How to Use a Long-Reach Hedge Trimmer

How to Use a Long-Reach Hedge Trimmer - Correctly and Safely

 

How to use a long-reach Stihl hedge trimmer: If you’ve got some tall hedging or trees that need a bit a tidying up, then you could probably do with getting hold of one of these.

This is a petrol-powered long reach hedge trimmer and you can hire one from Speedy, the UK’s number one hire company.

A couple of good things to remember when hiring from Speedy, all our hire equipment is checked, tested, cleaned and serviced before every hire and will all come ready to go. You will also notice a folder attached to your hire product, these are safety and operating instructions, please make sure you read these before you begin your job.

Before you use a hedge trimmer it’s really important that you wear the correct PPE, safety boots, gloves and eye protection and a hard hat are essential and we would also recommend that hearing protection is worn when using this petrol-powered equipment. Any PPE you do require can be purchased from Speedy.

Speedy Top Tip! Please Watch our How-To Use a Long-Reach Hedge Trimmer Video below:

 

When you first receive your hedge trimmer you will notice this small tab on the shaft. This is for fixing the shoulder strap that will come with your hire. The strap will help to support the weight of the hedge trimmer when in use.

This hedge trimmers require 2 stroke petrol. When you collect your trimmer from Speedy, we will provide you with this small bottle of oil. All you need to do is add this oil to the petrol and give it a shake before you fill the machine. If you’re unsure what ratios to use then check the instructions on the bottle. Once you have your two-stroke mix, filling up the hedge trimmer is really easy.  Simply unscrew the fuel cap and fill it up.

On the shaft of the hedge trimmer there are four controls. The top button is the safety cut out. This has to be pressed down in order to be able to squeeze throttle trigger. Squeezing this throttle trigger will get the blades moving.

If you are cutting a fairly light hedges and don’t need to use as much power for the job, you can control the speed of the throttle using this control wheel here. Spin it towards the minus symbol to reduce the speed and power and to the plus symbol to increase.

Lastly – there is the STOP switch which you will use to turn the hedge trimmer off

The cutting angle of the blades can be adjusted very simply by pulling down on this black collar and using this lever to position the blades to the required setting for the job.

It’s really important that you ensure the hedge trimmer is turned off when adjusting the angle of the blades.

 

Step 1:

Once you have filled the hedge trimmer up you are ready to begin the starting procedure. To begin with you will need to remove the protective scabbard and open up the head to a more vertical position.

 

Step 2:

Now we need to activate the choke. To do this, you simply turn this switch to the left and push it inwards whilst turning until it clicks into place. Then, on the front of the engine pump the small rubber bulb about 8 - 10 times to prime the fuel.

 

Step 3:

Now you simply pull the start cord towards you. Don’t worry if this takes couple of pulls, that’s completely normal. 

 

Step 4:

Once your engine is running, just give it a few seconds to warm up and then give the throttle a squeeze – this will automatically turn the choke off and get the engine revving. Make sure you keep the blades away from everything except the hedges when squeezing the throttle.

Keep all other personnel away from the work area and ensure children and pets are excluded at all times during the cutting process!

 

Step 5:

When you have finished cutting simply turn the hedge trimmer off by pressing the stop button.

 

We recommend avoiding hedge cutting during the main breeding season for nesting birds, which usually runs throughout March to August each year. But no matter what time of the year it is, you should always check carefully for active nests prior to cutting.

If you have any issues with any of the products you hire from Speedy, just give your local Service Centre a call, as we are always available to help, and remember to always check the safety guidance before you use any hire product.

 

Ready for more DIY tips?

Thank you for reading our Speedy Services blog, we hope you found this how to use a long-reach hedge trimmer guide and video useful, please check out our other Gardening Projects to get your garden looking amazing.

Plus, there’s plenty more tips and how-to-guides where this came from please visit our Skills and Projects page.

You’ll find all the power tools and hire equipment you need right here, why not start planning your next DIY project today and open a Speedy account online or instore for all your tool hire needs.

 

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