Help re hedge trimmers

[redwitch]

I am NOT a gardening type person. Plants see me coming and keel over and die on the spot -- easier than waiting for me to kill them. That being said, I borrowed a friend's hedge trimmers. So, here's the problem -- they move in slo mo and get stuck whenever I try to "brush" them straight across the top. I've charged the battery. No difference in speed.

The question is: Is this typical for hedge trimmers (to have the blades move rather slowly and stop cold whenever they have to do some work)? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong with the trimmers?

[handieman]

If the hedge trimmers are electric, spray the blades and cutting bar with WD40. If that doesn't help then they are defective. If the hedge trimmers are rechargeable, the recharge them overnight and also spray the blades with WD40. Decent electric hedge trimmers should allow you to sweep slowly across normal branches without slowing and/or stopping. Extremely dull blades would cause this also however I'm not sure the cost of resharpening is worth the effort. Hedge trimmers are not expensive. If all else fails see Home Depot or Lowe's or Walmarts.
Handie :joke:

[Sidney Lanier]

The lightweight one that friends of ours picked up at a yard sale for us works just fine, but it's really good only on relatively fresh, tender new growth. It will jam on branches that are too thick for the lightweight blades. If the latter is not the issue, then I agree with Handie's suggestions.