Yesterday’s blog from my colleague and fellow wine and beer aficionado Mr Dick Roberts, shone the sunshine spotlight on our own exclusive Redback range of grass trimmers, lightweight, easy to use, clean, powerful, quiet fast charging and energy retaining. What’s not to like?
I thought I would follow his noble and manly lead by offering up a few thoughts about grass trimming, a few tips and maybe, this odd little anecdote.
There was an incident in my garden a few years ago which illustrates how important it is to take care while using garden machinery. It was a warm and pleasant summer day and I was edging the lawn with my own machine of choice at the time (a Tanaka grass trimmer). I was humming a tune, perfectly happy and looking forward to my lunch when the most unholy ‘Yowl’ came from behind me. I turned very quickly to see the our cat locked in deadly combat with a squirrel and was so absorbed I forgot what I was doing for a second and as I turned took the heads off a whole row of my wife’s prize Marigolds. The cat ‘Yowled’ again and dealt the squirrel a hefty left hook, the squirrel limped off and as I turned back Mrs Drew came out to say the meal was ready and saw the floral devastation. Lunch, though tasty, was not the happy occasion I had hoped for. So tips number 3 and number 4 are very important to me. So. My first tip…
1/ Wear the right gear. Open toed sandals are a really bad idea (aesthetically as well as safety wise) floppy clothing also a bad idea with any machinery. Wear goggles, gloves and a helmet if you have one and shoes with tough toe-caps if possible. You might also want to purchase some ear-defenders depending on how loud your grass trimmer is.
2/ If you have a safety harness – use it. Make sure it is tightened properly, that it’s comfortable and that you have the machine balanced in the harness so using it takes minimal effort.
“I’m not an obstacle…I’m a tabby”
3/ Make sure your garden Is safe and prepared. There’s nothing worse than finding you’ve sliced open your wife’s handbag left in long grass, or ruined your grass trimmer on a large rock you had forgotten about. Make sure there are no obstacles in the trimming area that can either be damaged or cause damage, also check that there is nothing that you can trip over or stumble on. Try to make sure your pets are under control (i.e. shut in the house) and not slinking around your feet. Also think about wildlife and remember to check for hedgehogs, toads and birds.
4/ Watch what you are doing. It doesn’t matter what you are using, a blade or a line, the tip of that line is pretty powerful and that blade could be deadly so make sure you are fully alert, not tired, concentrating and respect the equipment. Take regular breaks. Stay hydrated. Never drink alcohol while working with a grass trimmer.
5/ Don’t use the line trimmer in the wet. Not only is it dangerous, as you could slip, your grass trimmer will be nowhere near as effective in the wet and the results could be disappointing.
6/ Be careful when near walls , garden benches, trees or ornaments. You can quickly wear through reels of line if you are perpetually getting too close to trees, walls and the like. Try to guide you trimmer as close as possible without touching fences and so on and your line will last longer, saving money and time.
I said LINE TRIMMER!
7/ Know your cutting point. Remember, when using a line trimmer, due to centrifugal force, the most powerful and fast moving part of your line is the tip. Therefore make sure your strimmer head is placed in the right position to utilise this. This also counts when you are trimming weeds in paths, patios and decking, keep the strimmer so it only just touches the the surface and cuts the base of the weeds so you don’t waste line.
8/ Don’t go at it too fast. Following on from tip 7, try to keep only the end of the line in contact with the grass. This takes concentration and a slow and steady approach. If you push too far into the grass the line will slow down and could get entangled with thick grass blades.
9/ Vary your line. Not all line is the same. There are lighter and heavier lines and sometimes it might be useful to use heavier line for a heavier job, again to save line and get the job done quicker and more efficiently. Just make sure you check the manual to see what line is usable.
10/ Always clean your grass trimmer after use, especially the trimming head. Metal blades should be cleaned and oiled and line checked.
And that is your lot. Don’t forget MowDirect carries a wide range of grass trimmers and bruschcutters, petrol, mains electric and battery powered. And if you need more help and advice, just call our product advisors on 0345 4588 905 (9am-5pm Mon-fri 10am-4pm Sat)
“Truly magnificent service from MowDirect…Thank you to all at MowDirect. “ GRAHAM
“…knowledgeable, approachable, unhurried and friendly without sales hassle, and next day delivery after I made my choice.”DAVID
