DEWALT 20V MAX* Hedge Trimmer, Tool Only (DCPH820B)

I am pleasantly surprised by the unit's ability to cut through thick branches, much thicker than I expected. Also, the battery life has been very good. I used it pretty much continuously for 40 minutes with a 4 Ah battery and there was still charge left. It weighs a bit more than I'd like, but if it were made lighter it wouldn't perform as well and/or the support pole would sag. Still, nearly all the weight is at the cutter end so you'll definitely get an arm workout if you cut tall bushes. This is just a heads-up not a criticism, this is pretty much unavoidable with a tool like this. Overall I think Dewalt made a good tradeoff of weight, pole length, and pole stiffness.

I just got the hedge trimmer yesterday and tried it out this morning. I trimmed a large bush with blackberry vines in it, and it worked so much better than using my weed whacker or a hand lopper. I was able to get up to the top, about 12 feet, and I cut a couple feet off the highway side of the bush for about 8 feet horizontally. The battery is still showing 3 lights for the charge, so it didn't take that much power. Very happy with it so far. The harness doesn't seem to be balanced with the tool at all, so it feels like there is a noticeable weight on the cutting end even though overall weight is only about 9 lbs with the 5 AH battery.

I have used it only once but my first impression is yes it works great and gets those awkward higher shrubs cleaned up pretty easily. I just had shoulder surgery so I thought this might help with my higher growing shrubs and it does that. My first try with the hibiscus was a bit on the choppy side. That said it is a bit awkward to handle and a bit heavy, probably after a few uses it will get easier. I already have a Dewalt hedge trimmer and use it often so I have to do some comparisons, this seems a bit more "plasticy" and as many others have said the part that does the adjusts the trimming head seems like it isn't going to last very long especially if you are a little rough with it. I think that if that were metal it might be better. All in all it is a good tool and hope for many years of use.

I am a busy landscaper, and integrated it in to my tool set today. It rained early this morning, and the head held up great to still-wet foliage. (Flip it over so the engine ports are shielded and shake the branches of water first.)The trigger segment is identical to the Pole Saw's, and the hedge-head works with the extension tube included therein. Even standing on a ladder, I found this arrangement very stable to cut branches directly overhead in a limited angular swath.The articulation of the head is excellent — I am so glad they did not constrain it to ninety degrees only : with one-hundred-eighty degrees, the trigger is always conveniently oriented relative to the head.The increase in blade aperture over the handheld Hedge-trimmer is noticeable ; works through thick poles without too much bounce — the inertia of the long pole helps keep the unit on target, here.Battery consumption is very similar to the handheld model ; a small 2AH will keep it running for a long period of spot treatment. As with the handheld, using a Flexvolt often gives the tool more power at that time the 2AH would begin lagging.In shaping a massive lilac, I found it convenient to stick the pole right into the bush, with the head at a perpendicular, and perform an oscillating motion to round the top nicely.Boxing a forty foot high Arbor Vitae was easy,and raising the skirt of a Maple tree was, frankly, playful.I have been screwing the extension pole in & out for some weeks now (with Pole Saw), and am amazed at how well designed the thread cuffs are ; solid, but quick to turn through.Very handy is the fact that, when the head is articulated in ninety degrees, the unit can be rested against a support with the handle upright — no need to bend & pick up the tool. (Think "L" shape.)Used at stock length, it is lightweight & balanced, with ridges near the trigger box which make it easy to grip the entire unit up above one's head, reaching surprising height. Yet it is also short enough to make work at ground-level convenient : I didn't even bother switching to the handheld in this range. Rests comfortably across the shoulders whilst analysing the job."Included strap" : I have a job forthcoming where I will need to hold the tool far out horizontally ; perhaps it will help, in a 'suspension' / load-bearing way. However, I say this planning to use the extension tube (from Pole Saw kit) ; stock-length used horizontally wasn't cumbersome.The average home-owner will find this a severe upgrade from the primitive rope-&-blade 'lopper' frequently used (called an Averruncator – check out the OED). Paired with the Pole Saw and a confidence on ladders, serious control of tree shape may ensue. (The handheld Hedger can then break down those piles of debris even further, filling bags with more debris.)Just don't cut your electrical mains ; I'm sure you'll do great.

Works exactly as expected. I also bought the 4x 20volt 12amp battery charger with 4 batteries. I actually trimmed all my plants in my yard, and in a second yard on just one battery.

I read the reviews and did my due diligence comparing other trimmers like this one, and I feel like I hit a home run. I’ve lived in this house for 3 1/2 years and have watched the already overgrown shrubs get further and further out of hand. Why? Because I knew once I started I would dread ever doing so :)Well, this contraption has totally changed my mind. I went out just to ‘try it out’ a few days ago on the worst and biggest of about 8 shrubs that desperately needed cut back, and was amazed. This trimmer allowed me to cut it back, shape it, and pretty much do everything I’d hoped to do with it. I’m almost 70 and have had more surgeries than I care to mention, so keeping it balanced and at times lifted up over my head to cut the tall stuff was definitely a chore for me, but they actually did a good job with the design. The safety designs built in to it are trustworthy and I really think anyone with tall or hard to reach shrubs will benefit from this trimmer. It def cuts fast and some of the branches I cut were larger than 1”.Like others have said, if you get the right batteries this thing can cut all day on a single charge. Unfortunately, the batteries and a DeWalt charger cost more than the tool itself, but now that I’ve tried it, all I can say is it is worth it.Buy this trimmer. I really don’t think you will be disappointed.

It gets the job done but man does it feel cheaply made. The neck feels like it may snap off at any second and wobbles around. Holds a charge for hours of continuous use. Wish it had more options for lengths.