How to Safely Use Your Hand Held Hedge Trimmer
Maintaining a yard can be a lot of work. However, lawn care can be made easier with the right tools. If you have a lot of hedges, bushes, or shrubs, an electric hedger can be one of the most useful yard care tools to own. With a good cordless hedge trimmer, you can reduce the amount of time you have to spend pruning and clipping bushes, and you can also get more attractive results.
While having a full-size electric hedge trimmer will be great for when you need to trim all of your shrubs and bushes, you also have the option of getting a hand held hedge trimmer like the 20V Power Share Cordless 4” Shear and 8” Shrub Trimmer. With a smaller battery hedge trimmer, you have a tool that is easier to handle and it can be great for when you need to do some light trimming.
This type of cordless hedge trimmer is smaller and easier to handle, but it is still a power tool. If you are going to use one of these electric hedger tools in your yard, you should make sure to follow all of the best practices for hedge trimmer safety. These include:
- reading and following the instructions;
- using safety gear;
- inspecting your hedge trimmer;
- avoiding use during wet weather;
- keeping your hands away from the blades;
- keeping the blades sharp;
- disconnecting your electric hedger when performing maintenance; and
- not using heavy pressure.
Read and Follow the Instructions
Your hand held hedge trimmer is going to come with an instruction manual. In the same way that you would with any power tool, you should read the instructions and make sure you understand them. Even if it isn’t as large or as powerful as a model like the WORX 56V Cordless 24” Hedge Trimmer, there is still a risk of injury. Always take the time to learn about the right and wrong ways to use your corded or cordless hedge trimmer tool.
Use Safety Gear for Hedge Trimmer Safety
Even a small cordless hedge trimmer can throw debris. To protect your eyes, you should wear safety glasses or goggles each time you use your hand held hedge trimmer. Beyond that, you might want to wear work gloves and find a good dust mask.
Inspect Your Cordless Hedge Trimmer
You should inspect your battery hedge trimmer regularly. If you notice any signs of damage, you should have the damaged parts replaced. If the part can’t be replaced, you will need to get a new hedge trimmer. This is an important step in ensuring you’re safely operating your electric hedge clippers.
Don’t Use Electric Hedge Clippers in Wet Weather
You should only use electric yard tools in dry weather. Most of these tools are not designed for use in wet weather and it could cause damage to the tool or increase the chance of a malfunction. Additionally, you do not want to slip on wet grass when using your electric hedge clipper.
Don’t Put Your Hands Near the Blades of Your Electric Hedge Clippers
Never put your hands near the blades when you are using your hand held hedge trimmer, and don’t try to hold one end of a branch while you make a cut. If the blades get jammed, avoid working on them until you remove the battery.
Keep the Blades Sharp
Having sharp blades is an important part of using any electric hedger. Just like with the larger models, you will want to make sure the blades are sharp. If you check the blades and find that they are dull, take the time to sharpen your hedge trimmer blades.
Disconnect Battery for Hedge Trimmer Maintenance
You should disconnect the battery before you do any maintenance on your cordless hedge trimmer. Whether you are sharpening the blades or cleaning the entire tool, it is better to make sure it can’t start up by accident when you will be handling it.
Don’t Force It
If you find thick branches or dense growth, don’t try to force your hand held hedge trimmer through. The tool could rebound when forced, or you could jam the blades. When you come across something a little too tough for your hedge trimmer, skip over it and come back with a tool that is better suited to the work.
Even if you have a larger electric hedge trimmer, one of these smaller hand held models can be useful. You just need to make sure to follow the instructions and do everything you can to protect your safety when operating your cordless hedge trimmer.
Find the best hand held hedge trimmer for your needs at WORX!
