopping eventually you end up with incredibly
thick pollarded stumps on the end of every branch after a few years.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown