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When it comes to hedge trimmers or almost any yard tool for that matter, I’m a big believer in battery-powered solutions. Gas-powered hedge trimmers are heavy and noisy and electric corded models limit how far you can be from an outlet. With two acres of land to deal with, I need reliable tools that don’t restrict my movements.
The Powerworks 40v hedge trimmer is a 24-inch battery-powered model that provides reliable and consistent performance. With up to 50 mins of runtime on a single battery, this tool is sized for the average homeowner who wants well-manicured hedges without the headaches and noise that come with gas-powered yard tools.
Before I recommend a product, I have to really put it through the paces. That means not only using it for its intended purposes but pushing it a little farther than it was designed for. I’ll give you a rundown of what this Powerworks hedge trimmer has been subjected to and how it handled the abuse. But first, let’s have a look at this machine and its features.
Note: Powerworks provided this product for review but had no input into the review methods or opinions of this article.
Product Features
The Powerworks 40v hedge trimmer comes with a 24-inch blade system, one battery, and a single-port charger. An instruction manual is included but the operation of the machine is pretty intuitive. I let the battery charge to full which took about 40 minutes before putting it to work. (The battery was partially charged on arrival – a 120 minute empty to full charge time is anticipated by the manufacturer).
The product arrived with a plastic protective shield over the blades. It slips off easily and the blades were sharp and uniform with no noticeable defects.
The dual-action blade system allows for 3/4″ cutting. I’ve seen this cutting capacity on less powerful hedge trimmers like my buddy’s Dewalt 20v but having a full 40v like this model should provide an impressive amount of power to take advantage of that wider cut gap.
Getting the product from box to operation couldn’t be any simpler. It arrived fully assembled and once the battery was charged it was just a matter of connecting it to the hedge trimmer it and getting to work.
Use And Abuse Testing The Powerworks 40v Hedge Trimmer
A Powerworks hedge trimmer review is not complete without a true hands-on test of its performance!
My entire 2 acres is completely surrounded by woods and overgrowth of bushes. This overgrowth hangs into my yard and makes mowing difficult for the parameter of the yard. I decided that I’d make this hedge trimmer earns its place in my shop by going around the entire 2 acres and cleaning up the overhang of bush growth.
Normal Use Test
I started off with light-duty work that is consistent with the average user and what you’d likely put this hedge trimmer through in real-world use. This included a variety of bushes and overhang up to about 1/4″ thickness.
The Powerworks hedge trimmer cut through these like butter. Honestly, I was impressed with how clean and consistent the cuts were. For a homeowner who takes pride in well-manicured, perfectly trimmed hedges, there’s no doubt that this hedge trimmer would meet their needs.
One of the areas I evaluated was the cleanliness and consistency of the cuts. Tears and rough cuts from poor pruning practices can make plants susceptible to disease and pests.
Of course, having a sharp blade is a big part of the equation but having the power to move that blade fast enough is also very important. That’s the advantage of a 40v system like this one over lighter-duty 20v hedge trimmers.
But with 40 volts of power to work with, I really wanted to see just how far we could push this machine…
Abuse Test
Once I was satisfied that the hedge trimmer would handle the day-to-day work of the average homeowner, I turned up the heat with more intense work. I started cutting through larger diameter brush and small limbs, really pushing the limits of what a 40v hedge trimmer can handle.
For this, I needed to pair the tool with a user with no regard for manufacturer recommendations – my 16-year-old son.
For several days, the tool was put to the test against a variety of brush and small tree limbs including sweetgum, mimosa, yaupon, and even a magnolia tree. The diameter of the limbs that were cut probably averaged between 1/4″ and 1/2″ in thickness or less. So they weren’t the maximum size that the blade system is designed to accommodate but they were tough and difficult wood to cut.
In the end, the Powerworks cordless hedge trimmer held its own. We haven’t finished the entire two acres yet but my son is making progress daily and so far we have had no issues or concerns with performance or dependability.
Power
For a battery-powered machine, the Powerworks hedge trimmer packs solid and reliable power. Battery-driven tools are generally less powerful than gas models but so much lighter and less noisy! Plus, let’s be honest, it’s nice not having to deal with the repair and maintenance issues of a gas-powered hedge trimmer engine.
I found the overall power to be on par with other 40v tools that I’ve used. For the average homeowner, the power of this tool should be more than sufficient.
Battery Run Time
Powerworks claims up to 50 minutes of runtime on a single charge. I’d say we averaged closer to 40 minutes but that was with hard and steady use while putting the tool up against brush that it was never intended to take on. Normal use by an average homeowner will undoubtedly yield better battery performance.
Noise Level
Noise levels for the Powerworks 40v Cordless Hedge Trimmer are on par with similar battery-powered yard tools. Noticeably quieter than gas-powered models but I still found using my noise-canceling headphones to be helpful in allowing me to listen to music in peace while working. But that was more of a preference than a necessity.
Gas-powered hedge trimmers, on the other hand, require ear protection because of the noise made by the combustion engine. This is nowhere near that level of noise.
Battery Compatibility
The 40v battery that comes with the Powerworks hedge trimmer is cross-compatible with over 20 tools from their product line including common yard tools such as a push lawn mower, blower, and string trimmer.
What’s really cool and somewhat unique (as far as I’ve seen) is that their 40v battery is compatible with a number of their 20v tools. It automatically recognizes and adjusts voltage to match the tool. This means more versatility in selecting the tools you need with less headache of having incompatible batteries, an issue that has plagued the battery-powered tool industry for years.
I own a Greenworks 40v chainsaw and my one regret with that purchase was not opting for the 60v version where the company has many other product offerings. This approach by Powerworks of allowing the 40v battery to be interchangeable with 20v tools really widens the opportunities for the consumer.
The company has a sizable list of product offerings for outdoor tools including their 2200 PSI pressure washer that I previously reviewed. You can have a look at their entire product line on their company website.
Conclusion
Powerworks has a solid offering with this 24-inch 40v hedge trimmer. The versatility allowed by the battery’s use in some of their 20v tools in addition to the 40v product line makes it even more enticing. I’ll keep up the testing and report any additional findings but there is a lot to like about this battery-powered solution from Powerworks.
Buy the Powerworks 40v Hedge Trimmer (link to Powerworks website).