How would you fix this?

[vavet]

This is a snow Joe 322p- small corded electric snow blower. It started arcing last year when I was using It. I discovered the broken wire, just outside of the strain relief. ...put it away and figured I'd get to it later. It's later.

A replacement cord is not available through the manufacturer. Are these standard items? Can I source one knowing the wire gauge and size of the strain relief when it fits between the handle halves?

 

[JimRB]

I have fixed a few tools with strain reliefs. On those tools, the strain relief is not bonded to the cable so I just slid the frayed outer cable up 6 inches and made new terminations inside the tool.

 

[shooon]

Replace with SOOW cord and splice connections with solder and heatshrink would be my advice.

 

[James-W]

I have found that you can buy those types of cords with a plug molded on one end. You can replace the cord with a longer one (which sometimes is a real benefit) for a small amount of money.

Or, you can do as JimRB said and slide the strain relief up a ways, cut off the bad area, and re-connect the cord inside the tool.

 

[Shiftless]

I'm with JimRB on this one.
You no doubt use an extension cord on this tool anyway so losing a few inches of cord should be no big deal.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What kind of termination is on the end of the wire at the switch?

Should be easy to do as suggested above.

What does the label on the cord say?

 

[Dustball]

I'd buy a cold weather SJEOW extension cord and cut off the female connector. Strip the outer sheathing off where it'd go into the tool and use Sugru to mold my own strain relief around the new cable going into the tool housing.

 

[cort]

Hubbell makes a cord strain relief in a miniature version that slides over a cable and tightens down for a water tight seal that is good to minus 30 deg F. They might have the dimension that you need. Plus, there are often eBay sellers who sell these items in single quantities. They are available with and without the spiral.

 

[6PTsocket]

Replace with SOOW cord and splice connections with solder and heatshrink would be my advice.

SOOW is 600 volt cable and much fatter than say SJOOW. THE J stands for junior grade and is rated 300 volts. More than likely it will not fit. The increase in size is all in the extra insulation.

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[rockwithjason]

pull the break inside the strain relief and re-terminate.

 

[6PTsocket]

I have found that you can buy those types of cords with a plug molded on one end. You can replace the cord with a longer one (which sometimes is a real benefit) for a small amount of money.

Or, you can do as JimRB said and slide the strain relief up a ways, cut off the bad area, and re-connect the cord inside the tool.

If you are going to the trouble to replace a worn cord and don't know that there are not other spots in poor shape, the whole cable should be replaced. It is not a reasonable place to save a very small amount.

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[6PTsocket]

I'd buy a cold weather SJEOW extension cord and cut off the female connector. Strip the outer sheathing off where it'd go into the tool and use Sugru to mold my own strain relief around the new cable going into the tool housing.

I was with you until the Sugru. I had never heard of it but the reviews are very mixed from a very short shelf life to not sticking to crumbling, to not being able to save the remainder of an open packet. Those that liked it seem to be using in very low stress applications. It is silicon rubber that is not known for abrasian resistance. Reusing the old strain relief or buying another one makes more sense. If a glue is needed to seal the strain relief, Goop, E6000 or any of the other Eclectic brand productors are a good choice. It is a glue and can build up as a strain relief on a small cord but is not putty and I would not try to build a power cord relief with it



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[rlitman]

I'd buy a cold weather SJEOW extension cord and cut off the female connector...

My guess is that the original cord is SJT, which is a PVC based thermoplastic that gets brittle in the cold, and that is the reason that it cracked like that in the first place.

Why any manufacturer would install a thermoplastic cord on a SNOWBLOWER meant to be used in the cold is beyond me, but they ALL do it. Perhaps, because electric snowblowers are considered disposable.

Anyway, I agree that a cold weather cord is what should be used here. As for cutting off the female connector, I guess that's an option, if the OP doesn't want to use the cold weather cord for anything else, and wants to fold it up with the machine.

In any case, if you're looking for a cold weather cord, I suggest you consider a product from US Wire. They're EXCELLENT quality, and I'm quite happy with the cold weather 14/3x50' cord of theirs I used to rewire a reel in my garage. It stays plenty flexible in the winter.

 

[KiltLifter]

I've had a similar problem. The strain relief was not bonded to the cord (but stuck) so I set it on the floor, stepped on it, and rolled it back and forth under my foot. That released the strain relief and I did as suggested above, slid the strain relief down past the break and fixed the break inside the tool (just solder and shrink in my case).

 

[DenisG]

Sometimes I can salvage the old strain relief by slitting it down the mold parting line and peeling it away from the power cord. I always try to do that because the molded end always seem to be made just for the tool that it's on.

 

[ForceFed70]

If you can salvage the strain relief - great. Shorten the cord and re-splice.

If you cannot - 2 options:
- Find another strain relief.
- Make your own strain relief. Kinda redneck, but you can improvise a decent relief by tying knots into the cord and sealing with silicone.

 

[cvairwerks]

Look at the cord for a milwaukee 7" disc grinder. Won't be the same exact strain relief, but the notch for the tool body should be about the same.

 

[6PTsocket]

Sometimes I can salvage the old strain relief by slitting it down the mold parting line and peeling it away from the power cord. I always try to do that because the molded end always seem to be made just for the tool that it's on.

Been there done that. I just checked and Superior Electric makes several sizes of the tapered rubber reliefs that are usually sticking out of power tools. Amazon has then for a few bucks each and I gave seen them for a buck and change. The problem is they are skimpy on specs like hole size but do state wires that will fit, like 14/3 or I6/2. I would call Superior, if I needed one, for more specs like actual wire grip range and panel thickness for the groove.

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[6PTsocket]

If you can salvage the strain relief - great. Shorten the cord and re-splice.

If you cannot - 2 options:
- Find another strain relief.
- Make your own strain relief. Kinda redneck, but you can improvise a decent relief by tying knots into the cord and sealing with silicone.

You ain't seen redneck. I was in Mexico and they were working on a swimming pool, as in wet. For a power tool extension cord they had spliced two pieces of lamp cord (zip cord) together by driving two nails in a board and twisting the wires around the nails.

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[6PTsocket]

Look at the cord for a milwaukee 7" disc grinder. Won't be the same exact strain relief, but the notch for the tool body should be about the same.

The Superior strain reliefs on Amazon are listed as replacements for various Milwaukee and other brand tools, by model number, so they should be what you suggest. I wish there was more info on tool hole size and wire size range in inches. If I wanted to use those I would call Superior.

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[manwithtools]

I can't believe no one has suggested a real Garage Journal solution:

Throw that thing away and buy a 8hp Ariens 2 stage

 

[Cajun1948]

I agree with JB also a quick fix [emoji1303]


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[cvairwerks]

The Superior strain reliefs on Amazon are listed as replacements for various Milwaukee and other brand tools, by model number, so they should be what you suggest. I wish there was more info on tool hole size and wire size range in inches. If I wanted to use those I would call Superior.

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Actually, I was meaning to suggest just using the entire replacement cord.

 

[CNGsaves]

I'd "Build It Right" and do away with strain relief altogether. Use proper wire and put plug on end that is SECURELY fastened to safe location on the snowblower. Add hook of some sort that can be used to wrap around your extension cord, and no pressure at all will be on the wiring on snowblower end.

If need be, you could even build protuding bar that held extension cord away from the snowblower.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I have fixed a few tools with strain reliefs. On those tools, the strain relief is not bonded to the cable so I just slid the frayed outer cable up 6 inches and made new terminations inside the tool.

 

[6PTsocket]

[emoji481][emoji481][emoji481][emoji481]

If the insulation cracked, it is probably junk wire, as has been suggested, probably not SJEOW, cold weather cord because it costs more. If you are going to take the trouble to open it up, why would you want to leave in rhe crappy cord that will probably crack again because it gets so hard on the cold?

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[Sonorous]

SOOW is 600 volt cable and much fatter than say SJOOW. THE J stands for junior grade and is rated 300 volts. More than likely it will not fit. The increase in size is all in the extra insulation.

I'm a bit late to this. Google says the device is 7.5 amps. Lets aSSume 16/2 cord.

My quick reference shows 16/2 SJOOW at 0.320" (8.13mm) and 16/2 SOOW at 0.370 (9.4mm). 16/2 SJEOW is usually slightly thinner than SJOOW, while SEOOW is about the same as SOOW. I suspect the internal cable clamp could fit any of these because they usually give lots of room to make assembly easier.

In general I much prefer SJOOW and SOOW over SJEOW/SEOOW (and yes, I know SOOW is "only" rated to -40, is slightly heavier and has inferior abrasion resistance). Any of these would be more than adequate, but SEOOW is probably the least forgiving if the cord grip is tight.

For the strain relief I usually just layer some heat shrink. If you order some adhesive lined heat shrink it should be easy to build up something to fit in the handle. I would probably not use adhesive lined heat shrink for the strain relief itself on SJEW or even SJOOW because it will be too stiff in the cold, relative to the cord, and doesn't let the cord move within the strain relief (that's why your factory cord failed in the first place - too much strain and not enough relief!).

Another option is to make your own strain relief from larger flexible cord. I know from experience that the outer jacket (insulation) from 14/3 SJEW will fit over 16/3 SJEW. I've mixed and matched many other sizes as well. If you're stuck, some super 33+ e-tape around your home brew strain relief would probably give something for the plastic handle to 'bite' into as well.

It's hard to see the connectors on the switch, but you'll either have to splice or replicate the factory connection.

Hope that helps...