Long reach trimmers?

Is there any good long reach trimmers out there anyone can recommend?

Ideally I am looking for a trimmer with a reach of around 12ft. A couple of years ago I planted Leylandii and they are about to get to the length I want.

The trimmer would need to run on petrol because of distance away from property, but I could use electric if really had to. The hedge is around 50m so not sure battery would be up to job.

If anyone can recommend any long reach trimmers I would appreciate it, rather than buying blind.

Best regards,
Paul

 

I know you’ve said you don’t want electric but we have Bosch cordless hedge trimmers (plus lawn mower, hedge blower etc) and they are excellent. Battery still going strong after 8 years and we get a good length of time on one charge.

We haven’t a pole trimmer but would buy theirs if we needed one.

 

Are you thinking of professional gear or domestic ? . I don't think they are any domestic hedge trimmers with a 12ft reach , are you including your standing height +12ft and how wide is the top. You'll be surprised how far a battery hedgetrimmer will go, my battery pro Husqvarna 520iht4 is long enough the stihl equivalent is HLA86 or petrol tools similar Husky 525he4 or Stihl HL94 all of these are Professional gear. Echo make excellent machines as well. Or go with a Kombi tool and uses the attachments with extra poles , they'll get heavy after a while .

 

Based on what @Perki and @Butterfly6 have posted Bosch have pushed this P4All battery alliance. Might be worth a look, we have found Husqvarna to be very good.

 

I can't imagine that any cordless trimmer would be practical on a 50m by almost 4m hedge unless you had several batteries. Even with long reach you are likely to have to get on a ladder to cut out the main vertical stem. That needs to be removed to reduce the amount of upward growth. Also be aware that if you cut back to bare wood on Leylandii they don't generally regrow so you will have permanently bald patches.

 

They could of done with some very long reach trimmers in the olden days, imagine what health and safety would say if they caught you trimming like these guys.

 

Whatever you choose, get hold of one before you finally decide. They are heavier than they look and ,unless you are superfit/athletic will be a hard workout, especially at full reach and at any position other than sheer vertical. I have the Titan mains electric from Screwfix and although it performs really well, its tiring for anything when fully extended, weighs 4 kg.

 

I would take a look at the ego site. They have really good rechargeable tools. I have a mower and chain saw that use the same battery. It’s really good kit and no messing about with cables or fuel.
Best to get the best charger that you can to reduce charge time though.

 

Had a look at the Ego site here and they do look really good. I would certainly look towards these , but the batteries (all the gear) are a hefty price and the weight combined with the tool is heavy. They do have a backpack battery option, but that might be clunky. Still worth a look.

 

I'm looking to buy a hedge trimmer. I've used shears up until now, due to epilepsy. But in our new place, I (we) really need something that doesn't require so much effort.
The front hedge is about 9ft high, so needs to lose about 2ft. The hedges at the back, on all three sides, are about 12ft high, with some trees within them, even higher.
We need a relatively lightweight trimmer, electric and cordless, with the option of a pole, AND a spare battery.
Then I'll need a hard hat, with a visor, or goggles at the very least. Actually, we'll need two, because my head is significantly larger than my wife's. It must be to hold all that extra brain I need!!

 

Hi Paul, I've had good experiences with the Husqvarna 525PTZ and the Tanaka TPT-260PF. Both are petrol-powered and have a reach of around 12ft. They're sturdy and reliable, and should be able to handle your 50m Leylandii hedge. If you're open to electric options, the Ego Power+ might be worth considering, but as you mentioned, battery life might be a concern.

 

I would really recommend a tripod ladder ( if you don't have one already). This will let you get right up close , and is so useful for many other pruning jobs. Then your trimmer won't have to be so big and heavy. I wish I had bought mine a long time ago, best investment I have made.

 

I would definitely second that. Best thing I've bought in a long time. Yes they are considerably more expensive than long-reach trimmers but pay for themselves in a couple of years if you're reasonably fit & healthy and want to do all your own work rather than hiring someone. And you really do feel safe & relaxed when at the top of them especially if you get ones with three adjustable legs. This is me up ours. I'm standing on the 'platform' step with my waist resting against the top retaining bar.

 

Never mind "like", there should be a "mad" option!