# SunJoe Electric Dethatcher power issue tip!!



## dacoyne (May 27, 2018)

Last weekend I picked up a SunJoe electric dethatcher that was refurbished marked down 50% for 30$. I couldn't pass that deal up even though I didnt need it. I got it home and plugged it in and it ran but shut off 5 seconds after it started. Here is the model I picked up but I have a suspicion most other models are set up the same way

https://www.ebay.com/p/Sun-Joe-14-i...-Till-Soil/1007601347?iid=253811039733&chn=ps

Tonight I pulled it apart. The way it works is there is a safety switch you have to push in and then squeeze the handle to get it to turn on. I suspected there was something wrong with the safety that was causing it cut out and I was right. But here is the kicker, this thing is comically constructed and was super easy to fix! Here are the pics of what I found

Here you can see the safety switch and the handle you have to pull after 


Once you flip the housing around you can see what is going on here. Pushing the button allows you the depress the handle and engage the motor. Basically the switch is just a lock to prevent you from pulling the handle, it really doesn't do much of anything.



Here is the kicker, you see that white piece in the previous pic, that is what the lever engages. When you pull the lever it pushes that white piece down on to........wait for it.....

An off the shelf spring loaded power switch


Turns out the power switch was defective. I pulled the power leads off, stripped them and used some wire nuts to make a straight through connection. Now when you plug the machine in, it runs, no safety switch, no point of failure.

I hope someone can find this info useful if they encounter the same issue.


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

Good grief at the switch.


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## dacoyne (May 27, 2018)

Dmega said:


> Good grief at the switch.


No kidding :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

Hell, even at $70 brand new, shipped, that ain't too bad either. I need to order one for the fall anyways. :thumbup:


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