I have had this tool upward of 5 years. No previous problems. After completing my last routine half day trim of hedges and a couple of times towards the end, the trigger would not work. It has now finally stopped altogether. The work that this machine has done amounts to about 60 hrs. It has been serviced every year by myself for winter storage.
Manufactured by Performance Power Tools, of Chandlers Ford, Hants, England, Serial No 200407.

David Hawken, September 2008

where can i get spare safety right angle plastic piece to hold trigger spring

g mac, August 2016

If motor runs but makes a squealing sound, there is a spring drive inside the large gear wheel. This relies on the spring gripping on the inside of its housing. If the resistance of the cutter blades requires increased torque this causes the spring to be more compressed which in turn reduces its outside diameter. Slippage then occurs resulting in the squealing you can hear and drive to the blades diminishes or stops. To compensate coat the cutter blades well in oil and make sure they are free to run. Clean the spring and its housing of grease and oil and reassemble dry, if still no joy then spring needs renewal as outside has worn down. Good luck trying to find one.

Menditmalc, May 2014

David,
Could be lots of things wrong here but my first guess would be a worn out trigger switch due to a happy trigger finger. I have seen alot of folks run hedge trimmers, gas and electric, with a constant on-off goosing, so those 60 hours could add up to a lifetime of trigger pulls if you are in the club. The fix is to take it apart and bypass the trigger switch with a jumper wire and carefully plug it in and see if she goes. If so, find a new switch and you are set. If you can't locate one get creative and find a spot to drill a hole and mount a standard push button you can hold down with a finger. Avoid leaving it hot wired (jumpered) or swapping in a toggle switch. Lots of club members have lost their heads going down that road. My next guess would be brushes or brush springs or a dirty armature, but once inside you can have a look.

Tom, September 2008