Hedge trimmers are a very handy tool to have in your gardening equipment shed, wether you use a petrol hedge trimmer or an electric hedge trimmer you should always consider the safety side of operating one of these tools.

One of the main safety tips on offer is always use safety glasses when operating your hedge trimmer, you need to make sure you protect your eyes from flying objects when cutting your hedge. Most hedge trimmers come with a safety switch where you have to keep it pressed to operate the trimmer, once you let go the trimmer should stop immediately this will give you protection form being hurt by the blades if you should happen to slip or fall while trimming your hedge.

Some hedge trimmers come with a lock on style button to keep the trimmer running without having to press the button all the time, this makes the trimmer more convenient for use but be very careful when using this method it can be dangerous if you should slip it is not recommended to use this option. You will have to weigh up the safety options from the convenient options before you select which trimmer to buy, i would always lean towards the safety side when making my decision.

The one thing you need to watch when using the petrol style trimmers, is that the blades on some models keep moving when the machine is at idle speed, always make sure the engine has stopped before attempting to clear the blades. Also when transporting your trimmer from one place of your hedge to another make sure the blades have stopped before moving it around, gardeners have sometimes injured their legs just by carrying the unit from one place to another.

The electric hedge trimmer has some different safety considerations when in use, one main consideration is a safety clip for the cable which helps to keep the cable out of the way when cutting. Not only is there a possibility of getting cut by the blades, but you have the chance of getting electrocuted if cut through the cable when trimming.

Which ever trimmer you decide to buy, always make sure you follow the manufactures safety instructions when in operation, you should read them thoroughly before you even start to cut your garden hedge this is recommended to anyone thinking of buying a hedge trimmer.

You might think it is a bit of a hassle having to read these instructions, but they are provided for your own safety and must be adhered to for you to operate your garden hedge trimmer safely.