In general, as our pole hedge trimmer reviews have shown, the best pole hedge trimmers are designed to provide smooth, clear, even cuts along the branches of the hedge. If you notice that the cut is uneven or frayed in some way, this can be a clear sign that the blades of your hedge trimmer have gotten blunt or are too weak to handle the job. You may simply need to re-sharpen the blades at this point. You may be able to do this yourself, or send your trimmer off to the manufacturer for professional blade sharpening with an official machine.