Battery power can be a boon for tasks such as trimming a tall hedge. Jane Carley takes a look at a long reach machine from the EGO range.
Tall ornamental hedges can be a challenge; wielding a heavy petrol-powered trimmer means frequent stops and starts as you progress along the hedge with your ladder or platform. Even for more modest topiary it’s more of a chore than it needs to be.
A battery powered trimmer means that you can flick off the power with ease, stand back and admire your work or check out the bits you’ve missed and then easily switch on again.
EGO Power Plus offers a long reach articulating model, the HTX5300-PA with 53cm triple sided blade and overall length of 2.41m. Designed for tackling vegetation up to 28mm (1in) diameter, it’s powered by a 56v motor and Lithium-ion battery.
An articulating head allows the blade to be used at angles from +45deg (three positions) to -90deg (six positions) to top and side hedges.
The control console features the speed indicator for a choice of three operating speeds and the battery charge level.
To start, the lock-off lever is slid forward and the trigger switch pressed at the same time. Pressure on the trigger switch also alters the blade speed; there are three speed modes – the lowest offering better control and a longer operating time per charge. Speed mode can be set before starting or during operation; after re-starting it returns to the previous chosen speed.
Our tester was using the larger 5.0AH battery as he has a number of other EGO machines and it can be interchanged between them. For this, EGO recommended its backpack; a dummy battery sits in the slot on the rear handle.
He found the backpack comfortable and convenient and thought the hedgetrimmer was well balanced, offering a good power to weight ratio – without the battery it weighs in at 4.8kg.
Control was straightforward and convenient, and the trigger switch comfortable to use; the loop handle giving control of the long shaft with the other hand. The trimmer zipped through leylandii in an established hedge – here the easy on off would be appreciated when using a platform to tackle the top and higher levels - and some ornamental pyracantha topiary.
Time of year prevented us running the trimmer flat but EGO suggests that the 5.0Ah battery would be good for 108 minutes of hedgetrimming. Charging was simple, and takes 45 mins using the company’s rapid charger.
We felt that the HTX5300-PA was a well designed and built for professional use, and would be a good addition to the armoury of those tackling a variety of hedges.
For anyone regularly cutting the likes of our monster leylandii, EGO also offers a telescopic hedgetrimmer attachment for its multi-tool.
