Weed wacker - extending string life

[ericm979]

I've been running .105 Gatorline for the last few years. It doesn't break as readily as smaller line and cuts as well, except on short very fine grass.

Sticks and sharp rocks will eat it up. When I can avoid them it lasts a long time.

 

[mjonesnh]

Cool. You put full 1000' spools in a bucket of water, or just enough for your next head change?

Like a few others here, I'd never even heard of doing this. I'm dubious as to it's effectiveness, but willing to give almost anything a try, once. is

Usually buy my line on 1/2 pound donuts. Believe the .080 is 160 ft. and the .105 is 90 feet. Both size donuts easily fit in pail

 

[WinterDeere]

LOL on my property i go through 2 spools every time I cut.

I remember the Chickanic showing off the fast wind spools, I think it was the Echo Speed Feed system? If I had to refill my trimmer head as often as you, I'd definitley be switching to one of those.

 

[CalG]

What do you use to keep the water from turning green? Biology always finds a way...

Green water is every bit as wet as any other color!

 

[mrmikey]

.....I think it was the Echo Speed Feed system?

That's what I had but at over $50 I had to go with the Scamazon clone, works fine.

 

[WinterDeere]

Has anyone seen a variant that screws directly onto Stihl FS-KM straight shaft? It seems the Echo comes with an adapter that will allow it to attach to Stihl, but it sounded less than ideal.

 

[big bubba]

for me, breaking trimmer lines is all about proper winding. when winding, never cross the lines, keep them parallel. in my experience, properly wound lines won't break

 

[ArlyA]

I have a Stihl weed wacker that I like but seem to break a spool worth of string every couple weeks.

What am I doing wrong? What’s the proper way to use it? Thanks.

We have multiple power units set up with string and all but one, use 155 string. What size string are you using? It they made heads for 170 string, we'd be using it. If you can go larger, I'd suggest that. Larger string is your freind. We go through many, many feet of string each summer and found little difference in brands or styles.

 

[mrmikey]

Has anyone seen a variant that screws directly onto Stihl FS-KM straight shaft? It seems the Echo comes with an adapter that will allow it to attach to Stihl, but it sounded less than ideal.

My trimmers an Echo so I can't attest to the actual use of the adaptors but the last time I bought a couple of heads they came with a multitude of sleeves with thread sizes, pitches, right or left hand threads. As well, the actual drum that the line wraps on can be flipped over and wrapped for left or right hand rotation depending if yours is a straight shaft with gearbox or a curved shaft.

 

[chim]

Another guy here who never heard of soaking trimmer line. The only time my lines break is when aggressively attacking something like a sapling or big woody-stemmed weed. Of course there's the accelerated wear when trimming against rocks, sidewalks and foundations. I don't know what lines I'm using, but they're the largest diameter that fits the heads. The DeWalt 20V gets used more than the Stihl Kombi. Depending upon what is growing along the creek at the time, different attachments are pressed into service - metal blade, string, hedge trimmer.

 

[ArlyA]

I tested soaked string (was soaked for 48 hours) in the same head as dry string. Made no difference in longativity.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have not seen it myself but a spool lasts a couple of months here and stored in a cool walk to daylight basement… might help on older stock?

My favorite head the Tanaka Brain never needed bumping and was auto feed…

As the string got shorter the speed increased and the higher speed overcame the feed latch to feed new line…

 

[bigtiller]

I have 2 weed wackers, one with string and one with the Stihl PolyCut adapter and blades. I also store the spare blades in water.

Anything that eats string or blades gets sprayed.

Amazon.com : Strimmer Head for STIHL POLYCUT 6-3 FS38 FS40 FS45 FS46 FS50 Wear-Resisting : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Strimmer Head for STIHL POLYCUT 6-3 FS38 FS40 FS45 FS46 FS50 Wear-Resisting : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

[WinterDeere]

I have not seen it myself but a spool lasts a couple of months here and stored in a cool walk to daylight basement… might help on older stock?

Hah, you just made me think that my bulk trimmer line storage location atop the wall header and jammed between the rafters just under a hot metal roof might not be the best location. I have a fully air-conditioned shop, but that space isn't unlimited, and outdoor tools and supplies usually stay out in the un-insulated shed.

 

[Tinhack]

I wish I could find my trimmer line. I put it some place where it wouldn't get lost. I'm sure it's not lost. I just can't find it.

 

[Eagle1]

I wish I could find my trimmer line. I put it some place where it wouldn't get lost. I'm sure it's not lost. I just can't find it.

I buy the 1000 yard spools and mounted on a wall. Can't loose that....

 

[WinterDeere]

I buy the 1000 yard spools and mounted on a wall. Can't loose that....

Same. The 1000 ft. or 500 ft. spools aren't all that much more expensive than smaller spools, so I figured I'd might as well just buy a lifetime's worth in one shot. I hadn't factored aging into the math, possibly throwing away half a spool before I can use it due to it going brittle. But I suspect I'm still coming out ahead of buying 50 or 100 feet at a time.

 

[Eagle1]

Same. The 1000 ft. or 500 ft. spools aren't all that much more expensive than smaller spools, so I figured I'd might as well just buy a lifetime's worth in one shot. I hadn't factored aging into the math, possibly throwing away half a spool before I can use it due to it going brittle. But I suspect I'm still coming out ahead of buying 50 or 100 feet at a time.

Not sure which I have now but almost size of a spool of Cat5 wiring.

 

[Tinhack]

I buy the 1000 yard spools and mounted on a wall. Can't loose that....

I don't think I have enough time left to use that much. Trimming isn't a career for me.

 

[rontaki]

Not sure which I have now but almost size of a spool of Cat5 wiring.

Just don't mix them up, I imagine Cat5 is as bad for mowing as trimmer line is for signal propagation.