7 Best Power Hedge Trimmers of 2023
Elevating the allure of your garden with well-maintained hedges has never been easier. However, tending to them can be a chore, and nothing is worse than shabby, unkempt hedges on your property.
Manual hedge shears can turn a seemingly simple task into a day's work, leaving you frustrated and with little energy for anything else. Thankfully, modern power hedge trimmers have revolutionized hedge maintenance, drastically reducing the time and effort required. Trimming your hedges with the proper power hedge trimmer would only take an hour or two.
Although power hedge trimmers are a game-changer, the options available today can be overwhelming. The wide variety of brands, models, and features can make choosing the best hedge trimmer suited for your budget and project scale difficult.
PropertyNest has sifted through and compiled a selection of top-ranked power hedge trimmers that cater to different budgets and project scales, leaving you with a more straightforward decision-making process to enjoy a perfectly manicured garden in no time.
The Best Power Hedge Trimmers
- Husqvarna 122HD60 – Best overall Hedge Trimmer
- Black+Decker 20V MAX – Best Hedge Trimmer for Small Projects
- WORX WG261 20V Power Share 22" – Best Value for a Power Hedge Trimmer
- Husqvarna 525HF3S – Best Pole Hedge Trimmer
- Poulan Pro PR2322 – Best Gas-Powered Hedge Trimmer
- DeWalt DCHT820B – Best Battery Powered Hedge Trimmer
- Sun Joe HJ604C – Best Mini Hedge Trimmer
Husqvarna 122HD60 21.7cc Gas 23.7-in Dual Action Hedge Trimmer: Best Overall Hedge Trimmer
Our best overall pick is about as reliable a hedge trimmer that money can buy.
Of course, our best pick would have to be a Husqvarna because that name alone ensures top quality for any yard tool.
This particular model comes with Husqvarna’s Smart Start engine, which guarantees that you are not wasting your time yanking on the ripcord all day.
The anti-vibration dampeners will keep your arms from feeling wiped out after a couple of hours of use.
This heavy-duty hedge trimmer should easily last you for years to come, and it is tough enough to handle any hedge you throw at it.
Why trust Husqvarna? Husqvarna is a top manufacturer of cutting-edge outdoor power tools and machines, being one of the most trusted brands in this category.
Key Features
- Power Source: Gas
- Weight: 16 Pounds
- Blade Length: 24 Inches
- Warranty: 2 years
Black+Decker 20V MAX Cordless Hedge Trimmer: Best Hedge Trimmer for Small Projects
If you are not looking to spend much money on a hedge trimmer, many more affordable options are available.
The Black+Decker 20V MAX Cordless Hedge Trimmer is thebest price without sacrificing durability and power.
Its 20-volt battery lets it cut through any branch smaller than ¾ inches, making it perfect for any little hedges in and around your yard.
You can cut up to 3,000 square feet before recharging, and if you have other Black+Decker battery-powered tools, you can swap those batteries if you run low on juice.
You can use the Black+Decker 20V MAX Cordless Hedge Trimmer for hours before your arms get tired because it is half the weight of gas hedge trimmers.
Key Features
- Power Source: Battery
- Weight: 7.54 Pounds
- Blade Length: 22 Inches
- Warranty: 3 years
WORX WG261 20V Power Share 22" Cordless Hedge Trimmer: Best Value for a Power Hedge Trimmer
The WORX WG261 20V Power Share 22" Cordless Hedge Trimmer is light enough, atless than 6 pounds, that you could use it with one hand, which is helpful for those hard-to-reach sections of your hedges.
With a 22-inch cutting reach, this hedge trimmer can easily shape your average hedge.
The dual-action blade means that if you miss the branch on the front of your pass, the back edge will ensure all stray branches get cut.
Since it is so light and battery-powered, you will not have to worry about the stress on your arm because it barely vibrates. Making even long projects easy.
Usually, you could only get this weight and price with a corded trimmer. However, you do not need clunky corded trimmers because WORX WG261 20V Power Share 22" Cordless Hedge Trimmer does it all.
Key Features
- Power Source: Battery
- Weight: 5.5 Pounds
- Blade Length: 22 inches
- Warranty: 3 years
Husqvarna 525HF3S 25-cu cm 2-cycle 26-in Dual-Blade Gas Hedge Trimmer: Best Pole Hedge Trimmer
If you have some tall privacy hedges, then a pole trimmer is right for you, and there is no better pole trimmer than the Husqvarna 525HF3S 25-cu cm 2-cycle 26-in Dual-Blade Gas Hedge Trimmer.
Do not worry about dragging out a ladder to hit those high places, just turn it on and start trimming.
With a whopping 26-inch blade, no hedge is too large or tall.
Surprisingly light at 13.5 pounds, its balanced frame makes it easy to use for those projects that might take a while.
Plus, your 2-year warranty can be extended to 5 years by purchasing one 96 oz can of pre-mixed fuel from Lowes.
Key Features
- Power Source: Gas
- Weight: 13.5 Pounds
- Blade Length: 26 Inches
- Warranty: 2 years
Poulan Pro PR2322 22-Inch 23cc 2 Cycle Gas Powered Dual Sided Hedge Trimmer: Best Gas Powered Hedge Trimmer
If you want a nice gas hedge trimmer, but do not have the budget for a Husqvarna, then the Poulan Pro PR2322 22-Inch 23cc 2 Cycle Gas Powered Dual Sided Hedge Trimmer is an excellent alteranterative.
At almost half the cost of a Husqvarna 122HD60 21.7cc Gas 23.7-in Dual Action Hedge Trimmer, it is a superb value for what you are getting. Plus, it is almost 5 pounds lighter.
Since it is gas-powered, it will be able to handle the toughest of branches and not have to worry about battery life.
Its rotating handle makes it so that you can find the correct grip for whatever job you are faced with.
Equipped with dual action blades, it can cut anything up to 1 inch and can handle any hedge you throw at it.
Key Features
- Power Source: Gas
- Weight: 11.1 Pounds
- Blade Length: 22 Inches
- Warranty: 2 years
DeWalt DCHT820B Hedge Trimmer: Best Battery Powered Hedge Trimmer
If you want the toughness of a gas trimmer without the weight or price tag, go with the DeWalt DCHT820B Hedge Trimmer.
Its 20v battery works with all DeWalt tools, so if you already have one of DeWalt’s 200+ 20v battery tools, you do not need a new one.
Buying this product without a battery significantly reduces the cost. Yet, even with the battery, it is a great value.
This is the preferred choice for many homeowners because it is more environmentally friendly than a gas hedge trimmer without sacrificing much power and cutting ability.
The whole family of DeWalt products are known for their sheer power, quality, and durability, often preferred by industry professionals working in construction, carpentry, and landscaping.
Key Features
- Power Source: Battery
- Weight: 8.8 Pounds
- Blade Length: 22 Inches
- Warranty: 3 years
Sun Joe HJ604C 7.2-Volt 2-in-1 1250-RPM Cordless Trimmer: Best Mini Hedge Trimmer
This is the perfect little hedge trimmer if you have small projects in your yard. For instance, if you have a row of boxwoods that are too small for a regular trimmer to clean up well.
Weighing only 2.5 pounds, this is by far the lightest hedge trimmer on our list.
These smaller hedge trimmers are known to be less reliable, but the Sun Joe HJ604C 7.2-Volt 2-in-1 1250-RPM Cordless Grass Shear comes with a 2-year warranty, ensuring that you will have this trimmer for years to come.
It is the perfect tool for those hard-to-reach sections of your garden that average trimmers cannot get to.
This battery-powered mini-trimmer can do anything project you previously used hand trimmers for quicker and easier.
Key Features
- Power Source: Battery
- Weight: 2.5 Pounds
- Blade Length: 4 Inches
- Warranty: 2 years
Methodology
How We Decided
We used five main criteria to make sure that the hedge trimmers we picked were the best of the best.
Customer Ratings
All products above boast high reviews on multiple websites, ensuring that they are among the highest quality hedge trimmers that money can buy.
Brand Accessibility
STIHL makes excellent products, but you may notice that none of them made our list. This is simply because they only work with independent vendors and are thus harder to find.
We never recommend a product that you may not have access to because they will not be very useful to you if you cannot easily get them.
Hence, all of the recommended products can be found on Amazon, Lowes, or Home Depot, assuring that everybody has access to the trimmers we endorse.
Pricing
Our research guarantees that all the prices listed were for products worth that much and not overpriced.
Quality and Features
None of the hedge trimmers on this list will fail you if you use them for their intended job. All are of high quality and have the features to make sure they can handle whichever job you want them for.
When To Use a Power Hedge Trimmer or Hedge Shears
Hedge shears are great if you only have a couple of bushes that need cleaning up. They are cheap, reliable, and easy to use.
That said, if you have an entire row of hedges that need trimming every so often, cleaning them up with hand shears will take forever.
Also, since you are lopping off every individual branch, keeping your hedgerow looking neat and in line becomes much more challenging.
Keep a pair of hand shears for your 5 to 10 minute projects. They come in handy when you only have a little to do and do not want to fire up the powered hedge trimmer.
With that in mind, if you think it will take longer than that, then you should probably use a gas or electric hedge trimmer to save you time and aggravation.
What is The Difference Between Gas and Electric Hedge Trimmers?
Unsurprisingly, the power source used for your hedge trimmer will affect what jobs it can and cannot do. This should always be kept in mind when choosing your hedge trimmer.
Gas
Gas-powered hedge trimmers are the top choice for professional landscapers and those with large yards alike. However, while there are a lot of benefits to their sturdy engines, there are downsides as well.
Power
Currently, gas-powered hedge trimmers are far more powerful than their electric counterparts.
Gas trimmer’s engines usually have higher strokes per minute, allowing them to have longer blades that can cut branches up to 1 inch.
Durability
Most gas hedge trimmers should last you between 2 to 6 years, making them more durable than electric. Electric trimmers usually do not make it more than 3 years.
Maintenance
All hedge trimmers require maintenance, but gas hedge trimmers will need more care than electric ones.
This is simply because there are more moving parts on a gas hedge trimmer. Therefore, things like replacing air and gas filters, and regular spark plug cleaning will be necessary over the lifespan of your gas hedge trimmer.
Cost
Since gas hedge trimmers are more durable and powerful, they tend to be more expensive.
You will also be paying more in the long run because of the regular maintenance they need and the constant purchasing of gas and oil.
Usability
If you are unfamiliar with small engine tools, you will have some learning to do. Gas hedge trimmers are not nearly as intuitive as electric.
Also, they are usually significantly heavier than electric trimmers and may make it hard to reach certain areas of your hedges.
Safety
They are more powerful and use a flammable liquid to run, so they are more dangerous than electric hedge trimmers.
Also, the fumes they produce are not only bad for the environment but potentially toxic if ingested.
That said, if used correctly and responsibly, then you should not come into any serious harm.
Electric
Battery-powered hedge trimmer’s ease of use and lightweight makes them perfect for beginners and those with small projects.
You will notice that we do not recommend corded hedge trimmers, and that is simply because the sacrifice and hassle that come with them do not make them worth their usually cheap price tags.
Power
A 20v battery-powered hedge trimmer will be able to tackle most hedges, but any branches larger than ¾ inch will not be able to be cut.
Electric trimmers have gotten better and better over the years, but they are still not nearly as powerful as those with gas engines.
Durability
Unfortunately, electric hedge trimmers are not as durable as their gas counterparts and will only last around 2 to 3 years.
Maintenance
Electric hedge trimmers are extremely easy to maintain. They will only need to be cleaned, oiled, and sharpened every so often to remain in premier shape.
Cost
Upfront, electric hedge trimmers are less expensive, and you do not have to worry about paying for gas.
That said, you will probably need to buy a new one within 3 years, making them similar in price in the long run to gas trimmers.
Usability
This is probably the most significant reason to get a battery-powered hedge trimmer.
Being that they are so lightweight and that you only need to push a button to start them, makes them perfect for beginners.
Safety
Like gas trimmers, electric trimmers should not be dangerous as long as they are used correctly.
What Should You Consider When Buying a Hedge Trimmer?
Selecting a hedge trimmer from the dozens of different models out there can be overwhelming. Here are a couple of things to look out for and ask yourself before you make a purchase.
What Job Are You Trying To Do?
If you only have a couple of bushes to trim every few weeks, you probably do not need a big gas-powered hedge trimmer.
On the other hand, if you have a massive yard that takes two hours to trim up, then maybe a nice gas trimmer would be right for you.
Before purchasing your trimmer, just make sure that you are getting the right one for your needs and not overpaying.
What Budget Do You Have?
There are plenty of competitively priced hedge trimmers that will get the job done.
Setting a reasonable budget is a good idea when buying anything, especially a hedge trimmer that you might use for the next few years.
How to Keep Your Hedge Trimmer Functioning For Years
These are some things you should be doing to your hedge trimmer, regardless of if it is gas or electric, to ensure that it is running smoothly.
Lubricate Your Blades
Your owner’s manual will tell you how often and what type of lubricant you need. Ensuring your trimmer is lubricated will keep it running well for years to come.
Sharpen Your Blades
If your blades do not seem to be cutting as well as they used to, you probably need to sharpen them. You can do this at home or take it to a professional.
Keep It Clean
Like all tools, you should be cleaning your hedge trimmer after every use. This is the best way to extend the life of your trimmer.
Replace Parts When Needed
Do not hesitate if a piece of your hedge trimmer breaks. Regardless of how minor you think the broken part is, it will eventually lead to major problems.
Store Properly
Be sure that your hedge trimmer is stored inside. Also, if it is a gas trimmer, make sure to empty the gas tank before storing it for prolonged periods of time.
