On the plus side, there is no battery that might run out, no fumes being emitted, and no need to stop a job until it is complete. This can offer peace of mind to some gardeners. Immediately recognisable for their atomic-green tools, Japanese firm Ryobi have fans all over the world. One thing that immediately sets this company apart is their ONE+ battery system; you can power more than 70 different tools with the same interchangeable battery.

The best telescopic pole hedge trimmers have a head that can be set at multiple angles. This should make trimming the tops and undersides of hedges easier. Depending on the look you’re after, you can adjust the blade angle depending on the shape you want. Since I used this hedge trimmer with a 5.0aH battery that I already had (Worx PowerShare batteries are interchangeable), it happily chugged away for a couple of hours, and still had more life left once I was done. If you don’t have this much hedge trimming to do, then a 2.0aH battery should give you about 20-30 minutes of runtime, and would be significantly cheaper. Unlike most of its competition, this chunky heavyweight pole hedge trimmer isn’t made from aluminium. Instead, Ryobi have used reinforced plastic poles to create a long reach hedge trimmer of seemingly titanium strength. It doesn’t feel flimsy or wobbly, even when fully extended!Of course, the power that this machine provides means that you compromise when it comes to noise. This is definitely not a quiet machine that your neighbours won’t hear – I’d say that it was the loudest of the hedge trimmers that I tested. The safety features included in this machine were pretty standard, but, unlike the others that I tested, this one comes with a metal guard over the tip of the blade. For me, this was a little annoying as it means that the tip can’t be used for cutting. However, if your hedges are near a wall or are growing low to the ground, then the tip protector will save your blade from undergoing a fair bit of damage. If the batteries are interchangeable, you can buy a trimmer of the same make, and extend the running time of your trimmer by transferring the batteries between compatible products. Charging the Battery I’ve learned that the most effective way to control a heavy long reach hedge trimmer is with a good set of handles, which the GE-HH 18/45 has. The rear handle isn’t the best designed, but you can set it to four different angles to suit the task at hand. The huge front “D” handle makes things much easier to control, and there’s a shoulder strap too. Thankfully, that extra power doesn’t translate to more noise. You should still wear ear defenders for your own safety, but, at 96dB, this tool won’t bother your neighbours too much!

This may make them harder to use for more ‘everyday’ hedge trimming, when the extension isn’t required. So, either look for a manageable ‘un-extended’ length, or consider having a separate trimmer for close-range jobs. Battery Life More often than not, hedge trimmers will be used for cutting conifers. To comfortably cut a conifer hedge, you’ll need a trimmer that can handle at least 14 mm branches . Look for models that stretch to 16 – 18 mm for additional power. One further thing to consider when buying a telescopic hedge trimmer is how small it compacts down. Most telescopic trimmers, even when not extended, can still be quite long (somewhere in the region of 170 cm). Ultimately, it comes down to what’s most important to you. It might be that I’ve been spoiled by testing out all the best cordless telescopic pole trimmers on the market, because I was a bit nonplussed by this corded trimmer. For me, if it had been more powerful, I think I could justify being tethered to the national grid.Due to this trimmer’s one-piece folding body and ultralight frame, I’ve reached for it more than the rest for any odd jobs around the garden. Einhell might not be quite as well known as Bosch, but they’ve still been around since 1964. They’ve made a name for themselves by making honest, solid, reliable tools that don’t break the bank. A lot more DIYers have started to take notice of Einhell since they came out with their range of 18 volt Power X-Change cordless tools (a line of tools with interchangeable batteries).