Comparison Bosch AHS 45-16 0600847A00 vs AL-KO GS 3.7 Li

— Bush cutter. In this case, classic hedge trimmers are devices that are equipped only with bush attachments (see "Attachments") and do not have long rods like those used in pole saws (see below). In full accordance with the name, they are designed to work with shrubs — both individual plants and hedges. They are available in various power and power options.

— For bushes/grass. This type includes compact battery-powered devices that have relatively low power and are not designed for difficult working conditions. Usually they are able to work with two types of nozzles — for bushes and for grass (see below) — however, not all models are regularly equipped with both nozzles. Anyway, tools of this type are intended more for decorative processing of vegetation than for serious garden work; this is due to both low power and limited battery life (for more details on both points, see below).

— Altitude cutter. As the name implies, this type of machine is designed to work at high heights from the ground, for example, to trim the branches of fruit trees. Their main distinguishing feature is their long length, which is usually ensured by the presence of a characteristic rod in the design. Thanks to this, you can easily reach most branches, even on a fairly tall tree (or to the edge of a tall hedge), without once again resorting to ladders or other similar devices. Most often, pole saws are equipped wit...h saw blades (see "Nozzles"), however, there are options with nozzles for bushes.

— Power grid. Powered by a conventional 230 V household mains. This option allows you to create quite powerful models, which are also much cheaper and easier to operate than gasoline ones, are quieter, weigh less and do not create exhaust gases. Of course, you will need an external power source for operation, and the battery life of the tool will be limited by the length of the power cord. At the same time, many modern "network" brush cutters are equipped with very long cords — about 20-30 m — which, moreover, can be supplemented with extension cords; and the 230 V network is distributed almost everywhere, from elite private houses to small summer cottages. However, the power cord has another significant drawback: it can create inconvenience when moving around the site (especially if there is thick grass hiding it). In addition, a tool with such a power supply has increased safety requirements: it cannot be used in wet weather, and special care must be taken during operation so as not to snag the power cable. Also, the power of electric models is generally slightly lower than that of gasoline ones.

— Battery. Powered by its own built-in battery. In terms of their main advantages, such models are similar to network brush cutters (see above): they do not create excessive noise and exhaust gases, are easy to maintain and cheap to operate. At the same time, the battery gives one important advantage — ba...ttery life: the tool does not require a constant connection to the network and works without a power cord, which ensures freedom of movement. On the other hand, such hedge trimmers are quite expensive, have a lot of weight (due to the battery), and their power is low and suitable only for relatively simple work. In addition, it is necessary to mention the limited period of work — in most models it is about 40-50 minutes, and even less if the working nozzle is heavily loaded or dirty. When the battery runs out of charge, it will have to be charged again, which will require a power source and can take quite a long time. Therefore, it is worth specifically looking for a battery model only if complex work is not planned, and freedom of movement plays a decisive role for you.

— Gas engine. The main advantage of a petrol engine can be called high power. Due to this, such brush cutters easily cope even with complex tasks that are beyond the power of electric models. In addition, such engines do not depend on external power sources and require only the presence of fuel in the tank to operate. However, gasoline tools have a number of disadvantages: heavy weight, high noise level, harmful exhaust gases, as well as difficulty in maintenance and high fuel costs. Therefore, this type of engine is found mainly in professional models that need to combine maximum battery life with high performance.

- For bushes. An attachment designed for cutting thin branches, typical of most shrubs. The general principle of operation of such a device is similar to hair clippers: there are two sets of teeth located close to each other, one of them is stationary, and the second moves back and forth at high speed during operation. As a result, each pair of movable and fixed teeth works like scissors, cutting leaves and branches that fall under the blades. The nozzle itself looks like a blade stretched forward, with teeth on both sides of it; this allows you to move it in any direction during work - to the right or left, depending on the situation. It is worth noting that bush attachments are capable of coping with branches up to 2-3 cm (depending on engine power), however, they are still not designed for use as full-fledged saw.

- For grass. Attachments designed for cutting grass and leaves. Like bush ones (see above), they use two rows of teeth; and in general, a hedge trimmer with such an attachment is similar to an enlarged clipper, only not for hair, but for grass. It is worth noting that it is not capable of replacing a full-fledged lawn mower: the cutting width most often does not exceed 20 cm, and the devices themselves are usually small battery-powered models (see “Power”) and are not designed to work with large areas. Their main purpose is the decorative treatment of small flower beds, as well as edges...that a regular lawn mower cannot reach.

— Saw blade. Such attachments are very similar to the working element of a chain saw: an elongated rounded base (bar), along the edge of which cutting teeth move during operation. They are designed for cutting thick branches that conventional bush attachments cannot handle (see above), and are used primarily in pole pruners (see “Type”).

The length of the bar usually refers to the total length of the brush attachment or saw blade (see Attachments) supplied with the hedge trimmer. The longer the tire, the longer the cut that the tool can make at a time. In general, it is believed that a short length is typical for entry-level tools, while professional ones are equipped with larger attachments. However, here you need to take into account that the choice depends not only on the scale, but also on the specifics of the intended work: long attachments are less maneuverable and less suitable for topiary trimming of bushes. In addition, the cost of a brush cutter also largely depends on this parameter.

The distance between the individual teeth of the shrub attachment (see "Tips") supplied with the tool. The larger the pitch of the teeth, the easier the tool will cope with thick branches, however, the quality of the work will be quite rough. Conversely, more densely spaced teeth work "cleaner" but are less suited to tough conditions and large branches.

Hedge trimmer motor power expressed in watts.

The performance of the tool primarily depends on the engine power, and this concept includes both the overall speed of work and the ability to cope with difficult tasks like cutting thick branches. Therefore, when choosing, it is necessary to take into account both the general volumes of the planned work and the material with which you will have to deal. For example, a powerful hedge trimmer may be needed even if it is only a few metres of hedge — if the branches in this hedge are quite thick. On the other hand, "more powerful" does not always mean "better" — after all, this parameter affects the weight, energy consumption (or fuel consumption) and the price of the tool.

If we talk about specific numbers, then the optimal power for most household tasks will be about 400-600 watts. Battery models (see "Power"), designed for small amounts of work in simple conditions, may have less power, and in gasoline models (see ibid.), on the contrary, it can reach 900 – 1000 watts.

In addition to watts, power can also be expressed in horsepower; this designation is traditionally used in gasoline engines. 1 HP approximately equal to 735 watts.

The frequency of movement of the teeth in bush or grass attachments (see "Tips"). The design of most of these tools is such that for one revolution of the engine, the teeth make one complete cycle of movement back and forth; therefore, the stroke rate is usually determined by the speed of rotation of the engine and is indicated in revolutions per minute.

It is believed that the quality of the tool’s work largely depends on this parameter: the more often the stroke, the cleaner the cut will be. Ratings up to 2200 rpm are usually typical for entry-level devices, up to 2800 rpm are average, and advanced models can have speeds of 3400 rpm and even higher.

Operating voltage of the battery in a battery-powered hedge trimmer (see above). This parameter is usually selected by the manufacturer according to the characteristics of the engine: the greater the power, the greater, the battery voltage is likely to be. In fact, voltage data may be needed only if the battery fails and it will be necessary to replace it with an equivalent one. In addition, there are formulas that allow you to roughly estimate the battery life depending on the battery voltage, its capacity and the power of the tool; they can be found in special sources.

The capacity of the battery that comes standard with the battery-powered hedge trimmer (see above). Expressed in amp-hours, one ampere-hour means that the battery is capable of delivering 1 amp for 1 hour.

Last but not least, the battery life of the tool depends on the capacity of the battery. However, it is impossible to directly evaluate the battery life of a brush cutter by this parameter: the fact is that it depends on a number of other factors, ranging from engine power and battery operating voltage to the degree of complexity of work and contamination of the nozzle. Therefore, it makes sense to compare different models with each other in terms of battery capacity only if they do not have significant differences in other characteristics. But at the same time, brush cutters with a capacious battery a priori allow the device to work more.