Fixing an electric hedgetrimmer: any advice? (or hope?!)

[Another John]

My Bosch hedgetrimmer (AHS 55-26) died suddenly the other day.

I've had it, and heavily used it, for just over two years. There was no major "trauma" (such as dropping it): I just laid it down in the middle of a job, and when I picked it up again, it was dead.

(having tested the cabling!) I started to take it apart, on the tried and tested basis of taking something apart, then putting back together again, will often fix it -- usually as a result of finding "something".

I gave up taking it apart after I'd got the 14 special screws out, to split the casing .... it looks to be a major disassembly job.

I asked a local gardening tools place: "not worth it mate: we don't fix 'em: by the time I've disassembled it, run tests, possibly got parts, you're going to be paying more than you bought it for." (?130 btw).

So I'm back to Plan A. Before I embark on this job, any ideas, or advice such as "don't bother".

I had thought it might be carbon brushes, but (a) getting at them is a challenge (b) I've never had brushes fail on me in anything for decades.

BTW I am not leccy-literate: replacing whole parts is my limit, and even diagnosing parts would be beyond me (e.g. using meters to test voltages etc).

Give it up before I start? Nahhhhh -- couldn't possibly chuck this into the spares corner without first taking it completely to bits.

John

[Mark Allread]

Just wondering how you managed to test the full length of the cable when you didn't disassemble the machine? There's usually a connector within the housing where the mains cable meets the internal wiring and this isn't always obvious simply by splitting the casing.

Of course, it may be I've misunderstood and you did get that far.

Errm, you did check the fuse in the plug plus any other 'breaker' you may have, didn't you?

[Brian Gaff]

Well if you know nothing I'd say it would hardly be a safe thing to do in case you reassemble it incorrectly and something is live afterwards. If you know what you are doing there is little to go wrong. I'd start with the naff switches they tend to fit to these things. If shorting the switch makes it burst into life, and assuming you still have your fingers at this point then the fix is self evident. However I'd suggest at least getting a meter of the analogue variety that can measure resistance and voltages in ac and dc as that can be the safest way to troubleshoot dangerous stuff. Brian

[Chris Green]

Yes, the commonest failure (I think I've fixed five or six over the years) with electric garden machinery is the flex where it enters the machine. It inevitably has a bit of a hard life there.

[tony sayer]

In article , Another John scribeth thus

If you have a multimeter you could try continuity tests from the mains =plug into the unit. But I suspect that theirs some electronics involved and that will for most be a stumbling block. Have a look at the brushes but after two years?, I'd very much doubt that'd be a problem..

[tabbypurr]

You need to use a multimeter (£2-3 from Rapid) to see what bits conduc t & which bit doesn't. It's very easy once you get to the parts. Without do ing that you'd be wasting your time. Prime suspects are switch, cable where it enters machine & plug.

If all you can do is remove 6" of cable & reconnect at each end, that might work, maybe.

NT

[Nick]

I'm curious if it is good advice to tell people to get multimeter to fix mains appliances.

Most of the people who use usenet are old, if they don't already have a multimeter it suggests they have never been interested in electricity.

If it were my son asking I would say yes, you've never had to fix anything this is how you do it, use a multimeter but be careful. If it was his mother I would say buy a new appliance.

[tabbypurr]

nduct & which bit doesn't. It's very easy once you get to the parts. Withou t doing that you'd be wasting your time. Prime suspects are switch, cable w here it enters machine & plug.

ight work, maybe.

I'm sure it is. We deal with practical people here who want to fix things, not people needing their little hands held.

?

suggests? You mean you made it up?

Enjoy failing.

NT

[Harry Bloomfield]

[e-mail] submitted this idea :

I would be very reluctant to offer help to anyone, who in his own confession, claims to have no understanding at all of even the basics. He could electrocute himself, or even the cutter could if he is working with the power on - suddenly begin running and take his fingers off.

[Another John]

(1) I like Nick's response, which is very perspicacious! :-)

(2) Harry's, above, is correct insofar as I wouldn't go out get a multimeter and start faffing around: I do have a mate, however, who is very much au fait, and has his own multimeter :-) But I can assure you Harry that I'm not so dumb (young?) as to chop my fingers off in these circs - thanks for the thought though!

(3) I appreciate NT's answer which tells me what to do with the multimeter .... but I'll ask my mate to drop by, to do it!

(4) And yes, (Mark, and others) I have tested the full length of the cable (including the 2 (two) places where I've had to insert cable connectors due to cutting through it (a phenomenon which can *not* be overcome by experience, in my experience)). However I didn't look all *that* closely at the cable as it enters the casing (I did indeed split the casing .... it was splitting the handles, and then the tightly bound units within, which put me off, let alone disassembling the blades, which I think I'll also have to do). I didn't look *too* closely at the internal end, because it's very well put together: I tend to buy only Bosch in the last couple of decades. (Yeh, I know it's made in China, but it's made in China _for Bosch_!)

So: with what I take to be your encouragement I'll look again, and will report back later :-)

Thanks chaps John

[harry]

Nine times out of ten it's the cable or connections to it. So start by fitting a new short bit of wire & plug and see if it runs.

Check switch is OK.

Check any suppressors OK

Check brushes OK & free to move in holders.

If none of above, bin it.

[tabbypurr]

Everyone has been in that position.

All of us could do anything. Do you think we should thus remove all useful information from the net? Seems to me there's a basic misunderstading of life & human nature at the root of that sort of attitude.

NT

[tabbypurr]

NT

[newshound]

When faced with this sort of problem, the first thing I get out is a volt stick. This lets you spot a failed fuse without dismantling anything, and check whether power is reaching the unit.

A common cause is cable failure at the strain relief entry.

Sudden deadness like this is more likely a supply problem than anything else (i.e. fuse, cable, switch).

Nothing to be lost from taking it apart *having unplugged it first* (added for the benefit of H&S nannies).

[Dave W]

Could you describe exactly how you "tested the cable" without any equipment?

[Another John]

I connected it, via one of the trimmer's cable connectors, to a table lamp (by wiring the lamp's plug cable, having unwired the plug, into the connector, having disconnected latter from the trimmer, and then plugging it in).

J.

[Another John]

Correct. Checking the last bit was only done visually (as I'd reported, and everything looked very solid and clean), and my next task is to check it again. more thoroughly. However ...

[hedgetrimmer not strimmer!) Yes - also correct.

But having spent at least an hour opening up the casing last time, I'm finding too many other things that need doing at the moment :)

It should take less than half an hour, next time, of course, but that will merely be the preamble to a much longer session, I'm thinking. and I'll need to take over the dining room table ....

I'll report back.

John

[newshound]

Couldn't have put it better!

[Tim+]

This bit is where all the severe flexing takes place. 9 times out of 10 this is where internal breaks occur. Upright vacuum cleaners also break their cables here.

Tim

[T i m]

And cylinder cleaners. ;-)

Cheers, T i m