A new 6in touchscreen and joystick assembly is now standard on Shelbourne Reynolds’ heavy-duty 8000-series hedgecutters, promising easier control for contractors and farmers clocking big hours annually.

These models replace the old 800s and, bar a few minor engineering alterations, all the focus has been put on the S-Touch monitor that allows operators to view manuals and service information, set hydraulic flow rates, record specific jobs and alter the joystick configuration.

© MAG/Oliver Mark

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The fancier and physically larger “Max” version carries three hot keys that can be assigned to different jobs.

It also has a left/right roller to control head angle and a fore/aft rocker to move the head forwards and backwards, which Shelbourne says makes it more intuitive to operate.

It costs £586 more than the standard “Compact” version, which has a smaller, fingertip-controlled joystick paired with the same touchscreen.

The 8000-range includes three telescopic models – with 6m, 7m and 8m maximum reach – plus 6.5m and 7.5m variable forward reach telescopic variants.

List price of the most popular model, the 8065, is £45,100 when fitted with a standard 1.2m-wide flail.