The sun has got his hat on, but, to be honest, he’d be much safer wearing a helmet, ear defenders and steel-toe-capped boots. Yesterday’s blog by my estimable colleague and multiple wine cork collector Dick Roberts deliberated on the qualities of some pretty tough, wheeled brushcutters. like the DR TR4 PRO-XL (left)
But, as ever, we have to remember that, as Stan Lee has told us numerous times, with great power comes great responsibility and we need to be ultra careful when using these machines.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s that time of year again when I drone on about safety when using your brushcutters and line-trimmers. But do regret it? No, I blooming well don’t.
I want you all to have the same number of toes, fingers and limbs in the autumn as you had at the start of the season and I make no apologies for the following top seven safety tips.
1/ CHECK WHAT’S LURKING IN THE UNDERGROWTH.
The neighbour’s cat has been overeating again
Do a full reccy of your garden before you start. Believe me, even if next doors ginger tom is a pain in the proverbial, you really don’t want to turn up at the neighbours’ back door explaining why their poor Tiddles won’t be home for his tea tonight… or any other night. Plus, look out for rocks, bricks, toys, stones and mugs of tea left out by your teenagers, or possibly just teenagers themselves lounging in the long grass, plus any other obstacles that can ruin your machine or that you could damage. Also, you don’t want to trip over anything in the garden and wildlife needs looking after so check for birds, hedgehogs, frogs and toads a before you start.
2/ WET WET WET – NO NO NO.
(I know but it was the best wet dry link I could think of) Rainy or damp conditions are no good for brush cutting. The machines are nowhere near as efficient in the wet and wet conditions can be dangerous for many reasons.
WRONG GEAR!
3/ BE IN THE RIGHT GEAR.
Brush cutting, whether with a wheeled machine or the hand-held type, is not an activity to carry out in a pair of shorts and bare feet. I don’t care if it is hotter than hell. No open-toed sandals, no loose and flappy clothing (caftans are out) Ear defenders are recommended if your brushcutter is noisy (the whine of a two-stroke engine is one of my pet hates, no matter how good the machine is) as are goggles, gloves and a helmet.
4/ WATCH YOUR BACK.
Your safety harness is included for a reason. It’s been created to help you, it’s a piece of essential, contemporary safety design, a miracle of modern engineering… OK, OK it’s just a big strap, but It’s good for your back, helps the balance of your machine and makes your hand-held brushcutter or line-trimmer far easier to use.
5/ PAY ATTENTION.
Swinging wildly through the underbrush with gay abandon is not the way to carry out your work and alcohol, drugs, tiredness and lack of care are about as useful when brush cutting as a plastic saucepan. Drink plenty of water. Take breaks. Save the beer for later and remember that even nylon line can do serious damage if handled poorly.
6/ OFF THE WALL.
If you are careless when strimming near trees, rocks, walls, gates, bronze statues of your mother-in-law, and so on, you will get through a lot more line than you need to and you could do serious damage to softer surfaces. Remember to guide your trimmer carefully through your garden, being aware of the movement of the tip of the line, and avoid getting too close to hard edges and objects.
7/ KEEP IT CLEAN.
A cleaned and care for brushcutter or trimmer is a safe brushcutter or trimmer. Always make sure you clean blades and so on after use to keep the brushcutter at optimum performance. And make sure you store it away safely too, covering up blades if possible.
And that is all for now. But if you find you need a new machine, see these pages on MowDirect’s site for a great range of brushcutters and trimmers of all kinds.
‘Always go back to this company. Excellent services very good prices and they understand the products.‘ J. Gaunt. (TRUSTPILOT)
Enjoy your garden. Drew Hardy
