I have a fence and can't get behind it. There are short shrubs growing and I cannot reach the ground behind to trim them they are starting to grow through the fence. I have a tree branch trimmer but I must hold one end and pull a string to get the blade to cut, impossible doing hanging over a fence and these branches are small not like a tree.

I'm looking for a long necked tool with a hand trigger that has a clipper on the end so I can reach the shrubs and cut the thin branches.

Sounds like you need your neighbor to trim his shrubs!

I'm wondering...if it's a problem now what will it be in 5 or 10 years?

Sounds like what you may need is "Round-Up!"
Heh, that would be my irritable solution. However, can you show us a photo to clarify the problem?
Although, I'm inclined to agree with Seedfork. Neighbor needs to do some maintenance!

You want is a pole hedge trimmer - I have one and I love it! This is not the one I have but it's like this one.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BLA...

Xeramtheum said:You want is a pole hedge trimmer - I have one and I love it! This is not the one I have but it's like this one.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BLA...

Is there one that's not electric, the length and handle are exactly what I need, but I need to just snip the branches, not saw through them.

Not that I know of.

Wait. Isn't there a tree lopper with a pull cord to operate it? I know I've seen one somewhere.
Hmmm, how 'bout this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004TBMV/

woofie said:Wait. Isn't there a tree lopper with a pull cord to operate it? I know I've seen one somewhere.
Hmmm, how 'bout this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004TBMV/

Yes that's exactly what I need!

This is what you want then:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XSF3YM/

From the first post Keith said he had one of those already! I don't think they make what he actually wants, I can see the mechanical problems trying to make one. I think he wants a pair of pruning shears (secateurs)you car operate from a long distance. I have never seen anything like that.

Seedfork, the one I posted doesn't have a rope. There's a better picture of it here, too
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SD6U/
And looking around on Amazon, there's also this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KL4LVI/
Interesting what you can find out there!

Woofie,
Wow!, Yes, I think that second one would be just what he is looking for. I had no idea they made such a thing.

And what surprises me is that they aren't prohibitively expensive, either!

I did not see a length mentioned for the handle. But here is one, more expensive but it states it has a 5 foot handle.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DGS39O/

The ones I saw were 62 inches and 46 inches in overall length. So 5 ft would be 60 inches. I just find it surprising that there are so many! And depending on one's budget, the prices are fairly close. Heh, I might be interested in one just for trimming roses!

Now that you know the name of the tool and can print out the photo, maybe a local tool rental place will have what you wnat.

I would love to know why the other side of that fence is a no-go-zone!

RickCorey said:Now that you know the name of the tool and can print out the photo, maybe a local tool rental place will have what you wnat.

I would love to know why the other side of that fence is a no-go-zone!

I already got the tool works perfectly!

Behind the fence is property of both mine and my neighbors, with an invisible divider. So the fence was put up so the neighbor cannot trespass. In the past he cut down our trees and got into a lawsuit so we needed a barrier to keep him away.

Oh, you need a long-distance NEIGHBOR-lopping saw!