So I did a silly thing and bought a 3M no brand cheap 4 lines Power Kite. Anyway, the strings have no sleeves and the break lines are at least 3 or 4 metres longer. How should I go about shortening them, preferably without cutting them.

Thank you.

did you try flying this yet???...even if they are longer i wouldn’t do anything w/out putting it in the air first w/ what it came with...it will or should fly as a 2 line...then if i had a proper 4 line set up from another kite i'd try it w/ that too..after that i'd look into the more permanent fixes....3/4m longer is a wild #..guess they laid off the QC dept??

I tried to fly it but it wasn't the most friendly in giving me much control, its slightly annoying having the strings dragging and catching on the grass when you fly a little bit lower. I don't have another line set to test it with either. Its going to be really windy tomorrow so I'm hoping to get this done by tonight.

if you walked the lines w/ them off the kite and the brake lines are that much longer you will have shorten them...i am stressing that the lines were off the kite...half those kites come w/ no assembly directions so if they were off the kite we are removing that from the equation...all 4 lines should be of reasonably equal length and adjustments should be should be minimal usually done at the handles

Let me rephrase.

When my lines are on the kite, the break lines are ridiculously longer than the power lines. So much so, they have NO effect on the kite, other than pure annoyance.

When I had a friend hold the power lines and break lines at one end, and I went to the other end, the break lines were so much longer that I couldn't gold the power lines and break lines within arms reach of each other.

So I know I need to adjust them, but I don't know how to go about it.

Thank you.

understood..but before they went on the kite were all 4 of equal length...im worried you don’t have the bridle correct or attached correctly..so if we know the lines are all the same length to start than that would probably be true..you dont want to cut anything till it is the only option..

Oh I see. When I was setting up for my first flight there was no colour co-ordination for the strings. So I ended up having the break lines on one handle, and the power lines on the other handle... They were both attached the same with the same knot. Which I watched 100,000 video's to learn!
With that the distance between them must have been 5 of my arm spans ish. This was before taking off.
I then swapped them around and it was still a huge difference between both of the power lines/break.

Normally....2 lines will be heavier..they will go to the front/leading edge of the kite...the power lines
the lighter ones are the brake lines and hook up to the trailing edge
all 4 lines should be of realativly equall length (couple inches)
you will adjust the length of the brake lines w/ knots on the handles
simple...and stop it w/ the strings..no strings here. :D

Thanks a lot. It is a cheap kite though and I can't see much if any difference in the lines depth, texture, look of them. Other than the size. What kind of knots should I do at the handles? I'm hoping I can do it quickly, the lines are 50 metres and It takes long enough to run back and forwards attaching the lines to the kites and handles! :D

Also, I don't think this belongs here but I'll go for it anyway.
In my area the wind speeds will be like this tomorrow:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/loughbor...

Plus I live in a heavily dense farm land area, thus meaning I have a lot of room, will I be okay with them wind speeds? Or do you think its too much for the kite? Thanks again!

the only knot you should be making on your lines is a larks head..// coming off the handles built into them there is a heavier line 1 top 1 bottom that gets overhand knots.. u can do this all the way up to where you would grip them...on my handles i usually have 3 sets of regular overhand knots that are always there (on bottom lines/brakes) that i larks head to..this way i can adjust my brake lines rather easily...my fly lines (top) are normally attached the same w/ one knot near the end of that thick set up(far from the handles)..so basically i can put any of my kites on that set of handles and i just adjust the length of the brake lines by moving my larks head(near or far from the handles)..this same thing can be done w/ the power lines but it normally is only necessary w/ brake lines..sorry i am losing something in my explanation to you...but none of this is important..what is important is that you know you should sit out tomorrow..thats too much wind for you and if you have to wonder if it is..than it is.go slow and fly the rest of your life and have no regrets

You need to contact the company who makes the kites before you do anything.

Susan (npw goddess)

Just shorten the lines by tying a loop in the brake lines approximately where they need to be with a double overhand knot, cut off the excess, then do the fine tuning by tying knots in the break leaders on the bottom of the handle and moving the break lines in and out to fine tune.