Hedge Trimmer Advice Needed

slick14

Hi,
Can someone please recommend a good hedge trimmer? For Large overgrown hedges. I've no experience with this so if you can break it down for me in really simple terms and point me in the the direction of a good make/model I'd really appreciate it. I have looked up stuff but I'm confused... and I need some proper advice before I spend any money on this. At a rough guess I think I need to cut them back about a foot or two. What trimmer could I get that would do this? Or is this more of a professional job?
Thanks,
Slick.

slick14

slick14 wrote: »

Hi,
Can someone please recommend a good hedge trimmer? For Large overgrown hedges. I've no experience with this so if you can break it down for me in really simple terms and point me in the the direction of a good make/model I'd really appreciate it. I have looked up stuff but I'm confused... and I need some proper advice before I spend any money on this. At a rough guess I think I need to cut them back about a foot or two. What trimmer could I get that would do this? Or is this more of a professional job?
Thanks,
Slick.

Is there a budget? I use Stihl for this type of work but there are other brands that will do the job.
How thick are the branches you will be cutting?

Blowheads

I concur here with previous, I use Stihl trimmers.
If you have a height to get to them I recommend a long handle Stihl trimmers, great quality, cuts through everything and can top the hedge as well, it's expensive for sure but will last you forever as this might be an annual job, check 2nd hand also
Else just a regular hedge trimmers, again I recommend Stihl

Harry Palmr

What type of hedge? You could discover that it would be best to start with bypass loppers or even a saw to do the big branch work and then when you've got a rough level tidy it up going in from the sides, the lateral branches are almost always thinner weaker than the verticals.

s1ippy

Hi, I'm having a bit of a hedge-related problem.

I went out to cut the hedge yesterday as it has been growing quite out of control and managed to borrow an electric cutter (this one, to help the OP) from a family member. The neighbours just happened to be doing it from their side at the same time. Their house is down lower than ours but the house behind (up a hill) is also their family and they come down through the corner of the nextdoor neighbours' back garden where all the hedges meet, with the corner being just beyond our hedge.

Yesterday both us and them did a fantastic job of cutting the hedge on both sides, it was about six feet so afforded us plenty privacy from their garden as well as relatives in the back corner when they're coming through.

Standing at my kitchen door this morning I realised that I could suddenly see figures through and above the hedge peering in. This was not the case when we finished the job yesterday. They had came out VERY early and proceeded to cut the hedge right down (it's below shoulder height when their relatives are coming through) and our whole garden, kitchen and bedroom is on display to them.

I'm just raging. We came out when we saw it and told them to stop cutting as they were going to go the whole way along and level it so that eventually it would have been about four foot high and they would have had full view of our entire property from anywhere on theirs. This is a rented property and I'm pretty sure the owners would not be happy about the lack of privacy now that they have decimated the height and thickness of the hedge.

What the hell can we do to stop them? I hear them just now saying they will come out again when we're not outside and continue to cut it down more. The fact that they cut our side is trespassing and the fact that they cut it all back after we had tacitly agreed the height yesterday is just a scummy move.

slick14

Hey,
Thanks for the reply's.
I've been looking up what type of hedge it is. Who knew it would be so difficult to identify the hedge in my garden .
So it's something like a Green Privet or a Griselenia - I dunno it's green and large and growing out of control. It's about 12-15 feet long and 6 foot high.
Do you think the Black+Decker 420w 45cm Hedge Trimmer (as mentioned by s1ippy) would be capable of cutting it? I assume I can just stand on a ladder or chair to cut the top? Bad idea?
Again thanks for the help,
Slick.

elperello

Strong possibility of birds nesting in that big overgrown hedge.
Maybe you could consider a light trim to tidy up now and do the major surgery in the Autumn.

slick14

elperello wrote: »

Strong possibility of birds nesting in that big overgrown hedge.
Maybe you could consider a light trim to tidy up now and do the major surgery in the Autumn.

yes you are right we do have a lot of small birds popping in and out of it. never crossed my mind till you said it. so I'll just attempt a trim would the Black+Decker 420w 45cm Hedge Trimmer be capable of it?
Cheers,
Slick.

elperello

slick14 wrote: »

yes you are right we do have a lot of small birds popping in and out of it. never crossed my mind till you said it. so I'll just attempt a trim would the Black+Decker 420w 45cm Hedge Trimmer be capable of it?
Cheers,
Slick.

If they are popping in and out there is a good chance of nests.

If I was doing it I'd just give it a light trim with a hand shears.

con747

s1ippy wrote: »

Hi, I'm having a bit of a hedge-related problem.

I went out to cut the hedge yesterday as it has been growing quite out of control and managed to borrow an electric cutter (this one, to help the OP) from a family member. The neighbours just happened to be doing it from their side at the same time. Their house is down lower than ours but the house behind (up a hill) is also their family and they come down through the corner of the nextdoor neighbours' back garden where all the hedges meet, with the corner being just beyond our hedge.

Yesterday both us and them did a fantastic job of cutting the hedge on both sides, it was about six feet so afforded us plenty privacy from their garden as well as relatives in the back corner when they're coming through.

Standing at my kitchen door this morning I realised that I could suddenly see figures through and above the hedge peering in. This was not the case when we finished the job yesterday. They had came out VERY early and proceeded to cut the hedge right down (it's below shoulder height when their relatives are coming through) and our whole garden, kitchen and bedroom is on display to them.

I'm just raging. We came out when we saw it and told them to stop cutting as they were going to go the whole way along and level it so that eventually it would have been about four foot high and they would have had full view of our entire property from anywhere on theirs. This is a rented property and I'm pretty sure the owners would not be happy about the lack of privacy now that they have decimated the height and thickness of the hedge.

What the hell can we do to stop them? I hear them just now saying they will come out again when we're not outside and continue to cut it down more. The fact that they cut our side is trespassing and the fact that they cut it all back after we had tacitly agreed the height yesterday is just a scummy move.

Legally they can only cut and trim your hedge if it is going over the border of their property. If it's on your side they can not. They can deposit the trimmings of your hedge growing on their property back to your property. Many people have a falling out over hedges between properties i'm afraid.

s1ippy

con747 wrote: »

Legally they can only cut and trim your hedge if it is going over the border of their property. If it's on your side they can not. They can deposit the trimmings of your hedge growing on their property back to your property. Many people have a falling out over hedges between properties i'm afraid.

Thanks for the reply. I shoved a lot of our trimmings back into the ground and hopefully that will thicken it up when it grows back. Stacked then up to give a bit more height as well. I'm glad now I was lazy about gathering them for the bin and left them swept in the corner after the job was done!

Not gonna have a falling out with them about it but I'm glad we don't have to live beside them forever and I feel sorry for the people who are going to be living here permanently in a few years. They are very annoying neighbours generally.

slick14

Hi Again
So I'm either going to go with
Black+Decker 500w 55cm Hedge Trimmer (or the 420w mentioned earlier)
or this multi gardening tools on adverts

BU-KO 52cc Long Reach Petrol Multi Functional Garden Tool Including: Strimmer, Hedge Trimmer, Pruner Chainsaw, Brush Cutter & Extension Pole

is this make any good?

Again thanks for the help
Slick