Cutting Your Hedge Safely With a Petrol Hedge Trimmer

Power tools are great for making jobs quicker and easier around the garden.  Here are a few basic tips to ensure that when cutting a hedge with a petrol hedge trimmer, the job gets done quickly and safely.

1. Ensure that children and pets are indoors and not playing in the area where you are going to be cutting the hedge.
2. Before starting to use your hedge trimmer, check for any thick branches that might snag the blades and remove these with lopping shears or a chain saw if necessary.
3. You should always cut both sides of the hedge before cutting the top.
4. If you always place a tarpaulin or ground sheet in the area where you are going to be working, it will save you ages in clearing up, particularly if the hedge is thorny, or prickly.  All the cuttings can be quickly dealt with by gathering up the four corners of the ground sheet and they can then be composted or turned into mulch by putting them through the garden shredder.
5. To cut the sides of the hedge, always start from the bottom and always swing the blades upwards in an arc.  The reason for this is so that the clippings always fall to the ground under the blade and this avoids the annoyance of having to stop work, switch off the machine and remove twigs that have fouled the blades.
6. Before moving to the next section of hedge that needs to be cut, lower the blades so that they are pointing down, move along to where you need to start the next cut and then repeat the upward arc described in point 5, above.
7. When cutting a long hedge, avoid the ‘battle of the bulge’, by taking a step back and look down the line you have cut to see if you are going straight.  Regular checks will save hassle in the long run!
8. To ensure your safety when cutting the top of a hedge, particularly if you are up a ladder or on a platform, always cut away from your body.  Sweep the blades in an arc towards the opposite side of the hedge.  This will ensure that all your cuttings fall onto the tarpaulin you will already have positioned on the ground the other side!
9. If you need a guide-line to keep the top of the hedge straight, try pulling a string taut between two poles on the opposite side of the hedge.  You should ensure it is a few inches away from the edge of the hedge to avoid snagging the line with your blades and you can check the level of the string with a spirit level before you start if uneven ground makes it difficult to judge.
10. Finally, when you finish your job or you need to move to another part of the garden to continue, always turn your petrol hedge trimmer off and fit the guard or scabbard.  Always carry the machine by the handle, being sure to avoid touching any of the hot and ensure that the blades pointing behind you and downwards when you carry your hedge trimmer.