Cut through hedge trimmer cable, how to repair?

Adam · 19 Jun 2016 at 20:54

I noticed my Bosch hedge trimmer stopped working yesterday, I cut clean through the cable which was a bit daft. I have found a replacement cable for £34 but I don't think it cost this much in the first place.

Is it possible for me to repair it? Do I repair the cable at the join or take it apart, strip the good part of the cable and reconnect it internally?

fornowagain · 19 Jun 2016 at 20:56

Solder it and use some heatshrink.

Vimes · 19 Jun 2016 at 21:03

Adam said:
I noticed my Bosch hedge trimmer stopped working yesterday, I cut clean through the cable which was a bit daft. I have found a replacement cable for £34 but I don't think it cost this much in the first place.

Is it possible for me to repair it? Do I repair the cable at the join or take it apart, strip the good part of the cable and reconnect it internally?

pic host

worked for me. Less than a fiver from eBay.

They should include a few with every trimmer sold

Hope that you have a RDC fitted.

Mucky_Pup · 19 Jun 2016 at 21:29

How far along did you cut it? Last one I repaired, I just opened it up, and re-terminated the cable at the cut end, just ended up with a shorter cable.

Replacement cable for a hedge trimmer should not be £34, unless it's a direct replacement from the manufacturer, just looking for something like lawnmower mains cable on ebay has brought up 15m length of cable for £10, which would do the same job.

Lakeland · 19 Jun 2016 at 21:31

Vimes said:
pic host

worked for me. Less than a fiver from eBay.

They should include a few with every trimmer sold

Hope that you have a RDC fitted.

This is a great solution if it's cut close to the trimmer, though you should be very careful to fit the female plug to the live side!

chief barker · 20 Jun 2016 at 05:31

Adam said:
take it apart, strip the good part of the cable and reconnect it internally?

This.

SPG · 20 Jun 2016 at 06:29

Peel back the insulation on the 4 ends, join the correct ends by wrapping the wire, then masking tape on each pair then more masking tape.

Millwall.FC · 20 Jun 2016 at 07:54

SPG said:
Peel back the insulation on the 4 ends, join the correct ends by wrapping the wire, then masking tape on each pair then more masking tape.

I take it your joking but you should not really post "jokes" like this as people are stupid enough to do it.

a1ex2001 · 20 Jun 2016 at 08:45

I repaired my hedge trimmer cable with a piece of chock block covered in about a meter of gaffer tape over a decade ago and it is still running perfectly.

james.miller · 20 Jun 2016 at 08:47

I replaced the cable on mine with the cable i kept from the last hedge trimmer i blew up. 'Knew that would come in handy

snips86x · 20 Jun 2016 at 08:48

Mucky_Pup said:
How far along did you cut it? Last one I repaired, I just opened it up, and re-terminated the cable at the cut end, just ended up with a shorter cable.

Replacement cable for a hedge trimmer should not be £34, unless it's a direct replacement from the manufacturer, just looking for something like lawnmower mains cable on ebay has brought up 15m length of cable for £10, which would do the same job.

+1

Done this at least twice

Vimes · 20 Jun 2016 at 09:20

Lakeland said:
This is a great solution if it's cut close to the trimmer, though you should be very careful to fit the female plug to the live side!

What it does allow you to have as well is a long extension for your hover mower etc, 'cos you must have cut through that one as well..?!

Just be aware of the total load supported by the cable if using it like that and buy an RCD when using mains powered tools...

image hosting adult

SPG · 20 Jun 2016 at 09:41

Millwall.FC said:
I take it your joking but you should not really post "jokes" like this as people are stupid enough to do it.

If it was a joke it would be in the realms of pooping on the cable and letting it dry.

The OP asked for cheap quick fix..... and its been working fine (in three places) on my hedge-cutter for 8 years.

Sometimes i even put a RCD at the socket if i remember.

Diagro · 20 Jun 2016 at 09:53

Open up the Unit. Find where the wires connect, unsolder old wires. Buy new length cable from B&Q, solder onto unit.

Fixed.

I did this with my strimmer, and i made the cable 10m longer too!

a1ex2001 · 20 Jun 2016 at 10:18

Vimes said:
What it does allow you to have as well is a long extension for your hover mower etc, 'cos you must have cut through that one as well..?!

Just be aware of the total load supported by the cable if using it like that and buy an RCD when using mains powered tools...

Is there really any need for these anymore if you have modern wiring in your house that already includes an RCD?

Adam · 20 Jun 2016 at 11:07

Thanks for the suggestion. The cable is pretty long but I cut it around 50cm from the appliance end rather than the plug end.

I'm going to try and open it up and reconnect it, otherwise I like those connectors posted above to join the cable together. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use the same cable given how much length remains?

Vimes · 20 Jun 2016 at 11:16

a1ex2001 said:
Is there really any need for these anymore if you have modern wiring in your house that already includes an RCD?

I know what you mean. My Son in law cut through his cable recently whilst using his trimmers and got quite a lengthy electric shock. He has a modern type consumer unit fitted, which could suggest that something is faulty and it needs to be checked out.

Not every home has got those types of electric units fitted and even though we do I still out of habit use a RCD type plug when using certain mains powered tools.

I don't know if they would prevent a ring tripping out though by only tripping the RCD.?

Thought that it was worth mentioning though.

a1ex2001 · 20 Jun 2016 at 11:16

Adam said:
Thanks for the suggestion. The cable is pretty long but I cut it around 50cm from the appliance end rather than the plug end.

I'm going to try and open it up and reconnect it, otherwise I like those connectors posted above to join the cable together. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use the same cable given how much length remains?

No reason at all provided your happy it is still long enough and it is in good overall condition.

Terminal_Boy · 20 Jun 2016 at 11:19

Lakeland said:
This is a great solution if it's cut close to the trimmer, though you should be very careful to fit the female plug to the live side!

This!

a1ex2001 · 20 Jun 2016 at 11:19

Vimes said:
I know what you mean. My Son in law cut through his cable recently whilst using his trimmers and got quite a lengthy electric shock. He has a modern type consumer unit fitted, which could suggest that something is faulty and it needs to be checked out.

Not every home has got those types of electric units fitted and even though we do I still out of habit use a RCD type plug when using certain mains powered tools.

I don't know if they would prevent a ring tripping out though by only tripping the RCD.?

Thought that it was worth mentioning though.

It is essential to hit the test buttons periodically on the RCD's they work much better second time round but nobody tells you this!

If you use a plugin RCD on the mains socket which is also RCD protected there is no way of knowing which will trip first so if it goes it could be either not that this is a big deal.

The extension lead I use in the Garden just happens to have a RCD in it so I'm double protected anyway.