Ryobi ONE+ 18V OPT1845 Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer, 45cm Blade (Body Only) & Double Serrated Blades Head for RAC155 Edger Black

I have a high hedge surrounding the rear of my property, with the addition of a few independent conifers. The rearmost hedge is a particular challenge as it is primarily mature holly, which is difficult to handle. Having watched professionals cutting a yew hedge at a National Trust property recently, I realised that this tool was the way to go.I am however getting old, with arthritis in my shoulders exacerbated by an old injury, and the tool is not so much heavy as unwieldy, especially with the extension piece fitted. The strap doesn't help much either, but it makes trimming the hedges and conifer tops a simple, if somewhat tiring, operation.Having read some other reviews prior to purchase I decided to forego the Ryobi battery option and purchased a pair of 3rd party batteries and charger for less money than a single Ryobi battery. Whether this will prove a sensible option, only time will tell, but there have been no problems so far. The batteries have each provided ample power for as much hedge cutting as I feel inclined to do, without running out of power.This is an excellent, well made product which I hope will provide many more years of garden maintenance.

I have given this four stars because it does it's job i.e. it trims hedges and I knew it was heavy before I bought it so I can't complain about the actual weight of it. It appears to be well built, quite sturdy, pole doesn't bend and it all seems to fit together well. It also cuts quite thick branches.Now the downsides:It is incredibly unwieldy, the vast majority of the weight being at the business end.The switch is in the worst possible position being a long way behind you in use because the balance point is a long way up the pole, this means that your switch-hand has to be held at a very strained angle. Not only that, but while pressing on this badly mounted switch you have to also operate a switch lock. The trigger switch is underneath and the switch-lock is on the top and forwards. This is not a problem if you are standing next to the switch/battery compartment but that isn't how it is used.Because all the weight is at the top end it is difficult to manoeuvre so don't try any fiddly topiary when the device is at full extension.I shall be disabling the switch lock and holding down the power switch with some device or other so I can hold it nearer the balance point. This might be considered unsafe but you are a long way from the sharp end so you're not in any danger but it will in the end make the device safer as it will be easier to hold.The weight is a major factor unless you are strong. The hedge cutter would be difficult to use by any lightweight man or woman and I certainly don't recommend it for a little old lady to trim her privet hedge (ooh er missus).The harness is pointless unless you are holding the device vertically and your switch hand is in front of you, this would be a rare position; I stopped using it almost immediately.All in all this device works, it cuts hedges and small tree branches, it's as quiet as it could be and probably doesn't fare worse when compared to other cutters with head-mounted motors. Better would be a system wherein the motor was in the handle and a cable drive drove the cutters, they probably exist but nowhere near this price. The battery is an adequate size because by the time it runs out you will really have had enough for this session.I think this is as good as it gets for the price but be aware you will have to very strong to use it properly,

Very good item cuts really well a bit heavy at first but you get used to it the shoulder strap helps a bit but you still need a bit of muscle.

I am keen Ryobi ONE+ cordless ONE+ battery fan, owning many Ryobi tools using third party batteries =- 4-5.5A. In the main the Ryobi garden tools are light to use (I am not keen on heavy petrol garden machines – I don’t have loads of upper body strength nor strong wrists nor keen on handling fuel nor inhaling the fumes n or fighting with tools that won’t start etc etc)..A challenge is to understand the different Ryobi battery hedge trimmers on offer - and how to choose...We have some 300 feet of hedges on our main track alone – and other areas too - as we live on what was a farm. I am in my late 50s so tools must be light and without cords too. Our requirement is beyond the average cut in most gardens. We cut at least twice a year depending on growth.BACKGROUND: In 2017 I bought a Ryobi OHT1850X cordless extended reach hedge trimmer – ONE system battery. At the time I bought this as a compromise which I thought would work. I didn’t feel that I needed a pole trimmer and felt a standard hedge trimmer wouldn’t have enough reach. I changed my view in 2019. See below. However after 2 and a half years heavyish use the 1850HX motor burnt out, lots of smoke. In fact it had smoked a couple of times shortly after purchase in 2017 when I realised the motor didn’t seem to cut out adequately when it jammed (inevitable) – ie reached a branch slightly too tough to cut etc. I stuck with it. From that point on I was very careful and tried hard not to jam it. Also, the grey handle in the middle came loose a couple of times during my use. I had to screw it back in. The 1850 HX never seemed very powerful . It also seemed unwieldy, overall a design too compromised although it gives you some extra reach, not huge amount in my view after much use. In retrospect before the motor finally burnt out I felt it never quite worked for me overall. However I felt the machine had given back reasonable value – it has done a lot of work - and given I am bought into Ryobi ONE anyway so I considered what to replace it with in the Ryobi ONE range.REASON FOR PURCHASE IN 2019: I needed a replacement and decided to buy two machines: a Ryobi pole hedge trimmer OPT1845 (ONE system battery again) AND a more standard hedge trimmer OHT1855R (ONE system battery again). That was the right decision.To me these seem much better designed machines to the 1850HX – less prone to jamming and I suspect the motors do/will more quickly cut out if jamming is a threat - ie that aspect of motor design may have improved – Ryobi don’t say that but that’s how it seems to me. Time will tell. Both machines seem superior in design and complement each other well.The 45cm Pole trimmer has lots of reach. I have used the extension pole (ie 2.9 metres reach) and this longest length is not easy to manoeuvre but with practice it is very usable for short periods. It is heavy and does strain your arms. Without the pole the reach is still good - and somewhat easier/lighter to use - but you need to set it up for the length you need, of course at the time. We have areas of height and width that require the longest reach. This device works well in my view. This 45cm pole trimmer doesn’t seem to have a smoky breakdown if it jams a moment. I think the design of that aspect is better than my old 1850HXLikewise the OHT1855R has same attribute – feels more able to just stop and not smoke (!) and the reach of 55cm is very good. This is a very light machine, ideal for me with lots of hedging etc. I haven’t used the rotating handle just yet. The ‘Hedgetrimmer Sweep’ feature is useful too. However the priority here has always been to just have trimmers that work / last etc – I am not after the very highest quality finish. The finish is good / very good and that is fine by us. Our replacement trimmers seem to have the capability of ‘sawing’ through thicker stems too.These tools will last a fair time on the larger 5 amp batteries (third party I use), say 30-45 minutes pretty much continuous use. That aspect is no problem if you have 2-3 batteries. I have 6, more than enough as I need a break too!I use a Ryobi self propelled petrol mower for now and await a good Ryobi battery equivalent. I think that could be a long wait. I need a genuinely strong and durable battery machine and think it will be many years before one will be on sale.