This review is from: Ryobi Articulating Pole Hedge Cutter 400 Watt (DIY & Tools)
This arrived requiring about five minutes to unpack and assemble. Assembly was straightforward and trouble free.
Once assembled, operation is also straightforward. The telescopic element is easy to operate and lock into place. I managed to “over lock” it once, and struggled to release the lock again afterwards, especially with tired arms, so learn from my mistake!
The weight of the motor etc is firmly towards the end of the pole, which means that at full extension it is quite hard work to hold and you will end up with tired arms – unless you are considerably stronger than me.
A 400 watt motor may not sound like much, and the maximum branch thickness is not huge, however the cutting blades are sharp and work well, and the cutter made short work of the difficult to reach bits of hedging for which it was purchased.
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This review is from: Ryobi Articulating Pole Hedge Cutter 400 Watt (DIY & Tools)
My previous standard hedge trimmer, a basic flymo one was disappointing, regularly getting jammed due to worn teeth on the internal gears then finally the motor going up in smoke. I was looking for something better and always found it a struggle to reach with a ladder and a standard hedge trimmer. I was pleased to find this pole type trimmer was available.
It is not that light and a bit awkward when fully extended, as mentioned by other reviewers, but I found it was manageable and as it took much less time than before was not a problem. Fully extended it has a reach of around 6ft. Some hedge parts that previously required a ladder could be done from the ground, some safety goggles are a good idea to protect from falling leaves and twigs. The tops of the bushes could be cut from a ladder without having to actually climb in between the branches and leaning too far from the ladder as before.
I’m not sure on the durability yet but it cuts cleanly and quickly and the lightweight fibreglass handle feels solid. The motor cuts the thickness of branches that fit into the blade slots without struggling.
Not perfect but I am pleased with it and wish I had bought it before as it makes hedge trimming a much quicker and easier job.
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This review is from: Ryobi Articulating Pole Hedge Cutter 400 Watt (DIY & Tools)
I have been cutting my 120ft of conifer hedge every September for the past 15 years. They are 14ft to 16 ft high, so I was looking forward to Ryobi’s new solution.
The other feedback comments about the sheer leverage of the cutter at the end of a long pole are accurate, so I won’t add more to this. Using this device is hard work on the arms!
The cutters seem very sharp and cut easily.
Wear eye protection and keep your mouth closed – the cutting fall directly onto the operator.
Major drawbacks are (for me):
1) If your hedge is over 2 ft wide at the top. The cutting blades won’t reach the bits in the middle – ever if you have access to both sides of the hedge.
2) If the hedge tapers towards the top the cutters won’t necessarily lock at the correct angle.
For these two reasons, I still had to get out my huge step ladders and finish the job off with an ordinary hedge trimmer.
It’s a good tool, but if I’d hired one to try it out first, I may not have bought it. Of course, if your hedge isn’t as wide and if it’s absolutely vertical, these problems won’t occur.
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Effective,
This arrived requiring about five minutes to unpack and assemble. Assembly was straightforward and trouble free.
Once assembled, operation is also straightforward. The telescopic element is easy to operate and lock into place. I managed to “over lock” it once, and struggled to release the lock again afterwards, especially with tired arms, so learn from my mistake!
The weight of the motor etc is firmly towards the end of the pole, which means that at full extension it is quite hard work to hold and you will end up with tired arms – unless you are considerably stronger than me.
A 400 watt motor may not sound like much, and the maximum branch thickness is not huge, however the cutting blades are sharp and work well, and the cutter made short work of the difficult to reach bits of hedging for which it was purchased.
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|Quicker and safer than a standard trimmer for hard to reach shubbery,
My previous standard hedge trimmer, a basic flymo one was disappointing, regularly getting jammed due to worn teeth on the internal gears then finally the motor going up in smoke. I was looking for something better and always found it a struggle to reach with a ladder and a standard hedge trimmer. I was pleased to find this pole type trimmer was available.
It is not that light and a bit awkward when fully extended, as mentioned by other reviewers, but I found it was manageable and as it took much less time than before was not a problem. Fully extended it has a reach of around 6ft. Some hedge parts that previously required a ladder could be done from the ground, some safety goggles are a good idea to protect from falling leaves and twigs. The tops of the bushes could be cut from a ladder without having to actually climb in between the branches and leaning too far from the ladder as before.
I’m not sure on the durability yet but it cuts cleanly and quickly and the lightweight fibreglass handle feels solid. The motor cuts the thickness of branches that fit into the blade slots without struggling.
Not perfect but I am pleased with it and wish I had bought it before as it makes hedge trimming a much quicker and easier job.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Ok with reservations,
I have been cutting my 120ft of conifer hedge every September for the past 15 years. They are 14ft to 16 ft high, so I was looking forward to Ryobi’s new solution.
The other feedback comments about the sheer leverage of the cutter at the end of a long pole are accurate, so I won’t add more to this. Using this device is hard work on the arms!
The cutters seem very sharp and cut easily.
Wear eye protection and keep your mouth closed – the cutting fall directly onto the operator.
Major drawbacks are (for me):
1) If your hedge is over 2 ft wide at the top. The cutting blades won’t reach the bits in the middle – ever if you have access to both sides of the hedge.
2) If the hedge tapers towards the top the cutters won’t necessarily lock at the correct angle.
For these two reasons, I still had to get out my huge step ladders and finish the job off with an ordinary hedge trimmer.
It’s a good tool, but if I’d hired one to try it out first, I may not have bought it. Of course, if your hedge isn’t as wide and if it’s absolutely vertical, these problems won’t occur.
Was this review helpful to you?
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