I agree with CQ; trimmers will not last long if asked to do the job of cutters, even if they do claim to be able to tackle branches nearly the size of the gap between the blades. On the other hand you don't want anything so heavy that it puts you off using them.
I have a 100' rear garden with privet hedges on 3 sides and can do the whole lot with a Bosch AHS 52ACCU rechargeable trimmer using both rechargeable batteries supplied. No more aggravating (and sliced-through!) cables and of course it's handy for the little trimming jobs where you just can't be bothered messing around with extensions and cables.
Downsides (apart from remembering to recharge the batteries!) is that a pair of replacement batteries cost as much as the whole appliance did originally, the cutting speed is slower than mains-powered versions, and as a trimmer I wouldn't expect it to last long hacking my way through a jungle!