There are a handful of questions regarding battery-powered rebar tying tools that we hear often at AIRMATIC. For your convenience, we’ve compiled them in this post, along with our answers.
Why are my ties breaking?
There are a couple possible reasons. What are you doing after tying? Are you folding the "ears" down? If you are, your ties could be breaking because you are over-tightening the steel wire. Ties can also break because of the stress caused by the rebar moving/shifting. Are you building in-place, or are you pre-building and relocating to the pour location? If there’s relocation involved, remember that as the bar and weight shift, the steel tie wire stretches, and each stretched steel tie wire location creates a larger gap for the rebar to slide/move.
How do I properly load/unload the tie wire?
All tying tools are essentially the same on this point. The reel holder holds the reel, and you must install the reel properly to roll in the correct direction. Start by opening the feed gears. Slide the wire past the feed gears. Then, close the feed gears.
To unload the tie wire, open the reel magazine holder, open the feed gears, and remove the wire/reel.
Why won't my tie wire feed now that it’s loaded properly?
When unloading the tie wire, do you open the feed gears, or do you just pull the wire out? Are the feed gears worn? Are the feed gears covered in dust or material particles? Any of these could be the problem. Be sure to clean the feed gears regularly using compressed air (<15 PSI) – without oil or any other type of lubricant or cleaner (neither spray nor drop).
What do I do about a jam in the tool?
Depending on the jam, the nose of the tool may need to be opened to remove any jammed wire clipping. Some tools allow you to "point the nose of the tool down and cycle Off/On." This will often clear a jam. Note that some noses can be opened without opening the body of the tool while others need the body of the tool to be opened.
What else do I need to know?
Remember that these tools are not designed to be used in wet conditions. If you’re going to be working in the rain, get a protective cover for the tool. Using a plastic bag to wrap up the tool works as well. Finally, remember that these tools are not designed to be used as hammers. They include delicate – and expensive – parts which will break with abuse.
If you have more questions about rebar tying tools of any sort, reach out to us at AIRMATIC.
Todd Monahan, a Concrete Products Territory Manager at Airmatic, has over 15 years of experience in the Precast Concrete Industry.
Thanks for reading our post. If you’d like to learn more about rebar cutting, bending, or fastening, please contact one of our experts at +215-333-5600 or at infocenter@airmatic.com.
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