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Replies

  • The Stihl one

  • haven't tried any of the mini ones so unable to compare brands but due to their small blade length I would imagine they are best suited to very intricate shapes, tight spirals etc. The box I trim is less complicated, pyramids, ball shapes etc I use a Stihl HSA66 trimmer which has a blade suited to finer work than the more usual general purpose HSA86. Those small machines have their place but if you have a steady hand a longer bladed machine can save time on a lot of it. Many of the 18 volt hedge trimmers  are well suited to box, even cheap brands

  • I have one of the mini Stihl trimmers, I tried it a few times and now it doesn't even leave the shed, I might as well get rid of it. Not powerful enough or sharp enough for box topiary, better off with a decent pair of shears. For anything bigger I use an Ego. As Billyplop said, you'll need at least 18v.

  • PRO

    I bought a Makita, they are not expensive but I have not done enough with it to comment on it one way or the other, I did already have batteries and chargers.

    They are cheap enough to buy two to save swapping the blades over.

    https://www.cbspowertools.com/makita-cordless-garden-shears-dum604z...

    Makita Cordless Grass Shears 16cm 18V DUM604ZX Body Only
    MAKITA GARDEN SHEARS featuring the latest 18V LXT technology, this cordless grass shears comes with a hedge trimmer shear blade, lock-off trigger and…
    • PRO

      Depends on the current state of the shrubs you are going to cut .

      If nice well maintained specimens I would consider okastune or niwaki shears . 

      Neglected box I go with 18v cordless Stihl will perhaps have the edge although I use 18v Gtech .

      The little Stihl HSA 26 I don't find effective on box although the shear attachment is good on nandina and versatile but I can't find use for the blade attachment at all in theory it should be ideal but it's a bit slow and drags .

       

  • PRO

    The small Stihl/Makita ones are a usefull addition for small / intricate jobs, but on a long run of box we'd use a 18"/24" blade HS/HSA. As with any topiary work, sharp & clean  blades are a must so frequent checks/tweaks are a must.

  • PRO

    We use the sthil hand held battery for the straight bits and the small topiary one for balls etc, but all our topiary is well trimmed as no-one wants it looking untidy!

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