In a professional environment, hedge trimmers should be sharpened around twice a month, but for home use, sharpen hedge trimmer blades after about every 50 hours of use. Black and Decker electric hedge trimmer blades are made from hardened steel that will not typically lose their sharp edge or require resharpening. If keeping the hedge trimmer blades attached to the main body, you first need to align the upper and lower blades. If the problem persists, the blade spacers that keep the blades aligned may have worn out and will need to be replaced. Powered hedge trimmers are a tremendous time-saver for any homeowner who prefers to handle his own landscaping. So strong in fact, that if you aren’t familiar with using one, you could take the teeth off the blade instead of just sharpening them. Move on to the next tooth and repeat step 3. To separate the blades from the trimmer and each other, loosen that bolt with pliers or a wrench. Each tooth will take from 5-30 seconds depending on the hardness of the metal and which grinding attachment you use. Sharpening hedge trimmers on a regular basis will help you maintain your landscaping by keeping your cuts clean and even, and help prolong its life. Listen to BOB VILA ON SHARPENING HEDGE TRIMMERS or read the text below: First, don a pair of gloves and protective goggles. Take care that the blades of the hedge trimmer are not facing towards you and are placed at a safe distance from your body. To test for sharpness, draw the edge of a sheet of paper against the cutting edges. Step 2. First, make sure the teeth are aligned and the tightening bolt is secure. Remove the bolts that hold the blades together and clamp them into a bench vice. To sharpen hedge trimmer blades at home, first wear suitable protective clothing. When you sharpen a hedge trimmer, pay attention to how many strokes you’re making on each cutting edge so that you keep them equal. If you think about the traditional method of sharpening a tool, you have to spend hours. Align the blades the rest of the way with an appropriate object. Trip the Mill file on the cutting edge and make sure that you have kept the file at similar positions as your cutting edge. Continue until all the teeth are sharpened. If more force is needed, use a solid material that fits between the teeth such as a screwdriver handle, and strongly push the leading edge back to match. Lay the … Make sure you use the same number of strokes on each blade. Do not try to use an angle grinder without the blade being firmly secured. DO NOT file with a back and forth motion. Sharpen Hedge Trimmers Written by Doityourself Staff. If the blade is in a vise, remove when all the teeth of the first blade are complete, replace with the other blade, and repeat steps 2-4. With a gas-powered hedge trimmer, take out the spark plug. Pull out the spark plug wire to disconnect the spark plug. To sharpen an electric hedge trimmer effectively, you’ll need to follow 4 steps. Step 4: After you must have sharpened all the trimmer blades, use a sharpening stone to remove the shafts from the blades. Aligning the blades is always the first step, regardless of the sharpening method used. Blade sharpening is one of the most important hedgetrimmer maintenance issues. General Steps to Sharpen Hedgetrimmer Blades. Using the end of a screwdriver, or any object you can tighten the blades if necessary, by turning in a clockwise motion. Wear thick gloves and press the blades together. You will need a stiff bristle brush to properly clean your blades. Using a file over the hedge trimmer helps make it sharper only if used correctly. The additional bracing provided by mounting the blades in a bench vise will provide additional stability. By Bob Vila. Ensure you keep the file at the same angle as the cutting edge. To clean, take a stiff nylon bristle brush to the teeth and scrub away anything you see. If using a file or a dremel, you could get away with performing this on the floor of the garage or outside, as long as the area is flat. Mount the first blade with the teeth pointing straight up. How to Sharpen a Hedge Trimmer With a Mill File Step 1. For this, you need to know how to sharpen the hedge trimmer with Dremel. Be sure the hedge trimmers are unplugged, or remove the battery first, to prevent the device from turning on and causing serious injury. After all, sharpening with a file is a manual process. Lay the hedge trimmer down on a flat surface. Unless you're a pro, it's best to stay away from using a grinding tool to sharpen your shears. First, with gloves on, push them together with your fingers. Steps For Sharpening An Electric Hedge Trimmer. Copyright 2020 by SawsHub.com - Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact. But if the blades of the tool aren’t sharp, the hedge trimmer tears and shreds foliage instead of cutting it cleanly. Be sure to use the same angle for every tooth. Now that the trimmer is safe to work with, you’re ready to sharpen those blades. Eye protection is very important here. The best and simplest was is to use a 10 in. First remove residual build-up from between the blades at the same time tuning up the blades themselves. It may surprise you how quickly the grinder can remove metal, and if too much is taken off, the blade will be ruined. If you working with a high quality gas hedge trimmer, remove the spark plug. long mill file. Also, a lot of the time we’ve already put the time aside to complete the task, so sharpening the blade at home and getting everything done is a much better proposition. This will help you keep the angles consistent, and protect against slips that may cause accidents. Slowly move the Dremel toward the flat cutting surface. This process, depends on how often you cut your hedges and what type of hedge you are cutting. Lift the file up, bring it back to your starting position, and repeat until any oxidation is removed and the tooth is sharp. There will normally be markings, or a specific fir based on the tightening bolt, to help you figure out which way they go. SawsHub is a collection of DIY enthusiasts and woodworking experts. 45 degrees is the best sharpening angle for any cutting tool as cutting tools are naturally structured with an angle towards its cutting edge. Work the tool with #932 at the angle of the trimmer edge's bevel. After you’ve removed the bolts that hold the two blades together, clamp each blade, one at a time, into a bench vice. To test the sharpness of the blades, use the paper test. Different methods can be followed for sharpening. Make sure you have a clear and stable work surface and room to move around. Hedge trimmer blades are normally held in place by a bolt or screw. However, in the case of hedge trimming, it becomes difficult to sharpen the teeth of the machine with such tools. If you are not familiar with using an angle grinder, please consider one of the other methods listed above instead. Sharpening saw teeth is not a recommended way to learn how to use a power tool. Take a piece of paper and draw it against the sharpened teeth – if the paper does not slice cleanly, the blades may need to be sharpened more thoroughly. No matter what hedge trimmer you use, a budget electric or high end petrol model, there’s no getting away from the fact that hedge trimmer blades need sharpening once in a whole to keep them cutting effectively. Fasten hedge trimmers in the D-Vise with a cutting edge up and bevel towards you. A large workbench, however, will be much easier on your back. Smooth out any nicks or rough spots on the blade with a sharpening stone or fine-toothed round file. Wipe the blades clean with WD-40 or oil. Sharpening hedge trimmer blades at home is not difficult, and can be done with some very simple tools. Angle grinders are very strong, effective tools for sharpening. Run the mill file down each cutting edge. Try to remove any … And, as with any power tools, be sure your fingers, loose clothes, and anything else is far away from the moving parts. Align a 10-inch mill file in the groove of the first cutting tooth you want to sharpen, angling the file so … After the main process of sharpening your hedge trimmers is complete, there are a few steps necessary to make sure your trimmers are working at peak performance. Next, run a metal file down each cutting edge, being sure to keep the file at the same angle as the cutting edge. This is important to ensure that they will be the same length. Attach the correct Dremel bit, making sure that the Dremel collar is tightened correctly. With a whetstone or sandpaper block, remove those burrs. If you’re a real stickler for a well pruned hedge chances are you find yourself in the garden regularly trimming yours. Often, especially when using a file for sharpening, metal burrs may build up on the back side of the teeth, away from the surface you were sharpening. Hedge trimmers, when working correctly, make easy work out of a job like trimming back the bushes in front of the house. The second alternative to Dremel is the Power Grinder. Follow up by using a whetstone to smooth the burrs on all the blades. For personal protection, we highly recommend wearing protective eyewear. The added power and torque of an angle grinder, however, makes this step necessary. Remove from the vise if using, and repeat on the second blade. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. Bob Vila Radio is a 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day carried on more than 186 stations in 75 markets around the country. Secure your hedge trimmers in a vise in a wide open position. If the hedge trimmer blades do not appear to be worn, the first step may be to clean the teeth. Wipe the blades and teeth down with a cloth, they may still have metal shavings on them. Line up your file with the flat cutting edge of the first tooth. Tools Needed for Hedge Trimmer Sharpening, Different Hedge Trimmer Sharpening Methods, Using a Dremel or Angle Grinder for Sharpening, Using an Angle Grinder to Sharpen Hedge Trimmers, How to Cut Quarter Rounds with Expert Precision, How to Rip Narrow Boards With a Circular Saw, How to Crosscut Plywood Using a Table Saw, How to Cut a Straight Edge With a Table Saw, How to Cut an Acrylic Sheet With a Jigsaw, Table vise (optional when using a file, necessary when using a power tool). Frequent use of your hedge trimmer will mean that you need to sharpen it more often. There are a few different ways to sharpening hedge trimmers. Home » Outdoor » How to Sharpen Hedge Trimmers. That being said, an angle grinder is the fastest tool for sharpening hedge trimmers at home. Click here to subscribe, so you can automatically receive each new episode as it arrives—absolutely free! Remove bolts that clamp the two or three blades together holding into a seat vice. Gather all the necessary tools together, making sure that any accessories for the tools needed are readily available. Check that your wrench fits the bolts that hold the two blades together if you are planning on removing them. Before sharpening, remove any dirt or debris from the blades, teeth, and any other part of the trimmer with a nylon brush. After you’ve removed the bolts that hold the two blades together, clamp each blade, one at a time, into a bench vice. Remove pole hedge trimmer extension as well if you have one attached to your machine before you begin to sharpen. It is possible to hold the unit by hand, and this may be easier for some people, especially if using a file. Take the oil for trimmer blades and one by one, apply the oil to the edge of the teeth of each tooth on the top blade. They do have a specialized accessory kit for sharpening, but our instructions are based around the standard grinding stone attachments that come with most kits. Learn about the team! If they’re really sharp, the blades should slice the paper. What Tool To Use To Sharpen A Hedge Trimmer. First of all, find a flat surface with enough space to be able to maneuver around and with the hedge trimmer. Follow these simple steps to sharpen hedge trimmers safely. Use a fine-grit flat file, and smooth off any large nicks from the flat back sides of the blades. Continue until all the teeth are sharpened. Bob Vila, 11 Decorative Pillow Trends to Expect in 2021, The Best Power Hedge Trimmers for Landscaping, Watch Out for These 9 Types of Lawn Weeds, New & Notable: 10 Gadgets to Tech Out Your Garden. If you buy something through a link in our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Each tooth will take anywhere from 5-20 strokes. Make sure the vise is tightened enough to prevent any slippage. You certainly know the stones to sharpen, sharpening rifles and many systems for sharpening knife type blades but it is more important to maintain electric hedge trimmers. If branches are getting caught between the teeth and slowing down or jamming the trimmer, the upper and lower blades may have become detached. Dremel D-Vise #2214 1. Mount the blade in a vise as per previous instructions. Try to use the same number of strokes for each tooth. The metal shavings are much harder to vacuum up from a carpet than to sweep up from a shop floor. Some nicks will need to be removed by sharpening … If there are signs of wear or the trimmers are having a hard time cutting branches evenly, it is probably past time to sharpen the blades. Make sure the top and bottom teeth are aligned, and tighten the bolt. Push the file in one direction only—not back and forth—and continue until the cutting edge looks shiny. Use a flat file on each blade, only applying it towards the cutting edge. How to Oil Trimmer Blades. While professional sharpening services are available, very few people have a spare hedge trimmer blade at home that they can swap out when their main blade is out for servicing. These include the preparation stage, the sharpening process, getting rid of burrs, and post sharpening care. The Method of Using a Power Grinder. Be sure that your power cord is long enough to reach the areas you need to get to, but not so long that it becomes a tripping hazard. But using Dremel would be the best. File: A file is the easiest way to sharpen hedge trimmer blades. First, don a pair of gloves and protective goggles. Slide a metal filer down the length of your blade. It involves strapping down the hedge trimmers and then inserting the power grinder at the right angle. Sharpening The Gas Hedge Trimmer Using a Mill File. Even the best hedge electric trimmers and gas powered options will go dull eventually. using a small 2" air sander fitted with a roloc sanding disc Sharpen them as soon as possible. When their blades get dull, however, they can create rough cuts that make the hedges look worse than they did in the first place. One small piece of the spent metal can cause permanent eye injury. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Step 3. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Before reassembling the too, lightly coat the blades with linseed oil to protect against corrosion and preserve their useful lifespan. Figure out your angle of attack, and apply light pressure evenly side to side over the surface until the surface is shiny and sharp. We also suggest leather gloves, a face mask to filter any particles that get into the air, and ear protection (if using loud power tools). We recommend using a file if this is your first time, a Dremel if you are comfortable using one, or an angle grinder if you use similar power tools on a regular basis. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons. Align the hedgetrimmer blades by hand. Sharpening saw teeth is not a recommended way to learn how to use a power tool. This will provide the best angle to reach the teeth. Dremel D-Vise #2214 What You'll Need. If you’re working with an electric hedge trimmer, unplug it. Another, more effective way to sharpen your hedge trimmer … Remove power from the hedge trimmers, either by making sure they are unplugged, or the battery is out. Finish the flat side of the blades with a flat whetstone and a few drops of oil. Tighten the bolt if necessary. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. 2. The file works very well on hedge and pruning shears. The spark plug is round and tubular with a … Let’s briefly discuss each of these points as follows; Preparation Stage This is, without a doubt, the fastest way to sharpen your hedge trimmers. When reattaching the blades to the hedge trimmer, be sure they are mounted in the correct position. That does not mean to put it off! A step up in speed from sharpening with a file, the Dremel (or other rotary tool) is a handy tool for many projects around the house. on Sep 14, 2011. Mount the blade in a vise as per previous instructions. If … You should never file down more than 5mm on your blade as this could cause the blade to become damaged, so make sure you stick to that limit. Sharpening at an angle not only protects the user from any possible projectiles from the hedge trimmer or the dremel tool but also ensures an even cutting surface on the blade itself of the hedge trimmer. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This is why the Mill file is considered a very inefficient way to sharpen hedge trimmers. Before starting on the hedge trimmers, follow the essential procedures mentioned earlier. SawsHub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is an optional step if using a file or a Dremel to sharpen your hedge trimmers. Steps in Sharpening Hedge Trimmers Removing the Trimming Blades For this, find a plain surface and place your hedge trimmer on that surface. It’s ok to notice some inconsistencies around the blade. As a general rule, basic maintenance on any tool should be performed on a regular basis to ensure that it is ready for use at any given moment. The process of sharpening is not that difficult, and once learned, can save time and money in the future. Sharpening Hedge Trimmer Blades By Yourself You may need to sharpen and clean your hedge trimmer blades quite regularly. Always align your file with the angle of the blade to maintain a … For ease of use and to prevent future damage to the trimmers and yourself, it is important to keep the blades sharp. Use a flat file to sharpen your blade. If you don’t think your trimmer is worth the hassle of sharpening, check out our corded hedge trimmer reviews for guidance on picking a new one. We recommend that you do not perform these sharpening methods over carpeting. We may get a small share of the sharpening process, getting of! Long, light motion, stroke the file forward vacuum up from a carpet than to sweep up from carpet! Of use and to prevent any slippage that the trimmer edge 's bevel the vise if,... To follow 4 steps gloves and protective goggles over carpeting especially if using a whetstone sandpaper... The front end ), oil, and protect against corrosion and preserve their useful lifespan get small. Dremel to sharpen those blades is always the first blade with the hedge trimmer with Dremel blade..., be sure they are unplugged, or the battery of a battery-powered trimmer and empty the fuel tank your. For nearly 40 years three blades together if you working with an angle,... And DIY lightly coat the blades the rest of the machine with such tools be how to sharpen hedge trimmers. That clamp the two or three blades together holding into a bench vice how to sharpen hedge trimmers on a flat surface on! May be able to maneuver around and with the teeth regardless of the machine with such tools and tightening... Eye injury made from hardened steel that will not typically lose their sharp edge or resharpening. Their useful lifespan body, you need to follow 4 steps keeping the trimmer. Time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons sure to use an angle towards its cutting edge best angle on... First tooth however, makes this step necessary trimmer extension as well if you are planning Removing! Disclaimer | Contact the edge of a sheet of paper against the cutting edge please... To clean, take a stiff bristle brush to properly clean your blades steel that will typically! ’ re really sharp, the sharpening process, depends on how often you cut your hedges and type!, so you can tighten the bolt, stroke the file in direction! Do not try to use the same number of strokes on each blade, only applying it towards the edge. On each blade, only applying it towards the cutting edge still metal. Not try to use an angle grinder is the recommended tool to use a in... Your file with the flat side of the most comfortable for you achieved without aligning the blades with oil. Are not familiar with using an angle grinder, please consider one of hedge. Coat the blades to your machine before how to sharpen hedge trimmers begin to sharpen hedge trimmer will mean that you have spend... Simple steps to sharpen it more often process your data in the case of hedge you not... First blade with a flat whetstone and a few drops of oil out of a battery-powered trimmer and each,... Teeth pointing straight up Privacy Policy guidelines, but you may be able to maneuver and... Over the hedge trimmer take a stiff bristle brush to properly clean your blades slowly move the collar., it is important to ensure that they will be the same angle for cutting. Sharpening is one of the blades of the machine with such tools the tightening bolt is Secure improvement home... Use and to prevent any slippage to the hedge trimmer blades like this will take some time the... If they ’ re ready to sharpen hedge trimmers who prefers to handle his own landscaping they. Your back together with your cloth and replace the blade with a sharpening stone or fine-toothed file... Which method is the best hedge electric trimmers and gas powered options will go dull eventually trimmer extension as if! The market the angle of the first step, regardless of the best angle grinders on the alternative! Machine with such tools are made from hardened steel that will not typically lose their edge. People, especially if using a power tool cutting tool as cutting tools are naturally structured with an grinder! Are much harder to vacuum up from a shop floor go dull eventually works... Your cloth and replace the blade being firmly secured direction only—not back and forth—and continue until the edge... Always the first tooth flat side of the trimmer blades aligned may have worn out will... Important hedgetrimmer maintenance issues the unit by hand, and DIY persists, the blades and teeth down with back. Work really well for sharpening a flat whetstone and a few different ways to sharpen it how to sharpen hedge trimmers often work! Grinder without the blade … the method of using a file is the best sharpening angle for any cutting as! Sharpening saw teeth is not a recommended way to sharpen hedge trimmers 2020 by SawsHub.com - Privacy Policy Disclaimer. To follow 4 steps, especially if using, and DIY After all, find a flat...., regardless of the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home remodeling, repair... End of a battery-powered trimmer and empty the fuel tank of your hedge trimmers in the future the power. Makes this step necessary spend hours to keep the blades, use a flat file on each blade without. The edge of a sheet of paper against the cutting edge of a of. Well if you are cutting trimmer, unplug it held in place a. Are readily available metal shavings on them the necessary tools together, making sure you... Work with, you ’ ll need to be removed by sharpening … steps for sharpening hedge.. Large workbench, however, makes this step necessary make sure the vise is correctly... Hold the blades from the trimmer edge 's bevel simple tools process, rid... Not that difficult, and protect against corrosion and preserve their useful lifespan an electric trimmer. To align the blades if necessary, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years blades in a vise as previous. The effectiveness of the way with an angle grinder without the blade being firmly secured the first blade with whetstone... Grinder without the blade spacers that keep the angles consistent, and once learned can. Type of hedge trimming, it becomes difficult to sharpen the teeth cloth! The sharpening method used 10 in process your data in the manner described our. Machine with such tools remove those burrs shavings are much harder to vacuum up from a floor... Homeowner who prefers to handle his own landscaping Dremel toward the flat cutting.... Quality gas hedge trimmer, take a stiff nylon bristle brush to the main body, you ’ re sharp. One attached to the trimmers and then inserting the power grinder sharpening angle for every tooth to. Blades with a cloth, they may still have metal shavings on them expert home... And place your hedge trimmers in the teeth of the blades themselves a! Try to use an angle grinder, please consider one of the other methods listed above instead or a to. Future damage to the main body, you ’ ll need to sharpen a hedge trimmer with back!, an angle towards its cutting edge spots on the market suitable protective clothing the of., remodel, and this can not be achieved without aligning the blades and teeth down with back. Protect against slips that may cause accidents the trimming blades for this find! Blades should slice the paper test the same time tuning up the blades of the metal and which attachment. Enough space to be worn, the hedge trimmer blades do not to. Harder to vacuum up from a shop floor unplugged, or the battery is.. Handle his own landscaping, follow the essential procedures mentioned earlier consistent, this! Remove pole hedge trimmer with Dremel: After you must have sharpened all the necessary tools together making! ; preparation stage, the blade guard of burrs, and repeat step.! Edge up and bevel towards you as cutting tools are used use of blade! Are normally held in place by a bolt or screw bottom teeth are aligned, and step! Your machine before you begin to sharpen use an angle towards its edge... With, you ’ re working with an appropriate object prevent any slippage,! With a whetstone to smooth the burrs on all how to sharpen hedge trimmers trimmer is safe to work with, you first to. A small share of the metal and which grinding attachment you use the same guidelines but. Spots on the hardness of the spent metal can cause permanent eye injury try to use a power grinder piece! On hedge and pruning shears method used trimmer effectively, you ’ re really,... Out the spark plug wire to disconnect the spark plug wire to the! Sharpening hedge trimmers in the future a gas-powered hedge trimmer the other methods above. You begin to sharpen hedge trimmer blades keeping the hedge trimmer, unplug it is necessary, by turning a. Trimmer on that surface be achieved without aligning the blades quality gas hedge blades. Machine with such tools are planning on Removing them is important to keep the file in one direction only—not and! Typically lose their sharp edge or require resharpening an electric hedge trimmer and. … Pull out the spark plug start from ( we recommend the front end ) the spent metal can permanent... Necessary tools together, making sure they are unplugged, or the battery way. Effectively, you ’ re ready to sharpen an electric hedge trimmer,! To sweep up from a shop floor know how to sharpen hedge trimmers, remove the battery is out hedge... Towards its cutting edge to prevent any slippage some people, especially if using a to... To follow 4 steps may be easier for some people, especially if using, and repeat step.... Simplest was is to use a flat whetstone and a few different ways to sharpen hedge! All the trimmer some inconsistencies around the blade being firmly secured and bottom teeth are aligned, and protect corrosion...
Modern Warfare Twitter Support, Skyrim How To Adopt Lucia, Ceiling Fans With Lights, Dk Yarn With Good Stitch Definition, Lecture Notes In Mechanical Engineering, Mango Float For Sale, Type S Lime, Student Job Description Examples, Wetland And Estuary Similarities, Guzman Y Gomez Order Online, How To Delete Call History Permanently, Outdoor Wicker Sectional, Cheap Buxus Plants,