Which garden power tools do you need as a pro?

Key overview: Which garden power tools could you need as a professional?

• Trimmer
• Hedge trimmer
• Lawnmower
• Chainsaw
• Leaf blower
• Pressure washer

Check out these tried-and-tested options below.

Rob Hiley started his company Blade & Border Property Services earlier this year, after relocating from the Blue Mountains in NSW to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and finding a new love for tinkering in his own garden.

“I loved it so much I thought, ‘Why not give it a crack as a job?’” he explains.

He’s now living the dream, helping clients keep their properties – mostly acreages like his – under control. He quickly realised he needed to upgrade his garden power tools from handyman to pro. “For this job, you need reliable, heavy-duty tools with guts – you’re covering a lot of ground over one day, so they need to be powerful,” Rob says. He gives us his verdict on the latest tools setting the world on fire in his trade.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves and a mask, for example) when required on the job. Always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

What are some good trimmers for the garden?

Honda 25cc 4 Stroke Bent Shaft Line Trimmer

• What it’s good for: “I like the power! I wouldn’t class this as a brush cutter, but for your standard maintenance line-trimming jobs, it’s perfect.”
• Handy tips/features: “The reliability is outstanding – you just pull that cord and you know that it’s going to run.”
• The specs: Motor: 25cc four-stroke Weight: 5.3kg (dry)

Makita 18Vx2 Brushless Loop Handle Line Trimmer Kit DUR368LPT2

• What it’s good for: “I was a big fan of this – it’s ideal for when I am working on home yards or in a housing estate. This is quiet but it’s still got the grunt you need.”
• Handy tips/features: “Three power modes extends the battery life, and I love the feature where you can change the head to go the opposite way so that you can reverse the head to sort tangles!”
• The specs: Motor: 36V Brushless Weight: 3.3kg (no battery)

What’s a great hedge trimmer for the garden?

AEG 18V 550mm Fusion Hedge Trimmer (Skin Only)

• What it’s good for: “This is perfect for light hedging or shaping because it’s so well balanced and sits in the hand comfortably.”
• Handy tips/features: “The battery life is incredible. I ran it for an hour and still had three-quarters left! I also like that you can flip the handle to suit right- or left-handed and get into tight spaces.”
• The specs: Motor: 18V Force VO Brushless Weight: 3kg (no battery)

What are the best lawn mower picks for heavy-duty mowing?

DeWALT 54V Brushless Self-Propelled Mower 15Ah Kit DCMWSP550Z1-XE

• What it’s good for: “This is just what you want if you have a lot of mowing – up to 800 squares easily!”
• Handy tips/features: “The big battery means you can keep going and being self-propelled makes all the difference!”
• The specs: Motor: 54V Flexvolt Brushless Cutting diameter: 530mm

AEG 2 x 18V (36V) 6.0AH 18” FUSION Lawn Mower Kit

• What it’s good for: “Light and quiet, this is what I would pull out if I had a smaller maintenance job.”
• Handy tips/features: “Just the push of one button and you’re away, and with the side discharge you can work fast.”
• The specs: Motor: 36V Brushless Cutting diameter: 460mm

What is a good chainsaw for professional gardening?

Victa 16” 40cc 2-Stroke Petrol Chainsaw with Oregon Bar and Chain

• What it’s good for: “If a branch is down or you need to cut up a log this is very handy. It’s got the power, it’s easy to start but it’s still lightweight so you could hang off the back of this all day.”
• Handy tips/features: “The bar is slightly thinner on this than what I’ve used in the past and that made a world of difference. The kickback is less and, being light, you can run around tidying up a garden for a few hours no worries.”
• The specs: Motor: 40cc two-stroke Weight: 5.4kg (dry)

What are some good heavy-duty leaf blowers?

Makita 18Vx2 Brushless Turbo Blower Kit DUB362PT2

• What it’s good for: “I’m a big fan of battery blowers and loved this one, it’s just what you want to clean up or push leaves around after you’re done with a job. It’s way more powerful than my old petrol blower!”
• Handy tips/features: “The dual battery means you’ve got more grunt for longer. It also has six speeds, so you can use it for light leaf blowing as you’re going on a job, then turn it up for heavy blowing to move bigger clippings.”
• The specs: Max air velocity: 194km/h Weight: 2.8kg (no battery)

Victa 25.4cc Petrol 2-Stroke Blower Vac

• What it’s good for: “This is a heavy-duty blower for sure, great for large areas with a lot of leaves to move or clean-ups after a big job. Like the Victa chainsaw, this was easy to start and reliable.”
• Handy tips/features: “Probably the handiest feature here is it’s also a vacuum with a mulcher and large (50L) bag, so if you’re trimming a hedge, for example, you can get all the debris from around the base even if it’s a rock garden.”
• The specs: Max air velocity: 260km/h Weight: 6kg (dry)

What are the best pressure washer power tools for gardening?

Kärcher G3200 Petrol Pressure Washer With Hose Reel

• What it’s good for: “I would use this for driveways, fencing, washing down machinery or cars, but also for the household stuff as well. Kärcher has a good name for a reason and this is a heavy-duty unit and quite a powerful pressure washer.”
• Handy tips/features: “One simple feature that makes a lot of difference is how the hose has its own reel, so instead of trying to twist it the right way to make it look nice when you’re packing up, you just turn the handle.”
• The specs: Engine: 196cc four-stroke Max pressure: 3200psi Weight: 29.24kg (without accessories)

Kärcher K7 Water Cooled Motor Pressure Washer

• What it’s good for: “This is a great general pressure washer that’s perfect for most jobs. It’s compact and lighter than some of the bigger units so it’ll definitely get used for jobs like cleaning up after work, washing down the car or cleaning machinery.”
• Handy tips/features: “It’s electric, so you just connect the water, plug it in and go. Plus, there are different heads for different spray angles and jobs, meaning you can use it across lots of applications.”
• The specs: Engine: 2200w Max pressure: 2600psi Weight: 17.2kg (without accessories)

Full Boar 3200PSI 7HP Petrol Pressure Washer

• What it’s good for: “Everything! Washing houses, bringing a driveway back to life – it’ll even cut through weeds and tidy up the edgings! Basically whatever you want a pressure washer for, this is a reliable, solid piece of work equipment.”
• Handy tips/features: “One of the most usable things is how you can easily angle the heads from, say, 15 to 25 degrees, by pulling the head out, angling it and pushing it back in. It’s so quick, I just loved it!”
• The specs: Engine: 208cc four-stroke Max pressure: 3200psi Weight: 28kg (without accessories)

Looking for more ideas for your business?

Check out our Trade Tips and Info where you'll find some great ideas from fellow tradespeople.