subject: Petrol Hedge Trimmer - What Type Of Blade Width And Length Is Just Right For My Garden? [print this page] Petrol Hedge Trimmer - What Type Of Blade Width And Length Is Just Right For My Garden?
When choosing a petrol hedge trimmer, do not rush your decision, give thought to the type of tasks you are going to be utilizing it for because this will influence the variety of blade and blade length which you need. Do you have neat, well-manicured hedges which you maintain regularly? Do you have a 'wild' garden with natural hedging and shrubs that just need to be kept under control with one or two trims a year? What type of hedging have you got? Is it coniferous, flowering or mixed? Do you require precise trimming on topiaries or formal hedges?
1. Wide teeth blades. These are able to cut through stronger twigs although they leave a rougher finish. Because cutting through thicker hedging requires more power, you will only find wide teeth blades on higher powered hedge trimmer brands. The blade width is indicative of the maximum thickness of twig the blade can cut through so, a blade-width of 20cm will deal with a 20cm in width branch without any problems.
2. Narrow teeth blades. These are mostly used for hedging which are regularly maintained and trimmed and which are not left long enough between cuts to grow any thick twigs for cutting. Narrow teeth blades leave a fine finish and are most appropriate for well-manicured gardens, perhaps with shaped hedging or topiary.
3. Single action blades and double action blades. A petrol hedge trimmer may have either single action blades or double action blades. Either type has two blades but in the case of double action blades, the benefit is that the two blades travel in opposing directions which cancels out much of the vibration. If you are going to be using your hedge trimmer for long stretches, this will save your aching arms and shoulders!
4. Blade length. Undoubtedly, the longer the blade on your petrol hedge trimmer, the more hedging you can cut with one pass of the blades. The drawback is that the longer the blades are, the heavier and more unwieldy the hedge trimmer tends to be. It is a happy medium between efficiency and ease of use. Hedge Trimmer blades can be up to about 30" in length. For most purposes a blade-length of 22" is a wise choice. If you have a little garden or intricate topiary to sculpt, you may prefer to select a shorter blade and lengths begin at about 14".
Pausing to consider exactly what you require will prevent an expensive error and save you the annoyance of getting the wrong tool for the job. Taking a look at the choice of petrol hedge trimmers available will assist you to pick out the models that fit the specification you need and after this you will be able to search for the one that offers the best value in terms of quality, reliability and value for money.
