Thanks for the video and inspiration! I had the same problem. But I found another solution which might help, too. After watching this, I saved myself a couple bucks and a trip to the hardware store by reworking the native spring by increasing tension. Using strong small tweezers, I unhooked the spring on the static end, and then wound it up at the moving end a few turns, then attached it back on the static end. Works perfectly, no more misfirings!
Ok...gotta confess...Ive heard about this spring thing before and refused to believe one little spring could cause all this trouble and frustration. Blamed the tobacco...blamed the tubes...blamed the humidity..blamed there wasnt enough humidity...then figured it only happens on days that end in y. Well today I tried something really out of character for me. I just broke down and took somebody elses advice and went to Ace Hardware and bought the frikin spring. Cost a whole $1.19. Took 2 whole minutes to change it. Now all the people in my house are no longer in fear over my anger and swearing...even the dog looks relaxed now! And the best part...I now have cigarettes that are as good as any factory made ones again! So quit having nervous breakdowns and just take toms advice...Just go buy the damn spring! Thanks Tom!!😀 BTW...stick a slice of bread in your tobacco bag...keeps it nice and fresh! Really...just do it.
LMAO I'm so happy I read this feed and saw your comment bcuz my poor husband and cat live in fear bcuz of this friggin machine!! LOL I laughed so hard, thank you for that😘
This is great advice. My friend gave me mine used and I really love it. It's much quicker than the little handheld machine. A couple other causes I've noticed in the machine stuffing them half full....packing the tobacco too tightly, the arm not being screwed on tight enough (my screw loosens a bit with each rolled cigarette), and the rubber piece that holds the tube in place slides up so its unable to keep the tube in place. In fact. I lost the original rubber piece and was about to order replacement like 2pk for $10. I got an idea....the rubber tip off earbuds! Been using the same one for like 2 years. Plus they're free
Bro...I know I ain't the first to say it, but thank you. You just saved me $300 on a new TV. (Because the last time my top-o-matic fucked up, I nearly threw it into my television)
Thanks for the video! I was seriously skeptical but I went ahead and went to my local ace hardware store and picked up 3 119 springs. I took em hime and installed one in my machine and I also lubricated it with some 3in1 oil I have. All I can say I'd thank you so much! My machine works just like day one! I also put one of the new springs I got into an older one I had that stopped working over a year ago. It worked on that one too! Now I have two "T2s" that work just fine 🙂
Every little thing I bring to ace hardware weird or not this old guys knows where it came from and finds me a new one! Even had an electric ignitor for my furnace for 20 bucks! Saved me about 300 from a local hvac company!
Thank you so much! I have been trying everything. Narrowed it to the rubbber thing. Even taped sandpaper around it for better grip. I am on my way to get a spring! You are very good at explaining things.
Another thing you can try: The moisture of the tobacco is a critical variable that's too often ignored. Too moist and it won't burn well. Too dry and it'll crumble and produce fines that won't pack well. So try the old pipe-smoker's trick of throwing a wedge of apple or a damp (& rung out) paper towel into your tobacco stash to keep it at optimal humidity. This is what works for me.
Exactly what I've been doing for years. It also allows me to user the whole contents of the tobacco bag. Previously, i woul wind up with a bunch of too dry stuff that was unusable ( a waste of money).
Thanks for this, four years and you are still helping folks! The comments are great too!! I am headed to find a 119 and a small oil can, but that’s fine I needed a tobacco run anyhow since my easy little store is out of the stuff I wanted, and my sewing machine could use some oil anyhow. If I see heat shrink or ear buds I might make a new rubber bumper too because mine has a few divits from trying to hold the tube on strategically with my thumb and maybe pressing too hard, or getting a little tobacco stuck there during a lot of rolling… then I flipped the bumper over 180 and made a whole new divit (My bumper is now on a 45 degree spot and this game cannot continue forever). My only issue is, how do I drive to Ace without rolling more dangerous “fall off in your lap” half cig’s for the trip? Much appreciated Tom 😎
You were right, tried pressing on the rubber arm to add a bit more tension during the fill and found it was releasing the tube too early causing it not to fill correctly. You were right on the money, it is the spring tension. Thanks Bro.
So, I didn’t want to believe that the fix for this was that simple. But, it was ! I have been rolling for about 2.5 years and every six months, the issue of underfilled tubes would creep up. My first machine, I ordered parts recommended by another roller and replaced them but never thought about the springs ... in any case, this didn’t work and really, a new machine every six months meant I was still saving a ton of money not buying smokes. Today, almost ordered another new machine, but read this and I just returned from the hardware store with four “119” springs, 1.75$ apiece. In about 30 minutes, I replaced and tested three “broken” machines, so now I have two refurbs “just in case”. Thanks, Tom, for the fix. I will also add that the humidity of the tobacco can cause an occasional issue, but this might be 1 in 30+ tubes and after so long, I can almost feel the issue before it happens ;) a piece of bread in the tobacco bag works, as do the little cigar humidifiers (size of a few stacked nickels), but don’t overdo it or the tobacco starts to stick and jam. Reading other advice here, I also saved the old springs, and will try the advice of reusing them by trimming these a bit, next time the need arises.
Thank you so much for making this video! I just twisted my current spring a few times to put more tension on it and bent it into place and it's working great!
Thank you so much! Could not figure out why I was only filling up halfway I mean it's a brand new machine should work thanks again I do appreciate your time have a great day
I think the regular TopOmatic machine is better than the T-2. I had the T-2 First and then I bought the original TopOmatic and I really like it better. I'm about to post a video comparing the TopOmatic to the Powermatic2.
Got one just like that. Bought on valentines day 2012. Learned right away to remove the adapter for king (regular) size tubes. Worked fine for 12 year on nearly any cut of tobacco with a wide range of humidity content. Most tube brands worked well. I've use Zen tubes mostly. About a week ago it start pushing, and sometimes tearing the tubes off without filling them more than half the length. Seems the tobacco wants to bunch up as the arm is turned. The machine hasn't been dropped. In fact it hasn't been moved from its spot for about a week before it stopped working. I clean it every 2 - 3 weeks whether needed or not just to keep it inspected. I did try another brand (Gambler) tubes and they really didn't work much better, if any. Maybe time for a complete rebuild or, I may just trash it and buy a new one.
After buying like 4 Topomatics I gave up trying to adjust things or mess with springs. On this 5th machine I just push my left thumb lightly against the rubber titt to help it hold the tube on until it is full. This 5th machine has lasted me around 5 years,maybe longer,I don't remember. My method does put the left thumb in danger but I haven't jabbed it yet. It also rips a tiny chunk of paper off the end of the tube but that's no problem at all,into the pack they go and smoke just fine. I also took one of the silver handles from and extra machine,drilled another hole in the crank handle,and fitted the handle to the crank after tossing the stupid knob in the trash. The handle mod gives me lots more power when the tobacco is damp due to humidity. I don't use air-con,just several fans,to keep cool,so high humidity could make stuffing smokes a real pain in summer but not anymore. Been stuffing since 2009 when the IDIOTIC fire safe cig law was enacted, that crap made me sick so I found a way around it.
I was introduced to rolling your own around '97 or '98, & had been smoking strictly American Spirit for some years prior to that. And I used their brand of tobacco in the days before the price ran up to near gold price levels. By the aughts I found that smoking more than a couple of pre-mades in a row made my throat very sore & start to feel like a first tickle of catching a cold, & already back then it made me feel that if I had to choose between only smoking pre-made or not at all, I'd quit in a heartbeat. These days pre-made cigarettes resemble tobacco about as much as Crapdonald's resembles a food-like-substance. I laugh (to myself) when people think they are being kind & doing me a favor by offering me "real" (pre-made) cigarettes. Camels in all their varieties & flavors are still pretty good though, in a pinch.
@@morgainnejade My dad had a cig rolling machine in the 1960s but instead of stuffing a tube it actually rolled paper and tobacco up and over the top dropping an unfiltered cig out the other side. I used to ask to roll them but it was rare he agreed,I suppose at such a young age I was too slow and would mess up.
I don't even smoke anymore, but I remember this always being an issue so I wanted to see what the solution was. Very interesting and informative video.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I wanted to throw my T2 through the window! I make 100's but had the same problem. A couple hours ago it was having this problem 3 out of 4 cigarettes I made. Saw this video and ran to the hardware store and bought the only two 119 springs they had. I had to stretch the new spring just a little bit because it was biting a little bit of the tube off when making the cigarette. One little stretch and its still stiffer than factory spring and my problem has disappeared. Thanks again.
@@Sari749 I don’t. But the hardware store is a block away. I will go down and look. But, like all ACE hardware stores, they typically do not have skew numbers for singleton small screws and springs. If you post your email address I will send you a picture of the drawer they are in and related identifying information.
Hey Tom, Been having prob's with half filled tubes like many others here. Yup, looked at machine too when started malfunctioning. Thought might be rubber bumper or one of the springs, tobacco, tubes ect. Wetting and wiping bumper helps. But, after watching your video and getting worn out from redoing half filled tubes? Tried your solution of new spring had on hand and reoiled machine. ( Used sewing machine oil, doesn't have that oily taste.) Ummm, your solution doesn't work too good, it works great! Thanks for great fix, is appreciated!
This summer I tried using that 119 spring from ACE on a Top O Matic that started doing this within less than eight months from it's date of purchase and it only worked for a while. Therefore decided to purchase the T2 instead, however less than five months (since purchase) and it too has also started doing the same thing. I have found a solution that's been working for me and that's to first make sure each corner is packed with tobacco and then instead of pulling the handle all the way, it's pulled down slowly and stopped when the click is heard, then slowly pulled down again to finish filling the tube.
Thank you that's very good advice that I'm going to try I've been rolling a long time I just saw that I might tell you all that regular tobacco people tend to buy like 1839 I think the name of it it's long and you know hard to roll I found a brand that is tube cut it works so much better in the rolling machines it doesn't jam up. I hope that helps and now I'm off to the hardware store to get me a new spring. Thank you for sharing
Great video, it showed the underside of the machine and how to fix the tube clamp issue. I just ordered a T2 limited edition in blue. I'm tired of those cheap plastic machines. Also I'm glad you didn't use WD40 like some online search results recommended.
Good comments in here. Thanks to everyone. Another quick fix is 2 layers of Electrical Tape on the rubber bit. Not permanent, to be sure, And thanks for identifying the problem.
I have the T-1, and I'm not a nag but not thinking the spring was the issue. If you see that when you place the tube, and the tobacco is pushing through and gets "bunched up" It means that the tube catcher was doing its job in the first place. It has because the full-revolution of all the motion has occurred and the tube "stayed" where it is designed to stay. It was not the spring. I had the same issue, what works for me is after you have loaded the pit, just ease the lever as a "lighter, easy" packing motion. Not just ramming it through, peace, they are awesome rollers...
Great advice definitely going to try this too, I wish they(Topomatic) included a troubleshooting pamphlet with the machine as well. I found rotating the rubber bumper/holder after a dozen or so cigarettes helps as well. Because it does get a crease in it possibly causing friction loss.
Yeah great suggestion! I'm using the same machine and had the same problem with the half full tube. I found that if I took my little finger and pressed the hold post that solved my problem. Your idea is a much better solution. I also use sewing machine oil on my pivot points, and you gotta be careful and not get it where it saturates your tobacco and tubes! LOL how do I know that? I dont wish to own an electric machine because if the electricity is out I wouldn't be able to make smokes. Also, when I clean my machine, I do it in the kitchen sink....
Soo, i have a similar roller. Same brand and probably the same model. Mines just orange and not silver. But, my little rubber piece is in fact kinda damaged. But, i just hold it with my thumb and still have the same issue. OCCASIONALLY i can get a full tube, but its pretty loose and needs severe packing. Soo, im gunna have to assume that it is the spring and im gunna replace it!! All the comments agree with the video, so hopefully it solves my problem! Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing I'm having the same problem and I was about ready to go buy a new machine so I'll just go get a new spring and see what happens thank you very much
You can also bend the little arm a wee bit (with needle nose pliers), that holds the cigarette tube in place till it just releases when the packing rod is extended all the way out. It will keep the tubes on till the they are all the way full. Agree the stock springs should be updated. Wonder how many people throw the machine out when they could have easily fixed it.
If your in PA, I work for Puf N Stuff smoke shop. We sell the springs, the round rod that pushes tobacco into the cig and its arm/handle, and the rubber pieces.
Wrap some good tape around the neoprene/rubber sleeve. It will temporarily help dog the tip of the tube off tighter until you fix the underlying problem. It enlarges the diameter of the sleeve. Another thing I do is hold the sleeve tight with my pinky while cranking the handle.
To check to see if this is the culprit, here is how I tried. Mind you, I have had a 9 in 10 half fill UNLESS I underload it. So what I did was once the handle goes to the first setting, I push on the rubber with my left thumb against the injector nozzle then pull the handle. Injects perfectly. 4 in a row. Just wanted to share. UPDATE: Rolled 2 cartons, only 2 ended up half full with this technique. Saves me running all the way to town hoping to find a spring or a new unit.
@tomking i have tried 3 ace hardwares and they dont have anything listed for that was wondering if you could measure the length and diameter of the spring or any info at all. yes i know this is 3 years old but the only thing i can find online is ppl say #119 from ace. thank u if u ever even see this.
Hey guys, I found that if u dont push tobacco under the front corner,& just keep it in square chamber, u will not have space between filter & tube. Hope this helps u all. Gd luck to all.
So. This fucking fix is the way. Holy shit. Rolling better than new. TBH the new spring (119 at ace hardware) took a little getting used to. I had a lotta ripped cigarettes at first. Not more than i was rolling, but enough to make me question it. I didn’t have the oil he had, i used canola oil. Also the nut on the crank started to come loose and id rip cigarettes. I was a little annoyed. But i kept with it. I rolled 300+ today (going on vacation soon) and i had two fuck ups total. This is it. This literally is it. Use WD40 if you want, but it works and its better. I also use a scale and weigh my tobacco to .9 gram fwiw. Thank you OP!
You can use WD-40 but why would you? It attracts dirt and dries out over time. What I use is white lithium grease. Why you ask? It's the same grease inside window regulators of vehicles. It has an amazing property of not attracting debris and not drying out. Really is amazing stuff. Obviously avoid areas that allow the encroachment of lubricant into the press area of the machine.
The arm with the spring has lots of dirt under it cause it to hang up. Spray carburetor cleaner under it while moving it to get the dirt out from underneath it. The slide plate underneath it needs to be filed or light sandpapered. Be careful with it when sanding it. Sand all edges lightly. Get the burs off. Also the arm that slides the tabbacco in needs to be filed with a fingernail on the ridges lightly. It will help the tobacco slide in the tube easier. Use Vaseline lightly to grease the track and joints. Put Vaseline on plastic shaft and wipe it with a rags clean. It will work like brand new! You need a 14mm wrench and a 8mm wrench and a 8mm socket wrench and a flat screw driver and a metal fingernail file. It's just that easy. When you have problems again just clean it.
Haha I just have to say, as someone that works in a spring factory it's insane to hear they're charging you a whole dollar for one spring! For reference, our absolutely highest paying customer (St. Jude Medical) pays $5 per spring that is designed to operate an artificial heart valve. We'd probably sell the spring you have to a customer for like $0.08 or even less lol.
I was thinking the same thing! I took a quick guess at 20¢ before he gave the actual cost and I was just appalled! It's like they're trying to force out any type of fix it yourselves type solution by making the endeavor so unaffordable that it's not worth it to extend the life of what you have so that buying a new one becomes a relief. It's gross. I have probably about 100 lbs of random hardware and Maybe 2% of it I've sought out and paid for. The rest I've literally alley scored and dumpster dived. I guarantee I have this spring Somewhere. It's Crazy how much gets thrown away into tearoff dumpsters as well!! Anyway, thanks for pointing that out!
Can this soring be ordered online? My local Ace hardware doesn't have a selection of machine springs at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance.👍👍
When you start having the same problems Again, it the rubber waring out, I actually stopped rolling with a Machine and started rolling up by hand for several years. Because i was going through 4 top o magic machines a year. I'm gonna try the Powermatic manual now. Everybody says they are built better
trying to find the spring that you are talking about, what is a 119 spring? Can't seem to find it. Also, the larger spring. What size is it that you are showing?
I have bought three of these and after time every one of them starts doing the partial fill thing. I cannot get to the Ace to look for that spring right now but I don't think it is going to work as I have tried holding the tube to keep it from moving and it will split the tube. I have no idea why these things do this as I was making cigarettes for months before they suddenly start short filling. The only answer I found was buying a new machine which when you consider how much you have already saved making cigarettes it's not a bad trade off.
See comment above yours regarding the pins on machine. I'm having same problems! Will try both fixes but thought I'd point out the mention of the pins above incase commenters here didnt catch it! Good luck!
@@shastina5493 I dont know where the pins are! I do know the company sells parts pretty cheap though. My machine now is around 5-6 yrs old.This is the only problem I've had.
I rarely get the whole damn thing fill all the way because it has to be at least 5 years old. I couldn't find that 119 spring at HD. I read a comment in here saying that giving that spring a good few 360 twists and OMG... it works magic.
They got a tops cigarette packer it's about 4 in Long and about an inch wide it's been used for about 4 years now it's made out of plastic best best one you ever have
I got a manual plastic slider from the brand top and it works great for me the only problem I have is sometimes I'll put a little too much in there and it'll tear the tip just a little bit but for 7 bucks I can't really complain
So I replaced the spring but now it holds the tube so tight that it rips the cigarette tube. Probably will change the rubber tip to a thinner 1 to see if it will work.
want to replace the spring but not exactly sure what I'm looking for. I tried looking up 119 spring on Ace hardware and I didn't see anything. nor did I see anything on the internet about a 119 spring. any help would be greatly appreciated thanks
This is a problem I have been having as well, along with the slop in the pins that hold the piston. Fixed that with a used ear plug, so a 119 spring I will go find. Thanks! Edit: I went to Ace and got the $2.02 #119 spring. It works however now the end of the tube is ripping off every time. Maby a lil stretching to the spring will help or tighten the holes up in the old original one if I ruin this #119.
using the oil is a bad idea....it causes the fine powder tobacco to gunk up the machine and make you have to clean it a lot more often...ive found its best to just use a pencil or a piece of graphite and put a fine coat over any of the surfaces that rub up against each other. i hope this helps
OK first off this is kind of long. I have been rolling my own cigarettes for over two years and had this problem for that whole time through 5 machines. My first mistake was coming to RUclips to find out what others do when this happens. I looked at many videos and tried many fixes to the machine.Ordered what they said would fix it and was disappointed every time. I then decided when a machine started doing it on a regular basis I would spend another $40 for a new one rather than try and fail to fix the one I had. Now I smoke a pack a day and I do not keep track of how many packs I make when the problem starts. The last machine I bought started to make like 3 or 4 cigarettes out of twenty so I was going to buy another machine. Well i had another machine that I had already replaced with this one. As I started using it at first about one in 20 would end up having the tobacco stripped out and put in my ashtray. Which was better than the one I was using so I continued and I found that if I did not try to over fill the machine and pack the tobacco it started working fine again. So before you try to fix the one you have cut back on packing it with tobacco. It could just be that you are the problem. Remember it took me over two years to realize what was wrong because I looked for a solution here first.
Sir , I can't find the 119 spring , not @ hardware store , not @ Century Spring Corp. Only the same spring from Top-O-Matic . Other suggestions would be appreciated. Thankyou for your time and response
The blade/tamper dulls very fast and after so many cartons it just becomes junk leading to non stop jams as it can no longer cut as you inject. To replace that alone cost 8$+ shipping which is roughly 1/2 - 1/3 the price of these units at base cost. The T2 is the same exact machine as the standard, just with chome/bling appearance. They are no stronger than the others, and just cost an extra 10-15$ for said bling. Its not even worth repairing your own tamper/blade aside from the cost because you then need to then put it back together which isnt an easy task as being off by 1mm on any part, or one screw too lose or tight and it will result in another issue... I've burned through many machines (2 t2's and 3 standards) and they all wear out the same. If anything, the T2 injectors wore out faster. As for the spring you point out, you can use your finger as you crank to keep the tension if said spring is lose, that alone wont help with anything once your tamper/blade/injectors wear down and the exact same half fill jam issue will get worse and worse, to the point you rip more tubes than you fill.
Thanks for the video and inspiration! I had the same problem. But I found another solution which might help, too. After watching this, I saved myself a couple bucks and a trip to the hardware store by reworking the native spring by increasing tension. Using strong small tweezers, I unhooked the spring on the static end, and then wound it up at the moving end a few turns, then attached it back on the static end. Works perfectly, no more misfirings!
Ok...gotta confess...Ive heard about this spring thing before and refused to believe one little spring could cause all this trouble and frustration. Blamed the tobacco...blamed the tubes...blamed the humidity..blamed there wasnt enough humidity...then figured it only happens on days that end in y. Well today I tried something really out of character for me. I just broke down and took somebody elses advice and went to Ace Hardware and bought the frikin spring. Cost a whole $1.19. Took 2 whole minutes to change it. Now all the people in my house are no longer in fear over my anger and swearing...even the dog looks relaxed now! And the best part...I now have cigarettes that are as good as any factory made ones again! So quit having nervous breakdowns and just take toms advice...Just go buy the damn spring! Thanks Tom!!😀
BTW...stick a slice of bread in your tobacco bag...keeps it nice and fresh! Really...just do it.
break absolutely works! Even when your tobacco is dry as fall leaves. Going to get a spring now.
bread lol
Will a Bagel work? A Baguette, perhaps, in the Bag. Seems fitting.
@Ozzy lol! what a great comment!
LMAO I'm so happy I read this feed and saw your comment bcuz my poor husband and cat live in fear bcuz of this friggin machine!! LOL I laughed so hard, thank you for that😘
You just saved me so much aggravation! I never thought to check spring since it wasn't broken. Thank you, I was ready to buy a whole new machine.
The hi er the Humity the longer it takes for tobacco to get dry enuff to go thru machine so it packs good
And sometimes the spring will srumg rather stretch and not work rite find a new on to put on
This is great advice. My friend gave me mine used and I really love it. It's much quicker than the little handheld machine. A couple other causes I've noticed in the machine stuffing them half full....packing the tobacco too tightly, the arm not being screwed on tight enough (my screw loosens a bit with each rolled cigarette), and the rubber piece that holds the tube in place slides up so its unable to keep the tube in place. In fact. I lost the original rubber piece and was about to order replacement like 2pk for $10. I got an idea....the rubber tip off earbuds! Been using the same one for like 2 years. Plus they're free
I used heat shrink tubing
Will try. I've been going CRAZY with the half filled tubes. 🤬 and we also tried different tubes, tobacco...cleaning it, etc. Thank you for sharing!!!
Bro...I know I ain't the first to say it, but thank you. You just saved me $300 on a new TV. (Because the last time my top-o-matic fucked up, I nearly threw it into my television)
you can try us the newist one
Thanks for the video! I was seriously skeptical but I went ahead and went to my local ace hardware store and picked up 3 119 springs. I took em hime and installed one in my machine and I also lubricated it with some 3in1 oil I have. All I can say I'd thank you so much! My machine works just like day one! I also put one of the new springs I got into an older one I had that stopped working over a year ago. It worked on that one too! Now I have two "T2s" that work just fine 🙂
Every little thing I bring to ace hardware weird or not this old guys knows where it came from and finds me a new one! Even had an electric ignitor for my furnace for 20 bucks! Saved me about 300 from a local hvac company!
Thank you so much! I have been trying everything. Narrowed it to the rubbber thing. Even taped sandpaper around it for better grip. I am on my way to get a spring! You are very good at explaining things.
Another thing you can try: The moisture of the tobacco is a critical variable that's too often ignored. Too moist and it won't burn well. Too dry and it'll crumble and produce fines that won't pack well. So try the old pipe-smoker's trick of throwing a wedge of apple or a damp (& rung out) paper towel into your tobacco stash to keep it at optimal humidity. This is what works for me.
Nope, mine is too moist. I add nothing.
I keep my tobacco in the refrigerator.
Exactly what I've been doing for years. It also allows me to user the whole contents of the tobacco bag. Previously, i woul wind up with a bunch of too dry stuff that was unusable ( a waste of money).
where can I get that spring?
@@renerenatorivera9062 ace hardware, probably home depot, lowes
Thanks for this, four years and you are still helping folks! The comments are great too!! I am headed to find a 119 and a small oil can, but that’s fine I needed a tobacco run anyhow since my easy little store is out of the stuff I wanted, and my sewing machine could use some oil anyhow. If I see heat shrink or ear buds I might make a new rubber bumper too because mine has a few divits from trying to hold the tube on strategically with my thumb and maybe pressing too hard, or getting a little tobacco stuck there during a lot of rolling… then I flipped the bumper over 180 and made a whole new divit (My bumper is now on a 45 degree spot and this game cannot continue forever).
My only issue is, how do I drive to Ace without rolling more dangerous “fall off in your lap” half cig’s for the trip? Much appreciated Tom 😎
You were right, tried pressing on the rubber arm to add a bit more tension during the fill and found it was releasing the tube too early causing it not to fill correctly. You were right on the money, it is the spring tension. Thanks Bro.
So, I didn’t want to believe that the fix for this was that simple. But, it was ! I have been rolling for about 2.5 years and every six months, the issue of underfilled tubes would creep up. My first machine, I ordered parts recommended by another roller and replaced them but never thought about the springs ... in any case, this didn’t work and really, a new machine every six months meant I was still saving a ton of money not buying smokes.
Today, almost ordered another new machine, but read this and I just returned from the hardware store with four “119” springs, 1.75$ apiece. In about 30 minutes, I replaced and tested three “broken” machines, so now I have two refurbs “just in case”. Thanks, Tom, for the fix.
I will also add that the humidity of the tobacco can cause an occasional issue, but this might be 1 in 30+ tubes and after so long, I can almost feel the issue before it happens ;) a piece of bread in the tobacco bag works, as do the little cigar humidifiers (size of a few stacked nickels), but don’t overdo it or the tobacco starts to stick and jam.
Reading other advice here, I also saved the old springs, and will try the advice of reusing them by trimming these a bit, next time the need arises.
My machine has 2 springs,1 on each end. One is short oneis longer.Does the longer one also need replaced?
I want to thank you so much for the info on getting a smaller spring. It works perfectly. Thank you again😊
In the past I threw out 2 machines! Thanks for the advice.... Never get rid of an old Top O Matic machine again...Life Saver...
Thank you so much for making this video! I just twisted my current spring a few times to put more tension on it and bent it into place and it's working great!
Thank you so much! Could not figure out why I was only filling up halfway I mean it's a brand new machine should work thanks again I do appreciate your time have a great day
I think the regular TopOmatic machine is better than the T-2. I had the T-2 First and then I bought the original TopOmatic and I really like it better. I'm about to post a video comparing the TopOmatic to the Powermatic2.
Thx for the video, if you don't have a replacement spring, you can also just cut off a a couple winds of the spring from one end
Got one just like that. Bought on valentines day 2012. Learned right away to remove the adapter for king (regular) size tubes. Worked fine for 12 year on nearly any cut of tobacco with a wide range of humidity content. Most tube brands worked well. I've use Zen tubes mostly. About a week ago it start pushing, and sometimes tearing the tubes off without filling them more than half the length. Seems the tobacco wants to bunch up as the arm is turned. The machine hasn't been dropped. In fact it hasn't been moved from its spot for about a week before it stopped working. I clean it every 2 - 3 weeks whether needed or not just to keep it inspected. I did try another brand (Gambler) tubes and they really didn't work much better, if any. Maybe time for a complete rebuild or, I may just trash it and buy a new one.
After buying like 4 Topomatics I gave up trying to adjust things or mess with springs. On this 5th machine I just push my left thumb lightly against the rubber titt to help it hold the tube on until it is full. This 5th machine has lasted me around 5 years,maybe longer,I don't remember. My method does put the left thumb in danger but I haven't jabbed it yet. It also rips a tiny chunk of paper off the end of the tube but that's no problem at all,into the pack they go and smoke just fine. I also took one of the silver handles from and extra machine,drilled another hole in the crank handle,and fitted the handle to the crank after tossing the stupid knob in the trash. The handle mod gives me lots more power when the tobacco is damp due to humidity. I don't use air-con,just several fans,to keep cool,so high humidity could make stuffing smokes a real pain in summer but not anymore. Been stuffing since 2009 when the IDIOTIC fire safe cig law was enacted, that crap made me sick so I found a way around it.
I was introduced to rolling your own around '97 or '98, & had been smoking strictly American Spirit for some years prior to that. And I used their brand of tobacco in the days before the price ran up to near gold price levels. By the aughts I found that smoking more than a couple of pre-mades in a row made my throat very sore & start to feel like a first tickle of catching a cold, & already back then it made me feel that if I had to choose between only smoking pre-made or not at all, I'd quit in a heartbeat. These days pre-made cigarettes resemble tobacco about as much as Crapdonald's resembles a food-like-substance. I laugh (to myself) when people think they are being kind & doing me a favor by offering me "real" (pre-made) cigarettes.
Camels in all their varieties & flavors are still pretty good though, in a pinch.
@@morgainnejade My dad had a cig rolling machine in the 1960s but instead of stuffing a tube it actually rolled paper and tobacco up and over the top dropping an unfiltered cig out the other side. I used to ask to roll them but it was rare he agreed,I suppose at such a young age I was too slow and would mess up.
I don't even smoke anymore, but I remember this always being an issue so I wanted to see what the solution was. Very interesting and informative video.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I wanted to throw my T2 through the window! I make 100's but had the same problem. A couple hours ago it was having this problem 3 out of 4 cigarettes I made. Saw this video and ran to the hardware store and bought the only two 119 springs they had. I had to stretch the new spring just a little bit because it was biting a little bit of the tube off when making the cigarette. One little stretch and its still stiffer than factory spring and my problem has disappeared. Thanks again.
The #119 spring was $1.39 at my local ACE Hardware. Very easy to find. I bought an extra one for backup. Thank you Mr. King!
Looking for the spring, do you have a skew number. Ican't find it
@@Sari749 I don’t. But the hardware store is a block away. I will go down and look. But, like all ACE hardware stores, they typically do not have skew numbers for singleton small screws and springs. If you post your email address I will send you a picture of the drawer they are in and related identifying information.
@@Sari749 540356 Ace Hardware.
Yeah, I paid $1.89 for mine! I'm guessing inflation! Lol!
Is there another name or number for this, not coming up online at Ace or anywhere?
Thanks for the info. Till I fix it I realized I could put a bit of pressure on the rubber holder and it works great
Hey Tom,
Been having prob's with half filled tubes like many others here. Yup, looked at machine too when started malfunctioning. Thought might be rubber bumper or one of the springs, tobacco, tubes ect. Wetting and wiping bumper helps. But, after watching your video and getting worn out from redoing half filled tubes? Tried your solution of new spring had on hand and reoiled machine. ( Used sewing machine oil, doesn't have that oily taste.) Ummm, your solution doesn't work too good, it works great!
Thanks for great fix, is appreciated!
I knew the problem with mine was the arm that pinches the tube was not strong enough I just didn’t know how to fix it. Thank You
This summer I tried using that 119 spring from ACE on a Top O Matic that started doing this within less than eight months from it's date of purchase and it only worked for a while. Therefore decided to purchase the T2 instead, however less than five months (since purchase) and it too has also started doing the same thing. I have found a solution that's been working for me and that's to first make sure each corner is packed with tobacco and then instead of pulling the handle all the way, it's pulled down slowly and stopped when the click is heard, then slowly pulled down again to finish filling the tube.
Thanks for figuring that out. A new 119 spring did the trick. Working great now. Oil helps too.😃
YOU ARE THE BOMB TOM!!! Thank you so much dude. I was just about to throw this thing into the busiest traffic!
Thank you that's very good advice that I'm going to try I've been rolling a long time I just saw that I might tell you all that regular tobacco people tend to buy like 1839 I think the name of it it's long and you know hard to roll I found a brand that is tube cut it works so much better in the rolling machines it doesn't jam up. I hope that helps and now I'm off to the hardware store to get me a new spring. Thank you for sharing
THANK YOU!! I thought it was me! When I was learning, I stretched out the spring.
Thanks for the clip and all the comments!
I am using a similar version of this o-matic and mine just needed lubrication for now.
I shortened up the spring by 1/3 and it’s like new. Thank you!
They all do that ,spring is the way to go ,good job letting people know .I just bought this model last week 57.99
Thank you! Having this exact problem after rolling my first 500 or so cigs. Heading up to ace to grab some of these now!
Thanks so much! I got a cheaper version of the “Top-O-Matic” from Amazon and this keeps happening!! Going to try to get the spring today!
Great video, it showed the underside of the machine and how to fix the tube clamp issue. I just ordered a T2 limited edition in blue. I'm tired of those cheap plastic machines. Also I'm glad you didn't use WD40 like some online search results recommended.
Great tip. I twisted the spring a couple of times and what a difference. Thank you!
Good comments in here. Thanks to everyone.
Another quick fix is 2 layers of Electrical Tape on the rubber bit.
Not permanent, to be sure,
And thanks for identifying the problem.
I have the T-1, and I'm not a nag but not thinking the spring was the issue. If you see that when you place the tube, and the tobacco is pushing through and gets "bunched up" It means that the tube catcher was doing its job in the first place. It has because the full-revolution of all the motion has occurred and the tube "stayed" where it is designed to stay. It was not the spring. I had the same issue, what works for me is after you have loaded the pit, just ease the lever as a "lighter, easy" packing motion. Not just ramming it through, peace, they are awesome rollers...
Thx I've been fighting this issue since day one.
Great advice definitely going to try this too, I wish they(Topomatic) included a troubleshooting pamphlet with the machine as well.
I found rotating the rubber bumper/holder after a dozen or so cigarettes helps as well. Because it does get a crease in it possibly causing friction loss.
Replacing the spring worked!!! Thank you! Go get you #119 spring!
What is a 119 spring?
Yeah great suggestion! I'm using the same machine and had the same problem with the half full tube. I found that if I took my little finger and pressed the hold post that solved my problem. Your idea is a much better solution. I also use sewing machine oil on my pivot points, and you gotta be careful and not get it where it saturates your tobacco and tubes! LOL how do I know that? I dont wish to own an electric machine because if the electricity is out I wouldn't be able to make smokes. Also, when I clean my machine, I do it in the kitchen sink....
Soo, i have a similar roller. Same brand and probably the same model. Mines just orange and not silver. But, my little rubber piece is in fact kinda damaged. But, i just hold it with my thumb and still have the same issue. OCCASIONALLY i can get a full tube, but its pretty loose and needs severe packing. Soo, im gunna have to assume that it is the spring and im gunna replace it!! All the comments agree with the video, so hopefully it solves my problem! Thank you!!
I hope my dearly beloved doesn't run into this problem I checked this video out for future knowledge you are the messiah
Thank you for sharing I'm having the same problem and I was about ready to go buy a new machine so I'll just go get a new spring and see what happens thank you very much
You can also bend the little arm a wee bit (with needle nose pliers), that holds the cigarette tube in place till it just releases when the packing rod is extended all the way out. It will keep the tubes on till the they are all the way full. Agree the stock springs should be updated. Wonder how many people throw the machine out when they could have easily fixed it.
If your in PA, I work for Puf N Stuff smoke shop. We sell the springs, the round rod that pushes tobacco into the cig and its arm/handle, and the rubber pieces.
Thank you Sir! I've been Peedoff for weeks!
Wrap some good tape around the neoprene/rubber sleeve. It will temporarily help dog the tip of the tube off tighter until you fix the underlying problem. It enlarges the diameter of the sleeve.
Another thing I do is hold the sleeve tight with my pinky while cranking the handle.
To check to see if this is the culprit, here is how I tried. Mind you, I have had a 9 in 10 half fill UNLESS I underload it. So what I did was once the handle goes to the first setting, I push on the rubber with my left thumb against the injector nozzle then pull the handle. Injects perfectly. 4 in a row. Just wanted to share. UPDATE: Rolled 2 cartons, only 2 ended up half full with this technique. Saves me running all the way to town hoping to find a spring or a new unit.
This comment is underrated. There's no need to replace the spring unless you want to. Just set your finger on the black rubber piece while injecting.
Thank you. Works perfectly now! I was ready to sledgehammer the damn thing. Cheers!
Hey thanks I've been having the same problem too now I know' we t Google search found your video will give it a try thank again 😊 😀 Karen
Well said! You stick to the topic and not So wordy. Thanks much!
Thanks I’m gonna try soon as I can been trying to fix this on my parents and I T2 forever hope it works
@tomking i have tried 3 ace hardwares and they dont have anything listed for that was wondering if you could measure the length and diameter of the spring or any info at all. yes i know this is 3 years old but the only thing i can find online is ppl say #119 from ace. thank u if u ever even see this.
Thanks! I put a little heavier spring on there and it works better than new now
thanks for the fix.my t2 was in need lubrication in the injector as it was sticking and the spring was too weak to hold the tubes.
Hey guys, I found that if u dont push tobacco under the front corner,& just keep it in square chamber, u will not have space between filter & tube. Hope this helps u all. Gd luck to all.
Thanks man hope a new spring works on my mew old model topomatic!
Thanks for saving my sanity. I’ll get a spring and try it
just started rolling.. will give this a try.. Thanks for the video
So. This fucking fix is the way. Holy shit. Rolling better than new. TBH the new spring (119 at ace hardware) took a little getting used to. I had a lotta ripped cigarettes at first. Not more than i was rolling, but enough to make me question it. I didn’t have the oil he had, i used canola oil. Also the nut on the crank started to come loose and id rip cigarettes. I was a little annoyed. But i kept with it. I rolled 300+ today (going on vacation soon) and i had two fuck ups total. This is it. This literally is it. Use WD40 if you want, but it works and its better. I also use a scale and weigh my tobacco to .9 gram fwiw. Thank you OP!
You can use WD-40 but why would you? It attracts dirt and dries out over time. What I use is white lithium grease. Why you ask? It's the same grease inside window regulators of vehicles. It has an amazing property of not attracting debris and not drying out. Really is amazing stuff. Obviously avoid areas that allow the encroachment of lubricant into the press area of the machine.
You're a God! 😅 Thank you for sharing this 🙏
thanks for the tip....but at my local hardware, it was not called a 119 spring, so good thing i took the old one and for $1 got a new one
Thanks so much for your video! My problem is exactly as you described.
Gracias 👍👍, exactamente ese era mi problema y gracias a Usted lo he solucionado
my issue was the same but wasn't the spring. The rubber piece was riding up on the post it was on. Pushing it down fixed it.
Thanks for this video and the information details about the spring
Awesome! Ty and so far working for me too! Thankx again!
Yep! That was the conclusion I came to as well. Factory spring is just too weak.
The arm with the spring has lots of dirt under it cause it to hang up. Spray carburetor cleaner under it while moving it to get the dirt out from underneath it. The slide plate underneath it needs to be filed or light sandpapered. Be careful with it when sanding it. Sand all edges lightly. Get the burs off. Also the arm that slides the tabbacco in needs to be filed with a fingernail on the ridges lightly. It will help the tobacco slide in the tube easier. Use Vaseline lightly to grease the track and joints. Put Vaseline on plastic shaft and wipe it with a rags clean. It will work like brand new! You need a 14mm wrench and a 8mm wrench and a 8mm socket wrench and a flat screw driver and a metal fingernail file. It's just that easy. When you have problems again just clean it.
Haha I just have to say, as someone that works in a spring factory it's insane to hear they're charging you a whole dollar for one spring! For reference, our absolutely highest paying customer (St. Jude Medical) pays $5 per spring that is designed to operate an artificial heart valve. We'd probably sell the spring you have to a customer for like $0.08 or even less lol.
I was thinking the same thing! I took a quick guess at 20¢ before he gave the actual cost and I was just appalled! It's like they're trying to force out any type of fix it yourselves type solution by making the endeavor so unaffordable that it's not worth it to extend the life of what you have so that buying a new one becomes a relief. It's gross.
I have probably about 100 lbs of random hardware and Maybe 2% of it I've sought out and paid for. The rest I've literally alley scored and dumpster dived. I guarantee I have this spring Somewhere. It's Crazy how much gets thrown away into tearoff dumpsters as well!!
Anyway, thanks for pointing that out!
Thanks for the advice. Gonna have to make a trip to Ace Hardware now
Can this soring be ordered online?
My local Ace hardware doesn't have a selection of machine springs at all.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks in advance.👍👍
When you start having the same problems Again, it the rubber waring out, I actually stopped rolling with a Machine and started rolling up by hand for several years. Because i was going through 4 top o magic machines a year. I'm gonna try the Powermatic manual now. Everybody says they are built better
trying to find the spring that you are talking about, what is a 119 spring? Can't seem to find it. Also, the larger spring. What size is it that you are showing?
I have bought three of these and after time every one of them starts doing the partial fill thing. I cannot get to the Ace to look for that spring right now but I don't think it is going to work as I have tried holding the tube to keep it from moving and it will split the tube. I have no idea why these things do this as I was making cigarettes for months before they suddenly start short filling. The only answer I found was buying a new machine which when you consider how much you have already saved making cigarettes it's not a bad trade off.
mine is doing the same thing did you get it fixed?
I replaced both springs and mine is still partial filling. So frustrating.
@@mazeygirl2408 i just got a new one
See comment above yours regarding the pins on machine. I'm having same problems! Will try both fixes but thought I'd point out the mention of the pins above incase commenters here didnt catch it! Good luck!
@@shastina5493 I dont know where the pins are! I do know the company sells parts pretty cheap though. My machine now is around 5-6 yrs old.This is the only problem I've had.
I rarely get the whole damn thing fill all the way because it has to be at least 5 years old. I couldn't find that 119 spring at HD. I read a comment in here saying that giving that spring a good few 360 twists and OMG... it works magic.
Exactly our problem! Thank you so much!
Thanks for the video have been throwing away smokes because of this issue daily. Why doesn't the manufacture just fix the fn problem?
They dont do anything about it because we complain to each other instead of to the company!
Hello @Tom King where did you put the oil or grease? I'm not mechanical at all. Please help 😆
Yes same issue. Is there no other way to fix it besides replacing the spring with a smaller one?
This worked 💯... Awesome fix. Thanks.
They got a tops cigarette packer it's about 4 in Long and about an inch wide it's been used for about 4 years now it's made out of plastic best best one you ever have
And it's a whole lot cheaper it's like eight bucks
I got a manual plastic slider from the brand top and it works great for me the only problem I have is sometimes I'll put a little too much in there and it'll tear the tip just a little bit but for 7 bucks I can't really complain
Thank you so much this really helped. Thanks for this video.
So I replaced the spring but now it holds the tube so tight that it rips the cigarette tube. Probably will change the rubber tip to a thinner 1 to see if it will work.
want to replace the spring but not exactly sure what I'm looking for. I tried looking up 119 spring on Ace hardware and I didn't see anything. nor did I see anything on the internet about a 119 spring. any help would be greatly appreciated thanks
We have all experienced the same issue. I'm contacting the company
Read my post first!
@@546cowboy6 Where is your post?
What exactly is a 119 spring? I need to order it. Thank you.
I got one the of the spring is to thick against the wall tell me how on earth did you get it through that or if you got a video sure would help
This is a problem I have been having as well, along with the slop in the pins that hold the piston. Fixed that with a used ear plug, so a 119 spring I will go find. Thanks!
Edit: I went to Ace and got the $2.02 #119 spring. It works however now the end of the tube is ripping off every time. Maby a lil stretching to the spring will help or tighten the holes up in the old original one if I ruin this #119.
sounds like the cutter is having trouble pushing through it. Might be dull
Does anyone know if the same spring works on the regular top-o-matic machine? i'm having the same problem as all of you. Thank you.
using the oil is a bad idea....it causes the fine powder tobacco to gunk up the machine and make you have to clean it a lot more often...ive found its best to just use a pencil or a piece of graphite and put a fine coat over any of the surfaces that rub up against each other. i hope this helps
OK first off this is kind of long. I have been rolling my own cigarettes for over two years and had this problem for that whole time through 5 machines. My first mistake was coming to RUclips to find out what others do when this happens.
I looked at many videos and tried many fixes to the machine.Ordered what they said would fix it and was disappointed every time. I then decided when a machine started doing it on a regular basis I would spend another $40 for a new one rather than try and fail to fix the one I had.
Now I smoke a pack a day and I do not keep track of how many packs I make when the problem starts.
The last machine I bought started to make like 3 or 4 cigarettes out of twenty so I was going to buy another machine. Well i had another machine that I had already replaced with this one.
As I started using it at first about one in 20 would end up having the tobacco stripped out and put in my ashtray. Which was better than the one I was using so I continued and I found that if I did not try to over fill the machine and pack the tobacco it started working fine again.
So before you try to fix the one you have cut back on packing it with tobacco. It could just be that you are the problem. Remember it took me over two years to realize what was wrong because I looked for a solution here first.
Sir , I can't find the 119 spring , not @ hardware store , not @ Century Spring Corp. Only the same spring from Top-O-Matic . Other suggestions would be appreciated. Thankyou for your time and response
not for sure where you live but harbor freight has them , city mill. amazon , granger .
The blade/tamper dulls very fast and after so many cartons it just becomes junk leading to non stop jams as it can no longer cut as you inject. To replace that alone cost 8$+ shipping which is roughly 1/2 - 1/3 the price of these units at base cost. The T2 is the same exact machine as the standard, just with chome/bling appearance. They are no stronger than the others, and just cost an extra 10-15$ for said bling. Its not even worth repairing your own tamper/blade aside from the cost because you then need to then put it back together which isnt an easy task as being off by 1mm on any part, or one screw too lose or tight and it will result in another issue... I've burned through many machines (2 t2's and 3 standards) and they all wear out the same. If anything, the T2 injectors wore out faster. As for the spring you point out, you can use your finger as you crank to keep the tension if said spring is lose, that alone wont help with anything once your tamper/blade/injectors wear down and the exact same half fill jam issue will get worse and worse, to the point you rip more tubes than you fill.