DIY Tip: How to Improve a Border Size

[gegyx]

It's been a while since I tried. Given the stock of rotofil recovered...
From the biggest plastic yarns of pro…
The bicycle (or even bigger, lift) cable. I just had it pass through a hole made in the axis of the rotofil. Finally bad idea, indeed it is distressed, and twists on the axis. Then it becomes a twist just waiting to start again
The big chain? Bad idea, for the cut.
The bicycle chain, the steel cable would be valid if short enough, but arranged on the periphery of a support disk.
The problem is to adapt a support disc on the axis of a rotofil
In the trade, they understood well since there is either the brush with steel bristles, or a disc with notch, but adaptable on axis of a brushcutter.
I found a solution, working for now, but of course dangerous.
Do it only knowingly, and alone (especially no child) and with good shoes.
I'll come back to show you that.

[Remundo]

So reading this thread, the only valid and lasting idea is the bike chain?

And then what about a small chain like this:

that I do not recommend

for 2 reasons
1) a priori it will force the engine and transmission too much
2) it is dangerous by projection of objects or broken links.

There are chain rotary cutters, but they are attached to a tractor (more or less big, but nothing to do with a brushcutter engine! 10 hp against 1 hp roughly), and moreover, it must be fully covered.

[gildas]

Hello,
Overconsumption of edge trimmer line can be caused by over approaching the edge. The cut should preferably be made on the end of the wire.

To try for the steel cables: I would be tempted by the use of a roll of braided steel sheathed in Nylon or Kevlar for fishing Pike. Large diameter I think. it would come to replace the nylon thread to keep the coil. If it frays at the end the cable can be tied...
Use at your own risk!

[gegyx]

First edit:
With a 330 cm B&D GL23 edger, the spool of which was missing.
A 4.5mm hole in the axis so as to make 2 passages of thick thread.

rotofil B&D.jpg (212 KiB) Viewed 3041 times

Good, it works. Better than the reel. But if a strand cuts, it is necessary to replace the 25 cm

This rotofil served me a good time with also, my tests of various cables.

[Obamot]

Pretty the idea of ​​the buckle on the axis and which provides a self-tightening, the more it turns quickly and the more it tightens...

Here is a real technical solution, made of simplicity as we like them...!

[gegyx]

Second edit:
With a Mac Allister MGT 600 600W trimmer.
There, there was indeed the coil. I redid my double coil with various wire sizes (limited to the size anyway).
But it's tedious. After a while we give up.
I tried the bicycle spokes, it quickly bent.

And there, I thought of piano wire!
(I'm not like the other acrobat from Ukraine, but I have other strings to my bow, and above all a lot of mess…)
I had 2.5mm and 3mm rope. I finalized the 3mm. It's not easy to work. But with a vice, a mass and pliers, and a disc grinder with 1.2mm disc, you can do it.
I kept the reel container and its snap-on cap. I simply ran the strings through existing holes, holding them to a central iron system, fitted just to the inside diameter, so they wouldn't move too much.
So no attachment to the motor shaft this time.
The support is a flat with 3 holes of 6mm maintaining 3 riders, thanks to screws and nuts of dia 6. See photo details

Modif Mac Allister 600.jpg (270.26 KiB) Viewed 3019 times

As it's quite tedious to do this piecemeal, I preferred to do several in advance, enough to plan...
So you see, I made 2 similar strings paired in tandem. I rounded one end so it held up and didn't get propelled.

Modified detail with piano wire in yellow.jpg (126.2 KiB) Viewed 3019 times

I have highlighted in yellow the path of the strings to their positions on the central support. You see the head-to-tail position, also in the first photo, on the table.

Work with:
I emphasize the extreme importance of using big, high shoes, to avoid any unfortunate incident, and gloves. Don't let another person touch it.
In use, we see how to tame it.
You have to be careful to keep the plate horizontal and even raise it a little forward, to avoid the blows of fate, towards you.

Otherwise, I tried the abilities.
Only once, I broke net, one flush with the reel support, by hitting a very heavy obstacle.
Otherwise, taking care of it, it cuts like a joke, I would say it even cuts...
I even trimmed a privet hedge, whose shoots were reckless (No one should be around of course)
Otherwise, it's tricky to keep the trim and the right cutting height / too close to the ground, it ratiboise the plant and attacks the soil.
On the stone or concrete floor, it really attacks the surface.
After mowing, if after hitting a few obstacles, the rope may find itself a little bent. Just straighten it out with your (gloved) hand, and you're good to go.
Take care all the same, if you have rubbed concrete, that the rope does not end up sharp and very pointed or sharp (take gloves).
Also to store it. At home, it's hung on a hook (and it's not ideal), and I take great care to place the diameter of the piano wire in line with its plastic edge cutter protection. And that nothing exceeds.

Here is my contribution / I recall, the precautions which are necessary to avoid any problem.
It's not easy for a "head in the air", but I no longer change plastic thread.

[Obamot]

Inventive and ingenious, I would not have thought of that.

Tuned in back major, it must swing with happiness..!

[Ahmed]

Gegyx is right: a chain is too massive to cut and dissipates a lot of energy for nothing. Indeed, the rotary cutters behind the tractor can be equipped with either knives or chains, but the latter arrangement is only used on small-diameter vegetation (typically brambles with a young recruit) and in the presence of numerous obstacles (stumps, rocks) which would put too much strain on the mechanics with knives. The limitation of the possibilities of the chain is due to its low cutting capacities (thicker section and less inertia) and the enormous power that would be needed to crush more developed plants...

[Flytox]

The stroke of the piano wire ... I remember. On the other hand, I tried two motorcycle brake cables, as Remundo says, it barely lasts a few seconds on a mower (3000 rpm with a diameter of about 50 cm) ..... I never found the ends, luckily they orbited outside my feet....
I did a number of tests, with standard brushcutter wires, round or square, more or less thick, braided by 2 or 3, with a knot at the end, this in tandem (at 90°) with the blade of the original mower....the whole thing gives encouraging results but in just a few minutes, it's self-destruction....I ended up throwing in the towel....

[humus]

I never quite understood what a rotofil is used for?
Apart from making noise and smoking seriously for models equipped with a 2-stroke engine. A loving thought for my neighbors

In short, for me it's mower, and for borders?
1) Already I avoid having edges inaccessible to the mower.

2) and otherwise it's Russian style.
Seen in a documentary about a Russian prison.
They don't have a lawnmower, the prisoners pull the grass by hand, that's all they have to do
We don't do greener

I apply the same method for the borders, on my knees, but with leather gloves and I tear by hand, like a cow would tear grass.
Certainly, you should not have km of border to do like that.

3) A hedge trimmer (cordless) can do the trick too.
if it's a classic, you have to bend down and it hurts your back.
but with a telescopic model (4) (wireless), we stay upright and it's fine.