This is the tool most gardens under the cap should buy. A 17 inch hardened steel dual-action blade is long enough to cover a hedge top quickly, and the 3.2 amp motor is rated to cut stems up to 5/8 inch thick. Dual-action blades cut on both strokes, which reduces vibration compared with single-action designs.
The real advantage is that a cord removes the battery question. You never run out of charge, there is no pack to age, and the weight sits in the tool rather than in a lithium cell, which makes it light and balanced for a plug-in. The cost is the cord, which limits your reach to the length of an extension and demands care so you do not cut it.
It will not take thick stems, and trying to do so will stall it. Keep the cord behind you, use a rated outdoor extension and wipe resin off the blade after each session. Next to the 16 inch sibling, it offers a longer blade for slightly more weight, and for most hedges that is the better trade. It is a plain, durable tool that costs little to keep. If you hedge twice a year, this style of tool can last a decade because it has no battery to degrade and few parts to fail.
What works
- 17 inch blade covers tops quickly
- Unlimited runtime with no battery to age
- Dual-action cut reduces vibration
- Cuts to 5/8 in. at 3.2 amps
Watch out for
- Cord limits reach and needs care
- Will stall on stems thicker than 5/8 in.
Spec sheet
- Blade length
- 17 in. hardened steel
- Motor
- 3.2 amp corded
- Cut capacity
- 5/8 in.
- Blade action
- Dual-action
- Power
- Mains, no battery






