A Real Workhorse of a Garden Hedge Trimmer

WeedEater is a company that designs, manufactures, and sells home outdoor power equipment, such as garden hedge trimmers, edgers, blowers and, trimmers (otherwise known as weed whackers). Primarily, WeedEater is known for the production of trimmers which seem to "eat up" the weeds and grasses that it comes into contact with (hence the name of the company).

(If you are interested in seeing more WeedEater products, take a look at their website, http://www.poulanpro.com.)

Considering that the model HT1700 hedge trimmer is manufactured by a company that has such a long history of producing quality gardening equipment, you would expect that they will make some outstanding items for use by the general public. Well, that expectation is fully met with this powerful garden hedge trimmer. For those who have never used a hedge trimmer before, don't worry. They are nowhere near as complicated to use as you might think; all you really need to do is keep in mind a few basic safety measures. Here are my thoughts (and the experiences) that I had while using the WeedEater model HT1700.

• Ease of use. When I first received the model HT1700 hedge trimmer, I couldn't wait to try it out. Since I had never used this particular model before, I wasn't exactly sure of what to expect. However, I needn't have worried. This garden hedge trimmer was probably one of the easiest to use that I have ever come across. After only a brief read-through of the owner's manual, I was able to start using it. Since this trimmer is an electric one, I didn't need to worry about filling the gas tank. All I had to do was plug it in and begin cutting.
• Maintenance. From what I can tell, this hedge trimmer is a fairly easy one to maintain. I say this because with the model HT1700 being an electric powered one, I don't need to worry about getting the fuel mixture right. I also don't even need to worry about keeping any fuel on hand for it to work. About the only thing I need to do is wipe down the blade with a damp cloth after I am done using the trimmer. As with any power tool though, I would recommend taking the HT1700 to a professional for periodic deep maintenance (such as blade sharpening and lubrication).
• Pros. This hedge trimmer has several things going for it. The first is that it is a fairly light weight machine that you don't need to be particularly muscular to use. Considering that I have a very bad shoulder, this was a huge benefit for me. In addition, since this is an electric-powered model, you don't need to worry about any added weight from a gas powered motor. The second item in this garden hedge trimmer's favor is that it comes with a see-through shield attached near the handle. This allows you to protect your hands and still easily see where you are cutting. Finally, I really appreciated the compact size of the model, it has a 17 inch blade that allowed me to get in nice and close for some fine detail work while I was trimming.
• Cons. No matter how nice a tool is, and this hedge trimmer is one of the nicer ones I have worked with, there are always going to be a few drawbacks. There were two main problems that I saw with the model HT1700. The first is that you have to press down on a thumb switch while also pulling on the trigger to start it. While I understand that this is a safety feature, it did make starting the trimmer a little frustrating at times. The second drawback is that, while this is an electric garden hedge trimmer, it is not a cordless one. What this means is that you need to not only have a decent length extension cable (I used a 50 foot one), you also need to keep an eye on that cord at all times so you don't accidentally cut it.
• Overall experience. Finally, my overall experience with WeedEater model HT1700 was a positive one. In fact, I would recommend this as a great general purpose hedge trimmer to have around the home. It is extremely versatile, and can easily cut just about any branch that can fit within the tines of the blade (the owner's manual states that it can cut up to a 3/4-inch branch with no problem).