An electric trimmer is a lightweight tool used to tackle any areas in your grass garden that are hard to reach. The trimmer was invented by George Ballas of Houston, Texas early in the 1970s. Additionally, its length is approximately identical to that of a shovel and runs on electricity.
Thus you need to plug it to a socket before you start using it.
Once connected, it cuts grass by rotating a piece of plastic or wire thread at high speeds, thereby whipping the weeds or grass in a clean-cut fashion. However, the electric trimmer has one drawback, and that is you can only use it within a distance that the cord reaches.
So, having known this, we are going to take you through the steps on how to use electric string trimmer safely. Subsequently, thanks to this, your garden’s edge will look perfectly trimmed and elegant.
Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
While operating the electric trimmer, it is crucial always to protect your eyes as they are more prone to getting injuries. It is because the trimmer cuts at high speeds and debris like pebbles traveling at speeds of 200 to 300 mph or a tiny piece of a snapped line can cause your eye serious injury. Therefore, you should wear protective goggles, which offers your eyes with protection. Nevertheless, a visor is more advisable as it provides your face with complete protection.
For similar reasons, you should avoid wearing sandals or shorts. Instead, you should opt for bulky trousers as this will provide you with protection whenever debris traveling at high speeds hit you. Moreover, safety shoes with steel soles and caps are essential as they safeguard your feet while you walk on nails, metal, glass, and any other harmful materials. While cutting, position the trimmer at an angle to ensure all the cut material are thrown away from you. Lastly, exposure to louder sounds can cause ear damage, so to protect your ears, it is advisable you wear earmuffs.
Be cautious of the cables
While operating the electric trimmer, you need to take extreme caution to avoid hitting the cable. Fortunately, unlike gas string trimmers, electric trimmers are less potent so it might not cut the cord. Nevertheless, this could cause damage to the insulation.
Watch out for Onlookers
Anyone standing close to you has a higher chance of getting hit by the debris than yourself. It is because debris tends to travel in an upward trajectory, and by the time it reaches another person; it is at their eye level. This usually happens when you are either using a lawnmower or trimming on a raised ground. Therefore, you should wait until all bystanders have moved away.
The electric trimmer also throws debris which rebound off hard surfaces. So, whenever you are using this equipment, you should ensure there are no young kids in the vicinity.
Before trimming, first, inspect the ground
You need to confirm that there are no bits of glass, pebbles, metal among other tiny items on the ground before you start trimming. By doing so, you ensure the line does not catch any of these items as they can end up being missiles.
Avoid cars and windows
The trimmer throws pebbles while being operated, and this can damage glass and paintwork. Likewise, they may either break or crack the windows of your car of house. Therefore, identify the direction the debris is flying and then safely direct it away from anything that might be damaged.
Identify the spin direction
Identifying spin direction is the biggest struggle most individuals experience while using an electric trimmer. The thing to take note is the trimmer needs to eject all the debris from its cut path. If your trimmer rotates counterclockwise, it best cuts with its right side and the materials are removed from its left side. Therefore, while you move along a low fence, or walk, position your body to the trimmer’s right side since the cut and ejected material will be disposed to the left.
Conclusion
Having gone through this article, you now must have a clear idea of how to use electric trimmer carefully. So, thanks to this, you now have an idea of how to personally ensure your compound is looking stylish plus save money since you do not need to hire a professional.