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Old 24-08-2013, 02:16 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Janet Janet is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2013
Posts: 548
Default Battery-powered hedge trimmers

In article , says...

In article ,
Spider wrote:

For those who don't already know, I am a lady spider, so I would need to
avoid the heaviest machines, but I don't want a flimsy 'toy' model,
either. Having looked at one or two online, the gripping handles look
huge for a lady's hand, so that might be an issue.


Well, I am definitely not a lady and will leave others to judge
whether I am a gentleman :-) But I am very weak in the arms for
a reasonably fit man, and had to give up using a mains electric
one because of the danger. That was a while ago, so it was
probably a similar weight to modern battery ones.

The problem was that holding my arms up and the vibration caused
me to let it drop partly out of control. After it nearly landed
on my legs three times, I gave up and went back to shears and
secateurs. The alternative is, of course, to pay someone to do
it (whether in cash or kind).

It is worth checking that you CAN use such a device for more than
a few minutes with your arms at the height you would need to hold
them. Quite a few women can't.


I agree. Borrowing or hiring power tools to try before buying, is the
way to go.

I'm 5 ft 2 and use a small electric hedgecutter (15 " blade) to cut 50
m of hawthorn hedge three times a year, which my arm-strength can manage
fine because the hedge is only chest height on me. Takes me a couple of
hours with a break midway.

Yesterday someone gave me a pair of very heavy old 5ft iron gates; he
and John put them on the car roofrack. Back home, nobody but me to help
John get them down. Well, I managed (just) not to drop or scrape my end
down the car but today, don't I wish I hadn't lifted them :-(

Janet.