How does a 30″ hedge trimmer sound to you? There’s a Makita single-side 4-stroke hedge trimmer that’s available with just such a blade length. The EN7350SH looks promising enough. But before we look at what it has to offer, let’s briefly consider why you might want a one-side hedge trimmer to begin with.
With only one blade side, single-side hedge trimmers have less weight for the same length as their double-sided cousins. This means you need to extend the length in order to maintain the balance of the tool. Hence, Makita’s 30″ length.
Like our Makita single-side 4-stroke hedge trimmer, you often get a collection basket of some sort to help push clipping off the hedge where you can rake them up easier. After all, who like dead and decaying branches messing up the look of their nice, green hedges?
Obviously, you can’t use the same back and forth action as a double-sided hedge trimmer, so that’s your trade-off for the extra reach and collection capability.
Key Features
- Makita MM4 4-Stroke Motor: The star feature of this show is Makita’s MM4 25.4 cc engine. Among other things, it gives you better fuel efficiency, quieter operation, and no oil/gas mixing.
- Chip Collector: Like we already mentioned, single side hedge trimmer open up the chance to use a collection basket to push your clippings to the ground rather than leaving them in the hedges.
- Visible Oil and Gas Levels: Both the oil and gas containers let you see how much is in the tank. That’s great for a quick check in the morning and throughout the day to make sure you don’t have to stop to refill in the middle of a job.
- Commercial Duty: A term you’ll hear frequently about the Makita single-side 4-stroke hedge trimmer is “commercial duty”. From the MM4 engine to the gear case and air filter design, there’s no mistake that Makita is targeting Pro users with this model.
Makita Single-Side 4-Stroke Hedge Trimmer Full Feature List
Performance Stats
30″ of trimming length is impressive, but not if the hedge trimmer doesn’t have the muscle to use all of it effectively. That MM4 motor keeps the blade moving at 4200 strokes per minute. That speed is right in line with what we expect from Pro-level machines.
What’s a bit different is the blade opening vs. maximum recommended cutting capacity. Makita recommends a maximum of 9/32″ diameter – just over 1/4″. At least that’s what the manual says. The blade opening measures at a true 1-1/8″, but it’s not recommended to cut just anything fitting in the blade. The large opening allows the user to cut several ~1/4″ branches at a time or in succession. However, if you’re trying to cut 1″ limbs, you may want to reach for loping shears or a chainsaw.
On paper, everything looks solid if you’re needing a single-sided hedge trimmer to supplement your shorter double-sided model. From here, we’ll turn it over to the crew at OPE Reviews for more details on what it’s like to use the Makita single-side 4-stroke hedge trimmer in the field, er, hedgerows.
Makita Single-Side 4-Stroke Hedge Trimmer Specifications
- Model: Makita EN7350SH
- Engine Displacement (cc): 25.4 cc
- Engine (HP): 1.1 HP
- Power Type: 4-stroke gas
- Blade Length: 30″
- Blade Speed: 4,200 SPM
- Fuel Type: Unleaded gas
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 20.3 oz.
- Crank Case Capacity: 2.7 oz.
- Blade Configuration: Single sided
- Overall Length: 76-3/4″
- Dry Weight: 14.7 lbs.
- Warranty: 1 year
- Price: ~$500
