I bought a McCulloch Tivoli 63 Petrol Hedge Cutter 14 years ago, and it's worked very well for me. You have to get the hang of using some choke initially, and then running without choke, but that's normal for any small petrol engine like device like this; I've never failed to get it to start. The machine has cut through hedges, twigs, small branches, weeds and everything I've used it for. The reach is of course limited if you've got very tall hedges, and because of the weight of the machine, I wouldn't want to be up a ladder with it. You get plenty of cutting out of a tiny amount of fuel. Overall, a tremendous garden workhorse.

The instructions for the McCulloch Tivoli 63 Petrol hedge cutter weren't especially clear, especially with regards to starting, and the role of the clutch. Also, there are far more safety points to plough through than actual instructions. Once that was sorted out and I got the thing running, following some twiddling of a cable adjuster not even mentioned in the instruction booklet, I was pleasantly surprised how well it coped with thick twigs/branches. Having used an electric trimmer for many years, I thought I could use this thing to fell a forest!
Using a petrol trimmer is different to an electric one with regards to weight and fumes. Weight will limit you to short bursts of activity, but you can cut a serious amount of hedge in 15 to 20 minutes. Also, the weight means you will tire very quickly if reaching up to cut a tall hedge.
This is a fuel/oil 2 stroke engine (to limit weight), so some fumes are produced.
The machine looks like it is built to last. Vibration is not an issue.

McCulloch Hedge Cutter ideal for use in short bursts, however it cuts through virtually any thing with ease so in no time you can cover a large area. The only problem is if you need to use ladders on tall hedges it gets quite tiring.
I've only run it for a few hours, but it still appears to be very sharp.