Weed eaters/grass trimmers....much frustration.

[Displaced Flames fan]

What the hell am I doing wrong? Everytime I try to use my trimmer the line breaks almost instantly. Am I a complete moron? What the hell is the secret to using these damn things?

I can't get more line to come out either. Additionally, whenever I take off the spool and rethread the line so I have some the trimmer seems all out of balance until the line breaks down to almost unusable lengths....which last for about a minute.

Any suggestions after you are done laughing at me?

[Biff]

Hmm....one possibility that comes to mind is that you may be winding the line the wrong direction on the spool. Failing that, RTFM (read the frickin' manual) if you have it. If not, it should be available online.

In terms of standard usage, you'll go through a lot of line and have a lot of breakage if you are trying to trim to close to hard surfaces...although sometimes that can't be avoided.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Biff

Hmm....one possibility that comes to mind is that you may be winding the line the wrong direction on the spool. Failing that, RTFM (read the frickin' manual) if you have it. If not, it should be available online.

In terms of standard usage, you'll go through a lot of line and have a lot of breakage if you are trying to trim to close to hard surfaces...although sometimes that can't be avoided.

To the former, I can't blame you for suggestinig that possibility given the idiocy of the situation, but I've triple checked the direction. I know I've got that right.

I am trimming against hard surfaces, but good lord it shouldn't go through a foot of line every 30 seconds!

[fredr123]

Get a new trimmer.

I did a lot of lawn cair maintenance through high school and my early university days. It was not uncommon for me to be seen smacking the stupid weed eater against the ground in a vain attempt to make more cord come out.

Last year, however, I went out and got myself a new electric weed eater. I had only used gas ones before but heard good things about this model. I've only been using it for a year and a half but it's been great. No hassles with the cord at all. It keeps coming out magically without my intervention.

The only real downfall is that since it's battery-powered, you'll sometimes find yourself halfway done your yard when the juice runs out. Luckily the package I bought contained two batteries so one is always ready to go.

[Biff]

And no laughter here. I had daughter #3 (13-year old) help out with the yard work a couple weeks ago. She managed to snap the guard of the front of the weed-eater and then continued to use the device (one of those tap-to-feed more line jobbies). She ended up, somehow, with about 3 feet of line all in a knot and, as she was continuing to try to trim, a literally smoking and now burned out weed whacker.

[Ford Prefect]

I've been looking for a good weed whacker for about 25 years, and I've yet to find satisfaction. The gas ones are over kill for residential purposes. Unless you have a really small yard, cords are a pain. And I've had a hard time finding a rechargeable one with a rechargeable battery I'm happy with. Price isn't necessariy a determinig factor either. Right now I have a cheap Black and Decker that's about as good as anything I've had, but still not great.

With regards to your problem, it sounds like the spool may not be fitting on properly, either because there's some trick you're missing when putting it on, or there's been a manufacturing defect. It may have something to do with the way you're feeding from the spool through the cord exit. I've had some that were really finicky this way. If all fails, do what I do with stuff I don't want. Give it to the father in law and buy a new one. In any case, take heart, you're far from the first person to wage a frustrating fight with these things.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

And I've had a hard time finding a rechargeable one with a rechargeable battery I'm happy with.

Last year I bought the el cheapo Jobmate one from Canadian Tire. Basically I just do the edges around my yard, and the battery lasts me two weeks of use. (ie two uses)

As for Dis' problem- what about those metal blades we used to see advertised on TV- would those work? Only drawback is you can no longer count on your wood fence as a stop for the plastic cord.

[MacDougalbry]

By any chance, you don't have the cheap gas trimmer from Home Depot? I have the same problem with mine and have heard one other person with the exact same problem. If you let the line get too short, it seems to be either be snapping off or retracting into the spooler. Then when I try to start it, it spins out too much line which makes it impossible to start, so then the engine floods. This is the third trimmer I've owned, and the first time I've ever had these problems. I tried to buy the Gator attachment with the plastic blades, but the blades lasted all of five minutes. Now, I just tap the trimmer every minute to make sure the line never gets too short.

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Last year I bought the el cheapo Jobmate one from Canadian Tire. Basically I just do the edges around my yard, and the battery lasts me two weeks of use. (ie two uses)

As for Dis' problem- what about those metal blades we used to see advertised on TV- would those work? Only drawback is you can no longer count on your wood fence as a stop for the plastic cord.

they have plastic blades too

[ricoFlame]

if it's a gas trimmer, you need a strong line because when trimming against hard surfaces the power of the gas trimmer will shred up weak line against rough/hard surfaces.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Last year, however, I went out and got myself a new electric weed eater. I had only used gas ones before but heard good things about this model. I've only been using it for a year and a half but it's been great. No hassles with the cord at all. It keeps coming out magically without my intervention.

The only real downfall is that since it's battery-powered, you'll sometimes find yourself halfway done your yard when the juice runs out. Luckily the package I bought contained two batteries so one is always ready to go.

x2

I've got the same one, and with the two 18V batteries, its more than enough for my purposes. Does edging also. No cord, no mixing gas, and plenty of power for my yard.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

they have plastic blades too

http://www.cmdproducts.com/Grass%20Gator%20FAQs.html

[Gugstanley]

I use the plastic blades and don't have a problem. If I was still trying to feed line out of my Weed eater I would have given up by now. Just buy the attachment that allows the plastic blades to work.

[burn_baby_burn]

Try using Titanium line. I use it in the gas powered Husqvarna trimmer I bought last year. I can do my whole yard and I only have to lengthen the line once for the whole front and back yard. That includes going into the back alley and doing the tall weeds. My trimmer has way too much power for a residential yard like mine. But I have zero problems and headaches with it.

[BlackArcher101]

Dis, which model whipper is this?

I used to use a Stihl whipper when working on the highways. These things would be running 12 hours straight in 30 degree weather. The only time they were turned off was to restring the spool. I had to restring it about 6 times a day. We went through a lot. I banged that thing into the ground so many times to get the string to come out. Here's a few tips.

Don't let the string get too short before letting some more out. The smaller amount of string results in a faster speed required to overcome the loss of centrifugal force (which is required). If it's too short, no force will get the string to feed and you'll need to do it by hand.

What I did was I pounded the "button" on a hard rock or surface while spinning it. A tap was all I needed usually to feed more string out. I did this periodically, about when the string was at half length. Also, when filling with string again, make sure you wrap it on the spool carefully, avoiding criss crossing lines and possible entanglements.

As for those plastic blades someone mentioned above... those lasted 30 seconds on my whipper until I threw them out. Absolute crap for cutting grass, they took forever. Good for hard stalks like cattails though. Buy a good quality line, and you'll be ok.

[4X4]

I learned a trick to keeping the line from breaking... Don't use the trigger. The thing spins fast enough when idling to do the edging (just grass). Whenever I hold the trigger and spin it full speed, within 30 seconds the line is down to an inch or two.

Mine is a gas powered, intended for residential use and the power is total overkill. The only time I'd ever need to use the trigger and put it up to 'normal' speed is if I was cutting a swath through a forest.

[Azure]

I used a cheap weed-eater once...and against hard surfaces the line would always break within 30 seconds.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I learned a trick to keeping the line from breaking... Don't use the trigger. The thing spins fast enough when idling to do the edging (just grass). Whenever I hold the trigger and spin it full speed, within 30 seconds the line is down to an inch or two.

Mine is a gas powered, intended for residential use and the power is total overkill. The only time I'd ever need to use the trigger and put it up to 'normal' speed is if I was cutting a swath through a forest.

What kind do you have? My gas trimmer comes to a complete stop when it is idling.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

What kind do you have? My gas trimmer comes to a complete stop when it is idling.

Yep, all gas should do that. If it does spin, either the idle is set too high or the clutch is toast.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

What kind do you have? My gas trimmer comes to a complete stop when it is idling.

Weed Eater Featherlite XT200


It doesn't have a clutch... You pull start it, and the thing spins. If you squeeze the trigger, it spins faster.
I only need to use the trigger for the tall weeds on the side of the house. Regular edging I do in 'idle'.