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I have several tall hedges... Some over 20 feet. I'd like to keep them pruned but it's expensive to keep hiring a landscaper.
What products are out there for really long reach hedge trimming, and what's the longest reach you can get?
Note: I'm not asking for product recommendations, rather a round up of what's tools exist. Google is not providing great answers as it just gives me regular trimmers and small pole ones.
You won't find "long pole" hedge trimmers that reach beyond about 3 meters (10 feet). Even at that size they are hard to control because of the weight of the trimmer on top of the pole, and you can't see what you are doing when working on the top of a hedge so the blade can get snagged on thick branches, etc.
Unless you really need 20 foot hedges for some reason, I would consider getting a professional to reduce the height to something manageable (say 8 to 10 feet maximum). Whether that is feasible depends on the species of the hedge, but many hedging plants will survive drastic pruning and recover in a year or so.
If the ground near the hedge is suitable, an alternative DIY solution would be to use a mobile "builder's platform" mounted on castors, not fixed legs, so it is easy to move long the length of the hedge. That will give you safe access to any height you like.
Good quality ones are not cheap to buy, but you may be able to hire one for a reasonable price - a quick google search in the UK found "special offers" from a national tool hire chain at around £30 per week.
DO NOT try to use a "pole" hedge trimmer while standing on a ladder or some steps to gain extra height, unless you like living dangerously!
I use an electric chain saw on a pole , common and cheap ( US). About 10 ft long , the longest that I can lift; if more height is needed I use a ladder. There are also small gasoline chain saws but more expensive and heavier. Electric chain saws are much easier to use than the pole trimmer that I have . The pole trimmer can be made very long by adding pipe , wooden poles , etc. Actually mine came as only a cutting head to which you add your own pole. Or to answer the specific question , you can make a mechanical trimmer as long as you want AND CAN LIFT. By "trimmer" I mean a single blade sissors action cutter activated through levers by pulling on a rope.
