Cut cable on hedge trimmer - repair?

chickey

Hello

managed to cut through cable on hedge trimmer recently, wondering if it can be repaired and if so how, a friend has suggested connector block and insulated tape and some kind of outdoor waterproof box - went loking for such an item in atlantic but couldnt find. was plugged into RCB and cut out straight away so that was good.

CJhaughey

Undo the body and replace the whole cable.
A connector block and tape is an accident waiting to happen.
If you cannot do it give it in to a repair shop.

Wing Walker

I don't know about you but I'm still wondering how the hell I'm still here. I cut through a hedge trimmer cable while I was using it.

In any event, what I did was really simply. I went to the local hardware, got a lenght of identical cable. Came home and removed the plug and male adapter (?) part from the old cut cable and fixed them to the new one. Not only was the prob fixed quite quickly but I also had a new 10 foot cable as opposed to the fiddley old 3 foot one.

If you managed to cut the cable at the other end, i.e. next to the actual trimmer, then you friend's basic idea of connector and insulating tape is probably the best option, but maybe not the safest.

crosstownk

CJhaughey wrote:

Undo the body and replace the whole cable.
A connector block and tape is an accident waiting to happen.
If you cannot do it give it in to a repair shop.

The best and safest repair. You also have the chance now to get a longer cable. I bought a hedge trimmer last year and gave serious consideration to the possibility of cutting the cable so I opted for a petrol trimmer. Its great - more powerful but it's a bit on the heavy side.

Reyman

I cut the cable every second time I do a big job with those hedge trimmers. It's not dangerous because the trimmers are usually well insulated from the cutting arm.

You also probably have an earth leakage circuit breaker on your fuse board which will cut the power very fast if the live and neutral current differ.

I've decided anyway that electric trimmers are just a pain in the neck and I'm fed up replacing lengths of the cable.
They're DIY rubbish.

A guy in the gardening advised me to go with a Stihl petrol trimmer - just the business he says, though very pricey. Big bucks!

Anyone tried them?

FX Meister

I have a petrol trimmer, not a stihl, but it is far far better than an electric one.
If you want to DIY the repair then I'd recommend replacing the cable first but if you just want to repair the old one then get a connector block and an obo box from an electrical supplier. Fill the obo box half way with silicone, then put you r connector in and then fill the rest with silicone. Makes it pretty much water tight.

FX Meister

I have a petrol trimmer, not a stihl, but it is far far better than an electric one.
If you want to DIY the repair then I'd recommend replacing the cable first but if you just want to repair the old one then get a connector block and an obo box from an electrical supplier. Fill the obo box half way with silicone, then put you r connector in and then fill the rest with silicone. Makes it pretty much water tight.

squire1

Reyman, the Stihl is a serious bit of kit. Expensive but probably the best tool on the market. If you let me know the model I will tell you what you should expect to be paying so that you are not ripped off.

crosstownk

I got an Electrolux petrol strimmer in Woodies last October when they were on special offer after the summer. The engine in the strimmer is a Briggs & Stratton 2 stroke and it works perfectly. Starts first time every time. I've about 50 meters of hedges to cut so an electric strimmer wouldn't really be practical.

Mr. Presentable

Anyone ever use one of the battery ones?

Reyman

squire1 wrote:

Reyman, the Stihl is a serious bit of kit. Expensive but probably the best tool on the market. If you let me know the model I will tell you what you should expect to be paying so that you are not ripped off.

Thanks Squire ! I don't know the Stihl model but there's a guy above in Sandyford/Kilternan who does them. He seems to know his way around power tools pretty well - impressive.

My only concern about the two stroke is hefting a heavy petrol unit at shoulder level for long periods. This could be pretty hard work!

squire1

You can get an arm rest and harness for the Stihl that helps spread the weight. They are also sold under the badge of "Viking". Slightly lighter and less hard wearing tool but also made by Stihl.

CJhaughey

Tanaka brand hedge trimmers are almost as good as a stihl and have the bonus of being lighter and a lot cheaper.
They are a fantastic piece of kit for the price, not to be confused with no-name rubbish, I highly recommend them.

NUTLEY BOY

Reyman wrote:

I cut the cable every second time I do a big job with those hedge trimmers. It's not dangerous because the trimmers are usually well insulated from the cutting arm.

You also probably have an earth leakage circuit breaker on your fuse board which will cut the power very fast if the live and neutral current differ.

CAREFUL !

An ELCB will trip for an earth fault. You need an earth wire in the circuit to operate the ELCB. Most of those hedge cutter gizmos are double insulated and have no earthing connection.

It is possible to cut a cable and for the supply end of it to be still live. If you pick it up you get zapped by the mains. A woman was fatally injured a few years ago in the UK in just such a scenario. The chances of this event are freaky but you don't want to be the one.

To trip the ELCB you probably need to cut a three core supply flex and to cross live with earth.

If you manage to cross live with neutral the ordinary circuit breaker for that circuit should trip as you will have created a classic short circuit condition.

Best always to use power tools and the like with a plug in RCD that pops into the socket. However, do not always assume that the RCD has actually worked. If you cut a cable proceed with caution and assume the wiring is actually unsafe until you know otherwise.

Damaged cables should always be replaced. Tape jobs are woefully inadequate and dangerous repairs. Alternatively, a safe repair for a cut cable is to place a proper male/female connector in the cable at the point where the cut happened. For God's sake remember to put the female side of the connector on the supply side of the cable and never the other way around otherwise you get live pins that you can touch. Alternatively, if you do not fully understand what you are doing get it done by a qualified person as life is too precious !!

Reyman

NUTLEY BOY wrote:

CAREFUL !

An ELCB will trip for an earth fault. You need an earth wire in the circuit to operate the ELCB. Most of those hedge cutter gizmos are double insulated and have no earthing connection.

Correct !

But most modern installlations have an RCD a residual circuit device. This measures the difference between the live and neutral currents -- ie any leakage to earth within 25 milliseconds, before electric shock can drive the heart into ventricular fibrillation, the most common cause of death through electric shock.
Exactly what may happen if you cut the cable so you're protected.

Lex Luthor

I'm curious but how are all you people managing to cut through the cable?

Do you not keep the cable behind you at all times and thrown over your shoulder?

I've been running an electric strimmer now for 9yrs and not once have I even come near the cable...

Browndoff

Hi Guys,
Please don't even CONSIDER using a connector-block in the middle of a power-cable. It's crazy to do anything so dangerous when it's a only matter of a few minutes work to open the casing of the hedge-trimmer and re-attach the cut cable. [Don't forget to un-plug the cable BEFORE you start ANY work!]
Simply copy the way the original wires were run through the casing to the switch and screw-in the new ends of the wires. It's no more complicated than re-wiring an ordinary plug - there's just a few more screws to remove before you can get at the wiring!
I've used my Flymo electric for YEARS and cut the cable dozens of times and only had to replace the whole cord 2 or 3 times. It's light and handy for my high and awkward Leylandii. For the heavy top branches I use a big Limb-Lopper [€6 in Lidl]. My wife bought me a JCB petrol-powered trimmer a few years ago but it's WAY too heavy for the high work!

Good luck with the repair job! BE SAFE!!!!