Can it Be Saved? My NST2118 Black & Decker 18v Cordless String Trimmer is making a SCREECHING NOISE

[@robwebnoid5763]

Here in 2022. I have opened up small motors like that before. It's a delicate process, because for one thing, you don't really want to break or overbend any tabs that keep the cylindrical housing together. As an example of a small motor that I've fixed before, I opened the motor on a separate VHS rewinder box. Yes, those old things. I have also opened up an even smaller motor for a toy boat. It's most likely that trimmer motors are all brushed motors, simply because they startup faster & have more start power than brushless. One thing you can try on your old trimmer is to open it up again, put a drop of lubricating oil, like SAE20 light machine oil, on both ends of the motor shaft. That could be the problem, there's no lubrication on the motor axle/shaft & could possibly creating that screech. Again, you have to oil both sides. You can do that without having to open up the motor cylinder housing, which could ruin it if you're not careful.

[@TheFixitShed]

Hi, Rob! Thanks for posting this. It is great info. Unfortunately, I passed these trimmers along this spring, so I can't try this out. I will keep it in mind for next time. Thanks!

[@robwebnoid5763]

@@TheFixitShed ... Ah that's too bad, I guess I was late, lol. I now have a string trimmer (electric) that is not auto-feeding the string correctly & I've been trying to troubleshoot it. And also another string trimmer that's much older (gasoline) & I'm about to replace the fuel line, which the original fuel line tubing was made of rubber & had since crumbled into bits, which was expected since this trimmer is over 30 years old. I hope that's the only issue & not something more complicated, like the carburetor or something.

[@randolphwalker]

Even though you didn't succeed in fixing yours, you gave me some ideas as to how to go about fixing mine--so your effort wasn't wasted. Thanks!

[@TheFixitShed]

Thanks. I was hoping others would find it useful. Always something to be learned, even from just taking things apart.

[@pauladominick969]

I had my Black and Decker for about 16 years Last week the button to start it gave out, I just bought a new one , I had a good run with it for that lenghth of time Black and Decker is a good company.

[@TheFixitShed]

That is great that your trimmer worked well for you for that long. Generally good products

[@imasoccerholic]

This is exactly what happened to mine last week. It's a different model than yours, but the motor whining was the same. Thanks for your guidance and the comments left by other viewers. My motor was bad as well (but I confirmed electricity was getting to it with my multimeter). Not sure if I'll order a new motor or get an upgraded string trimmer.

[@ginnysducks]

Good luck with that. I bought a Hyper Tough,LOL but does not measure up to the Black and decker. Looked for a new motor and it was half the price of a new Black and decker.

[@margaretlavoie9795]

Thanks for the video. I was brave enough to take my electric blackNdecker snipper because there was wire and string jamming up the rotation inside. Works like a charm again. Thank you again!

[@TheFixitShed]

Glad it helped. I am also a little more comfortable doing something new after I am able to watch someone else do it.

[@Pokismom]

Thanks for the info. Just an FYI. The music volume is too loud or your voice is too low. I had to keep adjusting my volume to hear.

[@TheFixitShed]

Thanks, I can't fix this video, but I have adjusted volume going forward.

[@jeffreydektor5415]

I have just had the same thing happen with mine. 20v model. Just about a year old. Screeching scraping noise, a lot of resistance. Took it apart, about a 1/2 piece of plastic fell out. No debris. My 18v BD trimmer lasted more than 10 years until I bought a “compatible” replacement battery from Amazon and it promptly caught fire. Amazon gave me $5 towards the new one. Blessed! 🤬

[@TheFixitShed]

Wow, that is unfortunate. Does the new one still screech, after you got the piece of plastic out?

[@Snowths0]

Thanks for your video. Disassembly of the LSTE525 20V model is similar with the locking tab to remove the guard. The motor and spool gear assembly also look the same. Mine had a piece of debris wrapped around the spool shaft.

[@TheFixitShed]

Glad you were able to fix yours!

[@matt75hooper]

I have a B&D 60V. These things have a long way to go. If you trim even slightly wet grass- the countdown to failure begins. They are very susceptible to moisture & crud. I am going back to a gas weed wacker. These 60V units really are toys. Great for a month maybe two. Then the fun begins.

[@TheFixitShed]

The B&D equipment I have had tends to be low end consumber grade. They are designed to be inexpensive, and generally work fine initially, but don't hold up over the long run. I have a WORX string trimmer that I would put into the same category. I have a Kobalt 40v Max string trimmer that I like 10x better than the B&D and WORX trimmers, but I haven't tried it in wet conditions to see how it holds up.

[@daytonlights-peterwine468]

I found this video because my B&D is making that sound (maybe worse, actually.) It still works, though, so I was happy to see what's "under the cover." I'll likely take it apart, but unless the lube works better than on yours, I see a new trimmer in my future.

[@TheFixitShed]

Good luck! let me know how it works out.

[@talon501]

Ida put a few drops of 3 in 1 oil on there, It brought my B & D leaf blower back to life.

[@alangold8414]

This is helpful. Sadly to get where the wire was tangled seems I can't avoid unscrewing the whole side: at least I can see that is necessary so thanks for demonstrating the process. My model is slightly different but close enough. Thanks again. Alan Gold

[@stevenpappas8138]

Try oiling the front and rear motor shafts. Sounds like a dry bearing.

[@sunnyoutdoors]

The bronze bushing in the motor needs lube, just spray it with wd 40 to start, next video NO IRRITATING MUSIC

[@csflmich2239]

Always worth trying to fix before tossing something. Glad you found another to replace the one with the bad motor. I wonder how many stickers they sell LoL?

[@TheFixitShed]

I try not to throw stuff out. I'll keep this one for parts, "just in case" :-)

[@jonathanclark5624]

thanks for the video. I opened up mine and there was a bunch of really fine plastic string from the garden that got up into the bearing and melted all over the place. I chipped it out but unfortunately it still makes a gritty noise because of the residuals.

[@TheFixitShed]

That is unfortunate. Hopefully it continues to work now that you got all that string out of there

[@francoa.9646]

My volume was turned up so I could hear you then the totally unnecessary music came blasting. Please never do that again. But thank you for breaking it down, mine seems to have failed in the same way. I may look at some local sources for a used one If not maybe a current model has the same motor that can be swapped? Mine has not been used much but is out of warranty.

[@TheFixitShed]

Sorry, old video. I haven't used music in a while

[@francoa.9646]

@@TheFixitShed sorry to complain. I edited my comment to say thanks for the breakdown. Can the motor be disconnected or was it hardwired?

[@TheFixitShed]

You are not the first one to complain on this video in particular. I'll have to see if the YT editor will let me adjust volume in sections of the video. It is pretty limited, but I will try. I think think the connectors would just slide off the motor, but I don't 100% remember, and I don't have the trimmer anymore to check.

[@francoa.9646]

@@TheFixitShed Great, thank you! I will disassemble tomorrow, looked at replacing it with a different brand but not quite prepared to spend $200ish on another one for my small yard.

[@TroutdaleTattoo]

thank you, i have a string wrapped where you had the wire wrapped. Mine is brand new one used a few times. I fixed it.

[@TheFixitShed]

Excellent! Glad you found it helpful.

[@antman2382]

thanks !! Awesome vid! maybe use a cordless drill for all them screws nextime

[@TheFixitShed]

If only I had one that worked

[@elsmitro]

They make adapters that allow the use of the new B&D 21V lithium batteries on my old stack of 18V tools. I've got 2 adapters and several new batteries. Given my old tools a new life!

[@TheFixitShed]

Oh, that's cool. good to know. thanks.

[@redraif]

I have done the same. Got the convertor on Amazon & brought the old fella back to life with 20v batteries. 2 years later...I have this exact screeching start to happen, then a complete failure. It will not turn on any more. I'm pretty sure my motor gave out. I got a deal on a 20v that will use all the 20v batteries I had collected for the 18v with adapter. $75 with 2 batteries & adapters. Just the batteries alone sell for more then the whole package, so I upgraded to a new old stock 20v version. But thanks to the video, I now know how to poke around the inside to investigate. I might end up saving it still. :)

[@derekc6713]

Hello, great video. Would the motor be bad if it is squeaking or something? My string trimmer is making big squeaking sound when it is turned on with the housing but then it is not squeaking when the housing is not on. The sound is similar to your trimmer. It is kind of weird as I saw in your video that the motor is making the noise.

[@TheFixitShed]

If the motoe was bad, I would think it should squeak all the time. If it is only making noise when the housing is on, it might be something is just rubbing on the housing.

[@derekc6713]

@@TheFixitShed Thank you for your reply. I did some oil on the backside of the motor shaft. It is better but still after 15 min of use, the motor will squeak again. I think that the motor is probably gone, and need replacement soon. It will rest and then okay the next day with fresh battery charging. I got the LST300 and it is pretty good considering it is probably been used extensively for 10 years plus.

[@luispalomino5514]

Buen trabajo 👍

[@TheFixitShed]

gracias!

[@nathanbartnicki6780]

Different model but almost the exact same issue. Motor output seems to have more resistance now. Cutting time dropped to like 6 minutes from 30 minutes. Tried to silicone grease on the gears and output shaft. helps for like 1 session then back to a grinding/screeching halt again.

[@TheFixitShed]

Thanks for the info! I suspect a failed bushing/bearing. I doubt they are designed for long life.

[@Leader2light]

I had the same issue with mine. So frustrating cheap motors are not being sold to keep these out of landfills.

[@TheFixitShed]

Agreed!

[@rimmarosenberg2346]

Thank you!

[@TheFixitShed]

You're welcome!

[@SteveGraves1960]

Just fixed mine thanks to you!

[@TheFixitShed]

Glad I could help!

[@losmoore3358]

I have a black and decker GH3000 TRIMMER / EDGER from HOME DEPOT. Im trying to reconnect the bottom with the shaft but its hard to press down on it to meet the screw on the side. Any suggestions?

[@TheFixitShed]

I am not familiar with this model, so I don't real have well informed advice. It souds like something may not be lining up proprely for everything to click into place. Try turning the spool a bit to see if you can get things to line up. You probably already have. Sorry I don't have much help on this one.

[@vanessaschaefer3593]

I can't get my weed eater to go on. It's battery powered and fully charged. It won't start. Do you know what the problem might be?

[@TheFixitShed]

Very difficult to say with the info I have. Is the battery seated properly? It could be that the trigger broke internally and is no longer making a connection. It could be a wire or solder joint broke. Does it make any noise when you try to use it? If it hums, then there is power getting to the motor, but it is stuck for some reason. There might be something wrapped around the spindle that is preventing it from turning, or something internal to the motor may have broken. Some debris may have gotten into the gears, etc.

[@alandgomez5905]

Mine started making a loud noise and then started smoking lol. I figured it's a done deal, but still curious to see if can fix it.

[@TheFixitShed]

I hope you can! Good luck.

[@monisamontoya288]

Just as I bought a large pack of pre wound trim my BnD started to make that noise.

[@TheFixitShed]

Well, that's unfortunate.

[@nciphcevgms867]

Same here

[@Dawn-zo2ny]

Hi, is there a way to completely take the trimmer head off so i can try and put a circular brush saw blade on it...?...i have the corded 6.5 amp, B&D, but don't see a hole in the top or side to lock the head to twist it off, like on the gas ones, but some corded ones have it, like the Greenworks...Would you know of another way...?...i just wanted to try the brush blade, not sure if it would actually work ok...Mine seems powerful enough to try...Thank you...🌲

[@TheFixitShed]

I am not aware of a way to remove that head to put a brush blade on it. I don't have the trimmer anymore, so I can't really check either. Sorry.

[@lolajoker]

I have the NST2018 model. The motor runs ok but the head stopped spinning. I can’t get the clamshell motor enclosure to open because of a plastic neck at the top where you push it forward to turn it for edging. Any idea how to release this plastic neck part where the spring is?

[@TheFixitShed]

I don't. I have tried looking at pics of the parts online to see if that would help, but I don't see anything useful.

[@etmeyutub]

I bought one from Craigslist for 5$ a couple of years ago. Could that have been the same one? Louisiana?

[@TheFixitShed]

Unlikely, Pennsylvania. Mine worked when I got it. I used for a couple years before it started making that noise.

[@bobatl4990]

I had the same problem happened to my Black & Decker after less than an hour of usage the spool eventually broke and now wobbles. Black & Decker shame on you.

[@kristenzajac4232]

I got a piece of dog tie-out lead stuck in my string trimmer. cwas able to pull some of it out but it's stuck in there pretty deep. Oil this a lost cause or is there a way to remove the black piece that holds the spool?

[@TheFixitShed]

I don't have the trimmer anymore to check, but typically, the black spool holder unscrews. they do this so that you can put different heads on there. The B & D may not be designed for this, but again, I can't check. Sorry.

[@kristenzajac4232]

@@TheFixitShed Thanks much. I found I have to remove the whole housing and have to get other long, but very small, screwdriver.

[@km4hr]

Why not try to oil the motor bearings?

[@TheFixitShed]

Generally, I have found that once they are making noise like that oiling is a short term fix. Oiling would be useful before they go bad.

[@affib]

Hi there. I have dc motor problem I want to replace it on the same model, could you be so kind to write part number of it if you know it. its difficult to find that spare part around the world. Thank you

[@TheFixitShed]

Sorry for the delay in reply. I took the trimmer apart and here is what is printed on the motor: EZAID 550LPM-7031F 90577379 18V 20130104 A There is no longer a B & D part number that I can find, as it is discontinued.

[@affib]

Yes Sir! The same is printed on mine, NST 2118, 18v. Thank you.

[@ginnysducks]

Mine has the same problem. Singing and then quit. Bought a different one and it sucks.

[@TheFixitShed]

That is unfortunate. Sorry to hear that.

[@AlexPizzini]

I opened mine up to find the plastic gear has been totally fried. woops

[@TheFixitShed]

yeah, although, that part you may still be able to get.

[@kathymartinez9326]

What Size cap?

[@TheFixitShed]

Not sure, but the part number appears to be rc-100-p

[@lindanichols7893]

I have the same issue with mine. Used it a few times last year, then it broke. All plastic BS

[@franktavares9172]

Anyone know how to reinforce stringer cap, which doesn’t even last a season?

[@TheFixitShed]

They are kind of flimsy. I'd be interested to know if anyone has any suggestions, as well.

[@dwcdad]

Great video but ditch the not so great music

[@TheFixitShed]

Yeah, i get that a lot on this vid. I pretty much never use music anymore.

[@innoventions9465]

Black & Decker Trimmers are not the best design for longevity... too delicate the mechanics especially with the plastic cogs.

[@TheFixitShed]

Definately not commercial grade.

[@jamessizemore1446]

eBay has B&B trimmer motors nts2118 motor trimmer parts. good luck

[@TheFixitShed]

Cool, thanks

[@car0xff]

Video would be *so* much more watchable if you cut out the godawful too-loud cheesy music track that you cue every time you need to fast forward and disassemble a subassembly.

[@km4hr]

I just got off the phone with China. They said the motor is bad.

[@TheFixitShed]

agreed

[@JoeDough-s5g]

i can take it apart but i cant put it back together

[@TheFixitShed]

I hate it when that happens. I am so much better at taking things apart, than putting them back together. Hopefully you have it sorted out by now.

[@jimw1615]

Nothing like brash music to drive one out of the site!!!

[@TheFixitShed]

Yeah, sorry about that. The only way to fix it is to delete the video, but people seem to find the content useful, but the music annoying. I haven't really used music in a couple years, so hopefully my new content it better for it.

[@undernetjack]

Gah! No. Kill the horrid music. It comes out of nowhere and kicks you in the gut. Just no

[@JustaKarenDiscoveredTheIntrnet]

maybe lube it..wd 40 fixes everything

[@TheFixitShed]

LOL