How to trim a hedge with a cordless hedge trimmer
Updated: October 2026
The trimmer is already charged, the hedge runs along the fence, and the first mistake is starting at the top. Cut the sides before the crown, look for a nest before either, and take the battery off before your hands meet the teeth. This is how to trim a hedge with a cordless hedge trimmer, whether the body is a Makita 18 V tool or a compatible one on the same slide pack. The seven listings are on the [Makita cordless hedge trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/makita-cordless-hedge-trimmer). Peter F. followed RHS, RSPB and GOV.UK guidance on 22 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The trimmer is already charged, the hedge runs along the fence, and the first mistake is starting at the top.
The trimmer is already charged, the hedge runs along the fence, and the first mistake is starting at the top. Cut the sides before the crown, look for a nest before either, and take the battery off before your hands meet the teeth. This is how to trim a hedge with a cordless hedge trimmer, whether the body is a Makita 18 V tool or a compatible one on the same slide pack. The seven listings are on the Makita cordless hedge trimmer comparison. Peter F. followed RHS, RSPB and GOV.UK guidance on 22 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Form | Blade length | Tooth spacing | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Makita Makita DUH523RF | Handheld hedge trimmer | 520 mm | n/a | 9.4 | about £199.41 | View offer |
| Best value |  KIESBOHR KIESBOHR CSL502 | Handheld hedge trimmer | 51 cm | 16 mm | 9.2 | about £74.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  KIESBOHR KIESBOHR CSL401 | Telescopic pole hedge trimmer | 41 cm | n/a | 8.6 | about £94.99 | View offer |
On this page
Check the hedge before you start
Walk the length before you start the motor. Part the growth at a few points and look for a cup of twigs, eggs or chicks. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects a nest while it is in use or being built. The RSPB treats March to September as the main season. Northern Ireland uses the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. A blackbird in a garden privet in May means you wait until the young have gone.
England's farm rule is a separate law. The Management of Hedgerows Regulations 2024 bar cutting a qualifying agricultural hedgerow from 1 March to 31 August, and they exclude a hedge in the curtilage of a dwelling. The privet on the fence of a house is not banned for those dates by that farm rule alone. The nest check still applies. An active nest, or a farm hedge inside that closed season, is where you put the tool away.
Sides, then the top
The RHS order is sides first, from the bottom in a sweeping arc, then the top. On a privet about 1.5 metres high, start at the base so the clippings fall clear, walk the length, and only then touch the crown. Taper a taller hedge so the base is a little wider than the top. Light then reaches the lower leaves. A crown that overhangs the base shades those leaves.
Keep both hands on the tool. The compatible handhelds use a two-switch start, so the bar is meant to stop when one hand leaves the grip. You still want a firm stance, eye protection and gloves, and you still stay clear of overhead lines. If you cannot reach the top with both feet on the ground, stop. Bar length stays on the buying guide. The reach question belongs on the tall hedges page.
When the bar stops
A jam is a stem the teeth will not take, or a wad of clippings packed into the bar. Release both switches and take the pack off before you pull anything from the blade. Electrical Safety First says to clear a hedge-trimmer jam only when the power is off. On these cordless bodies that means the battery is out of the tool, not merely that you have let go of the trigger. Which? points to loppers once growth is past about 1 cm. Forcing that stem can kick the tool.
One CSL502 reviewer will not cut branches larger than about 10 mm. That is one person's habit, not a limit printed for every listing. Cut the thicker stems with loppers and use the trimmer on the soft face. The bare tool or kit page is where the pack itself is chosen.
When to put the tool down
Stop when the next cut needs a ladder, when a cable crosses above the hedge, or when the growth left is old brown wood. A hard reduction, hedge-laying, and any face you cannot finish from the ground belong with someone who does that work for a living. An active nest ends the job until the birds have gone. The English farm closed season ends it on a qualifying agricultural hedgerow, not by itself on the hedge around a house.
Brown wood inside a conifer often stays bare after you cut it. Leave that depth alone unless you already know the species will break from old wood.
Common questions
Do I cut the sides or the top first?
Cut the sides first, working upward from the base so the clippings fall away, then cut the top. The RHS describes that order, with a string line to keep the crown straight. Starting on the top drops clippings onto the face you still have to see.
Can I trim a garden hedge in May?
You can trim a garden hedge in May only after you have checked for nests and found none in use. The RSPB treats March to September as the main nesting season, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects a nest that is being built or used. A house privet is still a nest check. The English farm closed season is a separate rule.
Does the farm closed season apply to my fence line?
Usually it does not, if the hedge is in the garden of a house. GOV.UK's hedgerow rules cover qualifying agricultural hedgerows in England and exclude a hedge in the curtilage of a dwelling. A boundary around a field is the case where the 1 March to 31 August restriction can apply. An active nest stops the cut either way.
What do I do if the blade jams?
Let go of both switches and remove the battery before your fingers go near the teeth. Pull the stem or the packed clippings out only with the pack off the tool. If the wood is past about 1 cm, Which? points you to loppers rather than another push on the bar.
How do I stop the bottom of the hedge going bare?
Keep the base slightly wider than the top so light reaches the lower leaves. The RHS taper is there for that reason. A crown that overhangs the sides shades the bottom, and the bare patch shows up over later seasons. A second deep cut into old wood will not refill a base that has already died back.
When should I stop and call someone?
Stop if you find a nest in use, if the hedge is a farm boundary inside the English closed season, if you would need a ladder or would be working near an overhead cable, or if the job is a hard reduction or hedge-laying. Old brown wood, especially on a conifer, is the point where a contractor is the safer plan.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings saved with this set. Page updated 23 October 2026.
- Makita UK: DUH523 product sheet (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- Makita DUH523 instruction manual (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- Makita UK: DUN500W pole hedge trimmer (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- RHS: how to trim a hedge (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- GOV.UK: hedgerow management rules (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- RSPB: birds' nests and nestboxes (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- GOV.UK: outdoor noise regulations 2001 (retrieved 23.10.2026)
- Which?: how to buy the best hedge trimmer (retrieved 23.10.2026)