I have a patch of scrubby trees to clear. They're mostly quick-growing
sappy things, I don't recall exactly what, but a bit like elder or mountain
ash. The stems are maybe 2-3cm diameter and a couple of metres high.

There's enough of them and time is limited so I've been looking at power
tools. What would be a good tool for this? I think it might be a bit much
for a hedge trimmer but a chainsaw seems a bit too powerful - especially the
PPE needed.

Due to logistics petrol and mains electric aren't feasible, which leaves
battery powered. Also portability is an issue - most hedge trimmers are
about 80cm long which is a bit awkward to carry.

I see there are 'cordless secateurs'. Are these any good? Can they cope
with this kind of thickness?
I spied some Stihl ones that could do up to 45mm, a snip (ahem) at 1,200
pounds (without battery).

Then there are 'cordless shears', which look like mini hedge clippers. They
fulfill the size requirements, but look more for people trimming their
window boxes.

Next up I discovered reciprocating saws. They look more promising, though
I'm not sure how well they would like soft sappy things?

Or is it better to invest in a really good pair of manual secateurs - and
how would I find such a thing?

Thanks
Theo