The best garden multi tools, compared.
Top pick: Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T solo – Highest score, 79, from 4.2 and 3,300 reviews at about £127.98. The battery and charger are excluded, and the blade field disagrees with the kit listing. Best value: Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T kit – Best value at about £149.95, score 78 from 4.1 and 1,896 reviews, with a 3.0 Ah pack and a charger named in the listing. One point behind the solo. Updated 22.10.2026.
A garden multi tool is one power head with more than one cutting head, for grass, thicker weeds, a hedge or a small branch from the ground. In the UK you are usually choosing a petrol split-shaft kit, a corded kit, or a battery pole that only does the hedge and the saw. You tell a suitable one by counting the heads the listing actually names, checking the metal blade and its guard, and reading the weight and the harness. A locking shaft joint matters, and so does a fuel or battery system you already understand. Woody scrub needs a stated metal blade and guard. A tall hedge needs a pole hedge head and a short saw. Petrol suits woody scrub if you will refuel. A battery pole only makes sense if the pack is in the box or you already own that family, and a corded tool stops at the cable. Listed weight and a harness matter, because overhead work loads the shoulders. The checks are in the [garden multi tool buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/garden-multi-tool/sub/garden-multi-tool-buying-guide).
A garden multi tool is one power head with more than one cutting head, for grass, thicker weeds, a hedge or a small branch from the ground.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you cutting?
The Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T solo is the highest score in this set: 4.2 from 3,300 amazon.co.uk reviews, £127.98, score 79 on the star method. It is a telescopic hedge trimmer and pruning saw, with an Oregon chain, a 7-position head, and a 90 degree swivel in the bullets. The battery and charger are not in the box, so the shelf price is not a ready-to-run price. Listed weight is 5.5 kg and the blade field says 400 mm, while the kit ASIN prints 200 mm and 8 kg. In 50 UK review texts, heavy comes up 28 times, beside praise for reach and for people who already owned Einhell packs. One reviewer reported about an hour on a battery they already had. That is one garden. It is the top pick only if the job is a tall hedge or a small high branch and you can power it. It is the wrong row for brambles.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Einhell 18 V batteries and you want a pole hedge trimmer and a short saw.
Less suitable: You need to cut brambles, or you have no 18 V pack and have not priced one.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Einhell include a battery?
No. The bullets say it is supplied without the 18 V battery and without the charger. A quiver is included. The price is £127.98 before you add a Power X-Change pack.
Can it strim grass or cut brambles?
The listing is a hedge trimmer and a power saw on a telescopic pole. It does not name a nylon head or a brush-cutter blade.
How long is the blade?
This listing prints 400 mm blade length and 20 cm cutting width. The kit listing for the same tool family prints 200 mm. Treat that clash as two Amazon fields, not one measured length.
The Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T kit is £149.95 with 4.1 from 1,896 reviews and a score of 78, one point behind the solo on the star method. The listing text includes an 18 V 3.0 Ah battery and a one-hour charger, which is why it is the best-value row: you can run it without already owning a pack. It is still only a hedge trimmer and a pruning saw. Amazon prints 8 kg, a 200 mm blade, and a 20 cm cutting width, against 5.5 kg and 400 mm on the solo ASIN for the same family. In 50 UK texts, heavy shows up 36 times, oil leaks show up in storage, and one reviewer said Leylandii up to about 5 mm was easy. That thickness is one review, not a rated cut. Phone number 0151 649 1500 and a two-year warranty sentence are in the listing text. Skip it if the job is scrub.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the Einhell pole hedge-and-saw and you do not already own an 18 V pack.
Less suitable: You need a metal blade for brambles, or you already own batteries and the solo is the cheaper body.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the battery in the box?
The item-type paragraph says an 18 V 3.0 Ah pack and a one-hour charger are included, and that they fit other Power X-Change tools. The shelf price is £149.95.
Will it cut brambles?
No brush cutter or nylon strimmer is named. The heads are a hedge trimmer and a power saw.
Why do reviews call it heavy?
Heavy appears in 36 of the 50 UK review texts read, often at full extension. The spec line says 8 kg. Reach without a ladder is the praise that sits next to that complaint.
The eSkde ESMT6 is the corded row: 1,000 W, a 10 m cable, £144.99, 4.0 from 146 reviews, score 72. The bullets give one power head for a nylon strimmer, a 4-tooth blade, a hedge trimmer, a pole saw, and a brushcutter, plus an adjustable handle and a shoulder strap. Listed weight is 5.8 kg, cutting width 38 cm, speed 5,600 rpm, length 180 cm. Voltage and plug type are not printed. In the 50 UK texts, cable length and cleared brambles are praised, instructions are criticised, and one reviewer describes the blade guard shattering on a stone. Review headers go back to 2017, so the sample may mix versions. It suits a garden within 10 m of a socket, including thicker weeds the 4-tooth blade is named for. It is a poor match if you cannot trail a lead.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a socket nearby and you want strimmer, blade, hedge, and pole saw without petrol.
Less suitable: The work is beyond 10 m of cable, or you need to move between beds without a lead.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this petrol?
No. The power source is corded electric, 1,000 W in the title, with a 10 m cable. The cordless flag on the listing says no.
Does it include a metal blade?
Yes. The bullets name a nylon spool for grass and a 4-tooth blade for thicker weeds, plus a hedge trimmer, a pole saw, and a brushcutter.
Are the reviews all for this version?
The star line is 4.0 from 146. UK review headers on the listing include 2017 as well as 2026, so some texts may describe an earlier tool. The cable-length praise and the shattered-guard story are both on that listing.
The T-Mech 210984F7 is £169.99 with 3.8 from four reviews and a score of 53, the lowest scored petrol row because the sample is four. The title lists a 52cc two-stroke at 1.6 kW and 9,000 rpm, with hedge, strimmer, chainsaw, brush cutter, and an extension, and the description adds a 1.2 L tank, a 40:1 mix, a shoulder strap, and a safety kit of goggles, gloves, ear defenders, and leg covers. The cutting-width field says 24 mm, which is a small figure beside a brush-cutter title. Weight is not printed. The browse node is Camping Multitools. The only UK review text says the throttle failed and the tool was very heavy. Four stars cannot overturn that single text, and they cannot prove the opposite. It is the row only if you specifically want the printed 40:1 mix and the stated safety kit, and you accept that almost nobody has reviewed it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 52cc kit that states 40:1 and includes the eye, ear, and leg kit in the description.
Less suitable: You want a review sample large enough to judge throttle failures.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it cordless or petrol?
The power source line says gas, and the title says 52cc two-stroke petrol. The same title says cordless, and a spec flag says cordless yes. Read that as no mains lead, not as a battery tool. No battery is listed.
What oil mix is printed?
The description says 40:1 two-stroke mix and a 1.2 L tank, plus a mixing bottle. That is the only ASIN in this set with a ratio on the listing.
What do the four reviews say?
The star line is 3.8 from 4. Only one UK review body is on the listing. It says the throttle failed, the tool was very heavy, and a neighbour's same purchase failed too.
The eSkde MT52-S23 is the petrol scrub kit in this set that also has a large review file: £143.99, 3.7 from 279 reviews, score 67. The bullets state a 52cc two-stroke, a split shaft, a 41 cm cutting width, 6,500 rpm, 7 kg, and a 186 cm length, with hedge, brush cutter, chainsaw, extension, harness, and a tool kit. The fuel ratio is not printed. Across 50 UK texts, buyers praise easy assembly and first-pull starts, and they also describe pull-starts that failed and an HT lead that came off the plug. It is the row for someone who wants one petrol engine to do grass, woody weeds, and a hedge, and who accepts a mixed reliability story. It is not the quiet suburban hedge tool. The Einhell rows score higher and cannot do this job.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 52cc petrol kit for scrub and hedges and you will follow the handbook on the oil mix.
Less suitable: You want battery convenience, or you need a printed fuel ratio before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
What heads are in the box?
The bullets name a hedge cutter, a long-reach hedge trimmer, a brushcutter strimmer, a chainsaw pruner, and an extension pole, plus a double shoulder harness and a tool kit.
What fuel mix does it need?
The listing does not print a ratio. It only says 52cc two-stroke. Use the handbook that arrives with the tool rather than a ratio copied from another brand.
What breaks in the reviews?
In 50 UK texts, pull-start failures and a plug-cap spring that stuck to the spark plug are repeated themes, beside praise for first-time starts and allotment clearance. The star line is 3.7 from 279.
The Ark Mat MT-1 is £154.95 with 3.7 from 17 reviews and a score of 59. The title is specific: 430 mm grass trimmer, 255 mm brush cutter, 450 mm angle-adjustable hedge trimmer, 255 mm chainsaw, and an extension, with a double shoulder harness. The bullets add a 65 cm extension, a 26 mm aluminium shaft, and an easy-start claim. Cubic capacity is not printed. The spec weight is 13.2 kg, with no note of whether that is the working tool or the carton. Seven UK texts call it good value and also heavy, with a slipping handle in one text and loose head joints in two. Seventeen reviews cannot support a reliability ranking. Choose it when you want those stated cutting widths on a petrol multi-tool and you can handle the listed weight. Skip it if you need a known engine size or a four-figure review count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the stated 430 mm trimmer and 255 mm blade on one petrol shaft, and you have read the weight.
Less suitable: You need a published engine size, or a light tool for a smaller user.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is the engine?
The bullets say an air-cooled two-stroke. They do not print cubic capacity or kilowatts. Do not assume 52cc because other kits in this set use that figure.
What does 13.2 kg refer to?
It is the item weight on the spec line. The listing does not say whether that is the engine on the harness or the whole kit. Reviews still call the tool heavy.
Do the heads stay tight?
Seven UK texts are in the file. Two describe poor or rattling connections between the heads. Others praise the start and the hedge and chainsaw. The star line is 3.7 from 17.
The AKORIDA GX35 is the dearest row in the set at £208.00 and the only one with no review line, so the score stays 0. The bullets describe a 4-stroke, 35cc, 0.85 kW engine at 6,500 r/min, a 1,000 ml tank, 5 kg, and a 170 cm length, with a one-year warranty sentence. The title says 8-in-1 strimmer, hedge trimmer, long-reach chainsaw, and brush cutter. The bullets name pole saw, hedge trimmer, weed eater, and brush cutter. A harness is not mentioned. The best-sellers line places it under rotary mowers, which is a strange node for a shaft tool. With no UK review text, there is no praise and no failure to report. It is the row only if you specifically want a stated 4-stroke rather than a 52cc two-stroke, and you accept an unreviewed listing at the top of this price band.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 35cc four-stroke multi tool and you will not rely on star ratings.
Less suitable: You want review evidence, a named harness, or a complete list of eight heads.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a two-stroke?
No. The bullets say a 4-stroke air-cooled single-cylinder gasoline engine, 35cc, 0.85 kW at 6,500 r/min. They do not print a petrol-oil mix. They also do not print the sump-oil steps.
What does 8-in-1 mean here?
The title says 8-in-1. The bullets name a pole saw, a hedge trimmer, a weed eater, and a brush cutter, with a quick-release connector. Eight heads are not listed.
How is it reviewed?
The listing has no Customer Reviews line and no review text. The price is £208.00. There is nothing on this listing to support a star rating.
No hedge or bramble patch was cut for this page. Scores run from 0 to 100 from the amazon.co.uk star line on 22 October 2026, times 16, plus a bump when the review count is large and a deduction when the sample is tiny or missing. Price, a named battery or cable, and review themes sit in the written take. They are not a second hidden score. The times-16 step and the review-count bump or deduction are a point formula, not published criterion percentages, so they are not extra weights and they were not rescaled. The only weight is the star line, at 100. This is not a lab test. The top pick is the highest score. Best value is the next score, because that listing names a battery and charger you can run the same day.
Amazon stars
100%The published score starts from the amazon.co.uk star line, times 16, plus a bump when the review count is large and a deduction when the sample is tiny or missing. Those steps are a point formula, not criterion percentages. The star line is the only weight, 100. Price and a named battery or cable stay in the written take.
Count the heads the listing names, then match the power to the job. A slogan, a bare price and a guessed oil ratio are the three mistakes that leave you with the wrong shaft. The notes below are the checks that stay true when the listings change.
A garden multi tool is one power head with more than one cutting head, for grass, thicker weeds, a hedge, or a small branch from the ground. UK shoppers are usually choosing a petrol split-shaft kit, a corded kit, or a battery pole that only does the hedge and the saw. Count the heads the listing actually names, check the metal blade and its guard, and read the weight and the harness. A locking shaft joint and a fuel or battery system you already understand matter more than a 5-in-1 slogan.
A high star rating on a pole hedge trimmer does not make it a scrub clearer. Woody scrub needs a stated metal blade and guard. A tall hedge needs a pole hedge head and a short saw. A lawn edge alone is a grass trimmer, not this category.
Count the heads the listing actually names. A 5-in-1 or 8-in-1 slogan is not that count. A bare power head priced without heads is not a kit you can use the same day. A strimmer that only swaps blades is outside this category.
Follow the handbook. A pre-mixed two-stroke at 50:1 is not a four-stroke fuel with no oil. Do not put two-stroke mix in a four-stroke tank. If the listing does not print a ratio, do not copy one from another brand. Do not fit a chain-flail head.
The job comes first. Woody scrub needs a stated metal blade and guard. A tall hedge needs a pole hedge head and a short saw. A lawn edge alone is a grass trimmer, not this category. Then count the heads the listing actually names. A 5-in-1 or 8-in-1 slogan is not that count. Petrol split-shaft kits in the 52cc two-stroke class are the volume offer, and the usual named set is a strimmer, a brush cutter, a hedge trimmer, a pole saw, an extension and a harness.
Power is the next check. Petrol is for woody scrub and refuelling. A 35cc four-stroke takes neat petrol in the tank and oil in the engine, not a two-stroke mix. Battery only makes sense if the pack is in the box or you already own that family. A solo price is not a tool you can switch on. Corded electric, often around 1,000 W, trades the fuel can for a mains lead and stops at the cable. Read the harness and the listed weight, because overhead work loads the shoulders.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You already own an 18 V pack and you want a pole hedge trimmer and a short saw, not a brush cutter. The Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T solo is the top pick, score 79, at about £127.98, from 4.2 and 3,300 reviews. The battery and charger are not in the box, and the blade field says 400 mm against 200 mm on the kit.
You want the same hedge-and-saw pole and you do not already own an 18 V pack. The Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T kit is the best value, score 78, at about £149.95, from 4.1 and 1,896 reviews. The listing text names a 3.0 Ah pack and a one-hour charger. It still has no brush cutter.
You will wear a harness and follow the handbook on the oil mix. The eSkde MT52-S23 is the petrol row with a large review file: about £143.99, 3.7 from 279 reviews, score 67, with a stated 52cc two-stroke, a split shaft and a brush cutter. The fuel ratio is not printed.
The top pick is the Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T solo. The score is 79, from 4.2 and 3,300 amazon.co.uk reviews, at about £127.98. It is a telescopic hedge trimmer and pruning saw. The battery and charger are not in the box, and this listing prints 5.5 kg and a 400 mm blade, while the kit listing prints 8 kg and 200 mm. Best value is the Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T kit at about £149.95, score 78 from 4.1 and 1,896 reviews. The listing text names an 18 V 3.0 Ah pack and a one-hour charger, so the shelf price is closer to a tool you can run the same day. It is one point behind the solo. Neither row names a brush cutter.
Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T solo
Highest score, 79, from 4.2 and 3,300 reviews at about £127.98. The battery and charger are excluded, and the blade field disagrees with the kit listing.
Einhell GE-HC 18 Li T kit
Best value at about £149.95, score 78 from 4.1 and 1,896 reviews, with a 3.0 Ah pack and a charger named in the listing. One point behind the solo.
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 from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Star ratings and review counts are from those listings. This is not a lab test, and a commission does not change the scores.
