What do I go for for Christmas?

I recently heard I am near the top of the waiting list and will get my own allotment soon. All those currently not worked are absolute jungles with very overgrown hedges on 4 sides. It would be nice to have it cleared for the newbie but apparently this is not the norm. I could use some recommendations on what to get myself as a Christmas pressie. I thought about a petrol hedge cutter, a petrol strimmer or a combi setup with attachments for different jobs.

 My concern with the combi setup is the compromise between something that does everything but does nothing very well and will it last?

A strimmer would be helpful to clear the ground and let me cover some while I get on and dig- but I imagine it probably will not cope with brambles. Do I need a brushcutter?

The hedgecutter will not cope with removing the thickness of the initial cut I need to remove (I will need to use loppers) but should sort the rest out.

With a budget of say £150 am I better spending it on something that does one job well or both less well? .

Since you only want it once - hire the brush cutter.  A half days hire and it will all be chopped off and then you can have a big bonfire.   See tips elsewhere on that ....    Chop back the hedge with the lopers, chuck the branches on the fire and then you can see what you have got.

Spend your Christmas money on a good spade and fork and shears, hoe and sharpening stone.  All those roots are going to have to be dug out and then the plot dug each year.  The hedge will need cutting next year, but once you have lopped it this year the worse is done.  Good tools will keep on going and going and going.  Unlike my back!  

With that budget I'd agree with previous posts. I had a stihl combi (left it with Bro-in-law when we moved) which was brilliant but over £500 (we had 200m of huge privet hedge to maintain so I reckon paid for itself in 2 years)...

cheaper types are often horrible design - a mcullogh needed total disassembly to change the pull-cord!

M

Hire a petrol strimmer with blade attachment, that will take care off all your weeds including brambles.  Then put the rest of your budget towards a decent fork, spade, hoe and rake.

Thanks for the ideas guys - a friend is loaning me his combo ryobi setup so I can have a play with this and try it out. I dont think it has a brush cutter bit but does have a strimmer and hedgecutter so I will see how it performs and perhaps buy one if it does the biz!

Thanks for the replies - just to bring you all up to date -I got my new plot on Christmas Eve and after looking round at stimmers etc I bought a little 2 stroke generator. I have used it a few times now and for £49.95 it has meant I can plug in my electric hedgecutter and strimmer and I have made a real dent in the jungle that is my new plot. As the last person said - "how long do they perform ok for" is a key issue. However for the price I think I would have paid this much to hire a brush cutter and still had the hedge to deal with. The generator is small enough to carry on when I need to use it since I would not leave any power tools on the site.
Cheers!

sorry but on my high-horse!!!!!!!!!!!!!
do it by hand!!!!!!
had a caravan in a quiet valley in wales for many years so relaxing and peaceful till mains elec arrived!!!! then every w'end lawnmwers etc on the go non-stop!!!
 i know it hard when u just starting off(beeen there) but enjoy the peace and quiet and the veg will come!!!!

my plot just got a grant and genny tools etc on the way and like many i'm not too happy!!!!!!!!!!!!