A hedge trimmer is a gardening tool that can trim hedges and shrubs. The hedge trimmer blades are an essential part of the tool.
When they become dull, they will not cut properly and can cause injury to the person using it.
In this blog, we’ll be covering some aspects of hedge trimmer blade sharpening and a step-by-step guide on how you do it.
What is a Hedge Trimmer?
Hedge trimmers are used to trim hedges and shrubs in a garden. They come in two types, the electric hedge trimmer, and the gas-powered hedge trimmer.
An electric hedge trimmer is powered by an electric motor plugged into a power outlet. The electric hedge trimmer blades are usually made from metal or nylon.
The blades will rotate at high speed when powered on, and then they cut through the hedges or shrubs that will trim.
A gas-powered hedge trimmer is powered by a small engine usually fueled with gasoline or diesel fuel.
The blades of the gas-powered hedge trimmer are usually made from metal and need to be sharpened from time to time so that they can continue cutting through hedges.
On the other hand, there is also a type of hedge trimmer powered by a battery. In contrast to the two, the powered-battery hedge trimmer uses a battery to work.
But mostly, people use gas-powered hedge trimmers today.
Regardless of their types, there is only a general role why there are hedge trimmers today; this is to help the owner use them for cutting/pruning hedges or solitary shrubs/bushes.
When Should You Sharpen Your Hedge Trimmer?
For instance, it’s not a good idea to wait until your hedge trimmer is entirely dull and blunt before sharpening it.
Depending on the season, you should sharpen it at least once per month.
No matter what type of hedge trimmer you have, be it gas-powered, electric, or battery-powered, you need to be sure that it has a sharp blade. It’s the only essential tool to get the best results.
Overall, if you have a gas-powered hedge trimmer, you should always prioritize maintaining its blade sharp rather than the other types.
Gas Hedge Trimmer is powerful that can work faster, and its machine uses more power. It is the reason why you need to prioritize it since it can give you fast results and good benefits.
Electric Hedge Trimmer is also necessary to sharpen its blade. They won’t require as much sharpening as the gas trimmer, but you can sharpen its blade once a month.
Step by Step To Sharpen Your Hedge Trimmer Blade
There are many ways to sharpen your hedge trimmer blade.
However, we will give you step-by-step instructions to sharpen your trimmer blade in two common ways: to sharpen your trimmer blade using a flat tire and to sharpen your blade using a power grinder.
How to Sharpen Your Hedge Trimmer Blade Using Flat Tire
STEP 1: Clean the Trimmer Teeth First
When you use your hedge trimmer, plant sap and resin find their way onto the machine’s blades.
It is best to give them a quick wipe with a soft cloth before you put your blades away so they’ll be sharp when you need them next.
STEP 2: Sharpen the Trimmer Blade Using Flat Tire
Use a flat tire to start sharpening your trimmer blade after cleaning the teeth.
It is best to use the file at the recommended sharpening angle, which can be found in technical data in the product’s operating instructions.
Be sure not to file off too much material when sharpening your Hedge Trimmer, as the blade may get weaker and become unusable.
Use the same number of strokes for every cutting edge so that all blades will be the same length when finished.
The blade’s sharpening should be done just the front edge or saw tooth. Never file the orange plastic cover on top of each tooth found between two metal teeth.
STEP 3: Remove stubborn burrs by grinding them against a wet stone.
To complete this step of the process, you need a whetstone. Moisten it just a little bit before running it across the back of your blades.
It will also take care of any burrs that may have developed when filing the blades.
Start by drawing the whetstone along each blade in the direction of the tip. Next, smooth out any rough areas using a gentle stroking motion.
STEP 4: Care After Sharpening
It is the last step for you to do. Remove any dust from the blades, and you are good to care for the equipment properly.
How To Sharpen Your Hedge Trimmer Blade Using Power Grinder
Step 1: Wear Protective Gear First.
The use of power tools always requires the right kind of safety gear.
Hearing protection and eye protection are two essential parts of the equation. Still, one must also ensure that you have gloves and a properly fitted respirator if you are dealing with toxic chemicals.
This time, you just only sharpening your blade. A fitted respirator is not necessary, but if you have a respiratory problem.
Step 2: Begin the Grinding
To begin grinding, first, make sure you’ve clamped the bar to a bench vice (so it doesn’t move around), and then you can start sharpening the blade.
Step 3: Ground the Surfaces Using Grinder
Since the surfaces need the same, the same amount of grinding will need to occur. Use a grinder instead of a file because grinders are much faster and work more efficiently than files.
While you’re grinding, maintain that angle with care so that you don’t go too deep into one side or another.
Step 4: Repeat the Grounding
Repeat the same process on the other side.
Step 5: Repeat the Process
Repeat the process down the bar until you get finished.
Closing Note
Keeping your hedge trimmer blades sharp for easy and efficient trimming is essential.
When you are unsure how to sharpen your hedge trimmer blades, you can follow our step-by-step guide to sharpen your trimmer blade correctly.
Using your hedge trimmer correctly and properly sharpens, you can keep your hedges looking perfect.
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