An excavator hedge trimmer uses the machine's reach to trim tall hedges, trees and shrubs that are hard to get at from the ground. Done at the right time and in the right way, it leaves a tidy, healthy hedge. This guide covers when you can cut, choosing the right tool, setting up, technique and safety, with the Auger Torque T150 hedge trimmer as the example.
1. Check When You Can Cut
In England, the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 ban cutting or trimming hedgerows on agricultural land from 1 March to 31 August inclusive. They cover hedgerows at least 20m long, or shorter ones that meet another hedgerow at each end, but not hedges around a house and its garden. There are exceptions, including:
- Hedges that overhang a road or public footpath and obstruct or endanger people using it
- Hedges that block road users' view or the light from a street lamp
- Dead, diseased or damaged hedges likely to fall onto a road or path
- Hedge laying and coppicing between 1 March and 30 April
- Trimming in August before sowing oilseed rape or temporary grassland, if you tell the regulator in writing first
Whatever the date, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it's in use or being built, so check for nests before you cut. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own hedge cutting rules.
2. Choose the Right Tool
- Hedge trimmer: clean cuts on hedge faces and tops, with branches up to 40mm thick on the T150.
- Flail mower: grass, brambles, scrub and rough growth. See our guide on how to use an excavator flail mower.
- Tree shear: trunks and saplings too thick for a trimmer. See our excavator tree shears.
3. Set Up the Trimmer
Match the motor to your machine: the T150 comes with a 50cc motor for 1.5 to 2.5 tonne excavators and skid steers, 80cc for 2.5 to 4.5 tonnes and 100cc for 4.5 to 8 tonnes. Check your auxiliary flow, which needs to be 30 to 71 l/min depending on the motor, at 150 to 220 bar. Set the mounting frame for the side you're cutting, as the trimmer switches quickly between left and right. For tall or deep hedges, the 1m extension takes the blade from 1.5m to 2.5m on the 80cc and 100cc models.
4. Cutting Technique
- Work from firm, level ground and keep the machine square to the hedge.
- Keep the blade parallel to the face you're cutting, and work in steady passes.
- Cut the sides first, then the top.
- Don't force the blade through branches thicker than it's rated for: 40mm on the 80cc and 100cc models, 25mm on the 50cc.
5. Work Safely
- Look up before you cut. Keep the machine and trimmer well away from overhead power lines, and plan the work using HSE guidance GS6 on avoiding danger from overhead power lines.
- Keep people, livestock and vehicles well clear of the cutting area.
- On roadside hedges, follow your traffic management plan and clear cuttings off the road.
- Stop the trimmer and lower it before anyone comes near.
6. Look After the Trimmer
Check the cutting teeth before each job and replace worn or damaged ones, as the T150's teeth are replaceable. Check the hoses for damage, and clean off cuttings after use.
Hedge Trimming FAQs
When can you cut hedges on farmland in England?
From 1 September to the end of February. Cutting or trimming farmland hedgerows is banned from 1 March to 31 August inclusive, apart from the exceptions in the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024.
Can I cut a hedge in August?
Only under one of the exceptions, such as a hedge that overhangs and obstructs a road or path, or trimming before sowing oilseed rape or temporary grassland, which needs written notice to the regulator first.
Do the rules apply to garden hedges?
The 2024 regulations don't cover hedges around a house and its garden, but the law protecting active bird nests applies to every hedge, so always check before you cut.
Need a Hedge Trimmer?
See the Auger Torque T150 hedge trimmer, or request a quote with your machine's make, model and weight. For grass and brambles, see our excavator flail mowers, or browse all our excavator attachments.
