How to Sharpen a Hedge Trimmer?

Is your hedge trimmer no longer clean enough to wear on the tips of branches? Are branches always getting caught in the teeth of your hedge trimmer? Do you find it harder to work, especially when pruning thicker branches? The signs are clear: it's time to sharpen your hedge trimmer blades.

Sharpening your hedge trimmer is a routine maintenance task, and whether your hedge trimmer is electric, battery, or gasoline powered, professional or telescopic, you can easily perform the overhead cutting.

Before you start using your hedge trimmer, or better yet after you've used it, take a few minutes to check the condition of the blades: are they damaged, bent, or chipped? Are the teeth still sharp, or have they lost their sharpness? In today's article, we'll discuss how to sharpen your hedge trimmer blades and how to keep them in perfect condition.

Do you know how a hedge trimmer works? A stationary blade slides back and forth along a rod, while the other blade remains stationary. Specifically, the slotted holes allow the moving blade to slide between a rod connected to the machine body and a second stationary blade that acts as a guide. The three elements are connected together by bolts and nuts.

With a sharp hedge trimmer, you can work faster and make cleaner cuts that benefit the health and appearance of your plants. To sharpen your hedge trimmer, use a flat file and a sharpening stone, as we'll see later. But avoid "aggressive" tools such as grinders, which can remove too much metal and cause the blade to overheat.

Always wear sturdy or cut-resistant utility gloves to protect your hands.

Make sure the engine or motor is cold.

If you have an electric hedge trimmer, unplug the power cord. Or, if your hedge trimmer is battery-powered, remove the battery. On the other hand, if you have a gasoline hedge trimmer, check that the engine is off and the ground switch is in the stopped position, and remove the spark plug caps.

Loosen the gearbox screws.

Loosen the nuts and bolts securing the blade and hedge trimmer rod.

Open the gearbox cover.

Remove the blade from the casing.

Place the blade on a flat surface with the teeth exposed along its entire length and the blade positioned so you can work comfortably.

Secure it to the work surface with two clips, one on each end.

Use a flat file to file both cutting edges of each tooth at a 45°angle to the blade surface, or parallel to the bevel.

Pass the file in one direction (i.e. towards the cutting edge), then lift the file off the surface for the return stroke. Lighten the pass so that only a small amount of metal is removed at a time.

Loosen the clamp and reposition the blade to cut along the other side of the blade (if your blade has teeth on both edges).

Flip the blade over and secure it with clips.

Use a sharpening stone to deburr (smooth) the cuts on the back of the blade.

After sharpening both blades of your hedge trimmer, clean them with a dry cloth or a stiff bristle brush to remove any filings. Reassemble the blades, oil them with lubricant (or spray lubricant), and start the hedge trimmer for a few seconds to distribute the lubricant over the entire surface.

When your hedge trimmer blades are removed, this is a good opportunity to thoroughly clean the blades and stem. It is very important to remove any dirt (dust, oil, grease, plant debris, etc.) that has built up around the bolts and nuts, as it can put pressure on the hedge trimmer motor/motor if the moving blade does not slide freely. For this, you can use a brush with metal bristles.

Before you're done, you'll also want to clean the transmission cover. After every 20 hours of operation, lubricate the gearbox with a suitable lubricant, such as molybdenum disulfide grease.

Clean the blade with a dry cloth, or with a wire brush if there is very stubborn dirt.

Check that the blade is well lubricated: it is important to minimize friction during operation to ensure a longer blade life. If necessary, oil them with a good quality biodegradable lubricant (do not use reclaimed oil).

Check the tightness of nuts, bolts, and screws.

The above is a brief description of the steps to sharpen and maintain your hedge trimmer blades, if you want to buy new hedge trimmer spare parts, welcome to contact us.

HUSTIL is a professional custom garden tool spare parts manufacturer. We provide VIP users with a full range of accessories search and query, garden tool accessories replacement, and after-sales service. After more than 10 years of strict screening, we now have more than 300 mature supply chain factories for production; at the same time, we are a accessories manufacturer with 19 years of experience.