A hedge trimmer is the tool that decides whether a garden job runs to time. Petrol machines are loud, smelly and a pain to start on a cold October morning, and a corded one means dragging a reel of cable round every corner of a customer’s garden. Cordless has caught up, and for most landscapers and gardeners it is now the sensible choice.
This guide covers five hedge trimmers worth buying in the UK, from about £60 to just under £200 for the bare tool. They are chosen mainly by battery platform, because the best hedge trimmer for you is nearly always the one that takes the batteries you already own.
Quick Verdict
If you run Makita 18V LXT, the Makita DUH523Z is the proven trade choice: a 52cm blade, a long track record and spares everywhere. If you are on DeWalt XR, the 60cm DCMHT567N is the one for big, long hedges. On a tighter budget, the Einhell Power X-Change 55cm is the best value on this list and has thousands of Amazon UK reviews behind it.
Ryobi ONE+ is the sensible pick for occasional use or for a customer-facing second tool, and the Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45 is a lightweight, cheap option for tidy domestic hedges rather than all-day work.
The Best Cordless Hedge Trimmers for UK Landscapers
Best Overall for Trade: Makita DUH523Z
The DUH523Z is a 52cm double-sided blade hedge trimmer on Makita’s 18V LXT platform, sold as a bare tool so you use batteries you already carry for drills, saws and blowers. It has been on the market a long time and that is part of the appeal: it is well understood, parts are easy to get and any Makita dealer can service it.
The blade length is a good compromise. It is long enough to move along a hedge quickly, but short enough that it doesn’t tire your wrists on a long day when you are cutting overhead. If you use LXT batteries all day, the trimmer fits straight into the routine without anything extra to charge.
The price is the sticking point. At around £139 for the body alone it costs more than the budget options here, and you will want at least a 5.0Ah battery to do a full morning’s hedges without swapping packs.
- Depth gauge for drilling consistency
- 2 mechanical gears
- Variable speed control
- Anti-vibration system
- Keyless chuck
Best for Long Hedges: DEWALT DCMHT567N-XJ
DeWalt’s 18V XR 60cm brushless hedge trimmer is the one for properly long runs of privet, leylandii and beech. The extra blade length means fewer passes on large faces, which adds up over a day of boundary work, and the brushless motor makes better use of each battery charge than older brushed machines.
It is a heavier tool to hold at full stretch than the shorter machines, so if most of your work is low garden hedging a 50-55cm blade will be less tiring. But for estate work, commercial grounds and large rural properties it earns its place, and it is a natural fit if your van already runs on DeWalt XR batteries.
- CUT THROUGH TOUGH BRANCHES WITH EASE: The 60cm laser-cut, dual-action blades with sawtoothed teeth and a 25mm blade gap deliver fast, precise cuts even on thick, stubborn hedges, so you can cover more ground in less time.
- MAXIMUM POWER, MINIMUM DOWNTIME: The brushless motor ensures robust, reliable performance and longer tool life, giving you the cutting power professionals demand on every job.
- QUICK, CLEAN WORKSPACE: The Hedge clippings sweeper accessory swiftly pushes debris off the hedge as you trim, keeping your area tidy and helping you achieve a cleaner, more professional finish.
- ALL-DAY COMFORT AND CONTROL: The ergonomic D-handle, combined with an underside secondary switch, reduces hand pressure and fatigue, making trimming comfortable in any position for extended use.
- BUILT TO LAST IN TOUGH CONDITIONS: The metal tip guard accessory protects the blade tip when working close to walls or the ground, minimising wear and maximising productivity on site.
Best Value 55cm: Einhell Power X-Change 55cm
Einhell’s 18V PXC 55cm trimmer has more than 8,000 reviews on Amazon UK and a 4.5-star average, which is a far bigger sample than most trade tools get. It is sold without a battery, so it only makes sense if you already own, or are happy to buy into, the Power X-Change range.
For a self-employed gardener or someone starting out, it does the core job at a fraction of the price of the trade brands. It is not built to the same standard as the Makita or DeWalt, and you would not want to rely on it eight hours a day for years, but for a few days a week it is hard to fault for the money.
- A handy and powerful cordless hedge trimmer for small and large areas. Clean and precise cuts with blades made of laser-cut and diamond-ground steel.
- Heavy-duty metal gearing for a long service life. Two-handed safety switch for user safety.
- Swivel handle for tough vegetation. Adjustable additional handle for accurate trimming.
- Complete with aluminium cover over the cutters and a sturdy bag. Impact guard with holder for mounting on a wall included.
- The Power X-Change family: The same battery for everything! Supplied without battery or charger – practical starter sets are available separately.
Best for Ryobi Users: RYOBI RY18HT55A-0
Ryobi’s ONE+ platform has the biggest range of garden tools of any 18V system, and the RY18HT55A-0 gives it a proper 55cm diamond-ground blade. If you are building up a set of garden tools on a budget, or you already own the ONE+ blower and strimmer, it is the logical next addition.
At just under £100 for the bare tool it sits between the Einhell and the trade brands. It is better suited to domestic-scale work and part-time landscaping than to all-day commercial use.
- The new LINEA in-line handle, designed for advanced ergonomics, combines comfort, compact design, and easy handling in one perfectly balanced package
- High torque motor delivers powerful cutting performance for pruning hedges and shrubs
- Excellent cutting quality through precision 55cm diamond ground blades
- Capable of cutting large branches with 24mm blade gap
- HedgeSweep attachment offers easy removal of clippings
Best Lightweight Budget Pick: Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45
The Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45 is a compact 45cm hedge cutter on Bosch’s green 18V Power for All system, and the bare-tool version comes in at about £60. It is light enough to use one-handed for short bursts, which suits a quick tidy of a front hedge at the end of a job.
It is not a tool for cutting thick, overgrown growth all day, and note that Bosch’s green range is separate from Bosch Professional blue batteries, so check which system you are on before buying. Over a thousand Amazon UK buyers rate it at 4.4 stars, which is solid for the price.
- Lightweight and well balanced hedge trimmer for trimming smaller hedges
- Cordless mobility for quick and clean cuts around the garden
- Bosch Anti-Blocking System for non-stop cutting
- 45 cm blade length and 15 mm tooth spacing design for light trimming work
- Items Included: EasyHedgeCut 18-45, carton packaging
At a Glance – Cordless Hedge Trimmers Compared
| Model | Blade | Battery platform | Best for | Approx. price (bare tool) |
| Makita DUH523Z | 52cm | Makita 18V LXT | Trade all-rounder | £139 |
| DEWALT DCMHT567N-XJ | 60cm | DeWalt 18V XR | Long hedges, big sites | £192 |
| Einhell PXC 55cm | 55cm | Power X-Change 18V | Best value | £66 |
| RYOBI RY18HT55A-0 | 55cm | Ryobi 18V ONE+ | Budget garden kit | £100 |
| Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45 | 45cm | Bosch Home & Garden 18V | Light domestic tidying | £60 |
Buyer’s Guide – What Actually Matters
Battery Platform Comes First
A hedge trimmer needs a lot of battery for its size, so a platform you already own is worth more than any feature on a spec sheet. If your drills, saws and blowers all run on one battery system, buy the trimmer in that system and you will cut down on charging, carrying and spare packs. Only look outside your platform if the gap in price or capability is large, and remember you will need batteries as well as the tool.
Blade Length and Cutting Capacity
Longer blades cover more hedge per pass, but they are heavier and harder to control at full reach. For most gardening work, 45-55cm is the sweet spot. Go to 60cm only if you are regularly cutting long, flat faces. Also check the tooth gap: wider spacing, usually 18-25mm, copes with thicker stems, while narrower teeth leave a finer finish on formal box and privet.
Brushless Motors
Brushless motors waste less energy as heat, so you get more cutting from each charge, and they tend to last longer under hard use. On the trade machines in this list the benefit is real, particularly on a full day of work. On the cheaper tools it matters less if you only trim a few hours a week.
Weight and Balance
A hedge trimmer feels twice its weight by the end of a long overhead cut. Look for a rotating rear handle, which lets you cut at an angle without twisting your wrist, and check that the weight with a battery fitted is comfortable for you. If you are trimming tall hedges regularly, a pole hedge trimmer is worth considering, and we will cover those separately.
Safety Kit and Rules
Always wear safety glasses, gloves, ear defenders for long sessions, and sturdy boots. Check hedges for nesting birds before you cut: it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to intentionally damage an active nest, so many landscapers avoid heavy cutting from March to August. Keep the blade guard on whenever you carry or store the trimmer, and always remove the battery before clearing a jam.
FAQs
Are cordless hedge trimmers powerful enough for professional use?
Yes, for most work. Modern 18V brushless machines from Makita and DeWalt cut through thick privet and beech with no problem. For very heavy, overgrown cutting or long days with no charging time, petrol is still stronger, but that is a small share of jobs.
How long does a battery last on a hedge trimmer?
It depends on the battery size and the density of the hedge, but expect somewhere around 30 to 60 minutes of steady cutting on a 5.0Ah pack. Carry at least two batteries for a day’s work, and a fast charger so one can charge while you use the other.
Can I use a Makita-compatible hedge trimmer from a third-party brand?
You will see plenty of unbranded trimmers on Amazon that claim compatibility with Makita, DeWalt or Milwaukee batteries. Some are decent, but build quality, warranty and long-term parts are unpredictable, and we haven’t tested them. For trade use we would stick with the manufacturer’s own tool.
Should I buy a bare tool or a kit?
If you already have batteries on that platform, buy the bare tool and save money. If you are starting from scratch, a kit with a battery and charger usually works out cheaper than buying the pieces separately.
How often should I sharpen or service the blades?
Clean and oil the blades after every use, and check the blade for chips or damage regularly. Properly looked after, the blades on a decent trimmer last for years. Replace them or have them sharpened by a dealer when you notice ragged cuts or torn leaves.
The Verdict
For most UK landscapers, the Makita DUH523Z is the safe choice if you run LXT, and the DeWalt DCMHT567N is its match on the yellow side if you cut large hedges. If budget matters most, the Einhell Power X-Change 55cm gives you the most tool for the least money, with the Ryobi and the Bosch as sensible options for lighter use. Whichever you pick, buy into a battery platform you will use across the rest of your garden kit. Prices correct at time of writing and vary between Amazon UK, Screwfix and Toolstation
