Hedges can look beautiful but they can be hard work to keep in shape - unless, of course, you own a top-notch hedge trimmer to make the job easy. What should you look out for when buying a hedge trimmer?

It MUST Be Easy To Handle:

If a hedge trimmer is too heavy, or too cumbersome to handle comfortably, then the job becomes difficult to do, and potentially dangerous as well. A hedge trimmer might be easy to lift to waist level when you're checking it out at the hardware store, but maybe not so easy when you lift it above your head to trim the higher portions of your hedge. If you're not an Olympic weightlifter, then weight is a very important comfort and safety issue to consider. If you're trimming high hedges, a pole trimmer should be on your shopping list.

Electric, Cordless Or Petrol

Choose Your Power: For easy jobs at an easy price, a trimmer with an electric cord plugged into the mains is fine. These types of trimmers are usually cheaper and lighter than others on the market. Just be sure the outdoor extension cord is long enough to go where you need to go - and be careful when using it that you cut just the hedge, and not the cord! Battery-powered cordless trimmers can be taken anywhere and are easy to operate, while petrol-powered trimmers are also portable, fast and powerful, making them the perfect choice for larger hedge trimming jobs.

Think About The Hedge

Take a minute to think not about the hedge trimmer, but the hedge it will be trimming! If your hedge is very leafy, a lighter and less powerful model is probably all you'll need to trim those leaves. However, if there is a fair amount of woody material in the hedge to be cut as well, such as branches, you'll need to invest in a more powerful model, possibly one with a larger tooth-gap which is recommended for heavy-duty trimming. So, before you look at trimmers, take a close look at the type of hedge first.

Single, Double Or Pole?

Generally speaking, there are three types of hedge trimmers - single-sided, double-sided and pole. A single-sided trimmer with teeth on just one side is longer and cuts a larger area in one sweep. A heavier double-sided trimmer is better for shaping hedges, but maybe too heavy for high trimming. As the name suggests, a pole trimmer is specially designed to handle taller hedges and high trimming work.

Good Vibrations?

Some hedge trimmers produce very uncomfortable vibrations, making the job an unpleasant and jarring experience. Look for a trimmer that features a vibration dampening system. Your arms, shoulders and back will thank you for it!

A Noisy Issue

Your neighbours might admire the beauty of your newly-trimmed hedges, but they might not like the noise your trimmer makes while you were doing your good work. If you want to maintain good relations with the people who live in your street, check out electric or cordless trimmers; they're generally regarded as being quieter than petrol-powered trimmers. Having said that, the modern engines on petrol-powered hedge trimmers make less noise than they used to, something to keep in mind if you really need a more powerful trimmer