TANAKA EDGER TPE 2110

[BobTy]

Folks: The gas tank on my Tanaka Edger TPE 2110 is cracked. Many pieces missing, not repairable. I tried various techniques to repair including melting with a soldering gun, but it is too far gone. Can't find a replacement--discontinued. Does anyone have an idea what might fit as a replacement tank. Other than the tank problem, the unit runs just fine and therefore I don't want to give up on it.
Thanks

Bob

 

[bertsmobile1]

Take the tank to a plastic welder & get them to put a patch over the crack.
I fix them all the time using strips cut from plastic milk bottles.
The thing most do wrong is not enough cleaning.
The area to be fixed has to be absolutely clean and it has to be done with a scraper so as not to embed abrasive in the plastic which will prevent molecular bonding.
Use an air gun, not a soldering iron unless the tip was brand new clean, one you have been soldering with will not work.

 

[BobTy]

Thanks BertsMobile. Good tips, I will give it a try.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Lots of you tube videos, some good some not so good.
Some of the companies that sell plastic welding gear have demo videos as well.
I found the "trick" was to scrape the surface clean with a Stanley knife blade or razor scraper then wash with carb cleaner or brake cleaner then final acetone rinse.

Most fuel tanks are HDPE as is milk bottles down here so do some practice runs on a couple of milk bottles first as they are really cheap.
Takes a while to get the feel of hot enough to make instant bond and too hot so the base article collapses.
Most 5 gallon drums are HDPE as well and not too far from the same thickness as a fuel tank so I used some of them to practice on.

The final job was not pretty by any means but the trimmers ( obsolete Stihls ) are all still in service & the customers are happy which is the desired end.

For the start I used a standard paint stripper heat gun and just moved in further away or closer to regulate the heat.
Since then I bought a proper hot air welder with a thermocouple heat controller and some silicon rollers to get the air out.
Mostly I do JD fuel tanks that split along the seam. Again not pretty but no one ever sees them.