Mend > Hedge Trimmers

How to: Repair cut hedge cutter wire?

OK, I have seen a few posts on here, but I found none that seem to help me (sorry)

I have cut through the power cable on one of my hedge trimmers, so I rushed out and bought another, and GUESS WHAT! I done it again. I feel like a idoit! to make same mistake. Freak accident when avoiding attack from falling branch to face and wire fell from my shoulder into the blades.

I really want to fix up these hedge trimmers, and I understand they are a few ways to go about it.

It would probably be easier to open the unit and replace the whole power cable. But I am unsure what power cable I would be looking for? Or would it be easier and safe to repair the break in the wire, with either a connecter block of some sort or to strip the rubber from the wires, solder the copper, and wrap them in tape?

If I was to open the units up. I'm guessing it would be like wiring a plug just at the other end?
And does anyone know what type of power cable I would be looking for? Do I need a specific one for each model of my trimmers, or a specific voltage or wattage? Thanks In Advance! Attacking this JUNGLE is making me tear my hair out! haha!

Aaron
June 2009

Garden Tools, Hedge Trimmers Repair Cut Power

omg same problem!! someone please help! i want to just reattach the old wire because I cut it quite high up, so i still have plenty of cable left. My dilemmea is how to rewire everything properly! I forgot to take note of which wire went in which junction ie the live wire and the neutral...On the oppsite end of where those wires are meant to go is a white wire attached to the junction on its own and next to it is a black wire and yellow wire together attached to its own junction. Where is the live wire (brown right?) meant to be underneath? the white or the black and yellow? Please help, i dont want to get electrocuted!

Nim
July 2009

I neglected to mention - if you do open up the machines the cable attachment at the switch might be where the wire is held fast and makes connection with a sprung knife blade gizmo - used to be little brass screws like a light switch. You can release the wire by carefully poking a tiny screwdriver into the wire hole and levering the blade away from the wire.

When fitting the new cable it helps to tin the copper conductors with solder to stiffen them to make insertion easier.

Continuing good luck...

Peccavi
June 2009

Under no circumstance should you..."strip the rubber from the wires, solder the copper, and wrap them in tape." It would be potentially very dangerous even though it would work perfectly well up until the time you electrocuted yourself.

The best method is to open the unit and either fit new cable or just shorten the existing cable - you need to be confident with hand tools to do this and be able to overcome some minor frustrating cable routing and connecting problems.

If you replace the cables then just buy two-core flex of the same diameter - your question of Voltage & Wattage suggests that this is a whole new world for you.

Another, and by far the easier solution is to fit an in-line connector on each end of the damaged cable - male connector on the machine end and female connector on the long cable.

An alternative is to have a handyperson do the work for you - a poor retired chap - couple of pints of beer. I live in Reading UK

Peccavi
June 2009