ive got through 2 hedge cutters in 4 years -black& decker and wickes. they just stopped for no reason. do the motors have brushes? could they wear out?

geoff h, June 2009

These machines do indeed have carbon brushes in their motors, and its possible that they have worn down...however, they are designed for very lightweight DIY use and my guess is that the work that you have for them is just too heavy and that you are burning the motors out. have you considered buying a small petrol machine instead?

John, June 2009

There will always be a reason - you just haven't found it yet.

The motors inside will very probably have brushes but are unlikely to be at fault.

I would guess the most common cause is when people cut the cable by accident. Then perhaps the switch interlock mechanism. If the brushes were failing you would likely get warning as sparks and smells from inside send you increasing signals before they fail completely.

Frequency of use, continuous duty cycle and load on the motor will all have some effect on useful life.

Peccavi, June 2009