For my birthday, Kris’ parents gave me a Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer. This thing has an incredible reach, and suddenly my hedge trimming chores aren’t so daunting. Mostly.

Look at the features of the Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer!

• 2.6 amp motor
• 24″ extra-long blade
• 3/4″ max cut capacity
• dual blade action
• 6.2# lightweight
• 2-position pivoting blade
• improved control
• extra reach
• increased accuracy
• “clean, aggressive cuts

The box claims that the Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer cuts branches faster and easier with 40% less vibration.

What’s my evaluation of the Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer after eight hours of use? Well, it does cut hedges, but it’s certainly not very good at it. Clean, aggressive cuts? Try ragged, passive cuts. This thing even has trouble cutting through boxwood! If you’re slow and patient, however, it will cut anything. Just not cleanly. It sort of tears the camellia.

This Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer gets 2-1/2 stars at Amazon. The most recent issue of Consumer Reports rated it as Fair with a score of something like 62. That’s not very good.

But don’t let that scare you off! I’m actually glad to have my Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer. Its extended reach feature is worth its weight in gold. Next year when I trim the arborvitae hedge, I won’t have to work from both sides; I’ll be able to get it all in one pass. I also like the 2-position pivoting blade, which allows me to trim from multiple positions. I am very grateful for this tool, and it’s sure to get lots of use.

(I won’t be getting rid of my Black & Decker TR165 16″ Hedge Trimmer any time soon, though. This badboy is smaller, lighter, and has almost as strong a motor as the Black & Decker HH2410 HedgeHog XR 24″ Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer. Each of the machines has its uses, and I carry them both with me as I roam the yard, keeping the shrubs in check.)

I’ve been meaning to get in our yard and use the hedge trimmer, but one thing after another has reared its ugly head: I started two new weblogs, we got busy at work, I got sick for two weeks, and so on. Finally, last week I was able to get outside for four consecutive afternoons to trim the camellias, laurel, boxwood, and skimmia that encircle our house. It took me eight hours, but I finally got the job done. I also managed to trim the camellias next to the workshop.

Now I need to find time to:

• Mow the lawn again
• Prune every other hedge on the property — I’m maybe half-way done with my hedgetrimming for the spring
• Cut up all of the lilac and laurel limbs that we pruned recently — we took down a small fraction of the wood on this place, and yet it feels like we didn’t do a thing

I hope that this hedge trimmer comes in handy for many years to come. Thanks, Chris and Claudia!