Trimmer Lines Breaking Off Inside Speed Feed

[hotajax]

What I'm seeing is that when I use trimmer line that is supposed to be a fast cutting line, it doesn't eject well from the Speed Feed head. Then I have to take it apart and feed it through again. It seems certain brands ( Echo Black Diamond, for example ) sort of sticks to itself in the spool because of all the sharp edges and won't eject when you smack the bump head. Thinking of getting a smoother line that doesn't have as many rough edges. Are any of you experiencing this? I know the Black Diamond cuts very well, but what I'm gaining in cutting time I'm losing in disassembling the head every time I use it. This is fresh line, too.

 

[legdelimber]

I can't speak to any particular brand of line holding up better than others.
But I can say that keeping it in water has helped with every line that I've used.
Keep it in the water untill you are ready to wind it onto the trimmer spool.
Just an empty Coffee-Mate dry creamer jug. Make sure to wash the jug well first.
Add a couple shots of automotive anti freeze to the water. That seems to help the water from going nasty as quick, Plus has a little bit of lubricant in it.
Keep the lid screwed on the jug.
Soaps all seem to just make things gummy and hold dirt.

And if you use the anti-freeze, Be darn sure to keep the jug outta reach of any critters that might try to drink it.

P.S. Even brand new line goes into the water jug overnight, before loading it into the trimmer head.

 

[Wilhelm]

Get true square, non twisted.
It is/was a game changer for my application.

The water thing doesn't work for me for whatever reason.
Watered lines tended to snap exactly at the outlet eyes of the line heads for no apparent reason.
Stopped watering lines and the issue vanished.

Blue Dolmar "Silent" line likes to weld onto itself within the head.
It is true square line with very sharp edges, twisted at a high rate.
It cuts like a razor blade though.

 

[hotajax]

Well the water thing seems to apply only to keeping the line limp. Like my brother's wiener. But the problem I'm talking about is the line welding to itself while it's inside the spook and then it won't eject when you slap the knob on the ground.

 

[legdelimber]

Wish I had something helpful about the aggressive line shapes and welding on the spool. The water idea was my best shot.
I've tried a few of the diamond and or twisted shapes, but they wanted to flail about rather than flying in a smooth circle. Had one twisted one that roared like an airboat.
The Echo Cross-Fire line is about the most aggressive shaped line I still have around now. I bought a handful of trimmer heads when local box-store changed brands, So It's pretty old stock now. So newer plastics may be different?

Over a couple of summers (a while back), I tried baby powder, cooking spray, dish soap, WD-40, etc.. But it all just seemed to make a nasty mess.

With the Echo cross line, even water soaked, it tended to chafe on it's self a bit.
I just bumped the line out a little more often and that seemed to keep it feeding ok.
With bad knees and arthritis, I've finaly had to hire the yard done. So I've kinda side steped the issue this year.

Edit: one other thought , I started only winding about ten ft of line (per side of spool) in the head at a fill. any tighter wound load also seemed to make the line more prone to sticking.

 

[ray benson]

Soak the trimmer line and check the metal eyelets where the line comes out of the head - don't want sharp edges.

 

[Bluzharp]

Changing back to round cross section line has just about stopped the internal snapping problem for me. My current roll is Husqvarna, brown with a hard core. I will not go back to the gimmicky square, triangle, star, whatever lines.

 

[Wilhelm]

For me Square & Star (Husqvarna) profiled lines do not self weld - the twisted ones do.

Round lines are just "meh", most universal but painfully dull.


Sharp edged profiled lines feature increased performance.


This Dolmar line is like a razor blade, unfortunately it likes to self weld and so far I found no remedy.


For the stuff I have to knock down with my weedeater I just go ballistic with sharp edged true square line 2.7/3.0/3.3mm (.106/.118/.130") gauge flat to flat.

 

[hotajax]

I really appreciate the effort that Project Farm on You Tube goes to test various things we like to use. However, not sure if he thot of that characteristic (line not ejecting or not). I'm pretty sure that with all the different heads and lines I tried that' there is some validity to my / our claims that not all lines are ideal and the equipment manufacturers that make sharp line lines that actually come off the spool easier.

 

[hacskaroly]

However, not sure if he thot of that characteristic (line not ejecting or not).

I am not sure if he could objectively test that without trying it on multiple different trimmers as there might be issues more with one brand or model over another. But as we have seen on this thread, some people seem to not have issue with soaking their line, while others don't.

 

[Al Smith]

I gave up on line heads years ago .I use blade heads .I might use 5 or 6 sets a season and buy them 50 sets at a time .They are generic nylon blades at a fraction of the cost of name brand items . .

 

[SimonHS]

unfortunately it likes to self weld and so far I found no remedy.

Would silicone spray lubricant work?

 

[Wilhelm]

Would silicone spray lubricant work?

I tried soaking them in B&C, gearbox, engine oils hoping they'd be less prone to welding.
I even wound the lines with lots of grease.

Still welded!

But, I have to try using these Dolmar lines on the heavy duty head I came to love as its drum features a barrier theoretically reducing friction as the wound line halves no longer touch spooling off.

 

[Wilhelm]

In about two months when my sister comes visiting again I'll be having a chain flail head!

 

[legdelimber]

I think I'd want some shin guards with that chain head. Keep a close eye on the bolts and holes each time when you refuel the trimmer.
I wonder if it throws rocks any harder than trimmer line does? Somehow I'm thinking of a chain link transferring nearly all of its inertia to a stone.

Bottom line, I'm pretty much for running whatever works well.
Just saying to keep an eye on it for any cracking or stretching or wear that could be an indication of approaching failure point in its usage.

 

[Wilhelm]

I think I'd want some shin guards with that chain head. Keep a close eye on the bolts and holes each time when you refuel the trimmer.
I wonder if it throws rocks any harder than trimmer line does? Somehow I'm thinking of a chain link transferring nearly all of its inertia to a stone.

Bottom line, I'm pretty much for running whatever works well.
Just saying to keep an eye on it for any cracking or stretching or wear that could be an indication of approaching failure point in its usage.

Those monstrosities are Italian design & made.
They are technically illegal in the Europe Union exactly due to severe injury risk.

My sister got one over a decade ago, cleared a brush patch for her honey bees.
I tried it once years ago, it smacked 1" OD wild hazel brush to pieces - and YES, those hazel pieces hitting my shins hurt like hell.

I am thinking this might help a bit to protect from major injury.

 

[Bill G]

Over the years some folks tried log chain on their rotary mowers/bush hogs.

They do not now.

 

[Dub11]

I've had this problem and try to only load 12ft as a time. The extra "breathing room" seemed to help alot.

 

[Wilhelm]

Over the years some folks tried log chain on their rotary mowers/bush hogs.

They do not now.

Increasingly common practice in Croatia.
Tractor PTO powered chain flail rotary mowers.

 

[Partner]

I only use Stihl 2.4 round with no problems. I have some 1.5mm string left from an electric trimmer T25 Original and Chinese