Looking out my window I began to feel rather embarrassed about the state of my hedge. Even a neighbour had a quiet word with me about it because it was getting very bushy (almost as bushy as Moss' hair!) and starting to cover part of the walking path. I knew I needed to head down to the nearest hardware store that day and buy something to cut it with. Now, I am more of a geek with computers and gadgets than with outdoor tools. I scoured through my Argos catalogue and decided that I wanted a trimmer which was cordless, a decent price and not too heavy.

After looking at various brand named trimmers which everyone knows such as Black and Decker (price tag not so great!) I decided to take a risk and go with one I hadn't heard of before, Challenge. The price tag was good at £34.99 but I did wonder whether this would be another strimmer fiasco. My parents had bought a cheap strimmer from Argos and it was completely useless. I dithered... but in the end I knew I needed something. I didn't want to pay a lot for it (got to save money for all the latest gadgets don't you know!) so I went ahead with the purchase.

Got home and read the instructions, it needed a 7 hour charge first. So I charged the battery up and the next day I went to use it. Slotted the battery in easily and pressed down on the two levers, a nice loud noise echoed throughout the house! I went outside and attacked the large bushy hedge with ease. It really is easy. I have a bushy privet hedge and it cut through that easily. There were a few thicker branches which took a bit longer to get through but it cut them very well. The battery lasted around 20-30 minutes before starting to cut out. I found this fine because I managed to get the hedge cut in that time. People with larger hedges may find they want a longer lasting battery.

A word of warning: if you are not particularly muscular then please be aware that your hands and arms are going to tremble and become sore for a few days after using this trimmer. Mine took around four days to recover. For the first two days I couldn't grip glasses without shaking them. So just be aware of this and the strain it will put on your hands and arms if you are not used to this. As light as the tool is, you will find it feels heavier after using it for 20 minutes!

Features:

Dual blades
Safety switch
Charging time - 3-5 hours (initial charge 7 hours)
18v 1300mAh battery
Running time - 20-30 minutes

Overall, it does what it is supposed to and easily. The price tag is great and I think it is going to have lasting power for the next few years at least.