User review of Henchman Hi-Step range of hedgcutting platforms

We have had interjections on a number of disparate threads where Henchman has been mentioned so I thought it best to set up a dedicated topic. I carried out a review of the Henchman Hi- Step Midi and you can read my thoughts here - Reviewing the Henchman Step Midi hedge cutting platform Tom Kitching (who is a member here) is very approachable and is more than happy to listen to any concerns or suggestions that users might have. "I've also just bought an extender for my Ally Hight Step Major (although struggling to sort out problems of faulty manufacture with Henchman right now !!!!!) because of a job that has finally stretched the existing platforms limits. So my second year in gardening is still demanding that I be more versatile to secure work and offer more to the customer." http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/xn/detail/2074886:Comment:36530 "we have a henchman major and because of when it was bought,the 3 foot extension does not fit our model(design changed the following year)" http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/xn/detail/2074886:Comment:36701 "Interesting Steve....they sent me the extension and it didn't look right even before I put it together, the legs were marked up incorrectly (left/right, right/left..!) and when swapped around the stays wouldn't line up properly..? After lots of emails & pictures they are sending me two new hedge side legs by 9.30am today to try and cure the problem. My Major is a couple of years old now and they needed to clarify which one I had before sending the "correct" extension." http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/xn/detail/2074886:Comment:36721

Gentlemen

I am Henchman's MD, and thank you for your feedback. I understand the frustration it causes to a customer when something is not 100%, particularly Professionals like yourselves. I hope you find that we solve any issues in a no nonsense manner and quickly.

Yes, as the Aluminium range of safe hedge cutting platforms has been developed from the first in the range - the Major - there have been one or two product changes made that can cause a compatability problem when the Extender is ordered at a later date. This applies only to one product from one year of manufacture.

Steve - Any Henchman platform can take an Extender at any time, only as in the above circumstances concerning the Major we need to make a small modification first.

Concerning bracing bars being out of alignment - this is something that crops up very, very rarely and is not easily explainable, though it is easy to put right. All of our kit is manufactured in tight jigs to prevent variations like this. And in the vast majority of cases there aren't problems. We'd never get anything else done if we were frequently fixing product problems and exchanging emails and photos!

I can assure you that any problems whatever they are are, how ever caused will receive our full and urgent attention. I can also assure you that there are no inherent or repetitive problems with the product range.

I am more than happy to continue any discussion concerning the Henchman and safe hedge cutting either in private or here, in public. I am however away until Monday as from tomorrow morning.

Regards
Tom Kitching

Replies

Tom Kitching, Henchman Ltd April 21, 2009 at 12:53pm

Gentlemen

I am Henchman's MD, and thank you for your feedback. I understand the frustration it causes to a customer when something is not 100%, particularly Professionals like yourselves. I hope you find that we solve any issues in a no nonsense manner and quickly.

Yes, as the Aluminium range of safe hedge cutting platforms has been developed from the first in the range - the Major - there have been one or two product changes made that can cause a compatability problem when the Extender is ordered at a later date. This applies only to one product from one year of manufacture.

Steve - Any Henchman platform can take an Extender at any time, only as in the above circumstances concerning the Major we need to make a small modification first.

Concerning bracing bars being out of alignment - this is something that crops up very, very rarely and is not easily explainable, though it is easy to put right. All of our kit is manufactured in tight jigs to prevent variations like this. And in the vast majority of cases there aren't problems. We'd never get anything else done if we were frequently fixing product problems and exchanging emails and photos!

I can assure you that any problems whatever they are are, how ever caused will receive our full and urgent attention. I can also assure you that there are no inherent or repetitive problems with the product range.

I am more than happy to continue any discussion concerning the Henchman and safe hedge cutting either in private or here, in public. I am however away until Monday as from tomorrow morning.

Regards
Tom Kitching
Mark April 21, 2009 at 8:13pm

Good idea to include a Henchman thread Philip & thanks for posting Tom, always a pain when things don't work out as planned but Al came up trumps today, I fitted the replacement legs, all is good and my Major is now a Monster Major..!!!

Over the past couple of years my ally Hi Step Major has been great, I carry it on top of my Toyota Hiace and it has allowed me to tackle pretty much everything I have come across, it's paid for itself many times over and now with the extension I look forward to tackling more hedges/pruning etc.

I have even been approached and offered work whilst working from it, as clients can see what a handy piece of kit it is, the chap I bought the extension to carry some work for, is now excited about the other tasks I can complete with the extension fitted, he doesn't have to buy £700 quids worth of platform and over a grands worth of hedge cutters/ pole saws & loppers etc...plus he gets someone to do the work too, for a (by comparison) snip !

If the extension serves me as well as my Major does I'll be more than happy. I'll post up a few pics soon..as to how I stash and transport mine.

Cheers
Mark
steve loftus April 22, 2009 at 12:29am

thanks tom,i know henchman are always keen to listen to good ideas on how to improve a product,here are some,since we bought ours they might already be in place.

pins and "r"clips on chains, i know this would effect sales of spares!!!

ally cross brace bars, these seem to wear until the hole elongates and breaks,could do with a polyurethane bush,i replaced ours with galvanized steel ones,heavier but stronger,

x4 velcro bands to hold stays in "transport mode", i use ones about 2" wide designed to bind ski poles

we got ours at saltex,what a fantastic piece of kit,thanks tom.

vgc ltd are always happy to receive FREE kit to trial till ................lol
steve loftus April 22, 2009 at 12:50am

found these on ebay ,designed for holding fishing rods together but would work,attached to the uprights with a self tapping screw and washer, a velcro watch strap would also work......patent pending!!!!
Tom Kitching, Henchman Ltd April 22, 2009 at 6:53am

Gentlemen

Thanks for your product development thoughts, they will be considered. Happy hedge cutting!

Off to Harrogate Show in Yorks now...fortunately all our kit fits in the new Van and Trailer!
Mark April 22, 2009 at 7:30am

steve loftus said:

found these on ebay ,designed for holding fishing rods together but would work,attached to the uprights with a self tapping screw and washer, a velcro watch strap would also work......patent pending!!!!

Hi Steve,

The bracing bars on mine are steel. I use elecrical tape to tie the bracing bars in & also to protect parts of the ladder that come into contact with the roof rack, it also helps the ladder grip the rack too instead of metal to metal sliding around. Must admit the velcro straps looks like it's worth a go though.

I also contacted Henchman when I first got mine about putting an extra hole at the bottom of the adjustable legs to give a greater degree of adjustment..ie allowing the leg to sink into the frame further when on a bank or the like, for the sake of another hole it would increase userbility.
Tim Haywood July 9, 2009 at 8:11am

I have the hedgemaster platforms rather than the henchman and have made another useful mod:

I have taped a couple of spirit level 'vials' onto suitable horizontal bars so that when I've got my head down adjusting the legs I can look at the level and not have to stand back and look or jump on and test how secure it is.
Mark July 9, 2009 at 9:35pm

Thanks for posting up Pro Gard it's reminded me to do the same..

I carry the Ally high step major on to of my van & secure it with bungees and a ladder clamp which allows me to lock it on, I keep the legs & poles etc stashed in the van to save any light fingered sorts having them away, I keep all the fixings clipped together & the extension ladders clipped to the inside wall of the van. I use electrical tape to protect the ladder from the rack it also helps it grip much better too, I also use it to keep the cross members in place.

WD40 really helps the adjustment process with the legs. I have used the the major to it's limits on many occasions and a bit more besides, I still carry a ladder but now with the extension I can do more.......saying that I've already pushed that to the limit too !

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PRO

Phil Voice August 18, 2009 at 7:50pm

You can take the boy out of gardening but you can't take gardening out of the boy. I am having an (unofficial) vacation and yesterday, Donna and I had a day out in the Dordogne with a visit to the gardens and Chateau Losse.

I couldn't help to notice the gardener trimming these three Elaeagnus ; he was standing on a Henchman hedge cutting platform.
Tom Kitching, Henchman Ltd August 19, 2009 at 9:00am

Philip

The location looks very similar to a chateau i delivered a few units to years ago. I remember the journey well. I went to a place with the same name hundreds of miles away first off! Geography never was my strength.

In the picture they are using the Professional Steel platform with Trolley wheels attached. We have now introduced a Professional aluminium range.

I hope to see many of you at Saltex in a few weeks, please drop by to say hello.

Tom Kitching
MD, Henchman Ltd

Philip Voice said:
You can take the boy out of gardening but you can't take gardening out of the boy. I am having an (unofficial) vacation and yesterday, Donna and I had a day out in the Dordogne with a visit to the gardens and Chateau Losse.

I couldn't help to notice the gardener trimming these three Elaeagnus ; he was standing on a Henchman hedge cutting platform.