ASOTVI Rating: Works As Advertised
Major Claims:
- World’s only collecting hedge trimmer
- Safety
We were unable to identify any competitive product as of the date of this review that also collects trimmings, so their claim of it being the world’s only trimmer to do so is accurate. Most all other hedge trimmers, electric or gas, are of the “sawfish” variety that trim along a single line and leave the clippings to fall where they may.
We evaluated the Garden Groom Midi model on a round topiary bush (see video) as well as on simple grass (not shown), and in each instance it cut easily and collected all the clippings in its on-board container. When the trimming job was complete, it was an easy task to remove the clipping container and properly dispose of the shredded leaves and stems. These clippings can also be used for compost, if desired.
For safety, the unit must be operated with two hands, squeezing two separate handles before engaging the start button. Releasing either of the handles turns the unit off. The product is reasonably lightweight, at only 5.9 pounds empty, but understandably gets a little heavier as the collection container fills.
The unit’s blades are set behind a metal grill (see video) to prevent them from accidentally cutting the electric cord, which is another safety feature. The user needs to be aware that this metal grill can on occasion impede some limbs and large leaves from reaching the blades as well, and if so, the user merely needs to move it around to allow the portion of the bush needing to be trimmed to get inside to the blades.
For longer limbs, the instructions indicate moving the unit down directly upon them, instead of sliding the unit horizontally over the bush in a mowing fashion. We tried this, and this technique worked just fine.
For larger jobs, and to avoid having to empty the unit frequently, the product also comes with a separate collection bag that sits on the ground and is attached to the unit via a cloth hose and plastic adapter that attaches in lieu of the normal on-board collection container. The fact that the blades act as a fan, both sucking up the trimmings and shredding them, they also serve to blow those shredded trimmings through the hose and into the larger collection container.
The only observation we made about the product that might be considered a performance issue of note is with respect to the height of the unit itself, which is about a foot from the blade section on the bottom to the top of the upper handle (and this handle is fixed in place), which then necessitates at least that much room for the unit and one of your hands between the bush you wish to cut and anything else, e.g. a wall. If your hedge is adjacent to a wall and you don’t have at least 12 inches of clearance between the two, and wish to trim back there, the handle of the unit will impact the wall. Otherwise, if clearance isn’t an issue, you should have no problem with using this product safely and efficiently.
So if you’re tired of the mess made by trimming your bushes, along with the extra chore of raking and sweeping and bagging, then this product is the solution to that problem. We find this product works as advertised.
