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Gardena THS400 Garden HedgecuttersSnagging.org In association with Amazon.co.ukOnline Shop | Property Guides | Kitchen & Home | Garden Tools | Power Tools | Consumer Electronics Get the Snagging Checklist Here! Gardena THS400 Garden Hedgecutters from: Gardena  EAN: 5060139330572 Label: Gardena Manufacturer: Gardena Publisher: Gardena Studio: Gardena Features:
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Editorial Review: Product Description: This is one of the best and most flexible hedge trimmers on the market. This trimmer will make easy work of your hedge with it's extendable and swiveling head. 240v 350 watt motor, 16"/40cm hardened double seided blade, 84 degree adjustable cutting angle, Fully variable extension, Length fully extended 180cm 5'11, 2 hand safety switch, Quiet, low vibration operation, Suitable for domestic use, 12m/40ft of cable, Weight 4.3Kg Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Useful, but a real struggle to use extendedHaving just read the first/only review of this product, I feel I have to add my own experiences. I have had these extending hedge trimmers for several years. My problem was a privet hedge which had grown far too tall, and far too wide, thanks in no small portion to an idle neighbour who refused to cut his side. As the hedge 'bushed out', it grew far wider than any ordinary cutter could reach, which is what drew me to this product. This cutter is an awkward, back-breaking thing to use. The basic design flaw is that the motor/cutter assembly is all at the far end. Yes, cutting blades have to be there, but motors do not. The result is a massively off-balance device. Imagine attaching your conventional electric trimmer to the end of a long wooden pole, and then manoeuvring it, perhaps working up ladders too. Reeling in a monster fish would be no harder. Petrol trimmers always put the motor at the opposite end to the cutters, creating a natural balance, even better if there's a shoulder strap. But with all the weight at the far end, using the THS400 extended for several hours is an absolute test of strength. Fully extended, my other half could hardly lift it off the ground to horizontal. The cutting blades aren't especially long, given the intended use, and the motor seems only average in power (my basic Black & Decker is much better) which is a disappointment for such a monster, but perhaps they were minimizing the weight problem. The motor doesn't over-run much, nor does it vibrate, but with the effort this thing takes to hold horizontally, you could miss a minor earthquake. A small annoyance is that to turn the blade through 90 degrees (e.g. cutting across a hedge's top with the main body held vertical) the trimmer unit has to be first rotated 180 degrees on its axis, wasting a bit of time. The adjustments feel clunky and rough, they've tried to make this thing mostly from heavy duty plastic components, and so it feels a little imprecise. Despite what the other reviewer says about using it close up, this is almost impossible. Even fully collapsed down, the handle assemble is far too long and bulky for that, meaning you can't cut what is right in front of you. I keep my basic B&D trimmers to hand for anything within normal reach, and boy do they feel like a blessing in comparison. I've tried to be balanced in this review. I still use the THS400 several times a year, and if you find yourself in my predicament, they could be a godsend. But light, balanced or manoeuvrable they are not, and the day after using them you'll certainly feel the after effects. They are about half the cost of petrol trimmers, so could be an answer for some people. But I think this is one product you need to find in a shop and try out (horizontally extended!) before you buy online. Rating:  - Superb bit of kitI've had one of these for 4 years now, to cope with a hedge of 60 overgrown leylandii (and some smaller but harder shrubs). It's still the sharpest electric cutter I've got, and with it I am able to cut up to 10 ft high before getting the steps out, or taking it up a ladder. Very reliable. It's very well balanced and despite it's size and reach it handles well, which makes ladder work possible. I prefer it to smaller hedgecutters even for work at 2 or 3 ft up. It's quite handy for fairly small jobs. The head can be rotated on 2 axes (100 degrees on one, 360 on the other) and you can cut at some very funny angles, which makes topping a wide 6ft shrub much easier. The dual control switches (one trigger on the handle end which has to be depressed together with any one of the 3 that are spread around the holding yoke near the balance point) mean that it is pretty safe in use. Fully extended there is, of course, quite a lot of moment of inertia. For an extremely tall hedge you may be better off with a machine with the motor at the base and a drive shaft up the pole - but that's professional kit and costs 3 to 4 times as much - and those are completely unhandy for smaller work. Perhaps I should buy another before they realise it's so good that they must "improve" it and thus spoil it....  Try searching the Internet for "Gardena THS400 Garden Hedgecutters" or Ebay for "Gardena THS400 Garden Hedgecutters". You might also be interested in the following great products:
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