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I have an old Weedeater edger that has a shield similar to a string trimmer. It’s cracked and missing a chunk at the front, structurally it’s sturdy but the blade spins so that it shoots forward instead of my other Echo edger which shoots dirt back.

I’m wondering if anyone has any luck repairing plastic guards... JB plastic weld or similar? I have a feeling this is too much stress for it to work

My other option is just to yell duck!

thanks in advance

If the JB Plastic Weld is anything like the last I brought; forget it. It simply didn't work overnight. Reglued the same JD hood with Permatex Plastic Weld wit h good luck. But before try either one check the type of plastic the shield is made of. If HDPE there is nothing cheap that bond it other actual plastic welding.

Permatex Plastic Weld comes in two colors that I know of. Cream and Black. Kinda wish they would come up with a JD green version.

Thanks Startech

Or use a thin strap, & pop-rivet it in place.

StarTech said:

If the JB Plastic Weld is anything like the last I brought; forget it. It simply didn't work overnight. Reglued the same JD hood with Permatex Plastic Weld wit h good luck. But before try either one check the type of plastic the shield is made of. If HDPE there is nothing cheap that bond it other actual plastic welding.

Permatex Plastic Weld comes in two colors that I know of. Cream and Black. Kinda wish they would come up with a JD green version.

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Most parts are HDPE (slick hard plastic). Plastic welding with a soldering iron as stated above is a good option. Keep the tip CLEAN.

slomo

I never thought about using a soldering iron, thanks. Since I don’t have the missing chunk I’d have to cut it out of something else. I’ve found a part online for a newer model edger, it looks similar but not listed anywhere as a direct replacement. I may give that a try, or just settle on using my Echo edger all the time.

7394 said:

Or use a thin strap, & pop-rivet it in place.

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I missed this one, this might just work. The missing piece might do well to be replaced with a metal strap. An upgrade!

If you pop the rivets from the inside outward, there will be little of the head to snag grass etc..

longhike said:

I never thought about using a soldering iron, thanks. Since I don’t have the missing chunk I’d have to cut it out of something else. I’ve found a part online for a newer model edger, it looks similar but not listed anywhere as a direct replacement. I may give that a try, or just settle on using my Echo edger all the time.

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You need a flat disc like iron tip. Better than a standard iron tip. I have one about the size of a quarter, works pretty good. Depending on the part needed welding, might have to switch tips around. Keep the heat around high 500F to LOW 600F setting. Thickness and material determines heat. You want a SLOW gentle melting of the plastic. You might experiment on a test piece first before zipping up your project. If you are smoking the plastic, heat is too high. You should have a gentle smoke not a roaring one. Also you have to touch and move the material to keep it level. Those are my tips. Again experiment with it.

I've plastic welded a couple trimmer fuel tanks with zero leaks. My Maruyama trimmer tank replacement costed me $230 done at the mower shop. 15 minutes with an iron = free. My new tank had a seam all around it that leaked twice. Not any more.

If you need plastic filler rod, I use black outdoor UV rated zip ties. Think they are HDPE, tough little guys.

slomo

slomo said:

If you need plastic filler rod, I use black outdoor UV rated zip ties. Think they are HDPE, tough little guys.

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Out of the box thinking makes me smile.

I would contact JB for recommendations. I think they advised me to use Plastic Bonder (not Weld) for a particular project.
On a side note, I can't count the times that I have spent more on dreaming up repairs for things than if I just bought a replacement. The latest is replaving cracked circular glass on a compression tester gage. The square of glass is cheap but tools to make the straight and circular glass cuts were more than buying a used tester just for the glass.

Beamster said:

I can't count the times that I have spent more on dreaming up repairs for things than if I just bought a replacement.

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Money is just paper, value is often found elsewhere.

First, there are multiple varieties of "plastic" epoxy. Get one specifically listing your type of plastic (likely HDPE). I've had success drilling a couple of holes on either side of the crack and threading & twisting a piece of copper wire to hold the crack closed. I epoxied the wire down to the plastic too, so it wouldn't catch stuff. (Guess this is just a variation on the metal strap/pop rivet idea.) Second, make sure the plastic is REALLY clean, and rough it up before epoxying.

slomo said:

If you need plastic filler rod, I use black outdoor UV rated zip ties. Think they are HDPE, tough little guys.

slomo

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Actually most are just PVC
Use the wrong plastic and you will ned up with a mess that is near impossible to correct other than a patch plate & rivets.
Lots of suppliers of plastic welding rods now days .
And apart from the JD green, most are a reasonable price.
Some where on the shield will be the recycle mark
Simply match the numbers between the guard & the filler material.

Looks like this edger shield is HDPE, a couple other projects have got in the way though. I have yet to tackle this one.

I just ordered a couple gator blades for the other edger to see if that helps my decision of whether to invest in this one.