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 an economical alternative, keeping a 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 they must be discarded because there is no way to sharpen them. In the end, their performance is certainly lacking, and their longevity even moreso.
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 pole saw in the Stihl realm. These are available with and without articulating (pivoting) cutters.
.
The
STIHL KombiSystem is a family of multi-task tools used on a
STIHL Kombi-Motor (KM) powerhead. They offer great flexibility for
occasional users, semi-professionals and professionals for hedge
trimming and other chores. This system not only saves on storage and
transportation space, it allows for significant cost savings as well.
The head is available is pivoting and non-pivoting modes.
If you want the power, Stihl has the machine. 4 base models to choose from.
Stihl has given this whole process a lot of thought. All the attachments, and all the power heads, and even all the extended reach pole saw and hedge trimmer all share the same size handle tube and drive line. This makes interchangeability super simple!
