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We cut a Laurel around a thatched property and I use a mixture of petrol and telescopic battery, customer has never brought this up with us and I would of thought it would be such a remote possibility that most people would not even think of it! Been cutting this one for ten years twice a year with no issues!
I'd just reassure her that the tools don't spark you could always have a hose out which might also reassure her that if anything happened, it would be immediately dealt with with no problems........ on the other hand, this might make her think there might be a spark! You can't win.
the hedge cutter should have a spark arrester in the exhaust outlett unless it has been removed
Not sure about flying sparks but on very rare occasions have rested a hot petrol hedge trimmer on top of a dry conifer hedge which has created a burning smell , also laid a hot petrol strimmer on very dry grass and scorched the grass .
If the job will provide more work in other areas and depending on hedge work spec around the thatchted roof i would be tempted to invest in a cordless hedgetrimmer if its just a little bit of hedgecutting a cheap domestic hedgetrimmer might do or even use shears if possible .
It might be that this was advised by her insurers. The chances of anything going wrong are minute, but just not worth the chance. You don't say what the hedge is, could it be cut with shears? You'd have to make it clear that it would cost more, but if you're buying a battery one just for that I think she should pay a contribution anyway. My experience of cheap domestic ones is that the're pretty pathetic, you'd want to buy something decent.
I only have battery hedge trimmers these days, depending on the species of hedge and how much to cut off, different brands or voltages may or may not be suitable, the cheap 18 or 20 Volt type with a 2 amp hour battery about the size of a pack of cigarettes are ok for a bit of regularly cut box/privet but would struggle or take too long to cut much else. Moving up to the 36 or 40 Volt type some of these are pretty good, I had a Yard Force one in which seemed relatively heavy duty, also some of the Greenworks and Al-Ko etc seem decent. I mostly use Stihl battery ones but should be able to buy something reasonable a bit cheaper. I suppose part of the issue with the thatch is that spilled liquid fuel could turn into a fireball rather than just the risk of a hot exhaust
Personally, assuming you want this work and have other hedges elsewhere to cut, I would buy some Stihl cordless hedgecutters. It's an investment and I don't think you'll find a negative from anyone that uses them. They are quicker, cleaner and feel lighter. I'd be interested in how it goes as I also do a thatched property and can honestly say, it has never occured to me I might cause a problem. I'm more worried about the petrol station next door to it!
As the hedge is next to the house, and just one side to do without petrol, maybe borrow a corded electric one, even
I was hedge cutting today in the heat , I don't think I would have managed it with petrol equipment .
Not sure what went wrong with my Stihl hedge trimmers finish on a privet hedge it just was not tight enough for the customer , not had a problem before but could see her point .
I used a cheap hedge trimmer to achieve the desired finish but took the bulk off with the Stihl which was very quick .
Petrol I found always produced a good finish on most hedges , never got a good finish with a budget cordless on conifer even with the one I used today on the privet .
Stihl much better on conifer depends what hedge surrounds the thatched roof , I would associate yew or beech with a thatched roof ,perhaps laurel but could be completely wrong .
Hi John, I find the best Stihl battery trimmer for a tight privet hedge is the HSA66, it has a different shaped blade with smaller teeth gaps to the HSA 86 which is more of a general purpose machine
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