[AlaninCarlisle]

Does anyone have any cautionary tales to tell? I've got quite a large amount of hedging to trim twice yearly and having borrowed a neighbour's petrol-driven trimmer, I'm quite hooked. The one I fancy is the Echo 156ES at about £299
http://www.gardenmachinerydirect.co.uk/hedge-trimmers/echo-hedge-trimmer-hc-156.html?gclid=CMqMtee-9cwCFVTnGwod3JoJwg
(£499 in a local horticultural suppliies showroom)
Any opinions please?

[AlaninCarlisle]

Well to answer my own question, these 74 year-old arms have had a hell of a work-out from it today. I'll get used to it but after half an hour's continual use at about shoulder level the thing seemed to quadruple in weight. The other problem is that your left arm, in my case my weaker one, seems to bear the full weight with your right arm guiding it and operating the throttle.
I'll just have to eat more spinach!