Most gardeners should be fine trimming hedges once or twice a year, although this depends on the species growing in your garden. If you prefer a cleaner, more formal finish, you can always increase the frequency of your trimming. What oil should I use with my hedge trimmer? Long handled lawn shears: - these are designed to be able to cut grass along edges where grass may meet a wall or a fence, or hedge etc I found these garden hedge shears a complete pleasure to use. They are the lightest telescopic shears on my garden shears list and also the longest (when extended). Having the handle grip coloured in bright orange also makes these shears easy to find in the garden, if you have misplaced them whilst working. Hedge trimmers are designed for precise cutting jobs, whereas hedge cutters are intended for more aggressive cutting jobs. Should I oil my hedge trimmer? As always, a decent pair of shears with super sharp blades is advisable and a good clean of your shears after trimming is advisable to keep in the best shape and prevent spread of disease. Box (Buxus)

The Tabor B212E hedge shears are a great telescopic shear . Due to the wavy edge blade, cutting through vegetation is marginally easier. However I am not sure how easy it is going to be sharpening them. These hedge shears feature a chrome plated, hardened C50 carbon steel blade will resist rusting. Out of the box these shears are sharp. This model comes in at 960 grammes in weight therefore these shears are one of the lightest reviewed. As standard this shear comes with a manufacturers defects 10 year warranty.

These Gardena Classic hedge shears come with a 25 year warranty, handy if something should go wrong with the shears.

All of the above are a first-rate set of hedge shears and will (hopefully) give you years of use. My favourite and top of my list is the Fiskars HSX92 hedge clippers.Safety features included– The last thing we need is an accident! Yard work is dangerous and we love tools that are designed with safety in mind. Excellent value for money from a well respected and long standing manufacturer. The razor sharp blade cuts through plant matter with ease. Only slight concern is the hollow handles and how long these shears will last with anything more than occasional use. This 20-volt hedge trimmer from Webb is a good option for gardeners looking for a cordless model. This hedge trimmer offers a 50cm cutting length, making it particularly useful for trimming tall hedges. The 16mm cutting capacity also means you can slice through fairly large branches with ease. Chainsaws are more aggressive cutting machines and have limited reach. Unless you want to fetch a ladder and secure yourself to surfaces with harness equipment, a hedge trimmer will prove far more practical. Hedge Trimmers vs Pole Saws