When tackling a hedge with a pair of garden hedge shears, it can become very tedious, even more so if you have a pair of shears that are just not up to the task. Having the best hedge shears can make a real difference to what was once a tedious job.
With many different sizes, shapes, and materials used, knowing what is best for the job at hand takes some real digging to find a pair that will suit you.
IN A HURRY? HERE’S OUR TOP PICKS…
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I have put this guide together after many hours of researching what makes the best hedge shears. I have put our top recommendation right at the top. However, if you are looking for a little more detail on what to look for, then I have included a buying guide below to help you out.
1. ARS HS-KR1000 Professional Hedge Shears
- Superior steel and blade treatment for unsurpassed cutting performance
- Long lasting sharpness ; Pivot bolt for blade adjustments
- Perfect shape and balance for continued use
- Replaceable blades
- Superior durability for continued professional use
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The ARS HS-KR1000 is a professional hedge shear with superior steel and blade treatment, which significantly increases the cutting performance. One great thing about this product is that it stays sharp for longer, without mentioning that it comes with a pivot bolt for blade adjustments. Of course, there{s more to the ARS than meets the eye, mainly because its perfect shape and balance for continued use make them the perfect fit for long days of working in the garden. This sharp fellow also comes with replaceable blades, and it’s strong enough to withstand the test of time.
Another great thing about this product is that the ARS HS-KR1000 is said to be easy to use, lightweight and comfortable, which is the perfect ally for both experienced and new gardeners. When it comes to product specifications, this interesting fellow measures 28 x 6 x 2 inches and weighs up to 1.85 pounds. They weren’t playing when they said that the ARS is lightweight, isn’t that right?
2. Corona HS 4344 DualLINK Extendable Hedge Shear
- DualLINK compound cutting action magnifies input force to reduce work when cutting hedges
- 10” blades with extendable handles to provide extra reach to cut hard to reach hedges
- Shock GUARD bumper system reduces shock to arms after cutting through branches
- Strong, trapezoid steel handles provide balance, precision and control and Innovative locking mechanism on extendable handle secures tool at...
- ComfortGEL grips provide comfort for multiple cuts throughout the day while reducing hand wear and tear
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Corona HS 4334 DualLINK is an extendable hedge shear with a compound cutting action that increases the input force, reducing work when working on the hedges. It comes with 10″ blades with extendable handles, providing extra reach for those difficult areas. One interesting thing about the Corona HS is that its Shock GUARD bumper system brings more safety to the user, mainly because of it reducing shock to arms while cutting through branches. Not only that, but it also has a sturdy build, thanks to its strong, trapezoid, extendable steel handles that add balance, precision, and control to the mix, as well as its locking mechanism that allows the user to secure them to their preferred length.
The Corona HS doesn’t fall short when it comes to comfort, all of this thanks to its ComfortGEL grips that allow both experienced and new gardeners to make multiple cuts during a day of work without worrying about the impact it could have on their hands. Of course, this is not their manufacturer’s first rodeo, since the company has been a leader in lawn, garden, landscape, irrigation, construction and agriculture markets, famous for their extended distribution network. Now, when it comes to product specifications, the Corona HS measures 3 x 30 x 9.25 inches and weighs up to 3.2 pounds.
3. A.M. Leonard 9-inch Wavy Blade Hedge Shears
- Wavy-edge blade design holds twigs while cutting to prevent slipping and to ensure a uniform finish
- SK-5 High Carbon steel blades are chrome plated to resist rust and last a lifetime
- Produces smooth, even cutting of hedges, pines, and vines
- Has shock absorbers, and tubular aluminum alloy handles with molded composite grips
- Blades are 9 inches long, and handles are about 20 inches long (29.5 inches overall)
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The A.M. Leonard is a 9-inch wavy blade hedge shear, designed to hold twigs while cutting, preventing slipping and providing a uniform finish. Due to this, it can produce a smooth and even cutting of hedges, pines, and vines. Of course, this is not what the A.M. Leonard is chalked up to be. Its shock absorbers and tubular aluminum alloy 20-inches handle molded composite grips, adding more stability onto the mix. Its aforementioned 9-inches blades are made of SK-5 High Carbon steel with a chrome plating, which allows it to withstand the test of time and stand up to the rust threat. Another great thing about this product is that it comes with a lifetime warranty, reducing the worry about what to do with it if there are any factory defects. Convenient, isn’t it?
4. Bahco Pro Super Light 10-inch Hedge Shears Blade
Last update on 2023-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Bahco Pro Super Light is a 10-inches hedge shear with a fully hardened blade for a robust and lasting sharpness. One great thing about this product is it’s a sleek, professional design with lightweight aluminum handles that add more comfort onto the mix. Of course, this is also achieved by their smooth, contoured grips and shock-absorbing bumpers, mainly because they reduce fatigue, making the experience of trimming hedges all the more rewarding and efficient. Their blades are also a critical point that makes it perfect for working around the garden, thanks to them being partly serrated, ideal for cutting thick branches, all of this without mentioning that its capacity for the task is of up to 3/8 inches. When it comes to its product specifications, it measures 23-inches as a whole and weighs up to 2.2 pounds.
5. Gardena 393 Comfort Gear 600 23-Inch Hedge Shears
- Easy and effortless work in all cutting situations.
- With patented geared transmission for 46 % increased cutting power.
- Optimum shock absorption due to integral Technogel gel pads in the handle grips and buffers with soft plastic components.
- Straight-ground, non-stick coated blades with integral branch-cutter for easy and efficient cutting of large areas.
- Easy-clean and maintenance-free.
Last update on 2023-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Gardena 393 Confort Gear 600 23-inches hedge shears, allowing the user to cut the hedges around their garden more quickly and efficiently. One great thing about this product is that their straight-ground, non-stick coated 9-inches blades come with an integral branch cutter that makes the cutting of large areas easier, without mentioning that it doesn’t require maintenance. As a bonus, both experienced and new gardeners can clean the Gardena 293 Comfort Gear with ease. Thanks to its inbuilt gear, its cutting power increases by 46%. When it comes to product specifications, it measures 32 x 10 x 0.5 inches and weighs up to 2.01 pounds.
Of course, the manufacturer has a lot of experience under its belt. Gardena is well-known for focusing on providing a simple and convenient solution for watering, soil, and lawn care problems. As a result, they manufacture reliable gardening equipment to make the customer’s work a little easier, granting them the opportunity to relax afterward. The company provides a minimum of 12-month parts and labor warranty if the product comes with a production flaw, allowing the customer to replace it. One thing to take into consideration is that if the item is older than 12 months, Gardena has a national repair service that will give the buyer a free estimate for parts and labor to repair it.
6. WilFiks Hedge Shears for Professional Gardening and Landscaping
- ► PRUNE, CUT & TRIM: With these hedge clippers, cutting your shrubs, bushes, grass and branches is easy thanks to the razor sharp carbon steel...
- ► DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Hardened steel blade produces smooth, sharp, even cuts that quickly slice through branches & twigs for faster, prettier...
- ► ERGONOMIC DESIGN: Non-Slip Soft Grip Handles designed for maximum comfort, these hedge shears make gardening comfortable so you can enjoy...
- ► ADJUSTABLE BLADE TENSION: The flower-shaped pivot bolt lets you adjust the tension of the blade and prune different types of plants with just...
- ► EASY TO USE: The upper blade is made of carbon steel with ilaflon coating to allow a great cutting performance and the lower blade is made of...
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The WilFiks are hedge shears for professional gardening and landscaping. They’re capable of cutting shrubs, bushes, grass, and branches thanks to its razor-sharp carbon steel blade and comfortable grip, perfect for all hand sizes. Its shock-absorb design protects the gardener’s hand and wrist, without mentioning that its wavy design stops the twigs from sliding off. But of course, the praises for the blade don’t end there since their tension can be adjusted through its flower-shaped pivot bolts, allowing the user to prune different types of plants without an issue. They also come with a rubberized grip that is easy to clean, not requiring any maintenance whatsoever. Another great thing about this product is that it has an ergonomic design with non-slip, soft-grip handles, without mentioning that the WilFiks are easy to use.
Best Hedge Shears Buying Guide
Choosing a new pair of hedge shears that are going to last you many years takes a little forward planning. It’s well worth sitting down and giving some of the items below some thought and see how they correlate to your yard. Once you do this, it will be much easier to match a pair we recommend with your yard.
So, let’s get right into this and see what’s important.
What Are Hedge Shears?
The important thing to know about the hedge shears we are going to talk about here is that they are not electrical. They work by hand power, and with their straight, long blades give the appearance of being enormous scissors. Typically, the blades are afoot to 28 inches, and the edges are occasionally wavy to enable them to securely hold stems in place for cutting. Still, these types of blades are more difficult to sharpen.
Due to their long blades, hedge shears are made to cut a much wider area than basically any other pruning tool. When you cut a plant, they leave long, straight edges behind, generally marring its appearance. This, of course, is not the way you want the plants in your garden to look.
That’s why you should mainly use them if you have an actual hedge to care for, and in the fall and spring for cutting-back your ornamental grasses and perennials. In other instances where you want to change a plant’s shape by cutting its woody framework, it’s best to use loppers, pruners, and saws.
When to Use Hedge Shears
Ultimately, there are three occasions where you are required to use hedge shears. You would be wise to remember that in all of these situations, hedge shears are utilized for slicing through the soft stem of a plant. These cases are: in the upkeep of a formal hedge, when cutting your perennials back in the spring and fall, and where you have fast-growing, soft plants that require yearly reining in, but hand-pruning would take too much time.
The next topic we’ll cover is what you need to take into account when buying hedge shears so that you can choose a high-quality pair.
How to Choose the Best Hedge Shears for Your Garden
There are many things to take into consideration when buying a hedge shear for gardening. The wide variety of sizes, styles, and prices gives the customer plenty of options to choose from. Before delving into the topic, it is essential to know that the type of plants that the buyer would be shearing will have an impact on the tools that they will need. When it comes to cutting woody shrubs, heavy-duty tools tend to be the preferred option, whereas soft new growth requires light-duty shears, but more on that later.
Another thing that can help while making the decision is to check the tool’s ratings and product specifications. Some gardening websites, such as Gardening Products Review, offer a description of some products, as well as point out how much they recommend them. Of course, this will all depend on which of them adjusts to their needs the most. When it comes to making that first buy, there are several key factors:
Weight and Size
Trimming hedges is a repetitive task on its own. The gardener needs to reach up above their shoulder height. Thus, the weight of the tool should be something to be on the lookout for when deciding to buy a hedge shear. The heavier it is, the more tiring the task can get, despite sometimes requiring heavier models to get the job done. Of course, the gardener’s upper body strength should be a factor to consider as well, since it would be counter-productive to pick a tool that is difficult to handle.
Lighter models tend to have aluminum and fiberglass handles, whereas steel and wood-handled shears are the heaviest. Weight and blade sharpness are things to take into consideration if the user aims to reduce fatigue while working in the garden. After all, getting rid of those pesky weeds on the hedges will feel more rewarding if the user manages to complete the task with the least amount of tiredness, isn’t that right?
Cutting Blades
A shorter blade of around 6 inches with a short handle is the best option when it comes to close-up work, whereas bigger jobs, mostly cutting back extensive privet hedges, are better suited for long blades on the 9 to 12 inches range with longer handles. The best blades in the market are often made of forged steel, which can be easily sharpened by hand with a millstone or a sharpening stone. On the other hand, it is recommended that they only touch at the cutting point, reducing friction and sticking.
Some shears have serrations on one or both blades, which makes gripping and cutting larger twigs easier. Some blades have a non-stick coating to keep them from gumming up and rusting. Another thing to keep in mind while buying hedge shears is that those can be taken apart for sharpening, mainly because this helps with the process, making it more efficient. On a side note, there are even wavy-blade models that grip the twigs and prevent them from sliding while cutting, which comes in handy for open-structured plants. However, these bad boys require professional sharpening.
Another thing to take into consideration is the pivot-bolt assembly, which needs to be adjustable for the blade to have the appropriate amount of tension. This is mainly because it tends to be the first thing to fail when the tool is starting to get damaged. Thus, buying replacement pivot bolts will give the customer a significant advantage. One more thing: It might seem like a no brainer, but it’s important to keep the blades sharp.
Cutting Mechanism
When it comes to the cutting mechanism, this will allow the user to cut through larger branches effortlessly. This can be helpful depending on the task since it might not be needed if the buyer tends to shear the shrubs often. Why? It’s simple: These are soft, new plants that are starting to grow.
Geared technology makes it possible for you to cut bigger branches using less strength. This is an excellent quality, but you may not need it if you frequently cut your shrubs, because you’ll only be cutting new growth. So take that into consideration before you spend your money on a more expensive pair of shears that you don’t need to have.
Cutting Capacity
Most shears can cut branches that have a diameter inferior to 1/2 inches. Some of them have a limb notch in the blade, allowing the buyer to extend the limit as much as they need. However, a pair of loppers are a must for cutting larger branches.
Ease of Use
Cushioned handle grips and shock-absorbing bumpers, especially where the handles come together, as well as other bumper systems, tend to be the favorite of many gardeners when it comes to the daunting task of trimming hedges. Why? Because it reduces the fatigue that often accumulates on their arms, It cannot be stressed enough how important this is, even if it sounds completely evident.
Another thing to be on the lookout for is the action of the tool. This is mainly due to some shears having a scissor-like action while others take more effort to open and close. Not only will this make the task a little less tiring but also more efficient, allowing the user to finish trimming in less time than it would typically take.
The best hedge shears will have padded handle grips and bumpers where the handles meet. This will help ease the strain on your arms.
Replacement Parts
The availability of replacement parts is something that shouldn’t be left out when it comes to buying hedge shears. Most brands in the market, especially the most reputable ones, offer them for blades and other parts. Their availability is a bonus to the correct maintenance of hedge shears, which mainly involves cleaning, sharpening, and refurbishing them regularly.
If you make a habit of cleaning, sharpening, and otherwise caring for your tools, being able to get replacement parts is very important.
Cost
The budget should be another critical factor when buying hedge shears. Granted, one has to pay for quality sometimes, but some brands offer high-functioning tools at a lower price, so it’s essential to be on the lookout for it. Their price range goes from $15 to $120, but some stores can offer deals for those who want to save a few bucks while getting the best gardening gear. However, as an average, customers pay, as a minimum, $40 for quality shears. Once all of this has been pondered, determining what the customer would be willing to pay in exchange for having the best tools to work on their garden.
Conclusion
If you follow the advice given above, then you should be able to select the best hedge shears. A pair that won’t be overpriced and will meet your individual needs, while also being easy to use. You should also know a lot more about these shears now and know how to use them properly. Altogether, this information should help to make your gardening a bit easier and more enjoyable this year.
Taking a little time over the buying decision can reap great rewards; I have always found that taking my time and doing a little research, I buy a product that will last me a lot longer. So the added benefit from this is that we are going to be saving a lot more money by just doing a little research.
I don’t have a single recommendation as I have tried to include a pair of shears that will suit every budget and different tasks. However, I must say that all recommendations are built to last the test of time, and I don’t feel you will be disappointed with any on this list.