How to Change a Cable on an Echo Trimmer

Even a very strong steel rope can break. Here we talk about how to braid a steel cable, a diagram of this process will be presented later.

1 General information on steel cables and their varieties

Ropes made of strong and reliable ordinary or stainless steel are used in the field of transport and agricultural engineering, sea and river transport, in the construction, coal, oil industry. Most often they are used as the main load-bearing part of various mechanisms – lifting, transport, road.
>Structurally, a steel rope is a metal flexible product consisting of strands twisted together, made of steel wire.

From above, zinc or aluminum is sometimes applied to the cable, which gives the structure anti-corrosion characteristics (remember how long the galvanized or stainless pipe with a special coating lasts). In the middle of this product is a core that prevents the development of lateral deformation in the rope and falls through the strands towards the center. In fact, this structural element, made from organic, metallic, synthetic or natural materials, is the inner frame for the strands.

By design, steel ropes are usually divided into three types:

• Single lay: the same section of wire of one strand is twisted in a spiral in 1–4 layers;
• Double lay: around a single core several strands are twisted in one or two layers;
• Three-strand (strand): several ropes are used, which can have different or the same cross-section.

In terms of flexibility, steel cables are:

• Increased flexibility: 24 wires are twisted around the core of one strand (the total number of thin wires is 144);
• Standard flexibility: 12 wires around the core, total – 72 wires;
• Small flexible: only 42 wires are used for their manufacture.

Also, the ropes are divided into four varieties in the direction in which the lay of their elements and the product itself are made:

• Cross: the direction of the strand strands in the cable is opposite to the direction of the strand of wire;
• Unilateral: identical directions;
• Triple: cross-type lay, strands and wires twist in opposite directions;
• Combined: in the product, right and left wires are simultaneously twisted.

Other types of rope division:

• According to the material from which the core is made: it can be organic, steel wire or single-strand;
• By degree of twist: low twist or twist.

2 How to braid a steel cable – process diagram

To perform this task, you need to prepare the following tools:

• Pliers;
• A screwdriver;
• Scissors for metal;
• Nippers;
• Hand protection (gloves);
• The wire.

Next, we begin weaving a steel cable, the scheme of work is as follows:

• As even as possible, we cut the ends of the rope. In cases where there are bends at the end of the structure, it is necessary to straighten each strand a little, and then, using scissors or wire cutters, cut off all the defects.
• We spin the product into strands (from the edge by at least 50 centimeters).
• We take two strands and measure from the edge, which is not untwisted, a length equal to the diameter of the loop we need. In this case, add a few more centimeters of length (the loop in its geometric parameters will slightly decrease during the weaving process). After that, create a loop by wrapping the strands.
• One of the ends of the strand is unscrewed, its tip is hidden in interlaced strands, and the other must be wrapped in the opposite direction. If the length allows, a braid can be made of the three resulting parts (the strands are woven alternately).
• The third strand must first be twisted around the pigtails, then weaved a loop into it, and then again twisted around the pigtails. The described actions are performed in turn, the bars are skipped according to the scheme, assuming that the previous one will go towards the next.
• After that, the ends of the rods should be hidden inside the braid. As a result, we get two strands knocked out of the general design. They are thrust in with a pair of pliers or a screwdriver.

It is recommended to tighten the whole braid with the help of clamps in 2–3 places. It is not difficult to make such tightening devices from pieces of metal wire that are wrapped around tight ropes with tight rings, and then tightened tightly with pliers. Do not forget to hide the protruding parts of the clamp inside the pigtails, having previously bent them.

Place held "operations" It is advisable to wrap with electrical tape. Firstly, it will help to reliably fasten the steel ends, and secondly, it will provide a person with a safe operation of the cable. In addition, experts advise to weave an additional wire inside the rope. This will make it stronger.

To obtain a completely reliable and durable connection, strands should be symmetrically laid during weaving and uniform pressure applied to them. A periodic crimping of the weave sections will guarantee even greater structural strength.

3 How to create a loop on a steel rope?

In some cases, it becomes necessary to weave a loop at the end of the cable (for example, when forming a brace for a tow cable or antenna, lowering any devices to the depth, and so on). It is clear that the high stiffness of the product will not allow you to tie a knot at its end. But the loop can be made without any problems.

Next, we describe the process of weaving a loop at the end of a standard seven-strand cable:

• The ends of the rope are cut off by an angle grinder or chopped with a hammer (the sharpest part is used);
• The cable is untwisted by 60–80 cm and divided into two parts (3 and 4 strands) using an ordinary screwdriver;
• These parts are wound together;
• Make a loop (in diameter it should be about 10 cm);
• Bend the first part (four-strand) towards the second, which in turn is placed in the grooves of the main section of the cable;
• Woven strands (their ends) are wrapped alternately around the handle;
• Each of the free strands is alternately twisted around the handle, weaved them into a loop and again repeat the process.

Then you need to cover the ends of the strands (each subsequent end is superimposed on the previous one). As a result of such actions, two free strands are obtained, which should be placed with a screwdriver between the looped strands. It is desirable to seal this place with tubes, flattening them, or with an insulating tape. Such a simple procedure will significantly reduce the risk of using a rope with a homemade loop.

Video: How to Change a Cable on an Echo Trimmer

It is more difficult, but also realistic, to make fire on a cable made of steel material. For this, at some distance from its end, a temporary strong mark is applied, the ends of the strands are fixed with marks, and then the end of the rope is dissolved.

A cable in the form of a loop of the required diameter is laid on a hard surface, after which punching of its strands (running) is performed. There are usually several such piercings, but the most important of them is the first. It is she who basically provides the reliability of fire. Note that there are several methods for punching steel ropes. And in one of the following articles we will definitely talk about them in more detail.

We hope that now you can repair the steel cable yourself or tie a loop of the size you need on it, with a minimum of effort and maximum of knowledge gained.

The trimmer, whether it is gasoline or electric, is the only right solution for mowing grass in hard-to-reach places that cannot be handled by a wheeled lawnmower. As a cutting tool, trimmers use metal knives or a special fishing line, which is tucked into the trimmer coil. But, unfortunately, the trimmer heads during operation over time become unusable. Some malfunctions can be eliminated with your own hands, and some require a complete replacement of the mowing head.

Trimmer Coil Device

Mowing heads for trimmers come in many designs – both simple and complex. The picture below shows semi-automatic trimmer head from the Husqvarna lawn mowers (Husqvarna) disassembled.

This type of head is present in the configuration of most lawnmowers and trimmers, such as Stihl (Stihl), Patriot (Patriot), Champion (Champion), Bosch (Bosch), Huter (Huter) and others. The mower head is quite simple. It consists of the following details:

• Mowing head base;
• Button for semi-automatic cord feeding;
• A bobbin (reel) into which the fishing line is refueled;
• Spring;
• Eyes – through them the fishing line comes out;
• Trimmer head cover;
• Fishing line (cord).

There are also simpler trimmer heads shown in the following photo.

All these attachments do not allow changing the length of the fishing line in semi-automatic mode (after pressing the button). In the event of a break in the cord, you have to stop the mower and change it manually.

Basic coil faults

Trimmer users and lawn mowers often encounter a problem with a semi-automatic mowing head. Coil malfunctions can be as follows:

• The fishing line does not automatically extend;
• The cord spontaneously exits the coil.

The fishing line does not automatically extend

If the line does not lengthen with a light touch of the trimmer coil button on the ground, the reasons for this may be as follows.

Option 1 – a bite occurred, i.E. Clamping cord between turns. This problem usually occurs if the user wound the fishing line on the reel unevenly, with the intersection of turns, or wound it with insufficient tension. In the latter case, when the mowing head rotates at high speeds under the influence of centrifugal force, the cord begins to drag out, as a result of which it is possible to twist the fishing line. To fix the problem, you will have to disassemble the coil on the trimmer and rewind the cord correctly, that is, in even turns with good tension.

Option 2 – too short ends protrude from the head. The fishing line may not come out when it hits the ground, if its ends protruding from the head are of insufficient length (short). In this case, centrifugal force is not enough to stretch the line. Therefore, it is necessary to stop the unit (turn off the engine or disconnect the trimmer from the mains) and pull out the fishing line manually by first pressing the button.

Option 3 – fishing line soldered inside the mowing head. This causes the coil to stop and not spin when the button is pressed. Basically, this happens for several reasons: poor quality of the cord, overheating of the coil during continuous operation of the unit, impact of fishing line on solid objects.

1. In the first case, the cord of third-party manufacturers can be made of low-quality and low-melting materials that do not withstand mechanical and thermal stress. Therefore, preference should be given to “branded” fishing lines.
2. But, if you nevertheless acquired a fishing line of unknown quality, and it often gets soldered during operation, then you can follow the example of some users who, after refueling the cord into a coil, moisten it either silicone grease (from spray can), or mineral oil. This procedure greatly reduces the likelihood of soldering between each other turns of fishing line.
3. Also, the fishing line can be soldered if during mowing it hits a solid object (stone, fence, dry branch, etc.). As a result of this, it stretches a little and is pulled back into the head at high speed. The cord heats up due to friction, and its coils stick together. The only thing that can be done to eliminate this malfunction is to open the trimmer coil and rewind the fishing line.

Cord spontaneously lengthens

There are situations when the trimmer user notices very fast consumption of fishing line. However, he never hit a button on the ground to lengthen the fishing line. The reason that the fishing line spontaneously lengthens, cutting off a special knife on the casing of the device, can serve lack of spring in the mowing head. Often, novice users of mowers, trying to charge the fishing line into a reel, forget to install the hold-down spring in the head, or even lose it when the lid is opened, and in the future, they are not even aware of its existence.

How to remove the reel and replace the fishing line

Owners of trimmers, mostly novices, are confused, bordering on panic when it becomes necessary to change the cutting tool or fishing line in the reel. Very often, when trying to unscrew the mowing head, users simply render it unusable, not suspecting that it is unscrewing in the opposite direction. To prevent this, if you need to replace the tool, it is recommended that you read the step-by-step instructions below.

1. Before putting the fishing line into the reel, turn off the engine of the lawn mowers or de-energize the trimmer to avoid injuries that might occur if the cutting tool is accidentally started to rotate.
2. Unscrew the nozzle attached to gear shaft. To do this, the shaft must be locked by aligning the holes on the washer and on the axis, and inserting a metal rod or screwdriver into them.
3. Unscrew the nozzle. You should know that the thread on the shaft is left. Therefore, twist the trimmer coil to the right, that is, clockwise.
4. Disassemble the mowing head. Most often, the head cover is attached on clips. To remove it, you will need to drown these clips into the body, squeezing the edges of the lid. If your trimmer has a semi-automatic mowing head with a button on the bottom, disassembling the nozzle should be done carefully, since you can lose the spring, which sometimes flies out when the cover is removed.
5. Cut the required amount of fishing line. Usually its length is 5 meters. Use a cord of the diameter specified in the tool manual. It is not recommended to exceed the maximum diameter of the fishing line, as this will lead to increased engine load and higher gas mileage.
6. Find the middle of the cord segment, folding it in half. You will get a loop.
7. Cut through the coils special grooves (there may be holes). Insert a loop from the fishing line into this groove.
8. Wind the line onto the reel by turning it counterclockwise. It is necessary to refuel the cord as evenly as possible, the turns should lie down without overlapping and with good tension. When the winding is finished, leave the free ends of the fishing line about 20 cm long and fix them in the grooves located on the sides of the reel.
9. Assemble the mowing head. Before you finally assemble the nozzle, do not forget insert spring and washer (if available). Install the coil in the housing, and thread the ends of the cord through holes or eyes.
10. Put on the cover and fix it with the latches.
11. Screw the nozzle back onto the gearbox shaft, also locking it with a screwdriver. Spin the trimmer coil to the left (against the clockwise arrow).

Is it possible to make a coil on a trimmer with your own hands

1. Take a piece of plywood or textolite and draw a circle on it with a diameter of about 14 cm.
2. Cut the disc with a jigsaw or hacksaw for metal.
3. Drill a hole in the center of the disk that matches the diameter of the gearbox shaft. Before installing the disk on the shaft, do not forget to put the washer on it.
4. On the edges of the disk, you can screw small corners or make 1-2 holes on opposite sides. They will serve to refuel fishing lines in them.
5. To fix the fishing line, several screws can be screwed into the plywood.

Such a homemade mowing nozzle is mounted on a shaft with a nut. Tighten or unscrew the nut without fixing the shaft will not work. To replace the cord, it will be enough to release the screws, insert a piece of fishing line of the required length and press it again.

Also, a mowing nozzle for attaching fishing line to it can be made from a metal sheet. How to do this, you can understand from the next video.