Why Has My Battery Operated Weed Eater Stopped Working? 5 Reasons

Thanks to their light weight and quietness, battery-powered weed eaters are popular among homeowners with small to medium-sized yards.

These trimmers allow you to keep your yard looking tidy without the hassle of cords or gasoline. Despite being convenient, battery-operated string trimmers sometimes fail. So, why has my battery operated weed eater stopped working? Battery-powered weed eaters stop working due to battery issues, overheating, string problems, improper installation, and debris in the weed eater.

Most of these problems affect the battery, electrical components, and blade. Here are the reasons your battery-powered string trimmer isn’t working and effective ways of bringing it to life.

Battery Issues

The battery is the first place you should check when your weed eater stops working. Since the battery is the primary power source for the weed eater, any defects such as loose connections, problems charging the battery, or damaged connections might affect the trimmer.

Check the battery’s connections, including those that go to the trigger switch and the motor, to ensure they are tight and well-connected. If not, tighten them.

Next, check the battery for defects, including problems charging. The battery of your weed eater might fail to charge if one or more cells of the battery die. Replace the battery if it cannot hold a charge. 

The same problem can also occur if the alternator is defective, preventing the battery from charging effectively.

The battery may also fail to charge if it’s too hot or cold. When this happens, leave the battery to warm or cool at room temperature before charging it.

If you have not used your battery-powered trimmer for a long time, the battery might be temporarily dead, therefore, cannot charge despite being functional. In this scenario, you can restart the battery by giving it small charge boosts until it’s ready to charge normally. This process can take about 30 minutes.

Corrosion of the terminals in the battery housing could also be the culprit if your battery operated weed eater stopped working mid-operation. 

Corrosion occurs when you allow water or moisture to enter the battery housing. Clean the battery according to the manufacturer’s instructions to remove the corrosion.

Sometimes, the weed eater will stop during operation because you have depleted all the available charge. Most weed cutters have a smaller capacity. Some can last up to 20 or 30 minutes, after which you must charge or replace the battery.

Debris in the Weed Eater

Debris accumulation in the weed eater is another reason your battery-operated weed eater stopped mid-operation. Although it is inevitable for debris to accumulate in your weed eater, you can take several measures to prevent it from becoming a nuisance.

Debris accumulation in the trimmer head and debris shield often causes the weed eater to stop working. When this happens, stop the weed eater and clean the trimmer head and debris shield using a cloth. 

If any dirt or grime has stuck to these parts, dampen a cloth with machine oil and use it to clean the surface. You could also blow compressed air into the crevices of your weed eater to eliminate debris.

Debris could also accumulate in the air vents of your weed eater, causing it to stop mid-operation. You can clean out these vents using a shop vacuum.

Overheating

Overheating could be the reason your battery operated weed eater stopped working. Your weed eater could overheat due to several reasons.

First, you could be overworking your string trimmer, forcing it to cut tougher areas, such as thick bushes. The solution to this issue is strictly using your battery-powered weed eater for grass and weeds.

Use a more powerful machine suitable for heavy yard work when cutting dense and overgrown lawn or garden areas.

Battery-powered weed eaters could also overheat when the cooling system has issues such as clogging. When clogged with debris, the cooling system cannot effectively cool down the weed eater, causing it to run hot. 

When this problem occurs, clean the cooling system to clear all the debris and check whether the trimmer is running well.

In addition to cleaning, check for defects or signs of physical damage to the cooling system, as these could interfere with the trimmer’s ability to cool itself. If any parts are damaged, find compatible parts and replace them.

You should never run your weed eater if it overheats. Instead, stop your weed eater any time it overheats and allow it to cool down before you resume trimming grass and weeds.

Improper Installation

All components must be installed correctly for a battery-powered weed eater to work. When not well-installed, the power from the battery might not reach these parts, creating operational issues.

Start by ensuring the battery pack is well-secured, allowing full contact with the terminals. In most cases, debris between the battery and the terminals breaks the connection.

Therefore, you must first clear the debris between the battery pack and the terminals. Once clean, insert the battery pack following the manufacturer’s instructions. You’ll know the battery pack is well-installed when you hear a click when the battery pack and terminals connect.

Installation issues may also appear in the shaft. Installation issues related to the shaft can occur due to debris accumulation or damage.

Replace the shaft if it shows signs of wear and damage. If the problem lies with debris accumulation, clean out all the debris to allow for proper placement. Once installed, check whether the trimmer works appropriately.

String Issues

Battery-operated weed eaters that use a microfilament string instead of blades can stop working due to issues with the string.

Issues with the string cause the head to stop spinning. When this happens, turn off your weed eater immediately to fix the problem.

Check whether the string is bound-up or tangled inside the spool. You’ll do this by removing the string head and opening the spool. If bound up, unwind the string and rewind it. If it’s tangled and has knots, remove the tangled sections, then rewind the line. Reinstall the spool and test the weed cutter.

Your weed eater will also stop working if the spool is empty. Fortunately, you only need to replace the string to fix this issue.

If your weed eater overheats, it could cause issues with the string due to welding or fusing, thus causing your weed cutter to stop working. When this happens, start by fixing the issue with overheating.

If the string keeps fusing or welding, replace it with an anti-weld line with a higher melting temperature. Anti-weld and anti-fuse lines have robust materials that withstand higher heat without melting or welding.

Preventing Issues in Battery-Operated Weed Eaters

Below are handy tips for preventing issues in battery-powered line trimmers.

• Do not use the battery-operated weed cutter on wet grass or in wet weather
• When trimming tall grass, start at the top, trimming down the height until you attain the desired level. This prevents the grass from tying up the string or blade, thus affecting the weed eater’s function
• If a problem is covered under warranty, take the weed eater to a dealer for troubleshooting, so you don’t void your warranty
• Clear the lawn of debris to prevent accidents. The trimmer tends to throw debris
• Clean off all the debris from your weed eater after every use
• Choose compatible accessories, including the string and other components you may replace
• Inspect the weed eater before each use to check for potential issues that could affect its effectiveness

Regular Maintenance is Vital

Knowing why your battery operated weed eater stopped working can save you from frustration when troubleshooting. Since it’s a battery-operated tool, most of its issues arise from the electrical system.

But a few others could be due to operational problems and poor maintenance. They include overheating, improper installation, and debris accumulation in different weed eater parts. You can prevent most of these issues with proper care and regular servicing.