GARCARE 2 in 1 Electric Pole Hedge Trimmer Corded 18 inch Blade 4.8Amp 600W

I have a 50' row of Arborvitae shrubs that are 15' tall and 8' to 10' wide, and the kicker is that you can't get to the back side of the shurbs, so all trimming must be done from one side. As you can guess, giving them a haircut is quite a job. In the past I have rented a long handled gas powered trimmer, but when I tried to rent it this year they said that it had broken and since there was hardly any demand for it, they weren't going to replace it. A couple of years ago I paid a lawn care guy to trim them for me but that cost me $500, so I wasn't wanting to do that again. So, after researching online I bought the GarCare pole hedge trimmer. Just got through trimming the shrubs so thought I'd post a review while it is still fresh in my memory. I obviously can't speak to longevity of the device, but I can definitely speak to the features. Ok, let's start with the CONS: For me, there's only one, actually. As others have stated, it is definitely heavy, especially if, as I did, you are standing on the 2nd from top step of a 14' ladder and using the trimmer in fully extended mode, trying to reach the far side of a 10' wide row of shrubs. It's doable, but it's definitely not easy. It would be really terrific if they made a model with the electric motor at the end of the handle (like the long pole gas trimmers) rather than at the cutting blade, although I know that raises the complexity of the device. In any case, I almost don't want to list this as a "CON" because the device definitely works as designed and intended. It might be better to call it an "observation" rather than a "con", but it's definitely something to be aware of if you are looking at purchasing this trimmer. Ok, now for the PROS: The "laser" cutting blade is SHARP!!!! This thing cut through my 1/2 to 3/4" thick shrub stems with ease. This is extremely important since, as noted above, when you are holding this at full extension you want it to cut fast so that you don't have to hold it fully extended any longer than necessary. This thing just blazed through my shrubs. Amazing! The build quality seems to be excellent. I was a bit worried that something that extends as long as this does might be flimsy when extended, but it isn't. The slider connections are solid and well designed and the tube slider slides effortlessly. I was constantly adjusting the length from as short as possible to full extension while standing on the aforementioned 14' ladder and never had a problem getting the adjustment that I needed. So, in summary, this trimmer was a terrific purchase! Hopefully it will stand the test of time, since I plan on using it for years to come. Unless, of course, they come with a model with the motor built into the handle end... ;)

Instructions were horrendously unclear and the print is tiny. This model and the one without the telescopic tube are both presented together and they don't make clear which one a given step applies to. Many of the features in the description didn't seem to match what's on the product as a result. The telescopic tube was hard to pull out and snapped back inside the tube when I let it go. I googled "Garcare GPHT07 assembly" and found a video that was helpful enough to figure out the assembly, and there really isn't much to it, thankfully, although in the demonstration the tube doesn't snap back inside when it's extended - still don't understand why mine does. But once I put it together, I have to say it worked great. I've only used it once so far but was able to trim four large hedges, one of them about 12 feet tall or more, in under an hour (they were very overgrown). The product is heavy, but I expected that due to the design.

Just got this and tested it out. Awesome 2 in 1 tool. I have an old B&D battery operated trimmer which did an adequate job, but this Garcare is a killer. The trimmer blade is sharp and the gap between teeth is twice on my old B&D and cuts like hot knife through butter, actually cutting some lot thicker brush that I used to have to cut with a large 2-handed manual hedge trimmer. The 20" blade is great. This thing can be hooked up to a telescoping pole to reach about twice your height. It has an adjustable handle and harness you can slide up and down for your personal grip. A nice added touch is the hex wrench to adjust handle/harness has its own built on holder, so its always available. The blade end actually rotates 90 degrees each way as well as up and down (mostly down). This made it easy to do vertical hedges w/o twisting your hands and arms around. The one downside is when it is fully extended it can get top-heavy and awkward after a bit, especially if you are fat and out of shape. lol. But adjusting the handle and strap (around your shoulder) and then sorta propped on your hip makes it pretty easy. Keep in mind the motor is then way up in the air which is to be expected for a 2 for 1 tool. And you can telescope it for various lengths as needed. Its easy to assemble or disassemble if you need a short hand held or higher trimmer. Im very pleased, and actually enjoyed trimming for about an hour yesterday. This was my least favorite yard core, but now its 'fun', if yard work is your idea of fun. ;-)

I have been using a gas hedge trimmer for years. It does a good job but is very,very heavy. We have a bush in our front yard that is about 10 feet tall. In the past I have to drag out the ladder, fire up the trimmer and stand on the ladder to trim the top and sides of this bush. I cannot reach the back closest to the house from the ladder so I have to climb through the bush. A few weeks ago I lost my balance and thought for sure I was going to end up in the bush with the trimmer. I decided enough was enough and went on a mission to find something different. I was very intrigued with this trimmer. The concept of being able to stand on solid ground and reach not only the top but all sides of the bush. I love the way with the push of a button the head pivots to multiple different angles. The telescoping handle allows me to extend the trimmer for trimming where I could never reach before. It is lightweight which for me is a big deal as I am a medium sized woman. I am extremly pleased with my purchase and the fact that I will no longer be entertainment for all my neighbors!!!!

Have been climbing ladders with a small hedge trimmer for too long. The shrubs were getting taller and I wasn't. Finally decided to purchase a long pole hedge trimmer. Do yourself a favor if considering the same, and view some YouTube videos first. This product was well rated and rightfully so. It's blades are sharp and cut my work time in half, without needing a ladder. The cons: as others have said, it IS top-heavy. But I only have a small number of shrubs to tackle, so I can put up with that. The instructions (photo) are poorly written, but with patience they can be understood. The should strap (photo) was not properly sewed, which doesn't reflect well on Quality Control. The shoulder strap was so confusing, I needed to consult a YouTube video (even the people in the video seemed confused); the instructions contained no info as to how to fit, or wear the strap. The holder (photo) is poorly designed, in that the shoulder strap overlaps the actual holder; and since it is hard plastic, the pole trimmer usually slides out suddenly, risking a jab to the stomach or possibly lower. In all, it cuts well and does the trick, if you trim a small amount once or twice a year.

I purchased this pole hedge trimmer in December 2024. It had longest pole I could find as well as the longest trimmer. It has great operational as well as safety features. The blades are very sharp. It was exactly what I was looking for. Before purchase, I read the 1 star comments first and I thought two were a little unfair. First, thanks to laws of physics, when you put an powerful electric motor with 18 inch metal cutter on the end of an 8 foot pole, it's going to be a little awkward to move around. That's what the shoulder strap is for. It was not that hard to figure out how to use it. Second, yes, the pole retracts because the power cord inside is coiled, like telephone handset cable. (That's a clever "dual use" design idea in my opinion.) If you don't want the pole extension to retract, you simply tighten the large orange knob. I thought that was pretty easy to figure out. A valid criticism is that the owner's manual could use a little work, but I wouldn't have even looked at it, if I hadn't read the reviews. After four months, my unit developed an intermittent open circuit when held at various angles. Garcare replaced it within a week--which was pretty amazing. They were really on top their email and responded quickly. I took apart the old unit and discovered it was extremely well designed, with high quality parts, and no corners being cut. I was impressed. What I found was that when I was tying the unit's short power cord into a knot with the extension cord, a practice that it somewhat typical for corded garden tools, I was bending the unit power cord to sharply--over and over--so the neutral wire inside the unit power cord broke. So don't tie a knot with your unit's cord and the extension cord. The upside was that I was able to by a new, longer power cord for the unit itself for about $8 on Amazon and easily replaced it because of the solid design. Now I have two, almost new, working units. I would buy this unit again, all things considered. If I needed something else made by Garcare, I would buy it from them.

To begin with, I am a 65 year-old woman so, for all of you who might think that this tool is too heavy for you, you CAN do it. I have had the trimmer for about four months and have used it about four times. My problem with it is not its considerable weight, its the very poorly designed on/off switch. It is so awkward that i got tendonitis in my right thumb, and i do not use it for prolonged periods of time. There is some assembly involved, unfortunately. The most challenging for me was futzing around with placement of the handle for your non-dominant hand, trying to get it in a comfortable location using the stupid little hex-wrench that is included. The blades seem very sharp and work well when you can get them in the right position - not always an easy task when you are working over your head in areas that you cannot see well. In short, its a pain in the butt but, if it keeps me from killing myself falling off a ladder, its a worthwhile investment. Added comment 4/2025 - this trimmer just died so, if youre interested in knowing how durable it is, mine lasted just under 7 years (2018 - 2025) & i would say that i used it frequently. It kept me off a ladder, so thats a plus. RIP, garcare pole trimmer!

While the build quality of this trimmer is impressive—boasting a solid construction and a refreshingly intuitive setup—it does suffer from some ergonomic hurdles. As is common with tools in this category, the unit is notably tip-heavy, which can lead to forearm fatigue during longer sessions. However, the most significant drawback is the cutting power. Despite its sleek design, the blades struggled immensely with the dense foliage of my Holly bushes. It’s well-engineered in many respects, but unfortunately, 'razor-sharp' simply isn't a descriptor I would use for this factory edge.