Weeding the Web

Battery-powered Hedge Cutter Review: Stihl HSA56 v. EGO 6500E

With summer over (and it was a good one, whatever anyone says), it's time to consider successes and failures, and first up is a foray into battery-powered, or cordless, hedge-cutter comparison. This summer I had the fun of putting two head to head: the Ego 6500D and the Stihl HSA 56. Battery-powered tools still have a bit of a reputation to build. On the website Garden Guides, it says "Cordless hedge trimmers have difficulty cutting in general". Nothing could be further from the truth as far as these are concerned. 

The Stihl HSA65 and EGO 6500E cordless hedge cutters.

I had a lot to learn about hedge-cutters. Up to now I've made do with shears, secateurs and the odd saw blade. It turns out that these are quite scary beasts. Mishandled, they could easily maim, so I began to appreciate the effort that's been put into developing safety features. If you've got one, you might like to check what's there.

• Dual handles mean you have to hold the cutter in a stable position to work. The control (rear) handles have two compression switches, so your hand has to be firmly clasped around them. The loop (front) handles have compression switches, so the cutter won't work one-handed.
• A plate in front of the forward handle shields your flesh from the blade, should your hand slip.
• Tooth extensions put a distance between the end of the blades and any flesh they accidentally come into contact with. 
• A switch locks the Off position, which means you (or a curious child) can't absent-mindedly set it going when grasping the handles (the Stihl has this, the EGO doesn't.)
• Insulated gripping surfaces, which protect against shocks should you accidentally cut into hidden live wires.

So, specs up first:

Ego Hedge Cutter 6500E

• Battery: 56V
• Blade length: 65cm
• Cutting capacity (gap between blades): 33mm
• Speed: dual
• Weight (without battery) 3.8kg
• Noise levels:  LWA 91.45 dB(A), with sound pressure level at operator's position LPA 81.4dB(A)
• Vibration: 5.313 m/s² front (loop) handle; 3.115 m/s² rear (control) handle

Stihl Hedge Cutter HSA56

• Battery: 36V
• Blade length: 45 cm
• Cutting capacity (gap between blades) 25 mm (measured by me)
• Speed: single
• Weight: 2.9 kg (the specs don't say whether this includes the battery, but that's what it feels like in comparison with the EGO)
• Noise levels: LWA 91dB(A), with sound pressure level at operator's position LPA 80 dB(A)
• Vibration: Loop (front) handle 1.2 ms²; control (rear) handle 2.7 m/s²

Ease of handling

A glance down the specs show an immediate difference. The EGO has a longer blade, is heavier, and has more vibration. The thing that struck me most was the difference in battery position. Whereas the Stihl's battery is in between the loop handle and the control handle, spreading the weight between them, the EGO's larger, heavier battery is immediately beneath the rear control handle. This balances the longer blade, but it does make the two feel different and it would be worth trying both to see which you prefer. I personally preferred the slightly less ponderous feel of the Stihl.

However, the EGO offers a couple of extras over the Stihl - two speeds and a rear (control) handle that can be set in five different positions by simply pulling out a catch. The handle, therefore, should always be positioned to face upwards and this made a huge difference to both wielding the weight and the comfort of the cutting position.

The yew "lump", needing a haircut

We tried the hedge cutters out on three different projects. One was shaping a yew "lump" in my father-in-law's garden; the other was trimming the holly column and ivy-covered wall in my mother's. Now it became clear that you really need to choose according to the work you're likely to require.

The yew and holly required trimming a lot at head height and overhead. Yes, I'm sure this is not approved cutting technique, but let's be honest, how often are you going to set up a ladder when all you have to do is reach up? There may be a warning against it. If so, it's in the EGO booklet, which carries so many WARNING paragraphs and SAFETY instructions that your eyes start dancing from one warning triangle to another and I gave up reading them all. 

In practice, the Stihl was easier to use. It's easier to sweep the shorter blade around, and if you want to nip the end off some soft growth the shorter blade makes it's easier to be precise.  However, the yew has grown a tad wide in girth and the longer reach of the EGO allowed cutting the top to be a stand-on-the-ground job, even though stretching up and towards the centre was something of a strain with the weight.

A lot tidier.

Given the chance, both Husband and I returned repeatedly to the Stihl; it feels lighter, more manoeuvrable and less tiring to hold. With less vibration it's less of a strain to reach out. However, its shorter blade meant that, had we not had the EGO, we would have been up a ladder, leaning into the bush.

The ivy, twice the height of the wall.

I found the same on the holly. A wide sweep overhead was easier with the Stihl, and its lighter weight meant that it was easier to nip off individual twigs that I'd missed. However, for thicker stems, the EGO has the edge. The central trunk of the holly needed cutting off at the top and I needed the EGO to hack through its inch-and-a-half diameter.

A lot neater. Yes, I left some height. Looks a bit odd here, but it offers a touch more privacy and there are plenty of berries left for the birds later in the winter.

The ivy was different. It immediately proved easier with the EGO, partly because of the cutter's ability with slightly thicker stems, but also because of the nifty position-changing handle. It's a matter of a moment to pull out the catch and twist. Not only can you turn it 45 degrees and 90 degrees to the left, but 45 and 90 degrees to the right, which means that you can position the blade to your right or your left, making access to the hedge much more flexible, and in my case, no problem in cutting behind a couple of rose bushes in both directions. 

The EGO 6500E hedge cutter with handle positioned 90 degrees to the left, so the blade cuts to your right.

With the handle positioned at right angles to the blade, cutting on the vertical comes closer to the body, giving you more strength and manoeuvrability and the greater weight is less noticeable, while the longer blade means speedier cutting. 

The EGO 6500E hedge cutter with handle turned 90 degrees to the right, placing the blade to your left.

Noise levels and vibration

As you can see, the official figures are very close and both guarantee a maximum sound level of 93dB.The EGO has slightly more of whine about it, increasing at the higher speed, which I personally find more annoying than the throatier rasp of the Stihl. However, the EGO's higher speed felt more comfortable, vibration-wise, than the lower speed, while the Stihl was more comfortable overall.

The EGO, turned upside down so you can see how the battery slides in, and the Stihl with its drop-in battery housing.

Batteries and battery charging

Both batteries clicked into place and had a switch that clicked them free so you could remove them. Both have indicators that light up to give an indication of how much power is left. As with all the EGO products, one of the leading features is the speed the battery charges. This EGO hedge trimmer uses the 1120E battery which takes a very impressive mere 25 minutes or so to charge fully (if you use the CH5500E Rapid Charger) and, unlike my experience a couple of years ago with the EGO mower, I've found it's still got plenty of juice when I've returned to it after several weeks.

The Stihl takes longer, but the advantage here is that the battery is lighter and slightly easier to handle, a small size that drops into place, rather than having to be slid into place beneath the handle, as happens with the EGO. The Stihl battery is smaller, at 36V to EGO's market-leading 56V, but for the jobs I gave it showed no sign of running out, and had plenty of juice left, retaining the charge for more use a few weeks later.

Conclusion

Initially, my impression was that the EGO design was more clunky. In operation there was more vibration, it was heavier, whinier, and the battery not quite so easy to slide into place.  However, the adjustable handle was a boon, and it had the ability to handle thicker stems (the width between the teeth governs the size of stem that can be cut), and a long reach. Having dual speed was wasted on me. I used it the top speed all the time and can't see why you wouldn't, as it felt more comfortable. That uses up the battery faster but didn't present a problem in the individual jobs I presented to it.

In all of these areas, Stihl is more limited. However, the Stihl is lighter and defter and the battery an absolute doddle to get in and out. It also has that lock switch that prevents accidental start-up if you grasp both handles. Did the longer battery charging time worry me? No, because it also holds a charge for a long time and so you could easily put it on to charge at the end of a session, making it ready for next time. For a well kept hedge, it's ideal. It easily cuts moderately thick stems, but solid stems over an inch it's beginning to bounce off.

This really is horses for courses, while price will help you in your choice. The EGO 6500E comes in at £219, excluding the battery (which costs an extra £84.99) and charger (at £74.99, Rapid charger or £49, Standard Charger). The Stihl is a more wallet-friendly £199, including the AK10 battery and AL101 charger. Both batteries will fit the other cordless tools within the range.

Were I the sort of gardener I'd like to be (not letting anything get away from me), then the Stihl would be fine. My being the type of gardener I am (I mean, how do things grow that fast?) the EGO has the versatility to cope with more of what's thrown at it.

Thanks to Caro, who has added her comment on the Stihl. "I have the Stihl hedge trimmer and absolutely love it. When trimming any length of hedge, the lighter weight is a blessing for my arm muscles! Because all the batteries in the Stihl range are interchangeable and I have other Stihl tools, I sometimes use the more powerful AK20 battery which holds the charge longer and takes about 40 minutes to recharge."

NB: Both the Stihl and EGO were on loan for review purposes.

 

Win garden storage with Waltons' 'I love my shed' competition

Who among us doesn't love our garden shed? I'll spend time arranging shelves there that I just wouldn't think of spending in the house. [Pace, Husband.]

Here's the chance to upgrade/add to your outdoor storage with a 5' x 3' Overlap Wooden Garden Mower Store in Walton's 'I love my shed' competition.

Win a Garden Mower Store from Waltons, worth £149.95.

Please enter your photo here; if you win, I get a small prize too.  Go on, take a snap. Share your prized hub of garden activity and let's see your ideas of how to make the most of a favourite space.

 

  

And in preparation for winning, you might like How to Preserve Your Garden Shed

Garden equipment review: Gtech Cordless Lawn Mower

What is the thing that I am least likely to do at this time of year, and yet have already done twice? Well, if you look at the picture below, you'll get the idea.

This was June last year. A path had been cut in the grass, but otherwise? Yup, it was all pretty much the length of the grass on the right.

For several years now, I've given the 'lawn' its head. Laziness, mainly. That, and the fact that our old lightweight Qualcast electric mower really hates wet grass, so the green stuff always got away from me in spring. That mower isn't much fun to use.If you're a regular visitor, you may remember I had a summer fling with the EGO mower a couple of years ago. That was a revelation of battery-power potential.

This year, I have the G-Tech, modelling here, once again, for comparison sake, with the old Qualcast.

The handles are level, so you can see the difference in length. Click through to the EGO post to see how big that was.

When the mowers started humming around the neighbourhood last month, I took a speculative look at the damp, thrusting sward and thought I'd give it a go. Would the Gtech, put away with a charged battery around November last year, still have a charge left in it? Unlikely, I thought.

Battery power

The EGO's battery, which is a massive 56v and charges in half an hour, was dead every time I got it out (having left it about three weeks each time). The Gtech? No problem; its 36v battery fired things up straight out of the garage after four months.

The first cut this spring wasn't so fierce as last year's.

I could probably have cut the entire lawn, but for my incompetence. When the mower stopped around three quarters of the way round (approx. 20 x 50 ft of grass), I immediately assumed the juice had run out and took the battery off to charge. What I'd actually done was jam up the blade with long, damp grass. The instructions tell you not to cut the grass when wet but...you know... (Besides, there's no explanation why not and, as that appears under the Personal Safety instructions, perhaps they're fearful that you'll slip?)

Press the button in the centre and the circle lights up to show you how much charge it has.

Officially, the battery takes five hours to charge fully from flat and is ready when four quarters of a circle light up. However, because it's holding a charge so well, I've been waiting only until it gets low and then charging after use. You can check the status of the charge when the battery is in the mower by pressing the button in the centre of the circle. If ever it gets too hot while mowing it will flash red, when you should stop and allow it to cool, which in my experience (see below) takes only seconds (but I did stop instantly).

The battery itself is 10 inches long (25.5cms), a graspable size and easy to manoeuvre, as it has a handle designed into the top which allows you to remove it easily from its station. Again this was a big improvement on the EGO's large square battery that I found awkward to get in and out of place.  After a full mow and a bit, three quarters of the circle are still lit, meaning there's still 30-60% left in the battery.  That's one of the nice things about the Gtech operating manual - it's given answers to just about all the questions I've thrown at it.

Chucking it into the long grass

But how does it cut? Well, some people would say I've mistreated the Gtech already. The picture at the top? That long grass was cut down to size by the Gtech. It was dry. It would probably have been a different story wet. The very long grass jammed it a couple of times, and the battery flashed red very briefly, but otherwise, with me taking it slowly, it coped extremely well, helped by the "gear-change" height adjuster set to the top level. 

It has six settings, ranging from 30mm through to 80mm - a breeze to operate with a smooth, easy action.  With a cutting width of 430mm, it makes decent progress around the lawn, without being a beast to manhandle through doorways. The weight also means that if you do use it in an unapproved manner (i.e. very long grass) it's not hard to tip over to clear the blades.

The activation key (shown here disengaged) remains attached to the mower even when it's disengaged, which is good if, like me, you tend to put things down and not find them again.

Health and safety

Speaking of manhandling, it weighs 16.95kg. It also has a well placed carrying handle on top. There isn't another at the front but the nose is nicely shaped to fit into the hand, so it's comfortable to pick up. For me, the weight means that if I really needed to I could lift it, unlike the EGO's back-freezing 26kg.  The handle folds down for neater storage and the mower won't work unless its fully extended and clicked into place. For me, at 42 inches off the ground, the handle is as high as it could be to still be comfortable.

Safety features include two-part starting - press the button and squeeze the handle. No fiddly "key" to insert each time, though there is a simple "activation key" set into the main body which clips in and out and should be removed whenever you go near the blades.

So, I've been trying to think if there are any niggles and, to be honest, it's hard. I find the Gtech easy to move around (to the extent that I can go for my "vacuum cleaner" style of mowing under low branches). It cuts close to edges. The soft-sided grass box holds 40 litres.

This flap is designed to flip up when the grass box is full.

The weakest point is the flap on the grass box, which should flip up to indicate that it's time to empty. However, if you overfill, then the grass chute clogs and the flap closes again, which means you could miss it. There's no sense, from the design or the modus operandi, that this is a precision piece of engineering, but the fact that I haven't yet seen it open probably has more to do with my emptying the box more often than necessary, just so it's easier to mix clippings into the compost heap.  The 40 litre capacity meant that I got it all cut in a couple of goes at the length (pictured above) it was for the first cut this spring.

At £349 on the Gtech website, there's no denying this is an expensive piece of kit, but this includes the battery and charger and, with its 43cm cutting width, compares comfortably with other models on the market. Other mowers cut down to 20mm, rather than 30mm, but tend to have a maximum cut height of 70mm, instead of 80mm. If you have grass like mine, that will suit you fine.

So, all in all, this surely makes the neighbours happier, as they are all neat and tidy lawn mowers. It also purrs along at a decibel level that's guaranteed no more than 96 dB(A). It makes Husband happier, as a meadow doesn't quite fit in with his idea of a decent back garden. And it most certainly makes me happy, as being able to bring it easily out of the garage for a quick blast on the shadier, faster growing areas, without untangling the electric lead, and without frequent emptying of grass box, is my idea of keeping things under.

I have seen the future...

Sometime soon all garden mowing will be like this and no one will have an electric mower, except an old one stashed in the shed. I question the future of small petrol mowers too, given the advances in battery power. If you need to buy a new mower but the battery models are still a bit expensive, then hang on and make do until you've saved enough to get one. Honestly. You'll never look back.

The mower was supplied by Gtech for independent review.

 

 

 

 

CremMate - an aid to growing roses?

A friend told me recently that, when she finally comes to rest, she wants her ashes to power the rose bed. "There'll be a little bit of me springing up in the garden every year," she said. Though, I couldn't help thinking she's hoping her thorns will get to pay off some old scores.

Programmable, personal cremation service from CremMate.

 

It's something that Funeralbooker surely has an eye on, as they launch the country's first home cremation service. Not everyone's choice, but in response to spiralling funeral costs and the trend towards more personalised funerals, it should shave £1,250 or around a third off the average cost of a funeral, which currently stands close to £3,500 a year*. Market trials have apparently already sparked considerable interest. 

CremMate delivers straight to your door.

The new service costs just £299.99 and includes door-to-door delivery of a fully assembled, cleaned and ready-to-use CremMate - the UK’s first domicinerator. Small enough to be sited in a garden, on a patio, or even, apparently, on a large balcony, it runs off standard propane gas cylinders which you can get from local garages and DIY stores.

To programme, you simply tap in the height, weight and age of your loved one and CremMate’s patented PYRETM algorithm calculates the burn rate and duration of the cremation. It'll warn you if size dictates that a second cylinder of gas is likely to be required, so that you're not caught out mid-cremation. 

Pets may also be cremated.

CremMate has features aimed at making the ceremony even more personal. There's a diffuser with a range of scents - such as Cake Baking, or Lavender - designed to "invoke warm memories", and a connector to "Feed the Flame" which lets you run a barbecue off the same gas cylinder for a more cost-effective wake.

A further add-on – the ‘Phoenix Smoke Plume’ - has already raised interest among sports fans as they'll be able to send up a plume of smoke in team colours for a very visual tribute.

Ian Strang, Managing Director at Funeralbooker, says: “This is about bringing value and choice to the UK funeral market. We expect this service to be in hot demand – you would have to be a fool** not to want to use it."

*Sunlife 2016 Cost of Dying survey.
** As in April Fool, but you guessed that, right?

Funeralbooker is a free, independent and impartial funeral booking service, designed to bring greater transparency to the funeral market and help consumers to find the right funeral director for their needs.

 

The garden kneeler I wouldn't be without

Mine still looks pretty good after about five years.

As work in the garden ratchets up notch by notch with Spring's progress, I'll bet you have a handful of essentials that you take out into the garden every time - tools and equipment that you find are really all you need. I wonder, though, how universal our essentials are, and are your essentials anything like mine?

If there's one thing I wouldn't be without just now, it's the Kneelo (and no, this isn't a sponsored post). There are loads of garden kneelers on the market and I was taken recently by one recommended by a professional on the Landscape Juice Network. The Alpro Knee Cushion is made of synthetic material that moulds to your knees and is, apparently, designed by a German knee surgeon to distribute the weight properly. Alpro make knee pads too and, given that they're aimed at people like tilers who are on their knees much of the time, are worth looking at if you really suffer when kneeling or have a knee injury. 

But here's a pristine red one.

I, however, am perfectly at home on the Kneelo, and long may it last. Actually, the Kneelo itself has lasted well. Husband bought one for me four or five years ago (a Christmas present, no less) and it's still going strong. I particularly like the filling, which has a core of EVA foam, is a padding used in bicycle saddles and for theatrical costume pieces such as helmets. Wrapped around that is memory foam. The outer covering is Neoprene, so if it gets wet it dries off quickly. All in all, it's beautifully soft and squishy to kneel on, and actually quite cosy too, while firm enough not to disappear into the mud.

It comes in a variety of bright colours, which makes it easier to spot when you've left one somewhere on the grass. You'll also find kneepads in the same material on their website.

 For something else I wouldn't be without, see the gardening smock which I wrote about a couple of years ago and is still going strong.

 

How to buy the best garden shed for your money

Shed-buying. Seems pretty straight-forward, doesn't it? Here are the steps that you're probably thinking it involves:

1. Decide where to put shed.
2. Measure space.
3. Decide where you want door - at the end or the side.
4. Decide whether to have windows.
5. Go and buy shed to match.

However, if you want to get the most for your money, there's actually more to think about.

Here's a cute shed, but it has Waney Edge cladding (see below). Doors and windows that touch the roof are another sign of cost-cutting, so this should all be reflected in the price.

You may, indeed, eventually end up with the cheapest shed you can find, but at least you should know why it's cheap, and what to look for to ensure you get the best value for money.

Three things to check before you buy your shed 

Garden Shed frame

The frame - i.e. what the walls are attached to. As for all frames, you want it as sturdy as possible, which means good construction, with corners properly braced and a decent thickness of wood employed. Shed manufacturers have been known to save money in this area, so take a look.  One sign of good construction is diagonal bracing on the shed door, which makes it more rigid and less likely to sag as it ages. 

 

Cross bracing on inside of a shed door helps to prevent sagging.

However good your frame, though, it needs decent support. When I asked Richard Fletcher of What Shed his advice on frames, he said:  

The main thing is the shed base. If the shed is not put on a solid - so, not soil - base, then the whole structure is likely to warp, no matter what bracing it has internally. 

Garden Shed Cladding

The walls of the shed are called the cladding. I found this is a little confusing, as the stone-wall cladding generally goes on to a solid base (say, bricks or breeze blocks). The cladding on wooden sheds is fixed straight to the frame. It is the walls of the shed and it can be divided into three types: overlap, rebated cladding and tongue-and-groove varieties. 

Overlap cladding

Most commonly you'll find overlap feather-edge cladding - narrow planks, thinner along one long edge than the the other, made to overlap. 

Feathered overlap cladding. You can see that the planks are thinner on their upper edge where they are fixed under the plank above.

This saves on material and so costs less.  You therefore tend to find it at the lower end of the market.  Not the best choice if your shed will be exposed to strong sunlight, as it tends to warp. 

A step up is square-edge overlap cladding, where the planks are the same thickness across their profile. The wall is therefore thicker, more protective, and you're likely to find this in the mid-range sheds.

A step down is Waney Edge cladding (see picture at top of page), made of boards cut directly from the tree. Looks cute and rustic, generally cheap, but more likely to warp and not stand up to the weather over time. Unless you're going to put it somewhere that never gets wet, this could well be a false economy. 

Rebated cladding

Feather-edge sometimes comes rebated, which means that the planks are cut so that they lie flat against each other, making for a slightly sturdier construction, as each plank partly rests on the one below, but you've still got the thinner upper edges of the planks. 

Shiplap cladding, again, has its planks rebated so they lie flat. 

This is shiplap and you can see the rebate on the left, in which will sit the base of the plank that will be fixed above this one.

With shiplap there's more of a self-supporting element as the planks tend to be thicker and of the same thickness across their profile. Thickness varies, though, depending on the manufacturer, so some are sturdier than others. This construction is often used where there are extremes of temperature, as the design allows movement.

The parallel grooves help water-resistance.

A signature feature of shiplap is the groove that runs parallel to the ground in each plank, and it's not just for show as it directs moisture away from the surface, improving weather-resistance.

Tongue-and-Groove cladding

The big daddy. Planks are cut with a "tongue" along their upper edge that fits into a "groove" in the plank above it. The strongest cladding and the planks won't warp, either. Would you ever, I asked Richard, choose shiplap over tongue-and-groove, if price were no object? He said: 

That's a good question. Tongue-and-groove is typically a sign of a better quality shed. This is mainly due to the timbers being interlocking. This gives the structure more natural strength, as well as providing additional security benefits.

So, 'No' I think is the answer to that. However, if your shed is going to be lashed by rain, buffeted by winds, squashed with leaves or jemmied by thieves, and you can't stretch to tongue-and-groove, it's probably worth stretching your wallet to a shiplap construction. 

Shiplap and Tongue-and-Groove combined

Curiosity piqued, I took a close look at the little shed I had installed about five years ago. As you can see on the corner, it combines shiplap with tongue-and-groove. A nice improvement on shiplap, I reckon, but it looks as if tongue-and-groove will always be slightly sturdier than this. 

Here's shiplap combined with tongue-and-groove. Aesthetics with sturdiness.

 

On the other hand, despite sturdy framing, the doors are not cross braced, so you can see what is beginning to happen. 

 

You can see the vertical planks of the door are beginning to shift downwards slightly.

I sense a degree of swings and roundabouts in shed construction.

A word of caution about cladding

And finally...

Wood Treatment

Pressure treatment ensures that wood preservative has thoroughly impregnated the wood and, says Richard, it's a "fantastic sign of quality". Dip treatment is pretty self-explanatory - yup, the preservative is only applied to the surface. The latter needs a coat of wood preservative slapped on every year, if it's to last, which is something to take into account when you consider the cost. 

 

Essentially, the strongest sheds will be sturdily framed, cross-braced, pressure-treated and clad in tongue-and-groove. They'll also cost you a hefty whack. To prevent overspending, keep in mind position and requirements. It's worth remembering that, in smaller sheds (say 5' x 6'), cladding is less important because they tend to be tucked away in corners and less affected by strong winds and rain. (Our feathered overlap shed is still standing strong after more than thirty years. It's in a sheltered corner, which is only sunny when it's already dried out in summer, and sits on a brick-built base.)  With a larger shed, and its much higher cost, it's worth considering whether saving a few pounds on cheaper cladding and other cost-cutting construction won't be spoiling the ship for a hap'orth of tar.

For a good comparison of different constructions and value for money, What Shed gives a rundown on the features of their top twenty large sheds and top twenty small sheds. 

Whatever you do, though, don't forget to put it on a decent base!

Written in association with What Shed, who have oodles of information on their website. 

 

 

 

Garden mower review: EGO - battery-powered mowing, a view of the future

EGO v Qualcast. The back edges of the collection boxes are lined up, so you can see the difference in length.

"Due to a terrible miscalculation of scale the entire battle fleet was swallowed by a small dog."

I was reminded of this abortive invasion of Earth from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with the arrival of the EGO mower for review. Only, this time it looked as if the invading force might eat me.

Scale isn't obvious in a picture and, not thinking, but expecting the mower equivalent of a small saloon car, I was stunned to find that the new arrival was more in the category of an SUV.  Shiny, huge, rather sexy but, as with all SUVs, a total over-specification for its suburban surroundings.

Still, nil desperandum. For me, this turned out to be a revelation of new battery technology.

My usual mower

As you can see from the picture, it's a Qualcast. It's small, chosen for its extreme lightness and also because the front garden is a patch of grass surrounded entirely by flower beds, with no path access.

It doesn't give a a tidy result, needs emptying after a couple of passes up and down the garden, needs unclogging underneath at the same time, but can be tipped over and picked up with the crook of your little finger.

It will also, faced with grass nearing a foot high, close down for fifteen minutes while it cools down at the insult. Sometimes, shorter, wetter grass makes it do the same.

The grass I mow

A "lawn" that''s approx. 20 x 50 feet, with low-hanging branches on an small apple tree in the centre, more sweeping branches from an apple at the side - both of which tend to get a bit tangled in long grass as summer progresses - some stepping stones set into the grass, and the odd pot and table that I tend to mow round. 

You by now will have the image of someone not exactly lawn-proud who merely aims to keep it roughly under control. (It's a crop, OK? I feed the compost with it. Besides, I like a shaggy, country feel.) And who has never experienced a big, powerful mower.

The EGO trip

Enter the EGO.

First question - how on earth do I get it out of the cardboard box? This machine is heavy. Massively heavy (26.2kg). Lift it? You must be joking. I cut it out of the box. There is a lifting handle at the front for people who fancy a bit of variety in their weightlifting training, but I moved it entirely by pivoting it on its back and front wheels.

Second question - I've never had a battery-powered mower before; what do I need to know? To find out, I had to go online, to an instruction book that's the wrong way round onscreen (and couldn't be shifted 90 degrees, either).

For a retail price of £499 I expect instructions. On paper. I don't want to have to remember instructions from screen to garden, or print them all out, or squint as some tiny screen while I stand over the mower (assuming I even had a smart phone).

The booklet is stuffed with information of the type "Do not run over your foot while mowing", but I couldn't find any reference to battery care. In the end, it seems straight forward, but I'd like to know that before experimenting to find out.

But what about that battery? This is the clever bit. The biggest limiting factor for battery-powered equipment has been the size and weight of battery required. The EGO is notable for its 56V lithium battery. Most are 36V. And even more impressive? It charges fully in half an hour. This is very fast. It also means that you can decide to mow the lawn at almost a moment's, rather than a morning's, notice. Which is good. I don't mow that often, so I don't know how long the battery holds the charge, but certainly, whether I took the battery out or left it in the machine after mowing, it needed charging three to four weeks later (it's been very dry, so the grass hasn't grown much so far this summer). 

According to its publicity sheet, It should cut up to 800 square metres, have a tenth of the running costs of a petrol-powered equivalent, and operate for up to 1500 charges (around 8-10 years in an average sized garden).

The mower's size has advantages. Husband looked at it blankly and said, "Some people's gardens are smaller than that." But with a cutting width of 49 cm (the Qualcast is 32cm), it ate up the space. Mowing, which usually takes me a sweaty 30-45 minutes (depending on assiduity), was now taking about 20 (and I was being much more assiduous). 

For a machine that heavy, I thought it moved nicely. I was just so sorry I couldn't give it a good run. Suddenly the garden took on a new character - in fact, quite irritating in parts. Those low-hanging branches? How dare they block the path of the mighty mower! Cut out a corner of the lawn for a Bramley (which I have done)? No, we need more mowing!

The battery light shows green when the mower is happy. Overload it and it'll start to flash amber and then turn to red and stop. The only way I could make it do this was by lowering the height. It has five height settings (25-80mm), and the bumpy, tufty lawn was too much for the lowest two. I stuck with the middle height most of the time, but foot-high grass under the apple trees? Cut down like Man by the Grim Reaper, on setting no. 5.

This was my favourite feature - the height-changing gear-stick. And don't tell me it's not been fashioned to remind you of a racing car. A notchy gear change and the suspension rises and falls before your eyes. The stick needed a little effort at times to move it, but attacked from the right angle, slipped smoothly into place.

It comes with three grass collection options, two of which need a plastic insert (both of which felt pretty robust) into the back of the mower. One makes it into a mulching mower. The other directs the clippings to the side as you walk. The third is the 60-litre soft-sided collector which turned out to be easy to take off and rehang on the back, even though you had to lift the rear flap on the machine to do this.  This isn't a loud mower generally, but I was very taken with how quiet it was when set up to mulch.

What didn't I like about the EGO mower?

Hmm. It's an expensive machine and I just got the feeling that certain things had been skimped on, putting reliance on its good looks to carry it through. The see-through green lid on the battery compartment irritatingly wouldn't stay up on its own, so you had to manoeuvre the battery into position while it fell down and got in the way.

The battery itself is very neat but it's a large, heavy object with little to get a grip on for anyone with small hands. I'd have appreciated a design with some sort of handle built in to make both wresting it from its charger and slotting it in and lifting it out of its compartment easier.

The height-adjustable handle doesn't offer much choice. For the mower to work, plastic clips (that didn't feel as if they'd last too long) have to be snapped over the shafts. There are only two positions where there are holes to receive the clips - fully extended, and unextended (top picture). The former was slightly too high for me while mowing (with the handle sitting mid-chest level), the latter too low. (A good point about the handle, though, is the way it folds very neatly, creating a compact outline for storage.)

All the plastic bits (there's a starter "key" too) feel a bit flimsy.

And, of course, there was that lack of instruction booklet.

Would I buy an EGO mower?

I'm keen to try other battery-powered mowers, as I suspect that this is the one to match. EGO Europe’s marketing director, Steve Roskell said, “EGO is the first range of cordless outdoor powered gardening equipment capable of matching or surpassing the performance of petrol-powered machines without any of the noise, fuss or fumes." Well, I'm convinced.

And I've enjoyed having it. How things might change if I had it permanently! This is built to run down large areas of open grass. Its bag took all the clippings in one go in July, and in two goes when it was very lush and longer at the beginning of the year.

But I wouldn't get it myself. It's too big to store anywhere except the garage (the car was banished outside). Too heavy. And for the price I think it needs a few design tweaks. But it's certainly been a revelation as far as the possibilities of battery power are concerned.

The EGO range includes a blower, line cutter, hedge-cutter and chain-saw.

Garden handfork design - why don't they make one like this anymore?

I'm fed up. My favourite handfork - which already was the worse for wear, having lost a "tooth" a couple of years ago - has lost another one. It's really now more of a mini-pitchfork. My problem is, not so much sentimental attachment, but that finding another is very difficult.

If you know of a company that makes them, I'd love you to tell me.

I fear, though, that it is a design that has fallen out of favour and I will have to search for an antique example. 

Handforks now are only three-pronged (as far as I can find, anyway) with the prongs' width at right angles to your arm. Mine - inherited, I think, from a great uncle's house c. 1977 - has four twisted tines which place their width on the same plane as your arm. Two have snapped off at the point where they twist through ninety degrees.

Ah! you might be sagely nodding. Design fault. Well, hold on, they've snapped after - what? - nearly seventy years.

A bit of research on the name stamped in the metal reveals this fork, by Brades Nash & Tyzack, to have been made around the 1950s. The firm was formed at the beginning of the decade from Nash Tyzack and William Hunt Industries, and merged with C T Skelton to form Brades Skelton & Tyzack in early 1960s.

The handfork (no. 27, the stamp tells me) has a nicely shaped and extra-long wooden handle. It's comfortable, well-balanced, the tines work well in my heavy clay soil, being easier to dig in than the thicker, three-pronged affairs, and the narrower profile of the tines works more comfortably around plants.

There are websites selling second-hand versions, but I'd rather hold one in my hand before I buy it. I'm just going to have to keep my eyes open for one at places where they like to sell them as antique wall decorations.

I was puzzled as to why they're not made like this anymore, but, seeing the new and old placed together in the picture, I think it's pretty plain that the older one has a higher level of workmanship and - what do you think? - demands a level of skill that is scarcer these days and would cost more to make?

Ho hum.

I bet there are loads of us who are hanging on to favoured old designs in preference to what' s on offer now. Are you?

Garden Giveaway: Stacks of Flavour Strawberry Fields, from Suttons

NB This giveaway is now closed.

Some things have instant appeal. Often they're the simplest ideas, as I discovered when my salad crate from Suttons' new Stacks of Flavour range arrived.  I felt ridiculously pleased.

It's cute, nicely proportioned, solidly made and came all ready with a liner to stop soil falling out of the bottom and seeds in a range of salad leaves ready to sow. 

It's also neatly stencilled with "Helen's Salad" (blush!). Passing snails take note. And, indeed, it's possible to have your crate inscribed with a message of up to 20 characters, which is a way to make it a very personal gift.

Stacks of Flavour crates, launched today, come in three depths. Three slats deep for root veg, chillies and strawberries, two slats deep for herbs, and one slat deep for salad leaves. Each has a liner which you can cut to size (I just folded mine to shape and tucked it into place) and seeds or plants. There are seven different collections to choose from and all you need to do is add compost.

You can add to your collection by buying individual crates in a variety of sizes, with the liner but without seeds or plants, so you can expand your growing space to encompass more varieties in time with your growing confidence. You can see the full range on the Stacks of Flavour website.

They should last for a bit too, made of FSC sustainably sourced wood that's a sturdy 12mm thick, with extra pins for structural strength. The wood has been treated to last at least three years but I think I'd give them an annual application of wood preservative to prolong it further.

Growing like this is the box equivalent of square-foot gardening. Only better, in some ways. You can move things around, stack unused crates out of sight if you decide to downsize for a time, or add more growing space as it suits.  With more people having to rent, these provide an ideal solution to a portable garden.

While the crates are particularly good for people with limited garden space or who would just like to start off in a small way, it doesn't stop them being really cute and an attractive option for anyone, experienced or not, who fancies growing a bit more on the patio or using that porch space that's always gone begging. 

I love the fact that I now have a salad "bed" that's been easy to start indoors away from inclement weather and will remain out of reach of slugs. With Strawberry Fields I could segregate my varieties so they didn't get all muddled in the beds, and I could remember which plants were which.

Two Strawberry Fields crates up for grabs!

To celebrate the launch, I've got 2 prizes of Suttons' new and exclusive Stacks of Flavour ‘Strawberry Fields Collection’ worth £32 each.

Included with each are: 

• 8 plug plants of Strawberry Toscana - a unique variety with attractive pink flowers which bears a continuous supply of sweet, juicy fruit right through from July to October (and will do for many years to come).
• 1 x 3-slat crate (5.3cm x36cmx28cm high) plus liner. 
• FREE personalisation

To enter

To be in with a chance to win one of the crates, please leave a comment below. You can also enter by following me on Twitter and tweeting a link to this post (include @helengazeley in the tweet so I know you've done it).

 Do both and you'll be entered twice!

The winner will be drawn at random from all the entries.

 

Deadline for entries: noon on Thursday 26th March 2015.

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Ryan and Jan who will each soon be receiving their Strawberry Crate.

Terms and Conditions:

1. This giveaway is only available to people with a UK delivery address.

2. Entry closes at noon on Thursday 26th March.

3. The lucky winner will be notified on 26th March either via the email address used to leave a comment below, or via Twitter. If I have not heard from him or her by midnight on 4th April I will draw another winner.

3. I have two prizes of one Stacks of Flavour Strawberry Fields from Suttons to give away. No cash alternative.

4. Suttons will send it out in May, when it will be ready to plant out.

5. Anyone found using multiple Twitter accounts to enter will be disqualified.

 

 

 

Get your garden pond ready for winter

Icy Pond in Struie Wood by Sylvia Duckworth. Creative Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icy_pond_in_Struie_Wood_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1055578.jpg

Earlier this year I pondered adding a pond to the garden. As the temperature finally falls to winter levels, I'm wondering how much work I might be letting myself in for if I go ahead. Success with Your Garden Pond, a book published in 1994, would have me baling out water, catching fish, dredging sludge, refilling and covering with plastic for the winter months.

It all sounds rather exhausting.

Winter care for garden ponds with fish

But of course, it really depends on what you have in your pond. If you have fish, then you'll probably need to do more, use more equipment, and juggle decisions. Pumps, heaters and filters to keep water circulating and remove toxins are recommended, but a filter definitely should be removed before it freezes and a pump might have to be too.

You'll also have to keep an eye on the temperature and either feed fish a special wheatgerm diet (to aid digestion and reduce ammonia production) or stop feeding them completely. And, given that fish in ponds provide an easy target for predators, you might want to get a heron scarer.

Hmm. Not sure I'm ready for fish.

Winter care for garden ponds without fish

However, just because a pond doesn't contain fish, it doesn't mean you can ignore it till Spring. The important thing is to keep the water oxygenated. Oxygen diffuses into the pond from the air, but you should also grow oxygenating plants in the water. Foliage overshadowing the water needs to be trimmed back, so more light can enter and those underwater plants can breathe.

Cutting back foliage also reduces the amount of vegetation entering the water, where it would rot and release toxins. In fact, a pond net might be an idea to stop debris falling in, though I think I'd want to leave part of the water open so that wildlife could take a drink. You still need to inspect the net regularly to ensure that it's not completely covered (so blocking out light) or, without a net, inspect the water and remove floating leaves.

Frozen Ornamental Pond by James Allen. Creative Commons licence. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icy_pond_in_Struie_Wood_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1055578.jpg

According to national charity Freshwater Habitats Trust, (formerly Pond Conservation), frogs often hibernate at the bottom of ponds. They tolerate low oxygen levels, but will die after a few days if the water is totally de-oxygenated. So, if snow falls on a frozen pond, it should be cleared from the surface; it blocks out all light beneath, preventing plants from doing their job.

Froggy hibernation also raises concerns about ponds freezing solid, as the amphibians certainly wouldn't survive.

The Trust launched its Big Pond Thaw Survey after the winter of 2009/10 caused ponds to freeze over and brought in numerous reports of dead fish and amphibians.

Much is usually made of having a pond deep enough not to freeze completely. However, the Trust reported:

"We know that most ponds didn't have more than a few centimetres of ice, even during the very coldest days of the 2009-10 winter - so freezing solid isn't the problem."

Results were not conclusive but indicated that, as fewer amphibians were found dead where a pump was running or plants were present, deaths might have resulted from reduced oxygen levels in the water. They add that a build-up of toxic gases might also be implicated.

Surprisingly, they add:

"We don't think that making a hole in the ice will affect the amount of oxygen diffusing into the water, since this is a naturally slow process."

It seems accepted that you shouldn't bang on ice to break it up, as this could have unwanted percussive effects on wildlife beneath. However, keeping an area of water open seems a good precaution. The research didn't gather evidence on the presence of toxic gasses (which need to escape), and it seems kinder to keep drinking water available for larger animals and birds. The Trust also adds:

"It may still be worth making a hole in the ice to allow more active animals like fish or newts to move to the surface to breathe air."

One solution is to float a ball on the surface, though in very cold weather this probably wouldn't stop ice forming. If you want to be absolutely sure your water doesn't freeze over completely, you need a pond heater. It doesn't have to be very powerful. Only if you've got a heavily stocked Koi pond do you need an 'in pond' heater. For my future pond, I can see that a surface heater would be enough to keep a small area of water open.

As the Freshwater Habitats Trust itself says:

"There's no harm in playing safe."

In association with Swell UK.