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If you’re like me, you’ve probably scoured the web trying to find gardening tools that are affordable, functional, and don’t break after the first use. It’s certainly a minefield out there, especially with new brands coming to market. But which manufacturers can you trust?
The jury is out for many on lesser-known brands, including Greenworks — a manufacturer who produces a vast array of gardening tools ranging from lawnmowers to chainsaws and strimmers. What makes this company unique is that they produce all the batteries in their cordless products (24V, 40V and 60V), including the G24HT56 hedge trimmer in question.
In this review, I’ll give you my honest opinion on how this mid-market option stacks up against similarly-priced products, examining everything from performance to power. Will the cordless G24HT56 hedge trimmer from Greenworks leave you in a tangle? Let’s find out.
Contents
The G24HT56 at first glance
Upon eagerly tearing open the box, I was impressed by how easy the Greenworks G24HT56 cordless hedge trimmer is on the eyes. It’s surprisingly modern, sleek, and premium-looking for a budget power tool. It’s also lightweight at just under 5.5 pounds, but still offers a compact and sturdy-feeling plastic chassis that most will anticipate feeling flimsy.
That also goes for the blade that stands at 24 inches, which is marginally longer than competitor products. It’s made from laser-cut, high-quality steel and the teeth are spaced wide (3/4 inch), giving you a nice bite into large branches and thick foliage. You’ll need to remove the black moulded plastic that covers the blade before use.
The G24HT56 cordless hedge trimmer is powered by a 24-volt battery that you’ll need to charge up before heading out. Like the rest of the design, it’s compact, sturdy and, easily clips into place. Run time lasts up to 50 minutes with the 4.0AH battery on a single charge and is also interchangeable with other G-24 power tool batteries — a nice bonus if you’ve already bought into the Greenworks eco-system as you can buy the cheaper version (£59.99 at time of writing).
Other impressive features include a rotating rear handle, which allows for easy vertical and horizontal trimming, and a safety switch that prevents accidental start-ups. But more on these shortly.
G24HT56 Key product spec
- Power: 24V
- Weight: 2kg
- Motor: Brushed
- Dimensions: 92.5x20x17.5cm
- Runtime: with 2.0AH battery, up to 25 mins
- Runtime: with 4.0AH battery, up to 50 mins
- Blade length: 56cm
- Cutting capacity: 18mm
- Blade type: Dual-action blades
- Blade material: Laser-cut steel blades
- Other features: Rotating rear handle
- Warranty: 3 years
Power, speed and motor
The Greenworks G24HT56 is powered by a 24-volt lithium-ion battery, which provides ample oomph for a hedge trimmer. The battery has a capacity of 2AH, which means it can deliver up to 48 watt-hours of energy — doubled with the 4.0AH battery. Obviously, you won’t get as much force as a hedge trimmer powered by mains or petrol, but I didn’t feel like I was short-changed by 3,400 strokes per minute. Quite the opposite: the blades easily sliced through my conifer, overgrown shrubbery, and dangling tree branches. Another bonus to having a cordless model is that there are no wires to trip over, and you won’t have to worry about finding a power supply (your extension cable can stay in your shed.) There’s also minimal vibration.
The Greenworks G24HT56 cordless hedge trimmer features a brushless motor—one of the best for efficiency and durability. Brushless motors are better because they produce less heat and friction, which means they use less energy and last longer. They’re also quieter than brushed motors (98db during operation), giving you more freedom to tackle your garden in the early morning or late at night.
Speed comparison
How does it handle
You can tell that Greenworks designed the G24HT56 cordless hedge trimmer with ease of use in mind. The machine is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, even for those who haven’t fired up a trimmer before. The handles are comfortable to grip, and the ability to rotate the handle in line with the blade at a 90-degree angle is a clever feature that I’ve not seen in other models.
It’s partly easy to handle because the battery is so small—it weighs 440g and produces 43.2Wh. I found it slides neatly under the main body of the trimmer, making it more balanced and less unwieldy than other cordless models that place the battery at the back of the handle. The charge display is also accessible at the back of the machine, making it easy to monitor the battery level during use.
The guard on the front of the machine that separates the handles from the cutting bar is also a useful feature, directing falling debris away without causing any obstruction. However, I did notice the raised line of nuts and bolts along the cutting bar do tend to collect debris.
Additional accessories
Aside from the standard blade cover that protects the cutting bar when not in use, there are no additional accessories included in the package. However, the trimmer is compatible with a range of Greenworks G-MAX 24V lithium-ion battery-powered tools, so you’re free to use the same batteries and chargers if you already own other products in the range.
Greenworks also offers a range of compatible accessories for their G-MAX 24V tools, including extra batteries, chargers, and even a cultivator attachment. It’s worth noting though that not all these accessories are compatible with the G24HT56 cordless hedge trimmer. If you need replacement blades and covers, they sell these too.
Do I rate the Greenworks G24HT56 Cordless Hedge Trimmer?
Yes, absolutely. As I already own a Greenworks lawn mower with interchangeable batteries, I only had to part with £59.99. For that money, you get a machine that’s reliable, surprisingly robust, and easy to use. It’s perfect for light-to-medium cutting tasks the average gardener will encounter.
The power is respectable, and the battery life is adequate given that it’s cordless. It might not be the best choice for heavy-duty tasks, but, in any case, there’s a charger that fills it with juice in under an hour. Noise levels were minimal, vibration non-existent, and as for that clever rotating handle — Greenworks clearly know what gardeners want. A big thumbs up from me.
