Why Isn't My Cable Machine Feeding Properly?

It’s frustrating—for some reason your Model 1065 just won’t feed out its cable. You’ve already checked out the usual suspects —the power feed, the inner drum assembly, whether or not your cable is kinked—but none of these solve the problem. No matter how much you fight it, the drum just doesn’t spin or spins hard as your cable binds up against it, keeping your machine out of the field and costing you time and money.

What else could be to blame? The answer could be as simple (and as small) as a single screw.

I’ll admit, this wasn’t a problem I’d yet encountered during my first full year in the field, but when it rains it pours; two customers in the space of one week were experiencing this issue with their Model 1065 drain cable machines (part #44115804). Nevertheless, upon completing on-site visits, I determined the problem was due to a part replacement both customers had recently performed.

The culprit? After losing the hex head screw (AKA bolt) that secures the drum assembly during routine maintenance, both customers had used new screws slightly longer than the factory originals (the factory original is sized 5/16-18" x 5/8”). A slightly longer screw will end up making contact with the back of the slot it rides in, and consequently restrict the free movement of the machine's internal drum assembly. Even an extra 1/8” is enough to stop the drum from rotating properly and feeding out cable. (See the diagram to below for the location of the hex head screw (part #00114800). Schematics are available in the Model 1065 manual, page 22)

The take-away from these two customers’ experiences is that even the smallest of parts are vital to the proper functioning of your cable machine. Hopefully, by sharing this information with you on an otherwise easily-overlooked part, I can save you future headaches and keep your Model 1065 running Spartan tough, 24/7!