![]() ![]() It’s easy to operate the controls with gloves on, and both the battery and the handle position lever lock into place with a satisfying click. ![]() The tool is well designed, feels comfortable in the hands and is well balanced. Without the battery the weight is 3.6kg, and this size battery adds 1.3kg, rising to 2.9kg additional weight for the battery with the greatest capacity and run time. ![]() Because of the battery it’s not as light as an electric corded model, but for those used to petrol, that’s probably reassuring. I was pleased to discover on picking the machine up that there was a reassuring heft, in spite of which it has proved much more comfortable to work with than my petrol model, either on the ground or perched atop a ladder. Aside from the obvious difference in blade length from my usual kit (there is a comparable model with a 65cm blade but I also wanted to see if the loss in reach was compensated for by the increased agility), there’s just not much of it – if the petrol machine is a two-handed broadsword, this is much more of a samurai’s weapon of choice. The first thing to notice about the cordless hedgecutter in its smart black, grey and green livery is how little of it there is. The kit I was sent consisted of the EGO Power+ HT5100E hedge trimmer, together with the smallest 2.0AH battery and the CH5500 Rapid Charger, all items from their ARC Lithium 56V series of battery operated cordless tools. Over the last few weeks, instead of this tried and trusted machine, I threw myself in at the deep end and took a cordless battery powered alternative along with me to work. My standard hedgecutter is a petrol powered Stihl HS81R with a 30 inch blade, a great piece of equipment, although I’d love it to be lighter. But recent advances in battery technology are promising to elevate electric cordless option to the status of true contender, and I’ve been keen to see for myself whether this might prove a viable alternative for me, both at home and at work. Until recently, for me as a jobbing gardener, this has meant a reliance on petrol driven machines, as electricity outlets aren’t always available and, when they are, the possibility of chopping through a cable is ever-present. Which is all very well, but in the real world, we don’t always have as much time as we would wish, and a powered hedge trimmer can mean the difference between getting a job done in the allotted time, and not even beginning it for fear of leaving it half finished. Give me the clack-clack of a well oiled set of shears and the pleasing snick of sharpened blades transforming wafty hedges into neat green forms. I’ve never been a huge fan of power tools in the garden. ![]()
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