Worx 18V lithium hedge trimmer August 2011
Worx 18V lithium hedge trimmer first look
If your hedge extends far from the nearest power point, a cordless hedge trimmer could be just what you're looking for to keep it looking neat and tidy. Which? Gardening takes a first look at the new lightweight cordless hedge trimmer from Worx.
This new cordless hedge trimmer from Worx (£94.98 from B&Q) has a compact shape with a small lithium-ion battery to make lighter work of hedge cutting. At just 2.3kg it’s lighter than all but one of the hedge trimmers we tested in our recent trial, and of course there are no cables to accidentally slice through.
New slim and lightweight cordless hedge trimmer
We were immediately impressed at how slim-line and light the Worx 18V Lithium hedge trimmer WG251E was. It weighs just 2.3kg, a whole 2.5kg less than one of our Best Buy electric hedge trimmers.
The fact that most hedge-cutting needs to be done in the middle of summer means that the weight of the hedge trimmer you go for can make a real difference to the size of the task in hand. The Worx WG251E is light enough for most gardeners, whether you’re particularly strong or not, to use comfortably for longer than a heavy petrol one.
When we tried it, we found the slim design meant we could easily cut at the angle we wanted.
You can find out more about the different kinds of hedge trimmer and get advice on which one would be best for you in our free guide, how to buy a hedge trimmer
Short battery charge time
The instructions say that it will take 3-5 hours to charge, but we found that when we charged it, it only took about 25 minutes.
Cordless hedge trimmer with long battery life
The 18V lithium-ion battery is small enough to fit snugly underneath the hedge trimmer handle, and despite its small-size and short charge time, we were surprised to find that it kept going for about an hour.
Lithium-ion battery
The battery is small enough to fit snugly into a port which is on the underside of the hedge trimmer handle. There’s a ‘battery release button’ which you press to remove the battery for charging. The charger has a handy red and green light to tell you when it’s ready.
One of the other pros to lithium-ion batteries is that they provide full power until empty, rather than gradually slowing down. When we tried it we found that we could cut neatly and quickly right up until it needed recharging.
Another is that it’s claimed to have no memory, so you can charge it as often as you like without causing damage to it or shortening its running time.
Getting started with the Worx WG251E hedge trimmer
Ours was packed in a box and the front handle and guard weren’t attached. It was easy to put the parts together, though, following the instructions and screws provided (you will need your own screwdriver to tighten the screws).
Performance when cutting a hedge
A lot of hedge trimmers that are currently available have short cutting length (around 45cm) to save excess weight. The idea of a longer cutting length, such as the 52cm cutting length of this one, means you can cut more hedge in one sweep, saving strain on your arms.
We tried it out on a beech hedge and found that it cut through both the new and old twigs with ease and the blades didn’t get jammed up. We found that it ran very smoothly, too, with minimal vibration.
Easy to use and suitable for all abilities
There are two switch levers (one on each handle) that both need to be pressed to start and run the hedge trimmer. The blades stop very quickly as soon as you let go of one of the handles.
Usefully, the switch levers are moulded to the same shape as the handle, which means you can grip it wherever is comfiest for you and the angle you’re cutting at, it’s equally comfortable for both left-and right-handed people and you can swap hands while cutting to save strain on one arm.
Which? Gardening's verdict on the Worx WG251E hedge trimmer
Pros
Light weight, easy to use, comfortable, short charge time, long battery life
Cons
Expensive at £94.98
Free advice on hedge cutting
If you're not sure about what type of hedge you have, when you should cut it or how best to do it, read our free guide on when and how to trim a hedge with pictures of how to cut the different types.
Which? hedge trimmer testing and Best Buys
We put 15 hedge trimmers through their paces to see which ones are worth buying as well as which ones to avoid. We test them for safety, speed, quality of finish and ease of use for both able and less able gardeners.
After rigorous testing we calculate each of their scores to bring you the Best Buys. You can find out more about other electric hedge trimmers on the market in our online review.
