Watch out for shrubs and trees also, the line can easily strip bark and stunt growth. Is this a petrol/gas machine? String Trimmer (Strimmer) Won't Work: 2-Stroke Engine and Carburetor Troubleshooting. Two strings would be better. Please, what causes this? Suggestions? What should I do when I start it back up again and it has a hard time turning? With some trimmers, the cutting head must be bumped down onto the ground to release new line. Answer: Try and wind the line tight and evenly. Higher powered gas trimmers can also be used with light gage line, but for cutting thick vegetation in overgrown areas such as long grass, nettles, docks and other weeds, heavier gage line is pretty much essential to avoid breaking or tangling the line. I will take your advice and take more care to only use the cutting tip of the line and move into grass slowly a little at a time. Answer: In general, mix 1 part oil with 50 parts petrol (gas). If it doesn't start after a few attempts, turn the choke back on and re-starting. I've never tried it, but you could try spraying the windings with silicone spray. Bought a couple screws from the local hardware store for a few cents, installed them, and I don't dread doing yard work anymore! Most trimmers have two stroke engines which don't have a sump filled with oil for lubrication (four stroke trimmers however are available). Question: How do I prevent line fusion of a string trimmer? So it's hard to tell really what the best option, probably doesn't make much difference. Wipe it clean with a soft rag. Judy Specht from California on March 31, 2013: I can't ever get the string to bump properly. Like most power tools nowadays, they are available in gas, electric corded and rechargeable battery cordless versions.The machine was invented in the early 1970s by George Ballas of Houston, Texas. Occasionally adjacent turns can bind and line not feed out but it doesn't happen regularly. Everytime I weed eat the string breaks. Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on July 25, 2019: Turning a motor on and off causes a surge of current into the motor, plus over time arcing of the switch contacts in the trigger can cause arcing and degradation of the switch. When I restart it again functions but if I begin to cut again it stops and doesn't cut. Don't let it wrap around shrubs and basically just ease it into vegetation when cutting. Some vegetation can be very tough with stringy fibres and a trimmer won't cut it, although a brush cutter, maybe one with a cutting disk, will do. References. This balances the machine better. If you're trying to trim long grass, try not to push the trimmer too far into the grass as it can overload the machine and tangle up the head. How do I keep sufficient tension on the spool on the line? The tension in the line makes it stiff and the inertia of the line gives it the energy to cut. We don't have to worry about grass cutting or trimming yet here. One big battery runs about 45 minutes. Start inserting your new line by wrapping it in neat, straight rows to avoid jams. If the spool doesn’t slide easily back into the head, for example, don’t try to jam it in. When they figure how to make a battery powered one perform like a 10 amp corded trimmer with run time of gas, then gas trimmers will be a dead market. Changing the Line on a Single-Line Trimmer, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2f\/Change-the-String-on-a-Lawn-Trimmer-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-String-on-a-Lawn-Trimmer-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2f\/Change-the-String-on-a-Lawn-Trimmer-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid168693-v4-728px-Change-the-String-on-a-Lawn-Trimmer-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"