Weed Eater String problems

[GMBoy]

I must be doing something wrong. I have two weed eaters: a cheapo Homelite and another *** Ryobi. Why does my string never work right?? No matter how I load each of them and with all types and sizes of strings - either they won't feed or the whole roll of string flys out. I am the point of investing in a good Husqvarna, Echo or Stihl but if somebody can tell me what my problem might be I can save some money because they run fine other than the string problems. The homelite acted up on the factory loaded spool too so it may just be junk.

IS there a "proper way" to reload a sting trimmer?

 

[Ken42]

No not junk. Just bad luck........ Look around for those converters that allows you to go from a roll to just 4 strings and if one breaks you replace it.

Have seen them mostly at hardware stores.

Ken

 

[kenw]

make sure you wrap the string evenly, make sure you complete one level before allowing it to stack on top of the previous levels. Often upper levels get down in spaces left in previous levels, these bind and keep it from feeding.

also don't over fill it.

 

[TooManyWheels]

I fought that battle and finally said to heck with it. I find that in the long run, the heads with the individual lines you load manually are a lot less trouble and let you use bigger line as a bonus.

I am currently using the Craftsman head which uses their proprietary line which looks like a licorice stick. It is not a very efficient use of material, as you have to throw away the middle third when the ends wear down, but does it ever cut!

 

[416Rigby]

I use an Echo head on my RedMax with the individual lines. It uses much thicker string, and cuts better. If I need to replace a line, I just stick a new piece in. Much better than the "self feeding" heads.

 

[leaves and lawns]

kenw is right. do what he says and it will work.

 

[KL250]

On of the best tricks I've found is to keep the trimmer line wet until you are ready to use it. As trimmer line gets older it gets dry, stiff and brittle. This causes the line to misfeed and break in the spool. If you soak the line over night in a bucket of water it will feed much better and break less. I too use the Sears licorice line and even soak it in water when I'm not using it. Notice the peice of sponge that comes with some trimmer line? That is supposed to keep the line moist but often it dries out before it is purchased.

 

[BIRD DOG]

you buy junk you get junk...

 

[Hokiefyd]

I've tried those larger heads that you're supposed to manually load with the licorice sticks, but always went back to a Tap-N-Go head in the end. It's so much easier to use, and doesn't take the power a larger head takes. Be careful wrapping the line and you'll be good to go. "Junk" doesn't have anything to do with it -- I have two 15-year-old Weed Eater brand trimmers (cheap Poulan) that run and cut like new.

 

[GMBoy]

Thanks everyone - kenw was right about the line being wrapped unevenly. I checked the last time it jammed and the line was under another layer so it could not feed out. I mixed two ideas - I did as kenw said and wrapped it correctly AND also sprayed some WD40 in there to keep it wet before putting it all together. Now it feeds just fine!
Guess these weed eaters were not junk, Bird dog just operator error.

 

[Alan Smithee]

quote:

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Originally posted by KL250:
On of the best tricks I've found is to keep the trimmer line wet until you are ready to use it. As trimmer line gets older it gets dry, stiff and brittle. This causes the line to misfeed and break in the spool. If you soak the line over night in a bucket of water it will feed much better and break less. I too use the Sears licorice line and even soak it in water when I'm not using it. Notice the peice of sponge that comes with some trimmer line? That is supposed to keep the line moist but often it dries out before it is purchased.

---

You sound like a fisherman to me! Fishing monofilament casts much farther after a good soaking. The softness/suppleness returns when soaked in water. The good thing is long casts from shore are not particularly necessary in the morning when the fish are close to the bank. As the days brightens, longer and longer casts are possible as the line is more supple, and the fish (like trout) move out to deeper water.

Mepps "Reel Magic" is sold in small aerosol cans for tackle boxes. It works great for fishing mono as it makes the line lay on the spool nicely, allows for longer casts in the morning, and increases the life of the mono. The good news is that Reel Magic for all intents and purposes is a less smelly version of common silicone spray!

Instead of WD40, a nice dry coating of silicone spray may be the best. I have tried a few brands, and the best general use silicone spray for the money is Prestone in the yellow can...available at WalMart. I was NOT impressed by the automotive brand McKay Silicone Spray...not enough silicone left after the "vehicle" evaporates.

 

[Dave H]

Smithee may be on to something there. WD-40 and other "wet" lubes may work, but would undoubtedly attract dust while weed-eating and possibly gum up to the point of the problem returning. A silicone spray that "dries" attracts much less dust, but still lubes quite well.
The only silicone spray I use regularly is from STP, available at AutoZone, WalMart, etc... I use it to lube things like door hinges, door latches (vehicle and house), throttle cables, etc. I use it over WD-40 or such because it doesn't attract dust and make a gummy mess.
Keep in mind that WD-40 still has its place. Silicone spray doesn't clean like WD-40 does, but its lubricating properties are pretty much on par.

Dave

 

[cousincletus]

I have an old Green Machine weedeater and had problems with the recommended .080 string. I switched to Echo brand .095 string as suggested by the small engine guy and it worked really well. I thought the head was broken but it turned out to be the string itself.