I like the Ryobi lithium battery powered hedge trimmers, we have both the large and small ones that I use for trimming yews and boxwoods and sometimes perennials. My husband also bought me a Ryobi mini chainsaw for tackling more difficult jobs, because I don’t like using the big chainsaw. Mostly for cleaning up perennials, though, I just use hand pruners.

I've always used hand pruners, but it's getting to hard for me -- my hands now get very achy and tight after just short runs with the hand pruners, something that's developed within the last few years. Hence my interest in using power tools instead.

This is my small Ryobi hedge trimmer, it’s light enough for me to use one handed. And I just used it to trim back some unruly Rozanne geranium! It’s from Home Depot….the Ryobi line has many other power tools for which the battery can be used as well.

Ok, that's great and all -- but I want to clean up my beds in the fall. And want power tools to do it, so let's stay on topic.

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-GSL35-3-6-Volt-Lithium-Ion/dp/B004JMZH2Q

I have two of these mini cordless hedge/grass shear combos. I use the grass shear blades the most. They have proven to be great for trimming the boxwood hedge, small, lighter in weight than the larger hedge shears, and I can cut the stems of new growth instead of slicing off the leaves. If that makes sense. Also I use them for trimming back the English Ivy border from the courtyard pavers. I have not used them yet to cut back perennials, but not sure why. Will have to try them out and see if the tougher stems of perennials get cut off sharp enough.

Yes, it takes two because altho they do seem to have a long battery run, it's not like hours. I bought mine at the hardware store and sure don't remember paying $49 a piece for them. Seems high.

mxk I'm so glad you posted this. I spent a good portion of an afternoon a few days ago trying to find a similar thread here on GW where someone recommended a small, battery-operated (I think; maybe it was electric) hand saw that I'd like to get. Hoping whoever posted to that thread posts here too!

:)

Dee

I remember that thread. Maybe I started it. Dee, I think I asked about reciprocating saws. Try searching that phrase I know what I'm listing below aren't all power tools but are worth considering (the safety precautions aren't really optional, in my opinion if you want to have your sight and hearing in your dotage)

Prior to purchasing the tools:

#1 high quality ear protection Rated by reputable reviewers. The best are not expensive

#2 high quality eye goggles ditto: inexpensive and imperative

( vibration absorbing gloves. I don't know if they really work. But compression gloves can reduce hand fatigue and swelling that come from vibrating tools)

When you have the above in your arsenal you may want

1. The despised leaf blower. Electric with the stupid cord that tangles and auto-unplugs.

There's a strap you can buy that redistributes the weight. However my Toro LB doesn't have a clip so I couldn't use it. and too lazy to figure out how to improvise. There's also locks that keep power and extension cords from separating during use)

Electic is quiet, doesn't use fossil fuels etc.

Battery is fine if you can carry the weight. My back is a wreck so I can't even use the electric for more than a half hour.

2. Reciprocating saw

3. If I wanted to spend the money, I'd get an electric cart designed to carry trash barrels There'd have to be a way to get the barrel into the cart without lifting it up manually.

The manual Gorilla Cart has gotten many fine reviews

4. Second best; a really good handcart. We got one designed for trash cans. We can stuff the barrel full as we like, get them up on the cart and haul it for streetside pick up. If we

had a compost pile the yard waste would go there. It is not a power tool, but it is a powerful tool.

and a lot cheaper than an electric cart. It is also multi use : moves boxes, air conditioners, children (to the compost pile)

I find that power tools can create as many issues for my hands as hand tools, so I will second Marie’s suggestion of gloves and a good harness to distribute weight. For gloves I use fingerless bicycling gloves with gel padding in the palms, and they reduce the vibration considerably. I use a unit like a string trimmer but that also has a blade for soft things such as raspberry canes and another good cutting blade for woody things. I always wear ear protection, good boots, and logger’s chaps when using this tool.

My favorite tool to cut down all but the most woody of perennials is a pair of old-fashioned wood handled nonpower hedge trimmers. I can remove an entire perennial at one whack, and I find it far easier on hands, arms, and shoulders than many power tools. Many of my garden beds are not within range of an electrical outlet even if I use several of DH’s power cords, so electric ones don’t make sense for me. Batteries or motors have weight.

And then there was the woman who a number of years ago in a discussion of tools used for garden cleanup said that she just set the blades on her riding mower at the highest setting and cruised through her beds.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, due to deer and mice problems during winter, I must do a thorough fall clean up of perennials and all annuals. It would always take many labor intensive afternoons to cut down and haul everything off to the compost pile and then chop the darn stuff up making it quicker to decompose. This year I've settled on getting a good decent electric weed wacker and will swap out the head for an 'Ugly Head Hybrid Trimmer Attachment'. I'll buzz the perennials and annuals from the top down and this way they'll be chewed to bits and then do a quick raking up and off to the compost with the stuff, should save much time and effort!

what is your 'good,decent electric weedwacker & its ugly head hybrid trimmer attachment.?

Im in the market for those.

You might get some more "eyes on" this question by posting this query in the Tool Shed forum

Timely article. Like some others I normally wait for spring to clean up but only in some areas. My front bed, i like to do some to neaten it up. I leave a back area away from the house, intact for the winter.

I still trim by hand with pruners or heavy duty scissors. I dislike hedge trimmers I've used due to the condition of the branch after the cut. They always seem to make a mess. And how do you sharpen those too? At least with the electric saw, you just replace the blade. I got rid of hedges so I wouldn't have to use them. [g] We still have Taxus and Hollies, but I prefer to do those by hand. Maybe I should try using the electric saw on them now.

We do have a small reciprocating electric saw tha we seem to use as a last resort when pruning shrubs. I haven't tried that on perennials or grasses. Like Babs, we find vibration and weight an issue after long periods of time using it.

I have golden thyme growing as a ground cover around the ends of my raised veggie beds and it is a real chore to get that trimmed back in the spring. It has become a large patch and it is carefree once it is trimmed for the season. It blooms and is great for pollinators, it is tough and you can walk on it and treat it like grass. A few weeks ago I had the brainstorm to mow it with the mower. Why didn't I think of that long ago? [g] It worked very well. It did cut it back to bare branches in some places which is not a problem. I set the mower on the lowest setting. It was not pleasing to look at for a couple of weeks, but it's growing well again. So next year, I will wait until the season is just about over to do it, or I could wait for the spring to do it too. I did still have to take the scissors to the edges that meet the wooden beds where the mower couldn't get that close. It was much quicker and easier and I think it does just as good a job.

Marie, mentions a good hand cart, just wanted to say, we've had a cheap old hand cart for about 20 years and it's still working. [g] It is essential. Anyone who works with weight, can benefit from it. If you have a bad back, it is essential, if you don't want to have a bad back, it is essential. You'd be surprised how many things that come up that you find to use it.

We buy bagged mulch. Much easier to store and use and transport. The nursery you buy them from can load your van, when we get them home, we slide them out of the back onto the hand cart, but I guess that Gorilla Cart, Marie was talking about would do just as well. We still use a very inexpensive wheel barrow.

Trash barrels have wheels to drag them out to the street or to the compost heap. We find we don't need more than that to move them.

Thanks for the tip, ZenMan -- I didn't know there was a tool shed forum!

I have two sizes of wheelbarrows that I use all the time, in a manner similar to a hand cart. DH has a cart he attaches to the tractor for larger loads of stuff; that comes in really, really handy.

Good tip on the bike gloves; hadn't thought of that.

I also love the tip on the bike gloves! The vibration really does limit the time we want to use the electric saw.

Marie, I'm thinking on settling on a WORX 5.5A Electric Grass Trimmer, 15-in, it has good reviews. I have a WORX electric 16 power saw that I like very much, so thought I'd again try the brand. Supposedly, the Ugly Head Hybrid Trimmer Attachment can be swapped out with most trimmer brands allowing for a more durable cutting head that is duel purpose and used with the blades as shown or heavy duty nylon line that one can cut pieces to fit, no hassles then with auto spool feeding the line out. I don't know if this will prove the best method for myself to be cutting my plants to the ground, but I can no longer be stooping over for day after day cutting them off and chopping the stuff up for the compost pile, it simply does not break down nearly as quickly unless it's reduced to finer pieces. Again, I plan to buzz the plants down from top to bottom and fan rake the bits up and off to the compost, will soon see how this all goes, first need to order up that weed wacker!

Ugly Head Hybrid Trimmer Attachment

I will be interested to hear how you like doing it that way.

Update: I ended up getting this jobbie:

Makita USA - Product Details -XMU04ZX (makitatools.com)

It's not a big hedge shear, but it should suit my purpose for bed clean up/cutting down grasses, and I figured I could use the grass shears on smaller stuff. Hopefully it works well; still have to charge it up and give it a first go 'round...we shall see...

Waiting to hear whether it suits your purposes and if you recommend it. 😀

Howdy .....gang. I have both gas and battery powered tools. In the world of battery powered tools, they are quiet, you don't reek of gas when done . In some applications, it may not have the power like a gas equivalent (backpack blower). In the realm of a hedge trimmer, chainsaw or just a lightweight blower , it is fine.

However, some cavet's . Keep in mind the ROI. Gas will last forever, but there is alway 2 cycle mix u tend to contend with. On the battery side, the biggest issue is the cost of ownership. Batteries DO have a declining age the minute they roll off the factory, and proper -storage- conditions during the off-season vs. improper will determine whether you may -eeek- 6'ish usable years with decent runtime out of them.

With that said, I LOVE LOVE my cordless battery operated blower...

It's a bit more work but while I've been doing larger trimmings with the -shears-, I've been doing a lot

In the realm of wishful thinking but not really something I -really need-, I've had my eyes on this for years

https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XUC01PTX2