The Stihl HS45 is a great product for
the homeowner. It is a professional grade unit at an economical price.
The blades can be sharpened, and the engine is the tried and true series
also used on many other units including the FS55, MM55, and more.
The Redmax CHT2200 is also great machine, professional quality. These can be
sharpened as well. They are light, and easy to use.
Why is sharpening so important?
As you use the blades, they will dull. You can not get around it.
If you get the 'wanabe' hedge trimmer, you get to use it for as long as
it will cut, then often times the unit must be discarded because there is no
way to sharpen it. In the end, performance is certainly
lacking, and longevity as well.
In the following picture, you can see
the extensions on the end of the cutters (they almost look like little
3/8" balls). These are a safety feature in case you bounce the hedge
trimmer off something you shouldn't, like your leg! These can be
sharpened because there is an actual blade. The cheaper hedge
trimmers appear to need a circular blade, which we do not have the
tooling for.

There is also an extended reach hedge
trimmer available. These are available with and without
articulating (pivoting) cutters. . |