Tools for Manual Hedge Trimming

I have 25 feet of Euonymus japonica ‘Green Spire’ that I like to keep short for display purposes. This is a great shrub for privacy hedging because it is evergreen, and a ‘no trim’ hedge if you want it to achieve its natural height and width of 6-8ft high x 1-2ft wide. 

‘Green Spire’ grows far quicker than any of the Arborvitae that are usually used in the USA, and is far more suitable for smaller lots and close to buildings because of its predictable mature size that can be maintained at any height and width you choose. 

This cultivar is a ‘no gap’ hedge with dense foliage as thick at the base as it is at the top. It is sufficiently thick to deter small dogs from pushing their way through. 

The photo below shows what was removed from an 8ft section 2ft wide, using:

• Loppers for the thicker stems that were too wide for the hedge clippers or secateurs to cut.

• Secateurs for the stems that were not positioned well for the hedge clippers or loppers to work.

• Manual hedge trimmers for most of it.

• A leaf rake to “flick and pick” debris from in and around the cut hedge.

It took 20 minutes from start to finish to trim that 8ft section, and given the other plants and obstacles that had to be worked around, I doubt that it would have been any quicker with powered tools for manual hedge trimming.

E. japonica ‘Green Spire’ hedge before trimming. Approximately 18 months since its last trim. Photo by Judith Paul.

E. japonica ‘Green Spire’ hedge after trimming. This section took 20 minutes with manually operated tools. Photo by Judith Paul.

Let’s look at the cost of doing this work yourself versus getting a contractor to do it.

First, the equipment. The money that I have spent on equipment that hasn’t lasted a season could probably have paid for a lifetime of good-quality items that last for decades with basic care. Heaven knows I understand the realities of purchasing cheaply because that’s all I could afford at the time, but if you’re in a position to purchase better quality – do that!

• A pair of loppers costs $25 - $80. Good value for money can be achieved with a budget of $30-$50.

• Mid-size secateurs (around 8” long) can be purchased for less than $10 and can go well over $70. A price point of $40-50 should get you a good quality pair.

• Hedge shears can range from around $25 to well over $100, but there is also a wide range of variables in design that account for some of this. An average length with a standard design is achievable for $50-80.

• Leaf rakes can be found for under $10 and go as high as $60. I have had good service from the cheaper ones at $20-30.

If you are starting with no equipment, a budget of $175 for manual hedge and shrub cutting gear can achieve the basics, but on top of this you might want to (or need to) calculate the cost of your time and how you are going to dispose of the garden waste when the job is done.

Each contractor has their own way of pricing a job. In addition to overheads, there is also travel time and distance, an hourly rate (or per person rate), clean-up and disposal costs, and a consideration for the tools that will be used. When I price a job, I also give consideration to the type of garden waste that will be produced. Anything full of prickles and thorns, or that will need to be cut with a chainsaw to get it on the trailer, may cost a bit more. 

In my area, a full day’s work by one competent contractor is likely to cost around $800 per day, with a half day at $400-500. The reason a half day is sometimes not always half the cost of a full day is that it may not be feasible to cover the day’s overheads with another job scheduled before or after. Even if a series of ‘small’ jobs is booked for the same day, travel time and mileage between them may cost a lot more than a whole day spent at the same location. 

A competent local contractor with relevant skills and all the necessary licenses and insurance is definitely not going to be as cheap as hiring anyone with a pulse who’s willing to “give it a go”. The reality is that good work is done by good workers who deserve to be well paid for their effort.

This means that the options are to buy the equipment yourself for around $175 or pay twice that (or more) for someone to do the work for you. 

The kicker is when good money is paid for a bad job. Avoid this by knowing enough to ask the right questions to establish basic competencies. Our blog called “Quizzing the Gardening Contractor” provides some suggestions about how to do this.

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Article by

Judith Paul

Hi, I'm Judith Paul, with a gardening style best described as “Oooo, there’s a gap over here!” My work history is equally unpredictable (possibly even quirky) and ranges from pulling eel-infested cow carcasses out of creeks to managing multi-million-dollar projects across various industries. I’m a Kiwi (referring to the iconic flightless bird of NZ, not the fruit) who has also lived in Australia. Currently, I run a licensed and inspected plant propagation nursery in North Carolina (USA) when I’m not teaching, writing, or editing.