Bosch Electric Hedge Cutter EasyHedgeCut 45 Review

To say that this hedge cutter is easy to assemble would be an understatement. There is very little that needs doing; it’s practically ready to go straight away.

There are three things that come in the box; the main unit, the 10 m power cable and the instruction manual. Before getting to work, all you need to do is unscrew a cap to connect the power cable, and remove the protective blade sleeve. 

As a mains-powered machine, there’s no fuel to think about, nor battery to charge. Simply plug it in and get started. 

All in all, the ‘assembly’ (if we can call it that!) takes 20 seconds, and there are no tools required. 

The first thing I noticed about the design of this hedge trimmer was its lightweight build. At just 4.6 kg, it was very easy to lift out of the box. 

However, whilst 4.6kg is light, it’s still heavier than some other trimmers on the market. For instance, the Bosch AHS 45-16 (which is DIY Garden’s top recommendation when it comes to hedge trimmers), weighs just 2.6kg. 

As I moved around the garden, the Bosch EasyHedgeCut 45 did start to feel heavy; those couple of extra kilograms probably do make a difference. Nevertheless, it was still well balanced and easy to control. 

This hedge trimmer has a 45 cm blade which is a great length for working across medium hedges. I found it easy to reach the tops of the hedges in my garden. There’s also a bright orange 10 m cable included, which is longer than the 6 m cable on the Bosch AHS 45-16. The cable is orange, so it’s easy to spot even in long grass. 

With teeth on both sides of the blade, you can sweep the trimmer in either direction, making it easy to use. Also, it’s suitable for both left- and right-handed users, as the triggers are centrally located. 

While I personally didn’t need it, there’s also a tip protector that allows you to cut against walls and hedges without damage. 

This hedge cutter is extremely easy to start; simply hold one hand down on the safety trigger, then use the other hand to press on the on/off trigger. Both of these need to be pushed down simultaneously for the trimmer to work. I found the switches to be light and therefore not too taxing to hold. My fingers did get tired eventually, but this was after a good 30 minutes of hedge trimming!

Once I began to use the hedge trimmer, I found it extremely easy to get to grips with – this seems to be a running theme with a lot of Bosch products. I simply used large sweeping motions and the finish was very neat. 

There is a gap of 16 mm between the blades on this hedge trimmer, so it’s really only designed for light trimming work. This suited me perfectly, and I didn’t have any issues with performance. The thickest branch I cut through was around 12 mm thick; it managed this relatively easily though it did slow down slightly. 

While I wouldn’t use this trimmer for heavy-duty trimming work, for light jobs like cutting our hedges it was ideal.

This trimmer has a 420 W motor which felt ample for the hedges I was trimming. It managed to get through almost everything with total ease, and maintained basically the same level of power throughout

This is one of the benefits of having a corded machine over a cordless model – there’s no worrying that the power will slowly decrease as the battery runs out of juice. 

As mentioned above, this hedge trimmer definitely doesn’t have the capacity for heavy duty work, but for light tasks in domestic gardens, it functions very well. 

As you’d expect from any Bosch machine, this model is very easy to use. It feels very well balanced, so even as I started to get a little tired, I didn’t find that I struggled to maintain control. 

I found there was no force required to get through most branches, which made it a breeze to use. Instead, simple sweeping motions were sufficient. Even when the blades did jam slightly on thicker branches, some gentle manoeuvering soon freed them. 

The cable length is another plus. At 10m, it’s a lot longer than others on the market. Personally, I still had to use an extension cable, and I do think this will probably be the case for most people, but it still offers a bit of freedom. Also, when trimming, you do need to be mindful not to cut through the cable. However, at least the bright orange colour makes it easier to spot.

This trimmer also runs quietly, making it easy to use at different times of day. I used it on a Monday morning, but I wouldn’t have had any issues using it on a Sunday morning either!

This hedge trimmer felt very safe to use overall. It comes with extremely detailed safety instructions in multiple languages, and the ease of assembly means there’s not much that could go wrong during set up. 

As mentioned, the safety trigger and on/off trigger need to be held down at the same time to start the machine. This means the hedge trimmer cannot be started without both hands on it at once, so you’ll always have control over the machine. 

As with all powerful garden tools, safety equipment is still highly recommended. I wore a hard hat and protective eyewear, and of course you should wear sturdy shoes and avoid loose-fitting clothing. 

One thing I will say is that parts of the plastic construction didn’t feel quite as sturdy as I expected. For example, the blade guard especially is made from fairly flimsy plastic, and doesn’t feel particularly durable. 

Another thing that I want to mention is the vibration. Although I didn’t notice at the time, the hand I had on the on/off trigger was pretty shaky for a while after using the trimmer. I think it’d be a good idea to take more regular breaks when using this machine, and also be aware of this if you have any health conditions that might be affected by the vibrations.

In my opinion, this hedge trimmer offers very good value for money. A lot of Bosch products are renowned for their affordability, and this trimmer seems perfect for those who don’t want to spend hundreds on garden machinery. 

As mentioned, it’s made using a lot of plastic, but this does help keep the weight down. Plus, the performance is as good as most domestic gardeners will need.

This Bosch hedge trimmer was able to tackle everything I threw at it. For standard garden hedges, with branches up to at least 12 mm in diameter, it’s an effective and easy-to-use machine. Granted, it’s not the most powerful of trimmer, so if you’re tackling thicker branches it might not be the best choice. However, to anyone looking for a lightweight, simple hedge trimmer, I am more than happy to recommend this model.