AEG seems to have a never ending range of landscape maintenance equipment, continuing to release new tools to the ever expanding battery powered market. I tested AEG’s latest OPE attachments on both 18V and 58V powerheads.
The 18V and 58V brushless motor powerheads come with a line trimmer attachment. I had a 500mm articulated hedge trimmer attachment and 10 inch pole saw attachment and it is worth noting that all the attachments are the same and interchangeable to both 18V and 58V powerheads.
The 500mm articulated hedge trimmer attachment is a nice piece of gear. It has 13 different cutting positions to suit all applications whether side hedging, angle cutting or flat topping different hedges.
Adjustment is simple and extremely easy with a lock-in pin system activated via a plastic grip, which slides down the end of the shaft. The handle is located on the gearbox of the hedger, which is used to lever the bar into the desired position. The dual-edged diamond ground blades can cut up to 25mm diameter branches and a blade tip protector ensures the cutting blades are protected if the tip comes into contact with hard objects or the ground. It is comfortable to use and light for a machine of its capabilities with the foam grip on the shaft adding to operator comfort, as well as ease of manoeuvrability.
Pole saws are handy attachments for contractors to have because they are an extra service to offer clients – removal of out-of-reach branches. The 10-inch (254mm) bar can cut up to 8-inch diameter branches with ease on the 58V powerhead and 4-inch diameter on the 18V model.
When using the pole saw on both the 18V and 58V powerheads it produced a neat even cut with little effort. The 58V was slightly quicker with a faster chain speed of 8.6m/s (1.1m/s faster than the 18V) on the higher speed. The powerheads have two speeds so obviously the speed of the chainsaw and hedge trimmer are faster and more efficient in the quicker mode with the compromise that it will reduce run times. It is good to have this option depending on the material being cut – low speeds can be used to conserve battery life on lighter or softer material.
The powerheads feature comfortable grips with raised rubber texture reducing the possibility of slipping. The speed mode selector is easily flicked between positions without releasing the trigger. The join where attachments are secured has a locating locking pin to ensure the attachment is in the correct position and a tensioning knob to tighten and secure the join to a solid fit.
In my opinion, the Hedge Trimmer attachment and Pole Saw attachment performed well on both the 18V and 58V Powerheads.