Best Petrol Hedge Trimmer UK Reviews - with
Full Buying Guide

Thanks for taking the time to read our reviews of the best petrol hedge trimmers that are currently available on the UK market. Hedge trimmers are one of the most popular garden tools that you will find throughout the United Kingdom.

There are three different types of hedge trimmers available on the UK market. These are:

  1. Electric corded hedge trimmers - these are the type that you plug into the electric main's supply
  2. Cordless hedge trimmers - these work off a battery that you can charge when it runs out
  3. Petrol powered or engine powered hedge trimmers (Usually small 2-stroke engines)

In this article we are reviewing the best petrol hedge trimmers. These remain a popular choice with many home owners, gardeners and landscape gardeners. The reason they remain popular is that they are portable (no electric leads) and they are very powerful, unlike electric hedge trimmers.

The petrol hedge trimmer does need a lot more maintenance than the other choices, but they are tough rugged machines and they do last for a very long time.

Basic Buying Considerations

The important considerations when buying a petrol hedge trimmer is the amount of hedge that you have to cut, the height of your hedges and the width of your hedges. It will of course also depend on the type of hedge, and how badly or how well that it has been cared for in the past.

  • If for example you have a wide hedge, then a longer blade is an important consideration
  • Likewise if you have a tall hedge in your garden, then pole hedge trimmers, or extendable trimmers should be an important consideration.

For now though we will show you the top 10 list of petrol hedge trimmers, that are available on the UK market right now.

Top 5 Petrol Hedge Trimmers

Just below you will find our list of the top 5 petrol hedge trimmers. These are based on real life buyer online reviews. On various websites when people buy a hedge trimmer, some of them take the time to leave a review, after they have bought the trimmer and used it.

We then look at all of those reviews and summarise those to come up with our top 10 list. That way we are sure that we have got the trimmers that get the best overall buyer ratings and reviews. We just think that is useful research and good valuable information. It also saves the readers at my website having to do all that work themselves.

Mcculloch HT 5622 Petrol Hedge Trimmer

92% buyer satisfaction based on 450+ online buyer reviews

  • This is a popular choice from the well known Mcculloch brand
  • It has a small lightweight 22cc engine and the whole trimmer weighs 5.2 Kg
  • The bar length is 56cm with a teeth opening of 22mm
  • The cutting speed is 2,365 cuts per minute making it one of the fastest on the market
  • It has a soft start - this simply reduces the resistance in the starter cord and helps make it easier to start, which can often be a problem with some brands of petrol engines
  • It has dual action cutting blades - dual blades have a better cutting performance and cut rather than tear the leaves for a neater finish
  • It also has an anti-vibration system
  • The air filter cover is easy to remove and clean
  • You can also adjust the rear handle to get different angles with your hedge trimmer

Buyers said that this was one of the best hedge trimmers they have ever used. It starts easily and the cutting blades work very fast on hedges. This trimmer can also cut larger branches with the added silver attachment above the blades. The engine takes a 50:1 petrol oil mix. It is light and easy to hold for long periods of time.

Stihl HS45 24-Inch Hedge Trimmer

94% buyer satisfaction based on 150+ online buyer reviews

  • When it comes to petrol garden tools few brands are better known than Stihl
  • This model has a 2 stroke 27.2cc Stihl engine
  • This model has a 24"(60cm) blade length with a 30 mm teeth spacing
  • It is a double sided dual action blade
  • It weighs 5 Kg
  • It has an electronic ignition module that ensures reliable starting and trouble-free running. The ignition system is protected from damp and dirt
  • A small fuel pump delivers fuel to the carburetor at the touch of a button. This reduces the number of starting pulls required following extended breaks in operation
  • Has an an effective anti-vibration system whereby the oscillations from the machine's engine are dampened which significantly reduces vibrations at the handles.

Buyers who know the Stihl brand, or who have bought their products before tend to stick with the brand for their petrol garden tools.

Makita EN4951SH 25.4cc 4-Stroke Pole Hedge Trimmer

90% buyer satisfaction based on 50+ online buyer reviews

  • This Makita model is the best choice for someone who wants a petrol trimmer, but is also environmentally conscious
  • That is because it has a 25.4 cc (1.03 hp) four-stroke engine which is low noise and with clean exhaust emission as the engine runs on a low setting
  • It also has a multi-position engine lubrication system that means the engine can be inclined to any angle even during continuous operation
  • It has a recoil starter with automatic decompression
  • Also has a primer pump and diaphragm carburettor
  • There is a short shaft for greater manoeuvrability
  • It weighs 6.6 Kg
  • It comes with a socket wrench, a Hex wrench, a shoulder strap, a blade cover and an accessory bag
  • The head is adjustable with a 45 degree tilt, has 13 angle settings and it also folds up

If it is from Makita then it is very high quality. The 4 stroke engine can deliver up to 10,000 rpm, 4,200 spm, and speed at maximum output power of up to 7,000 rpm. The 4 stroke engine requires no fuel mixing, and uses neat unleaded petrol.

The blade length is 49cm and it is a double sided blade. Can cut branches up to 21.5 mm

Parker Brand 26CC 24" Petrol Hedge Trimmer

86% buyer satisfaction based on 300+ online buyer reviews

  • This is one of the more affordable options
  • It has a powerful but lightweight 26cc 2 stroke air cooled engine
  • This trimmer has a 24" (60cm) double blade
  • It also has a 180 degree rotatable handle
  • It comes with a fuel mixing bottle and the required tools
  • The tank capacity is 600ml and a 40:1 mix of unleaded to oil is recommended
  • This one gets mixed reviews and starting it appears to be a common problem

ParkerBrand 52cc Multi Function 5 in 1 Garden Tool

84% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews

  • This is another model from Parker Brand
  • It includes a brush cutter, string trimmer, chainsaw, and hedge trimmer
  • It uses a strong 52cc 2-stroke petrol engine
  • 2.2kW @ 7500RPM
  • TUV, CE Approved
  • Includes Chainsaw. Grass Trimmer, Brush Cutter. Hedge Cutter & Extension Pole
  • Tool Kit, Harness & Fuel Mixing Bottle Included

Hedge Trimmer Options

We mentioned earlier in this article that there are three different types of hedge trimmer to consider. Just to remind you those are:

  • Electric corded hedge trimmers
  • Cordless hedge trimmers (Battery)
  • Gas powered or engine powered hedge trimmers (Usually 2-stroke engines)
  • Pole Trimmers (For high or wide hedges)

The first three mentioned are simply about the source of power that is used to drive your hedge trimmer. The pole trimmer should only be a consideration for you, if you have a very wide hedge that can not be reached with a normal hedge trimmer, or a very high hedge.

Electric Hedge Trimmers

Advantages

  • Affordable and cheapest to buy
  • They are easy to use
  • They are easy to maintain
  • They remain the most popular choice
  • They don't pollute the air

Disadvantages

  • You always have to keep an eye on the trailing electrical lead
  • The leads are usually not that long (10 metres average)so most likely you will need an extension lead
  • It is all too easy to cut through leads

Cordless Hedge Trimmers

Advantages

  • No electric leads to worry about
  • They are more portable and can be used anywhere
  • They don't pollute the air

Disadvantages

  • More expensive than an electric option
  • Batteries can run out in about 30 minutes and then need to be recharged

Engine Petrol Hedge Trimmers

Advantages

  • Great for tougher jobs as they are more powerful
  • They are used mainly by commercial gardeners and landscapers
  • There are no leads to worry about, more portable and can be used anywhere

Disadvantages

  • They are more expensive than an electric option or cordless option
  • They are noisy
  • They use fuel, so a bad choice for the environment
  • Engines can get hot against your skin
  • They are heavier than either electric or cordless.

So those are the options, and for the remainder of this buying guide we will focus on the petrol hedge trimmer.

Petrol Hedge Trimmer Buying Guide

Hedge trimmers have now been around for a very long time. In days gone by home owners had the chore of having to cut their hedges with hand shears, which was an arduous and time consuming task. With the launch of hedge trimmers this task time was greatly reduced.

For years the only option was a hedge trimmer that was powered by electricity. Shortly after those came the option of those powered by a small petrol engine. More recently though we have seen the launch of battery powered or cordless hedge trimmers.

 The quality of any petrol hedge trimmer comes down to engine quality and blade quality. Brands like Mcculloch, Stihl and Makita are well known and reliable brans who make good quality products.

The Important Features of Petrol Hedge Trimmers

We always start our buying guide with what we call the important features. Those are the features that really matter when it comes to buying cordless hedge trimmers. Later we will also include what we call the "nice to have" features, but for now let's stick with the basics.

How Do Petrol Hedge Trimmers Work?

Petrol hedge trimmers have:

  • A set of blades
  • Some type of engine

Essentially the blade is attached to a gear system which is attached to a motor. That motor is powered by the small engine. The quality of the engine is important and especially the starting of the engine. One thing also to be mindful of is the maintenance of the engine.

Petrol Engine Importance

Most hedge trimmers will have a smaller 23 to 25cc engine. The typical petrol to oil mix for a 2-stroke engine will be 40:1 or 50:1. Always check the manufacturer's recommendation though. These motors start best with the choke out, a good prime of the pump and a quick pull on the handle.

If your trimmer uses a 4 stroke engine like the Makita models, then you don't have to worry about getting the correct mix. That is important as the wrong mix will result in serious engine trouble.

Petrol Hedge Trimmer Blades

These are of course a vital feature of any quality hedge trimmer. It is these that do the cutting and as such will do the bulk of the hard work. There are two important elements to the blades:

  1. The length of the blade
  2. The gap between the blades (Teeth Spacing)

Blade Length

This is the length of the blade from its tip to where it joins the casing of the trimmer. The most common sizes are 45 cm (17.5") and 60 cm (23.6").  That is not that long so just be aware of that. Most people can reach about two feet in front of them (60 cm) so in total the distance you can cut will be either 

105 cm with a 45 cm blade or 120 cm with a 60 cm blade.

It is important then to know the width of your hedge. If you have a hedge that is less than 120 cm (4 feet) wide, then these blade lengths will do the job really well.

If your hedge is wider than that, then you will need one with a longer blade, and when you do that, your choices reduce quite a lot.

Blade Gaps (Teeth Spacing)

When you look down on a set of trimmer blades, you will see a space between the blades. This is referred to as the teeth space. In principle, the wider the teeth spacing, the thicker the material your hedge trimmer blade can cut. Having a wider tooth gap makes it easier to cut through thicker branches and stems. 

We do want to include a word of warning here as in real life, for electric hedge cutters, this honestly matters very little. Petrol hedge trimmers are powerful enough, and they will be able to cut some thicker branches. Be careful though as that is not what they were designed for. Use a saw for the really thick branches.

This type of trimmer is designed to trim and not to saw through thicker branches or stems. The bigger heavier duty petrol hedge trimmers can handle that type of cutting.

Most standard hedge trimmers come with a 20-25 mm gap which is enough to trim most hedges. If you have mature hedges or thicker hedges then look for a trimmer with a 30 mm tooth gap.

Blade Sharpness

The sharper your blades are the better of course. The sharpness also really helps keep down the amount of vibration you will get in your hands and arms when using your trimmer. You can buy trimmers that have laser cut or diamond ground blades which are sharper and will last longer.

Dual Action Blades

Two really are better than one, and the better petrol hedge trimmers will have dual action blades, such as the Mcculloch one mentioned above.

Petrol Hedge Trimmer Handles

This is also an important feature and it refers to the top handle and the rear handle. The rear handle sits at the back of the trimmer and is used to help balance the trimmer when in use. The top handle is then held to balance the trimmer in your hands.

On the top handle there is usually a starting handle as well. Handles are all about giving you a nice balance of the tool when using it and they should feel comfortable in your hand.

Some trimmers use what are called "wrap around handles." These allow you to rotate to the trimmer and be able to hold the trimmer at various angles. The more options your handle offers, the easier it will be to use.

How To Use a Petrol Hedge Trimmer Safely

Thanks for visiting our UK gardening website which is made to help any beginner gardener. Many people enjoy their garden and our tips and advice are all written to help you get the most out of your outdoor space.

The website team are a group of experienced gardeners who share useful information and we were all beginner gardeners at some point. Enjoy!

- Enda mclarnon