Ten top gifts for those hard to please people

There’s still just time to buy that special present for the keen gardener and have it delivered before Christmas.
And as Santa is issuing his survival rations to Rudolph and revving up the rest of the reindeers we have listed ten Christmas crackers of presents you can consider if you’re feeling generous.

Speak to anyone who has a good supply of wood for the fire and you will be regaled with stories of aching backs due to wielding a splitting axe.
The Einhell BT-LS 44 Electric Log Splitter, a robust machine engineered and designed in Germany, will save a painful back and is ideal for splitting wood ready for the winter fires.
It will deal with logs up to 25 cm diameter and 37 cm long and is powerful enough to deal with dry twisted woods.
The machine has a 1500 Watt motor to drive the hydraulic ram to a force of four tons. There is a device to protect it from being overloaded.
You need both hands to operate it, a useful safety feature, and transport wheels mean it is easy to move around.
This machine costs only £169 compared with the maker’s recommended retail price of £299. There is free next working day delivery and a two year manufacturer’s warranty.
Another certain way to get a bad back is by shovelling snow and although the white stuff has only visited a few areas so far this winter the worst months are yet to come.
The Stiga Snow Electric Single-Stage Snow Blower is a simple machine ideal for clearing paths and drives around the home.
It is powered by a Leo 1800 Watt electric motor and has 10 metres of cable.
Rubber bladed augers clear right down to the surface ‘back to black’ and works best on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt.
Once the augers have picked up the snow it is blasted clear through the exit chute which can be adjusted through 180 degrees.
The handlebars fold down for easy storage so you can keep it in the lobby or entrance hall if snow is forecast.
Light, easy to manoeuvre it has a working width of 45 cm and can cope with falls up to 25 cm deep.
Delivery is free the next working day and there is a one year maker’s warranty and it costs £179.
Every gardener needs a good hedge trimmer, preferably one which is strong and light at the same time.
This is where the Greenworks 40v Cordless Hedge Trimmer with Twist Handle scores in spades as it uses the latest lithium-ion battery technology.
It comes with its own charger and there is a battery level indicator as well.
These batteries can be charged at any time and has longer running time with double reciprocating blades capable of cutting stalks up to 1.7 cm thick.
The blades are 60 cm long making it easy to reach higher hedges and as it has a rear handle which can be rotated it can be used for cutting and shaping hedges when to comes to the more difficult to reach sections.
When you buy this hedge trimmer you can also benefit from lower prices on other Greenworks garden equipment.
It costs £199.95, has a three year maker’s guarantee and is delivered frr the next working day.
Now it’s back to the wood pile and a chainsaw which is exclusive to MowDirect and is currently on special offer with a free starter pack of safety and other accessories.
The Oleo-Mac GS-410C Pro Petrol Chainsaw comes from Italy’s leading garden machinery manufacturer and is ideal for lopping branches and felling small trees as well as cutting logs for the winter fire.
The 39 cc engine has been engineered for a long life and to be easy to start.
The working length is a generous 16 in and it is comfortable to use as the engine is isolated from the main body of the machine by spring dampers and rubber stops.
It weighs just 4.2 kg and is really well balanced and has an inertia chain brake and hand guard.
Currently this machine is offered with a safety helmet with visor and ear muffs, safety gloves and engine and chain oil and a mixing bottle.
It costs £249.95 compared with the manufacturer’s recommended price of £369.95. Delivery is free the next working day.
Take a brief look out of the window at the car parked in the drive and chances are that the original colour can only be glimpsed through mud and grime.
This needs to be washed off not only for aesthetical reasons but to guard against corrosion and that’s where the Greenworks 140 Bar Electric Pressure Washer comes into its own.
This machine has just the right amount of power to clear mud and muck from cars, bikes and to wash down patio.
The 1800 Watt electric motor gives a flow rate of 380 litres an hour and the machine has twin detergent tanks so you can use one for cleaning fluid and the other for wax.
The nozzles simply click into place with brass fittings and there are five nozzles including a turbo nozzle for clearing away caked on mud.
The spray gun and lance let you clean the difficult to reach areas and there is also a 25.4 cm surface cleaner for getting muck off decking and patios.
It costs £249.95, £150 less than the maker’s recommended retail price and there is a two year warranty and free next working day delivery.
Perfect lawns don’t just happen by chance they need a lot of love and attention and you need to keep the turf healthy throughout the year.
The Einhell BG-SC 2240P Petrol Lawn Scarifier is the perfect machine for keeping a lawn in top condition as it will clear dead grasses and moss away and allow healthy growth.
Lawns should be scarified every four to six weeks and the rubbish teased out should be collected by a rake in the first instance, and can be collected in the 45 litre box from then on.
The Einhell scarifier has a 118 cc engine and has a 40 cm working width. Large wheels make it easy to manoeuvre and there are six working depths from -15 mm to plus 5 mm.
Currently it is £210 less than the recommended price as it is only £269.95. Delivery is free the next working day and there is a two year manufacturer’s warranty.
And as a further limited special offer there is a a 10 litre jerry can worth £24.95 absolutely free.
Now for a brushcutter and this one is a bit of a beats.
The Tanaka TBC270PFDS Brushcutter has a 27 cc 2-stroke engine using the latest technology to cut harmful exhaust emissions. There is a solid steel drive shaft and a steel blade and nylon trimming head to deal with straggly lawn edges and dense undergrowth.
It is especially impressive when ripping through dense undergrowth like overgrown brambles.
Easy to use it has a U shaped handlebar which makes it easier to use for longer periods and there is special anti-vibration damping.
It costs £339 compared with the maker’s recommended price of £449.
Plus there is a five year manufacturer’s warranty and free next working day delivery.
Any serious gardener would be delighted to receive a garden tiller to take the strain our of digging the vegetable plot or allotment.
The MD Classic Tiller, currently on special offer, has a reliable Briggs & Stratton engine and is in many ways the classic British rotovator.
It has tough steel rotors which can get right into the ground, even heavy clay and compacted soil.
A further refinement lets you ease into the soil rather than have the machine bump along before the rotors can really dig in.
The steel chassis gives it great robustness and the width is adjustable from 60 to 78 cm.
The depth gauge is adjustable and crop protection discs and a front forward wheel are included.
This sturdy machine gives amazing value for money and costs £349.95, a saving of £180.
There is a two year maker’s guarantee and free next working day delivery.
Now a lawn mower which is an absolute top performer and terrific value for money.
The Einhell RG-PM 51VS 4-in-1 Hi-wheel Petrol Lawnmower with Variable Speed comes from a leading German engineering company and has a top specification.
And it has a top Briggs & Stratton engine which is easy to start at its heart.
The variable speed drive lets the user mow at the appropriate speed, quickening up on the straight bits and slowing down for the edges and uneven sections or slopes.
This mower has four options for dealing with the clippings, discharging them to the rear or side, collecting them in the grass box or mulching nad returning them to the lawn.
The cutting height can be adjusted by a single lever.
It costs £359.95, £240 less than the manufacturer’s recommended price.
Delivery is free the next working day and there is a two year maker’s warranty.
And finally one machine that every gardener wish they had, a petrol powered chipper shredder.
The Garland BG50 Petrol Chipper Shredder is a really low priced machine and will be a real help for anyone with a large garden to keep tidy.
Petrol powered machines are far more powerful than electric ones and this one will gobble up leaves, shrubs and branches up to 50 mm in diameter.
There is a 159 cc engine and a large hopper which can deal with whole armfuls of debris at the same time.
The sturdy shredding blade is supplemented by a special fan which stops the machine from clogging.
Light and easy to move around it costs £399, a full £200 less than the maker’s recommended price.
There is a one year manufacturer’s guarantee and free next working day delivery.
There is still time to order any of these suggestions which would make excellent presents. And remember you can order up to Friday 21 December until close of business.
If you have any doubts about a last minute order please give us a ring on .