5 Best Hedge Shears Reviews and Buying Guide

With overgrown hedges, it’s not always easy to maintain the look and desired style. If you’re thinking of doing this job by hand, be prepared to fail. Been there, done that!

To maintain the look of your garden, you need to find the best hedge shears for your hedges and bushes to help you maintain a beautiful, well-trimmed garden.

But for some, finding the ‘one’ can be a bit overwhelming. With the availability of a multitude of designs and sizes, it often gets confusing, at least for me.

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The Top Hedge Shears Product Review

Being green-fingered, I know the struggle behind choosing the best shears to give my garden that ‘perfect’ look. I had my own share of wins and failures.

Coming from my personal experience, here I’ve mentioned top 5 hedge shears reviews that are worth the price and the hype.

These are not just any generic reviews but my personal thoughts and experience of using them first hand.

In this video, Paul Sellers shows you how to sharpen a shear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD8BVZ15C6E

Spear & Jackson 8120RS Hedge Shears

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Features

• Sharp carbon steel blades
• Lightweight and easy to handle.
• Ergonomic design with non-slip grips.
• Excellent value for money

What I like?

This hedge shear is my personal favourite. It works brilliantly and gets the job done within half the time.

It is lightweight and never caused me any muscle pain. Whenever I use it, it gives me sharp, neat cuts and I end up feeling like a professional landscaper.

The cutting action feels smooth and satisfying and needs ‘little to no’ effort to trim those shrubs and bushes and even to cut down small branches and thick stems.

The length and the handles are really convenient to reach those tight twigs. It opens and closes easily, and there is no rusting whatsoever.

I love the small finger protector, and I’m absolutely pleased and happy. It is an excellent value for money.

What can be improved?

I wish the blades were a ‘little’ more sturdy and the gear mechanism was a bit better.

The shears are sharp but not ‘razor’ sharp.

Okatsune Precision Hedge Shears

Features

• Sharp and long blades.
• Sturdy handles with comfortable grip.
• Lightweight, simple to use.
• Can cut descent and thick shrubs easily.

What I like?

The blades are like running chainsaws, and they cut like butter. Using these shrub shears, I didn’t have any tiring or sore arms.

The scissors are smooth and precise and can almost cut through everything in your yard. The blade easily reaches those difficult areas and gives you a clean, sharp cut.

The blades are beautifully balanced, lightweight and have great flexibility and a complete pleasure to use.

What can be improved?

I wish the handles were of better quality. However, it’s a bit pricey but worth each penny.

TABOR TOOLS B620A Hedge Shears

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Features

• Sharp wavy blades allow precision cuts.
• Strong steel handles.
• Adjustable blade tension with shock-absorbing bumpers.
• Non-slippery grips
• Ideal for trimming and shaping the shrubs and ornamental topiary plants

What I like?

I love the wavy design of the blades, and it works like a breeze and makes my yard clipping work easy-peasy to cut back my ornamental grasses.

The shears are sharp and easy to use, and you can easily control the tightness with the help of the little adjuster.

It works effortlessly on large bushes and doesn’t take much of my time and effort and is designed with shock-absorbing, non-slip grips.

Make a point to clean the shears after using to prevent gumming up of the stick plant residue and to improve their longevity.

What can be improved?

Though I find it ‘fairly’ weighted, for some, it may be a bit heavy. I wish they had a non-stick coating on the blades and the knobs were made of steel instead of plastic.

Fiskars Garden 392861-1002 Powergear2 Hedge Shears

Features

• Sharp steel blades to give precision.
• Designed with powerful gear technology.
• Ergonomic design with soft handles.
• The coating prevents rusting.
• Comfortable operations.
• Designed with shock-absorbing bumpers.
• Durable.

What I like?

I’ve used all types of Friskers garden tools, and I’ve always been impressed by their quality and customer service.

I love this medium-sized hedge shear. You can use it to cut anything less than ½ inch, and you can cut through anything with a flick of the wrists.

The grips are really comfortable and have a good balance. I use it to cut my yews, azaleas and they work well.

I also like the slip-on orange handle covers and ‘kind of’ satisfied with the gear technology. Overall, it gives my hedges and bushes a nice cut, and I’m happy with it.

What can be improved?

The blades feel a bit flimsy, and for some, it may be a bit heavy to handle.

Few of my friends faced some issues with the closing mechanism, which is actually designed for additional leverage, therefore I wanted to mention it too.

Gilmour 800086-1001 Basic Hedge

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Features

• Sharp blades to cut through touch bushes, weeds and wood.
• The 8-inch blade allows them to reach those difficult areas and gives a clean cut.
• Comfortable grips with shock-absorbing bumpers.
• The blade features an innovative design with a straight upper blade and serrated lower blades.
• Lightweight and user-friendly.

What I like?

Last but not least, these shears have long blades and guarantee ease of use.

The plastic grip is comfortable with or without gloves, and you can shear large swaths of branches and shrubs with it.

I’ve used this hedge shear on denser woods, and I’m quite happy with the results.

The best part is, they are not heavy to handle and the thing that I specifically love about these shears is that they require no adjustments and they stay tight in place.

If you’re new to starting on the outdoor work, this one will be useful for you. They are sharp, solidly built and do the job well.

What can be improved?

Be careful with the handles because they do separate too easily and you can be exposed to sharp blades.

It may seem a bit stiff at first but can be loosened up with use.

What’s the best product?

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Personally, nothing can top manual hedge trimmers, because it gives that ‘extra’ sense of control over the electric ones. It’s why Spear & Jackson 8120RS Hedge Shears are the best, as the blades are sharp and give me a smooth, clean-cut each time.

Being a landscaper, I’m always drawn towards gardening tools that give my bushes and plants a clean and smooth cut. I’ve used this for hours, and they never strained my hands or caused any fatigue.

I personally love the finger protector and the convenience of using it with ease.

Your Buying Guide to The Best Hedge Shears

How to choose the best hedge shears?

Though it may seem ‘kind of’ easy to get the best pair of hedge shears, but that’s not the case for everyone-at least it was not easy for me at first.

For gardeners and landscapers like me, owning a perfect pair of hedge shears makes all the difference. Considering these features will be of great help to make a good purchase.

Weight and Size

Hedge trimming is a repetitive task, therefore weight and size is a key consideration.

The lighter, the better! Look for hedge shears that are compact and don’t cause hand and arm fatigue and pains.

Tip: Aluminum and fibreglass handles are lighter compared to wooden and steel handles.

Cutting Mechanism

If you’re planning to trim thick and heavier branches, consider the geared cutting mechanism to get clean cuts with less efforts.

A low-quality cutting mechanism can jar your whole body and inflict pain and stress after 1 or 2 hour use.

Make a note of this crucial feature depending on how you plan to use your tool.

Length of Blades

If you’re trim hedges and shrubs with up-close work, I suggest blades not more than 6-7 inches with shorter handles.

For professional and long-distance tall hedges, look for something over 9-inches long.

Type of Blades

Primarily, there are 2 types of blades:

• Curved or wavy blades allow more precision and easier to cut, minimising-slipping. Some shears may have serrations on one or both blades and are ideal for gripping and cutting twigs. The only disadvantage of curved blades is: they require professional sharpening.
• Straight blades are common and ideal for pruning smaller branches. You can sharpen them easily at home using millstone or sharpening stone.

Tip: While choosing the best manual hedge shears, look for blades that have an anti-rust and non-sticky coating to prevent gumming up.

Cutting Capacity

Not all shears can handle the volume of cutting that you need, therefore it is always important to consider the cutting capacity before purchasing.

Most hedge shears can handle branches up to ¼-inch thick at a time. Some designs may feature a limb notch to extend the limit.

Choose hedge shears depending on the thickness of the branches and how much you need to cut to make a great pick.

Tip: I highly recommend having a pair of loppers handy to cut large and thick branches.

Ease of use

I cannot stress this feature enough. I hate those aches on my arms and shoulder after using those heavy hedge shears for a period of time.

It’s important to get easy-to-use shears, especially if you’re planning to use it frequently.

Manual hedge trimmers also include padding and shock-absorbing bumpers and many adjustable features for professional use.

But you don’t necessarily have to get all these features but pick shears that are within your skill to operate without requiring much effort to open and close.

Availability of Spare Parts

I can’t really overlook this factor. Let’s face it, over time, using the tool regularly can make your shears defective or the blades can be broken as well. A wise decision would be to purchase products that can be easily replaced rather than making a whole new purchase.

Maintenance and Warranty

Just like other tools, hedge shears come with a warranty. Before purchasing, don’t forget to know and read about the warranty and return policy.

How to clean hedge shears?

After each trimming season, it is very important to keep your shear clean and free from any sticky sap gunk. This will also prevent rusting and keep your shears in shape and prevent transmission of plant diseases.

Here are a few ways how I prefer to clean my hedge shears after using.

• Rinse your shears with lukewarm, soapy water. You can use a mild detergent for the wash.
• Use a stiff brush to remove any plant material or soil.

Tip: Don’t use sandpaper or anything coarse –because it can damage the blades and cause rusting.

• Dry the blade using a soft cloth, old rag or towel. Make sure to dry completely otherwise, any moisture will attract rust.
• The final step is adding a touch of machine oil or spray WD40 to the blades. Don’t miss out on the cutting mechanism.
• Wipe the blades dry and keep it in a safe, dry place. Using a blade guard is an added advantage.

Note: Wearing rubber gloves is crucial!

Let’s see how hedge shears are made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9xu4l0Vpd4

How to use hedge shears the right way?

If you’re planning to prune grasses, hedges, flowers and shrubs for the first time, this guide will be really effective for you.

• Before starting, ensure your hedge shears are clean and perfect working condition.
• Place your hedge shears on the plants and start cutting using scissor-like cutting style.
• After trimming, clean your hedge shears to avoid rusting. You can use vinegar.

Tip: Don’t go for a big cut at first. Start cutting into small sections and proceed accordingly.

How to sharpen hedge shears?

You can sharpen your hedge shears in different ways – and each has different results.

Use tools like angle grinders, belt sharpeners, drill bit grinders or any dedicated grinding stones to hone your blades and make them “butter-sharp”.

There are also a lot of cheap options available in the market, but I cannot guarantee their effectiveness.

After sharpening your blades, use a light oil over the blades and rub back and forth.

This will protect the blades from rust and corrosion.

If you own curved or serrated blades, it’s better you take professional help.

Note: You don’t need to make your hedge shears razor sharp. You should be able to touch the blade without cutting your fingers.

Tips for choosing the best hedge pruning shears

Here are a few tips I have jotted down over the years of using hedge shears.

• Look for ergonomic handles for better grip.
• Look for hedge shears with gear reduction.
• Buy carbon-steel blades.
• If you’ve got a lot of softwood to cut, go for blades with non-stick coating.
• It’s preferable to own a pruning pole to reach those high branches without any hassle.

Conclusion

When it comes to grooming hedges, shrubs and plants, the importance of owning the best hedge shears cannot be denied.

A well-groomed garden gives your garden a neat, orderly and classy look and you’ll never be able to achieve ‘that’ perfection with blunt, crude tools.

Turn yourself into a budding topiarist and get creative in your backyard today.

Take full advantage of my guide and choose the best hedge shears and bring out the beauty of your garden for the world to witness.

Last update on 2024-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API