The best Fiskars hedge trimmers, compared.
Top pick: Fiskars PowerGear2 23 inch Best value: Fiskars PowerGear X HSX92 – Geared shear at the same about £17.51 shelf price, score 77, excluding the top score. Updated 22.10.2026.
A hedge trimmer of this kind is a manual hedge shear: two blades, two handles, and no motor or mains plug. In the UK you buy one to shape a garden hedge or a few shrubs when a powered cutter is more machine than the job needs. You tell a suitable shear apart by the mechanism, the reach, the weight, and whether the edges meet. A plain pivot suits a short, regularly cut hedge. A wavy edge is meant to hold a stem while the handles close. Gearing eases a long session of green growth, and it also means a wider handle opening. A telescopic handle reaches the top of a hedge you can still trim from the ground, and it is not a ladder. Soft annual shoots suit a sharp shear. Thick wood notches a blade or snaps a plastic gear, and that stem wants a lopper. Check that the cutting edges meet, and keep the shear in a dry shed. The [buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/fiskars-hedge-trimmer/sub/fiskars-hedge-trimmer-buying-guide) sets out pivot, wave, gear and reach.
A hedge trimmer of this kind is a manual hedge shear: two blades, two handles, and no motor or mains plug.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you cutting?
This PowerGear2, model 392861-1002, sits at about £17.51 with 4.6 from 2,225 and a listed size of 23 inch, about 58.4 cm on the dimensions cell. A 10 inch blade is claimed in a bullet, along with a low-friction coating, and the weight cell says 1.11 kg. Almost all of the sampled review text is from outside the United Kingdom: only 2 of the first 50 blocks are marked UK, and those two mention damaged packaging and no way to set blade tension. The listing carries an international-seller note, so the pair that arrives may not match the photos. Handle-material cells disagree, and the warranty cell is empty. It is not the HS72, which is model 1000596 at about £26.31. The star count looks decisive until you notice how little of the sample was written in the UK.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A geared shear at the entry price if you accept that the review text is mostly not from the UK
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a UK-written review sample or an adjustable pivot
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the same as the HS72?
No. This listing is model 392861-1002, size 23 inch, about £17.51. The HS72 is model 1000596 at about £26.31.
Are the reviews from the UK?
2 of the first 50 review blocks are marked United Kingdom. The star line is 4.6 from 2,225.
Can you adjust the blade tension?
A UK review says there is no tension adjustment. The listing does not describe one.
At about £17.51 the SingleStep HS22 is a wavy-blade hedge shear about 58 cm long, and it carries the strongest mix of stars and United Kingdom review text in this set. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.6 from 1,674, and 39 of the first 50 review blocks are marked United Kingdom. The wavy edge is the practical difference from a plain pivot: it is meant to hold a stem while you close the handles, which is the job on a short garden hedge. A minority of those UK reviews describe tips that stay open or an edge that dulls, so a high star line does not prove the pair arrived straight. The spec block lists 710 g while the contents line says 840 g, and the model cell 1057788 does not match the contents article 1001433. One buyer was told the shear was made in China, while the origin cell says Finland. The box is the HS22 only; the listing points to a separate diamond file in kit 1001640. The two-year warranty cell is the listing’s figure, not a lifetime UK guarantee.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short garden hedge or bush where you want a simple wavy shear and a large UK review count
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the blades to meet for lawn edging, or who wants a geared action
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the HS22?
The listing states 58 cm. The spec block weight is 710 g and the contents line says 840 g.
Does the wavy blade come with a sharpener?
No. The bullet points to a separate diamond file in kit 1001640.
Are the reviews mostly from the UK?
39 of the first 50 review blocks are marked United Kingdom. The star line is 4.6 from 1,674.
The 9181 Power-Lever is a steel-handle shear listed at about £39.08 and 1.18 kg, about 58.4 cm, with 4.6 from 553. The bullet says the lever makes cutting up to two times easier than a single pivot, which is marketing copy on the listing, not a measurement in this file. None of the first 50 review blocks are marked United Kingdom, and the page warns that international stock may differ, so the star line is a poor guide to a UK garden. Shock-absorbing bumpers are claimed, and a cutting-width cell says 10 inches. The model cell says 391814-1008 while the part number says 391814-1002. A rust-resistant coating is claimed, and the warranty cell is empty. It is a steel-handle option if you do not need UK-written reviews, and it is a heavy listing next to the plastic-handled HS22 at about £17.51.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A steel-handle shear if you do not need UK-written reviews to decide
Less suitable: A light plastic-handled shear, or anyone comparing on UK review text
Specifications
Common questions
What is the Power-Lever claim?
The bullet says the lever makes cutting up to two times easier than a single pivot. That is marketing copy on the listing, not a measurement in this file.
Are there UK reviews in the raw sample?
No. None of the first 50 review blocks are marked United Kingdom. The star line is still 4.6 from 553.
Which model number is on the listing?
The model cell says 391814-1008. The part number says 391814-1002.
The PowerGear II HS72 is the geared shear UK reviewers describe as light and kinder on sore hands, listed at about £26.31 and about 57 cm, with 4.6 from 492. Every review in the 50-block sample is from the United Kingdom, the fullest UK sample of any geared row here. The spec block says 630 g and the contents line says 720 g, so the light claim depends on which cell you read. The same UK reviews are where the plastic centre joint or cog wears or snaps, especially when the shear is forced onto thick wood. The handle opening is wider than a plain pivot, which is part of the geared action and also why a short reach can feel awkward. A non-stick coating is claimed, and no sharpener is in the box; the bullet points to kit 1001640. The two-year warranty cell matches several other rows. It is not a lopper, even where the listing rank sits under loppers.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Green hedge growth when you want the geared action and will not force thick wood
Less suitable: Heavy woody stems, or anyone who needs a spare gear wheel in the box
Specifications
Common questions
Why do reviews mention a plastic gear?
UK reviews describe a plastic centre joint or cog that wears or snaps, especially on thick wood. Some other reviews report many years of light use.
What is the listed weight?
The spec block says 630 g. The contents line says 720 g.
Is a sharpener in the box?
No. The bullet points to maintenance kit 1001640, sold separately.
This telescopic listing, model 91696935J, is about £56.10 with 4.5 from 3,217, the largest review count in the set. The raw sample does not support reading that count as UK opinion: one United Kingdom review says they work well, and the other 49 of the first 50 were written elsewhere. The weight cell says 454 g, which conflicts with reviews that call the same tool heavy, so do not plan a long session on that figure. The manufacturer cell says BFF while the title says Fiskars. Stated travel of the handles is missing from the comparison fields, even though reviews written outside the UK describe extendable handles. Hardened steel is the blade-material cell, and the warranty cell is empty. At a price close to the SmartFit, the SmartFit is the telescopic row with a full UK sample; this one is only sensible if you can check reach and weight in person.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you can check reach and weight in person, because the listing cells conflict
Less suitable: Anyone choosing from UK review text or from a reliable weight
Specifications
Common questions
How much does the listing say it weighs?
454 g. Reviews from outside the UK call the same tool heavy. Do not treat 454 g as settled.
Who is the manufacturer on the listing?
The manufacturer cell says BFF. The title says Fiskars.
Is the 3,217-review line a UK sample?
The star line is on the amazon.co.uk page. Only 1 of the first 50 review blocks is marked United Kingdom.
The PowerGear X HSX92 is the geared shear at the same about £17.51 shelf price as the wavy HS22, so the gear does not come with the HS72’s about £26.31. It is listed at about 63 cm, with a claimed non-stick coating and a high-carbon blade, and the star line is 4.5 from 638. UK reviews in the sample praise the cut on ivy and beech, which is the green growth this mechanism is for. The same sample includes a blade that snapped and a plastic cog backing that split, so the gear is not a free pass onto thick wood. Only 14 of the first 50 reviews are from the United Kingdom, a thinner UK sample than the HS22 or the HS72. Weight disagrees inside the listing: the spec block says 960 g and the contents line says 1.1 kg. The warranty cell says twenty-five years, which the other Fiskars rows here do not match, and Fiskars’ UK FAQ does not describe a lifetime guarantee in Europe. It is a manual tool, with no battery and no charger in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who wants a geared Fiskars shear at the entry shelf price and will stay on green growth
Less suitable: Heavy woody stems, or anyone who needs the warranty cell to match Fiskars’ other rows
Specifications
Common questions
Does the HSX92 include a battery?
No. It is a manual geared shear. The listing does not include a battery or a charger.
What warranty does the listing state?
The warranty cell says twenty-five years. Other Fiskars rows in this set say two years or zero months.
How much does it weigh?
The spec block says 960 g. The contents line says 1.1 kg.
The SmartFit HS86 is the telescopic shear with a full UK review sample: about £59.65, 4.5 from 516, and all 50 sampled reviews from the United Kingdom. The bullet states a handle range of 68–93 cm at 1.25 kg, which is the reach you are paying for on a hedge you can still do from the ground. The included-components line says 925 mm, which is not the same figure as 93 cm, so measure the open handles before you plan a tall face. UK reviews praise that reach and also describe a handle that slipped down the tang, a blade notched on hawthorn, and a chipped edge. A non-stick coating is claimed, and the warranty cell says two years. At this price against shears near £17.51, it earns its place only when the extra reach is the job. It is still a manual shear, with no motor, and the listing rank sits under secateurs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: The top and far side of a hedge you can trim with both feet on the ground
Less suitable: A short hedge, or woody stems that need a lopper
Specifications
Common questions
How far do the handles extend?
The bullet says 68–93 cm. The included-components line says 925 mm. Those figures are not the same.
Does it include a non-stick coating?
The listing claims a non-stick coating. It does not claim a battery or a motor.
What went wrong in UK reviews?
Reviews describe a handle that slipped down the tang, a notched blade on hawthorn, and a chipped edge. Many others praise the reach.
The Solid HS21 is the everyday fixed shear in this set, listed at about £20.90, about 59 cm and 780 g, with a soft-touch handle and no gear. The star line is 4.4 from 2,001, and 48 of the first 50 reviews are from the United Kingdom, the largest UK-written sample here. Reviewers describe a clean cut on an ordinary hedge and also pairs whose blades do not meet, arrived bent, or showed rust. Little cushion from the rubber stops comes up in those complaints, so a long session can still jar your hands. The blade-type cell says anvil while the bullets describe a hedge shear, and the blade-material cell says stainless steel against a hardened-steel bullet. A blade-length cell of 1 cm is not a usable length. The warranty cell says two years and the origin cell says China. Check that the edges meet when it arrives; several UK reviews say that gap is exactly where lawn edging fails.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Ordinary hedge and bush trimming if you check that the edges meet when it arrives
Less suitable: Lawn edging, or anyone who wants gearing or a telescopic handle
Specifications
Common questions
Is the HS21 a geared shear?
No. The listing describes a fixed Solid shear, 59 cm and 780 g, with a soft-touch handle.
What does the blade-type cell say?
It says anvil. The bullets describe hardened steel hedge shears. Treat that cell as a conflict.
Do UK reviews mention bent blades?
Yes. Several United Kingdom reviews describe a gap, rust on arrival, or blades that arrived bent.
The HS13 is the lower-priced telescopic listing, about £25.09 for a stated 63–83 cm at 1.55 kg, with a star line of 4.4 from 302. That weight is the heaviest telescopic figure in this set, and UK reviews call it heavy; one buyer returned it for that reason, while others treat the mass as a sign it is robust. Only 13 of the first 50 reviews are from the United Kingdom, so most of the star line is not UK-written text. The blade-material cell says high carbon steel, and a UK review says to oil it or it will rust. The dimensions cell of 20.8 x 20.8 cm does not match a 63–83 cm shear, so use the length bullet and ignore that square. SoftGrip handles are listed, and the warranty cell is empty. It is a budget reach if you can hold 1.55 kg, not a light substitute for a fixed shear near £18.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Extra reach on a budget if you can handle 1.55 kg
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a light shear, or a warranty line on the listing
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the HS13?
The listing states 63–83 cm and 1.55 kg. The dimensions cell says 20.8 x 20.8 cm, which does not match that length.
Why do reviews mention weight?
UK reviews call it heavy. One buyer returned it for that reason. Others treat the weight as a sign it is robust.
Is the steel described as stainless?
No. The blade-material cell says high carbon steel. A UK review says to oil it or it will rust.
The SoftGrip HS10 is a fixed shear listed at 55 cm and 850 g for about £31.65, with 4.4 from only 49 reviews, the thinnest count in the set. The saved listing has no UK-written review among its 18 blocks, so the stars are not a UK sample. The warranty cell says 0 months, while other Fiskars rows here say two years, and Fiskars’ UK FAQ does not offer a lifetime guarantee in Europe either. A blade-length cell of 1 cm is not a usable blade length; use the 55 cm size line if you use any figure. Stainless steel is the blade-material cell, and the handles are the SoftGrip point of the listing. The HS21 is listed cheaper at about £20.90 with 2,001 reviews and a large UK sample, which makes this HS10 hard to justify from the page alone. It has no gear and no telescopic handle. Buy it only if you can inspect this exact listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short fixed shear only if this exact HS10 listing is the one you can inspect
Less suitable: Anyone comparing on UK reviews, price, or a stated warranty
Specifications
Common questions
How many reviews are on the listing?
49. The star line is 4.4. None of the 18 review blocks in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom.
What warranty does the cell state?
The product-guarantees cell says 0 months. Other Fiskars rows in this set say two years.
How long is it?
The size line says 55 cm. A blade-length cell says 1 cm, which is not a usable blade length.
Each score starts from the amazon.co.uk star line on that listing, multiplied by 15, then a review-count band and a mostly United Kingdom review sample add points. Points come off for a thin or absent UK sample, a repeated breakage theme, and listing cells that contradict each other. Multiplying the stars by 15 is a worked example inside that one score, not a separate weight. This is not a laboratory test. A marketed power multiple is not a score term.
Listing score
100%The published score is one figure: the amazon.co.uk star line times 15, plus a review-count band and a United Kingdom review sample, minus points for a thin UK sample, repeated breakage, and cells that contradict each other. The score file does not publish separate criterion percentages. The buying criteria in the digest are an order of checks, not a weight list.
Choose the mechanism before the orange handles. A plain pivot, a wavy edge, a geared action and a telescopic handle are different jobs, and a high star line is only useful when the review text was written in the United Kingdom. Thick wood is a lopper job. A longer handle is not a ladder.
A Fiskars hedge trimmer in this UK set is a manual hedge shear: two blades, two handles, no motor and no plug. People buy one to shape a garden hedge or a few shrubs when a powered cutter is too much machine for the job. You tell them apart by the mechanism, not by the colour of the handles: a plain pivot, a wavy edge, a geared action, a steel-handle lever, or a telescopic handle. Soft annual shoots suit any sharp shear here.
Up to 3x and up to 30 percent are marketing lines. This set has no laboratory test of either figure. Judge the shear by the mechanism, the UK review text, and whether the edges meet.
Thick wood is where UK reviewers notch blades or snap the plastic gear on a geared shear. The RHS notes that most conifers do not reshoot from bare wood. Brown Leylandii is not a shear job, and yew is the exception that can.
The 1 March to 31 August ban is for an important agricultural hedgerow, and a hedge in a dwelling’s curtilage is excluded. A garden hedge is still inside the nest offence. Look before you cut, including in Northern Ireland.
Soft annual shoots suit any sharp shear in this set. Thick wood is where UK reviewers notch a blade or snap the plastic gear on the PowerGear II HS72, and that stem needs a lopper. The mechanism is the next choice. A plain pivot, such as the Solid HS21 or the SoftGrip HS10, is the simple close. A wavy SingleStep edge is meant to hold a stem while you close the handles, which is the short-hedge job.
A telescopic handle is for the top and far side of a hedge you can still trim with both feet on the ground. The HS13 is listed at 63–83 cm and 1.55 kg, and reviewers call it heavy. The SmartFit HS86 is listed at 68–93 cm and 1.25 kg, with a full UK sample, and the included-components line also says 925 mm, so measure the open handles. Model 91696935J does not state the travel in the comparison fields, and its 454 g cell fights reviews that call it heavy. A longer handle is not a ladder.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
A short garden hedge or a few shrubs is the job for a simple wavy shear. The SingleStep HS22 is about 58 cm, listed at about £17.51, with 4.6 from 1,674 reviews and 39 of 50 sample reviews from the United Kingdom. Check that the tips meet when it arrives.
UK reviews point a long face of green growth at the PowerGear II HS72, and they also describe a plastic joint that wears or snaps on thick wood. It is about 57 cm at about £26.31, with 4.6 from 492 and a full UK sample. Stay on green stems.
The SmartFit HS86 states 68–93 cm at 1.25 kg, about £59.65, with 4.5 from 516 and all 50 sample reviews from the United Kingdom. Read the weight before a long session. A longer handle is not a ladder, and the included-components line also says 925 mm.
The top pick is the Fiskars SingleStep HS22, score 89, at about £17.51, with 4.6 from 1,674 reviews and 39 of 50 sample reviews from the United Kingdom. The best value is the Fiskars PowerGear X HSX92, the geared shear at the same shelf price, score 77, with 4.5 from 638 reviews. A snapped blade and a split cog backing stay in that assessment. Every other listing has no badge. A high star line with almost no UK-written text does not outrank a slightly lower line with a large UK sample.
Fiskars PowerGear X HSX92
Geared shear at the same about £17.51 shelf price, score 77, excluding the top score.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for the legal and horticultural points. Prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk listings in this category. Last checked 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores use the public listings and are not a laboratory test.
