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GreenHaven
21-09-2010, 04:47 PM
hey all,

Ive been picking up more gardening customers as of late so my hedge trimmmers been getting a work out and is proberly in need of a sharpen. ive had it for a few years now and never sharpened it (do spray the blades straight after i use it with a 50/50 mix of clean oil and kero and give it a rev to disperse) but its a bit iffy on fine leaf plants (diosmas mostly) so whats everyones technique to sharpen these ? i was going to remove the blades and go over them with a fine flat file nice and easy then put them back and use some feeler gauges to set the gap between but not sure how clearance is needed, sound about right? bit better than mechanics at my old job used to put the hedger in a vice and use an angle grinded on them often came back worse than when we gave them so i wont be doing that. thanks guys

GreenHaven
21-09-2010, 04:49 PM
its a echo hcr-1500si not sure it matters though cheers

Redeye
21-09-2010, 08:59 PM
I'd like a definitive answer to this too, not something I've been game to tackle, I've looked & looked online without ever finding an answer that seems definite and really "qualified".

Fred's mowing
21-09-2010, 09:18 PM
hey all,

Ive been picking up more gardening customers as of late so my hedge trimmmers been getting a work out and is proberly in need of a sharpen. ive had it for a few years now and never sharpened it (do spray the blades straight after i use it with a 50/50 mix of clean oil and kero and give it a rev to disperse) but its a bit iffy on fine leaf plants (diosmas mostly) so whats everyones technique to sharpen these ? i was going to remove the blades and go over them with a fine flat file nice and easy then put them back and use some feeler gauges to set the gap between but not sure how clearance is needed, sound about right? bit better than mechanics at my old job used to put the hedger in a vice and use an angle grinded on them often came back worse than when we gave them so i wont be doing that. thanks guys

Id say your pretty much on track GreenHaven. The more acute angle will make it sharper but will also loose its edge faster, its a compromise. When reassembling, tighten the bolts fully then tighten the nuts. Back off the bolts untill u can JUST rotate the washer.
You should,nt be able to see daylight between the blades.
Cheers Dean.

Fred's mowing
21-09-2010, 09:22 PM
Also whilst u have the blades seperated see if can put them up against a perfect straight edge to see if they r at all warped.
Cheers Dean.

DavidS
21-09-2010, 09:54 PM
Greehaven see if there is a saw sharpening place near you, take the blades to them, they have the right gear to sharpen and set the edge correctly, used to cost me $25.00 for both blades. Then use a 10thou feeler gauge to set clearance when reassembling.
If none then set blade in vice and use a chainsaw raker file and lightly file in a drawing action not a filing action. This will keep the face correct and then use a diamond sharpening tool if you have one to put that extra edge on it, then turn it over and run the diamond stone at about 15degrees to take off any burrs, then put hedger back together, you only need to do this once or twice a year, dependant on use. I used to sharpen mine twice a year as I had kilometres of hedges and did them every two weeks in spring and summer. Normally once a year is good enough.

GreenHaven
21-09-2010, 11:45 PM
thanks guys i can get a straight edge off my bro ive used for cylinder heads befor to make sure its flat but im positive it is as it runs nice and smooth now just hasnt got that knife through butter cut that it did when i first got it (although it was second hand) i'll pull it down when i get a chance soon and give it a whirl and let ya;ll know how i go.

Wombat Garden Services
02-11-2010, 03:20 PM
I tried this eze-lap diamond sharpener I found at bunnings on the hedge trimmer blades, seem to do a good job of touching up the blade edges that might be slightly rounded off, just started the trimmer & moved the blades a few times to get at them all.

Heres a link

http://www.ezelap.com.au/allpurpose.htm

Grassman177
12-01-2011, 02:55 PM
i have been trying to find the best way to actually sharpen them, i have done google searches on proper ways to sharpen and what to use, and get tons of different answers.

one video of a supposed pro, had you line up the blades to where they were exact opposite each other and file from the top down and do it to both sides. very weird, i have always used a file to do them up from center of the blade.

i however am trying to find the best and most effecient method within reasoning of costs.

any suggestions?

kakegc
12-01-2011, 08:34 PM
its a echo hcr-1500si not sure it matters though cheers

I have the same hedger (well, I have a few others too lol! ;))

1. remove the blades
2. sip your beer
3.set one of them in a vice
4. sip your beer
5. file EVERY tooth with a flat bastard file till sharp ( sipping of beer between teeth required!)
6. get another beer
7. flip the blade over & do the same for the other side
8. Run the file against the BACK of every tooth ONCE to remove the burrs

Don't get fazed by it, it's easy!

Putting the bades back on:

1. put 'em back on with the nuts loose.
2. tighten nut up very tight on one bolt, ONE bolt ONLY at this stage.
3. run hedger.
4. blades won't move.
5. back it off a bit & try again. Keep doing this till it runs, but just.
6. Repeat step 5 on all nuts till completed.

I sincerely hope this helps somebody somewhere!

Grassman177
13-01-2011, 01:27 AM
i got tired of doing it this way as it takes too long to get two ot three pairs of trimmers ready for the day. i wanted to find an easier fater method so i have done some searching. i ended up buying a vibrating head small handheld triangle head sander. use it with a very course grit and can resharpen blades that are not too dull. i would love to get one of the actual machines for this purpose, but seems they are made for other markets like the UK and europe so i could not use them due to different electrical.
bummer.

the are really cool, and i love a good blades sharpener, we have a magna-matic brand professional bald sharpener for lawn mower blades. dont know if you have ever heard of them. real nice station set up, and made to hook up a shop vac to them to suck away the grit as you grind. we are in process now of setting it up permanently in our shop.

any of you guys seen those machines just for hedge trimmer sharpening?

kakegc
13-01-2011, 06:58 PM
i got tired of doing it this way as it takes too long to get two ot three pairs of trimmers ready for the day. i wanted to find an easier fater method so i have done some searching. i ended up buying a vibrating head small handheld triangle head sander. use it with a very course grit and can resharpen blades that are not too dull. i would love to get one of the actual machines for this purpose, but seems they are made for other markets like the UK and europe so i could not use them due to different electrical.
bummer.

the are really cool, and i love a good blades sharpener, we have a magna-matic brand professional bald sharpener for lawn mower blades. dont know if you have ever heard of them. real nice station set up, and made to hook up a shop vac to them to suck away the grit as you grind. we are in process now of setting it up permanently in our shop.

any of you guys seen those machines just for hedge trimmer sharpening?

I have never had to sharpen more than one trimmer at a time. The 2 strokes I use seem to hold their edge for a very long time. Can't imagine having to sharpen them more than twice a year unless I'm a bit careless & hit wire or something in the vine/hedge/topiary/ bush! Just wondering what trimmers are you using Grassman 177? Do we have crossed wires mate? Sounds like you are sharpening what we would call hedge shears in Aust? Just asking :)

Mick
13-01-2011, 07:27 PM
we have a magna-matic brand professional bald sharpener for lawn mower blades. dont know if you have ever heard of them. real nice station set up, and made to hook up a shop vac to them to suck away the grit as you grind. we are in process now of setting it up permanently in our shop.

Ive had a MagnaMatic for a couple of years now and love the thing. Makes sharpening blades so much easier and the entire process heaps quicker. Blades are lasting me a lot longer now as keep them maintained rather than doing heave grinding much less often. I was going through a set of blades about every month. That was about $75/mth (more or less) out of my pocket. Blades are lasting me months now only replacing if bend or worn out.
They had to get a motor custom made for me and another guy. Im still on original wheel as well, which is very surprising. although it is getting smaller now. But yeah, great tool for the shed and well worth the high cost!

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 03:50 AM
i am talking about two stihl hedge trimmers, an hs80 and hs81, and an echo model hc1500. we also have two single sided trimmers we use for ornamental grasses. they dont need sharpened very often at all using them only in spring for a few days.

when we trim shrubs, we take out several pair on a three man crew and it gets it done faster, or rather multiple of our crews trims the same day..... we have the tools then.

but, after a couple of days trimming woody shrubs, they need sharpened again.

hey mick, we have a brand new magna matic, but cant use it for hedge trimmers i dont think. i saw a great machine made just for hedge trimmers, but only available in the UK. bummer for me, it was not that expensive

Mick
14-01-2011, 07:30 AM
Cant help with the "hedgers" mate. Dont do enough of them for it to be an issue! I doubt the Magna would heap though!

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 10:28 AM
nah, it wont help. thing is, i sharpened them up and cleaned them up reallly well before puting them away for winter. sprayed them down with Fluid film too. i can tell that will work well for keeping buildup of gummy sap on the blades.

now, i have to get everyone who uses them to touch up sharpen the blades after every day of use and re fluid film them so they are not such a bother to sharpen every time, that and so everyone has a sharp pair when needed .

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 10:35 AM
as far as actual technique goes,

when filing them with the bastard file, do you separate the blades, or move them till they are on top of each other?

i saw this video of how to sharpen hedgers where he lined the blades up on top of each other very carefully, then used a file to sharpen down the edge towards the center of the two blades. this is much different than the way i have always seen of separating the baldes and filing up the edge of each one.

has anyone ever sharpened them like this................http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-shapen-blades-hedge-trimmer-with-mill-file-power-grinder-401249/

it seems worth a try, but my blades are not equal on top and bottom. at least my stihls are not, the echo hedgers are the same like in the video.

Anjaryan
14-01-2011, 12:17 PM
Seems like it works ... dont think i would put an angle grinder onto one though.. would take to much off and to hard to control the angle. imo

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 01:44 PM
i have, and it does. i was in a hurry.

he actually uses a sanding pad though on the grinder, not a grinding wheel. this i s not very aggressive. i have a vibrating triangle sander i was going to start using , but i need better pads, and will be ordering those. still have to use a file for very dull blades or nicks though.

so did you think it was worth a try to sharpen them that way? it is the only video i could find sugesting this method, all others have you either move them in between each other or take them apart which i no longer want to do, a real pain with the stihls and the little bearings they have on the gear rotating arm inside the gear box.

Bluey
14-01-2011, 02:50 PM
What about the mini sanding wheels on a Dremel?

Anjaryan
14-01-2011, 02:56 PM
ok just went and tried it..

i took more off with a file than i did using a grinder with a normal wheel.

Once you get the angle right it is actually very easy with the grinder and does a better job than the file.
Just used the file to take the burs off the underside.

whether you line up the blades or not is another story.

couldn't do it with my stihl (hs45) so ended up pulling them apart and clamping them to the bench.

All up took me about 15min.

Bluey i recon a dremel would work well with the right attachment. Alot smaller to get in between the blades so you wouldn't need to pull them apart.

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 03:32 PM
bluey, that is kind of what we have. it is a dremel like tool. but at 90 degrees instead of straight out the end. i have been told it works better than a small grinding stone on the regular dremel, as it is like a grinding wheel and can take off too much at a time.

we are getting 36grit for it so it will take some metal off but slowly. we tried it with 60 grint and it was not too bad, but needed to be more aggressive. it did also work very well to get all the corrosion and sap off the blades , so i could give them a good coat of fluid film.

but everyone has a comfort zone.

Bluey
14-01-2011, 03:37 PM
Ok then sounds good. I know you can get the small sandpaper rolls for the dremel attachment. They come in varying grit sizes.

DavidS
14-01-2011, 06:32 PM
Just after Xmas I sharpened my hedge trimmer blades using a 5" angle grinder with a polishing disc, which is a disc with a heap of flaps of grit. It is not as savage as a grinding wheel. I ended up pulling my trimmer apart and clamped the blades in a pivoting vice, this made it really easy. Next time I am going to try hooking up my speed controller to the grinder this might make it a bit easier with a slower rotation. You could probably leave the trimmer assembled if you had a vise on a column so you could hold it firm. Have a go it's not black magic, just a bit of patients, light application and keep checking.

Grassman177
14-01-2011, 08:20 PM
although magic would be nice every once in a while.

i am better off leaving them together i have figured out, too many moving parts to loose, and they are small. so the disc worked pretty well eh, i plan on using our vise like before, but mount the hole machine. vise is on a bench corner.

what hedgers are you running. we have three stihls, two echo, and a mid 1980s green machine. dont know if these were international or not. they were a usa made handheld equipment maker. verytough, no plastic................................and still runing to this day, but once the machine has run for a while, it has to cool down to be able to restart them. certain it is a ignition problem, but parts are not available anylonger. they do have some great power though.

kakegc
14-01-2011, 09:39 PM
but, after a couple of days trimming woody shrubs, they need sharpened again.

Then my friend, with due respect, you are doing something wrong I'm afraid. I flog my hedge trimmers & don't have those types of problems.

Example; today I pruned up 3 advanced ficus trees & 10 advanced golden book pines. Took about 4' off the top of all of them & tidied up the sides as well.

I set the line I'm cutting to by using a Sthil pole hedger. Cut, cut, cut, up tree with Echo 350T to remove stuff to big for pole hedger, cut, cut cut. stop - pull out waste, back up tree using ladder- hammer stubs already cut by pole hedger with HS45 till all pretty level (read HARD WORK!) then tidy up soft stuff still left behind with Echo 1500 & then finally cut off small stuff hanging over neighbour's with hand held snippers.

Pretty normal day for me. My hedge trimmers get used far more than any other tools I own. I pride myself on the job I do, but I still only have to sharpen them once or twice a year.

Grassman177
15-01-2011, 12:01 AM
no disrespect taken.

i know i have sharpened with a grinder a few times in a hurry, and i bet that the metal was un hardened and is now easy to dull. read about that happening. i guess i will have to sharpen alot till i have to get new blades altogether. awesome(sarcasm)

Cranbourne Lawnmowing
15-01-2011, 12:07 AM
Seems like it works ... dont think i would put an angle grinder onto one though.. would take to much off and to hard to control the angle. imo

All depends on how good you are with an angle grinder. I do but spent 20 years in the steel industry. If you trust me I could file your finger nails with one.

Fred's mowing
15-01-2011, 06:03 PM
Also whilst u have the blades seperated see if can put them up against a perfect straight edge to see if they r at all warped.
Cheers Dean.

I agree with kakegc, I give mine heaps & they rarely need sharpening, infact they amaze me in regaurd to this.
We (unfortunately) do abuse them & our biggest problem is blade seperation.
Straightness & adjustment are critical IMHO.
Cheers Dean.

Bluey
15-01-2011, 06:32 PM
All depends on how good you are with an angle grinder. I do but spent 20 years in the steel industry. If you trust me I could file your finger nails with one.

Ummm....ok :the bird

Grassman177
16-01-2011, 05:23 AM
hey now, that was uncalled for, unless it is humor, and then that is ok. it would never fly here on a forum and it suprises me to see it here. actually find it funny

Bluey
16-01-2011, 08:08 AM
Yes it was meant as humor GM.

Grassman177
16-01-2011, 08:26 AM
sweet. good humor is needed.

i have been searching for an american version of the hedge trimmer sharpening station made by westfalia and is available in UK. no avial. i wish there was a standard around the world for electicity.

there is the one by stihl, but thing is way harder to use it looks like, espensive and akward. plus, it has to use an attachement to be able to do hedge blades vs the chains saws.

ian
16-01-2011, 12:58 PM
hey now, that was uncalled for, unless it is humor, and then that is ok. it would never fly here on a forum and it suprises me to see it here. actually find it funny


Yes it was meant as humor GM.

this is the reason some aussie get banned from u.s forums because we post things you could find offensive but most people in Australia wouldn't. so if you feel at anytime that someone here has offended you please check because they probably haven't meant to

Grassman177
16-01-2011, 04:12 PM
o can handle a guys work crew kind of humor well if that is what it is. '

i was joking a bit myself, and not offended. it is pretty great, that means this is place is a little more laid back.

you cant type cus words though right?

ian
16-01-2011, 04:14 PM
o can handle a guys work crew kind of humor well if that is what it is. '

i was joking a bit myself, and not offended. it is pretty great, that means this is place is a little more laid back.

you cant type cus words though right?

not American ones :laughing:

Bluey
16-01-2011, 07:40 PM
o can handle a guys work crew kind of humor well if that is what it is. '

i was joking a bit myself, and not offended. it is pretty great, that means this is place is a little more laid back.

you cant type cus words though right?

You can but the program will grab them but people always seem to find a way around it. I guess with Aussie humor it takes a bit to get used to. We can call a bloke a bastard and mean anything from your greatest mate to the worst person in the world. Aussies thrive on on the spot humor and being just that little bit smart arsed.

kakegc
18-01-2011, 07:00 PM
no disrespect taken.

i know i have sharpened with a grinder a few times in a hurry, and i bet that the metal was un hardened and is now easy to dull. read about that happening. i guess i will have to sharpen alot till i have to get new blades altogether. awesome(sarcasm)

I think you've answered your own question. Applying heat to the blade via your grinding tool has softened it. Thus your blade will be easily dulled. I'd throw that blade away & start again! Just my .02

Fred's mowing
18-01-2011, 07:24 PM
I think you've answered your own question. Applying heat to the blade via your grinding tool has softened it. Thus your blade will be easily dulled. I'd throw that blade away & start again! Just my .02

Ever priced blades:eek:???
U might as well just buy the whole cutting head:rolleyes:.
Cheers Dean.

Grassman177
19-01-2011, 11:40 PM
yeah, i know, i am a tard. that is why i am looking for better ways to sharpen.

i dont know if i mentioned it buy we got a dremel llike tool ith vibrating triangle head with heavy grit sandpaper that freshens the edge up pretty ok, but still have to file some of it. this is faster of course, but i want that darn sharpener made for europe!!!!!! sucks we happen to be like the only country to use 120V electricity

GreenHaven
20-01-2011, 12:41 AM
havent even sharpened mine yet hahahha

Ill get around to it though been to busy with the lawn mowing in perth but ive been using the echo hedgey heaps latley and the blades are still sharp to touch and cut diosma nice and slick and when thats hard to cut you know you need to sharpen the blades but the tip of the blades is getting a bit dull as im always sticking it in the sand while hedging and thats a big no no. i always spray the blades with a 50/50 mix of kerosene and clean engine oil so that seems to be working

Grassman177
20-01-2011, 05:28 AM
you should try to not use the petrol on the blades as its transfered to the plants and can burn and cause sickness. use Fluid film or similar that is not petrol and is lanolin based

GreenHaven
20-01-2011, 03:03 PM
yeh that makes sense ill get some general purpose lanolin next time

Grassman177
20-01-2011, 03:41 PM
i love the fluid film brand if you can get it, absolutely fantastic. started using it not long ago. use it wherever you would use wd40, and even more. you can actually wax your car with it if you want, perfectly safe for paint, and it soaks into the metal a bit giving a better protection

GreenHaven
21-01-2011, 01:09 PM
ah we have a brand in aus called lanolin i use it on the under carrage of my four wheel drive when driving on the beach and dunes for rust protection and ive used the heavy duty one as a chain lube but found it to thin to resist fling off like some other chain lubes (crc chain lubes the best in my opinion ) but ill get some of the heavy duty stuff for the hedge trimmer and give it a whirl.

Grassman177
21-01-2011, 11:43 PM
yeah, we have a diff product we use like you for chain lube.

make sure to clean the blades well before applying, and try to do so at least 24hrs before use, as this will give it chance to get into the metal some.

by the way, what hedgers are you running?

we have a stihl hs80, hs81, and the extra long extended reach trimmers...........plus echo hc1500, hc2000 and a very old Green Machine brand pair which is no longer even made.

Fred's mowing
22-01-2011, 08:52 AM
i am talking about two stihl hedge trimmers, an hs80 and hs81, and an echo model hc1500. we also have two single sided trimmers we use for ornamental grasses. they dont need sharpened very often at all using them only in spring for a few days.

when we trim shrubs, we take out several pair on a three man crew and it gets it done faster, or rather multiple of our crews trims the same day..... we have the tools then.
but, after a couple of days trimming woody shrubs, they need sharpened again.

hey mick, we have a brand new magna matic, but cant use it for hedge trimmers i dont think. i saw a great machine made just for hedge trimmers, but only available in the UK. bummer for me, it was not that expensive
Cant u use an inverter/ adaptor????
Cheers Dean.

Grassman177
22-01-2011, 09:23 AM
i am not sure, i bet there is one though. will have to look and never thought of it, thanks!!