Customer Reviews

American Gardener ReadyHedger 18-Volt Electric Hedge Trimmer RH18

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I just tried the trimmer out for the first time, having left the battery in the charger overnight. I had purchased it because I injured my left shoulder and wanted something lighter than the gasoline-powered trimmer I already have. I expected that it would do at least a decent job on trimming my hedge, although I figured that I would have to do the job in stages, because the hedge is about 100 yards long and between 3 and 4 feet high. Much to my surprise, the trimmer did the entire hedge on one charge and seemed ready to take on something else. Because it is so much lighter than the gasoline model, I found it easier to hold the blade level and to avoid any mistakes. It was also great to be able to turn it on and off and on again without the hassle of restarting a gasoline engine. I am extremely pleased with it.

The hedger runs for about 45 minutes and goes through 1/8 inch branches easily. Anything larger will jam the blades. The top handle is not well designed. It takes a lot of stress on the two round/angled connection points to the body. After a couple of weekends, the top handle broke off. American Gardener (through a repair company called Utility Electric) sent me a replacement handle. I've learned to try and put most of the stress on the trigger handle and use the top handle gingerly. This hedger beats dragging a cord around. I have not tried the Black and Decker or Toro cordless for a comparison.

I have owned the American Gardener RH18 for a couple years and it never worked well. First it is light duty and can not handle twigs as large as the cutter bar will accept even on a full charge and then it jams and you have to clear out the jammed twig which can be dangerous if you do not remove the battery.

Then shortly after owning it on a jam it quit working. The motor ran but the blade did not move. I took the bottom cover off and could see where the blade end had come off of the orbital mechanism. I was able to get it back on but it would come off on a regular basis when a jam occured. The problem is the blade is secured to the orbital mechanism with a metal strap that goes on top and then is held in place by the plastic bottom cover. To make matters worse the bottom cover is held on by bolts and screws that attach to four skimpy plastic supports. One of them broke off after about the fifth repair to the unit. To be fair I never had the unit factory serviced because shipping to and back would have been cost prohibitive but I was not impressed with the internal structure though the motor and gears themselves seemed solid and all metal.

After all that I went to Lowes and bought a cheap Task Force corded hedge trimmer for $35. That thing devours hedges with a vengance and never jams. If I had a lot of hedge trimming to do I would probably have bought a Makita hedge trimmer.

I owned the AG predessor to this model, and it was useless. After 5 repairs, and many complaints, the company sent me this model. What a difference. I found it to be flawless. It even outcuts a corded trimmer I own.
Buy it---you won't be disappointed.
PS--I don't give ANYTHING 5 stars.

The title says it all. The motor caught fire four minutes after I started using it. How much worse can a product possible be?

i HAVE ONLY USED THIS TRIMMER ONCE SINCE I RECEIVED IT, BUT I AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT.American Gardener ReadyHedger 18-Volt Hedge Trimmer #RH18

Handle broke within 2 minutes of first light usage.
Company sent a replacement. That broke right away too.
The motor burnt out and died after third usage.
When will companies stop manufacturing such barely functioning junk?
My dad's trimmer lasted 40 years!
I'll never buy anything from this company again.

This is the second one I purchased as gifts for my kids, they love it, and of course I tried it out before giving it to them. Very light weight and more powerful than I thought it would be, cut larger stems also. If you trim often then it's really a breeze. You can literally walk across a hedge without stopping. Highly recommend it.

I was very excited to receive this product. However my enthusiasm died a sudden death when the unit stopped working the first time I used it. I would not recommend this product.

My wife bought this as a Christmas gift in 2005 (I think, don't tell her that I don't remember what for). It worked well. The short charge time and cutting power definitely fit my needs, and I loved the cordless/gasless feature. Plus, the trimmer would last an impressive amount of time on one charge, maybe close to an hour(?). I wasn't doing much heavy trimming (heavenly bamboo, sparse bushes). However, in September '06, the trimmer stopped working. You press the trigger and nothing happens (the motor wouldn't turn). The battery wasn't the problem. I opened the cockpit and found that if you moved the gears enough, something in the motor would connect again and it would run. However, if you happened to let go of the trigger at a non-contact point, you couldn't restart unless you moved the gears. After about 5 minutes, the motor started smoking. My theory is that something got stuck in the motor and either broke the brushes or burned the motor out. If it wasn't for this fubar, it would be a great tool.