Commercial landscapers know that lugging a ladder to job sites wastes time and energy, so to reach high hedges they rely on a long-armed tool such as the gasoline-powered Solo 129HS hedge clipper. It's a heavy-duty, professional-grade machine (with a price tag to prove it), powered by a high-performance 29cc engine. The clipper is designed to impress the pros, but Solo also built the 129HS with some simple-to-use features that will appeal to homeowners, including an easy-start system, which kicks in with a slow, steady pull, and an anti-vibration system.

Bottom line, though, is whether a trimmer delivers the cutting power necessary to get the job done, and this one does. The double-sided, 21-inch cutting blade can be adjusted anywhere in a 135-degree arc, making it easier to access hard-to-reach or angled areas. All you do is turn a small handle to loosen a screw, then pivot the blade. The whole tool is 74 inches long, which provides a good -- although not amazing -- amount of reach, and the loop handle halfway up the arm offers nice control.

What we especially like about this model is that the engine and the blade mount are positioned on opposite sides of the shaft, which helps balance the tool. The Solo 129HS gas-powered hedge clipper comes with a 2-year warranty.


Pros: Professional-level durability and design, balance
Cons: Price