Cut through hedge trimmer cable, how to repair?

a1ex2001 said:
Is there really any need for these anymore if you have modern wiring in your house that already includes an RCD?
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Yes, especially when using long extension cables as you could become part of the National Grid for a very short period until the RCD in your consumer unit trips.

You're also assuming that the fitted RCD is a decent one, is working correctly and has been installed properly.

The added advantage of having an RCD on the far end of the extension lead is that if you do something silly, you'd don't trip the house RCD.
 
Terminal_Boy said:
The added advantage of having an RCD on the far end of the extension lead is that if you do something silly, you'd don't trip the house RCD.
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Sorry but that is not correct. Its 'slightly' possible but very unlikely unless you've got a silly size RCD/RCCB up front in your house and you only get a small fault current. If you've got 2 30ma RCD's on the same circuit they will both "see" the fault at above 30ma and both trip.

The only viable way to try and achieve discrimination is if you were to have a time delay RCD at the front which would likely not meet the required standards these days.
 
SPG said:
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.
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Splicing and masking tape is one of the worst ways to do it. Just because its lasted 8 years does not make it safe and an RCD is no free pass for a bodge.
 
a NATO plug and socket... might end up with a short cable on your trimmer and a long extension cable but at least its detachable/safe and waterproof :D

Plug...
http://www.screwfix.com/p/abb-straight-plug-32a-2p-e-250v-6h-ip67/6979f

Socket
http://www.screwfix.com/p/abb-connector-16a-2p-e-250v-6h-ip67/1449f

As an electrician, this is what I would do in this instance :)

In fact this is what I have done with the Sand Filter on my Pool.

Edit: Just read the part about it being cut 50(ish)cm from the tool itself, in this instance id open it up and remove the old cable and fit it with a shiny new one :)
 
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Terminal_Boy said:
Yes, especially when using long extension cables as you could become part of the National Grid for a very short period until the RCD in your consumer unit trips.
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No longer than you would if the RCD was in the extension cable either could trip first it isn't a question of the one physically closest to the device going.
Terminal_Boy said:
You're also assuming that the fitted RCD is a decent one, is working correctly and has been installed properly.
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Which exactly the same thing your assuming about your extension lead and the double insulation on the hedge trimmer etc etc you could keep adding things to the list of what if's as long as you like
Terminal_Boy said:
The added advantage of having an RCD on the far end of the extension lead is that if you do something silly, you'd don't trip the house RCD.
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You have no way of knowing which would go pop first unless the one at the end was deliberately lower rated which is almost certainly not the case.

I'm not saying don't do it but it is a belt and braces approach rather than an essential in a house wit modern wiring.
 
a1ex2001 said:
Is there really any need for these anymore if you have modern wiring in your house that already includes an RCD?
Click to expand...

It depends on the age of the fuse box.

Some of the Housing Association houses around here only got moved on from fuse wire about 10 years ago.

There are plenty of properties that will have at best early breaker fuse boxes which didn't have an integrated RCD as that become standard some time later.
 
This is for Adam and anyone else who finds cutting hedge trimmer cables a pain, I have submitted this idea to two companies who make hedge trimmers and they were not interested.

The simplicity of this idea is that its inexpensive and effective, the solution for not cutting the cable of hedge trimmers is the width of the cutting blade openings, this is usually a width to allow twigs to enter the cutting shear action but to stop a finger going into the shear area.

This same principal is achieved by putting the plastic flexible conduit onto the area of cable that is vulnerable, it does not physically protect the cable and would easily be cut if it could enter the shear area but by using the correct diameter conduit for each machines cutting openings, the protected area is simply pushed away from danger.

I have used 1.5 metres of the conduit on my hedge trimmer by simply removing the plug, slipping the conduit up the cable and fixing it to the rubber sleeve of the hedge trimmer with insulation tape, by putting a couple of turns of insulation tape around the electrical cable at the other end, your cable is now protected.
 
I fitted one like vimes, it's a good thing i didn't listen to the instructions as the one i bought had a moulding error and told you to wire the plug end to the male side :o
 
just connect the two cables together (tied them or solder) and wrap with insulation tape, that is what I did when my wife cut ours.
 
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