Garden Strimmers.. what’s the point

[Mudball]

So I have a flymo grass strummer.. brilliant when it works. However i seem to spend more time unwinding the reel than strimming the grass. I usually buy the flywheel from Homebase type place or the Interweb. The Plastic thread in the reel seems to get stuck or overlapping and therefore need to be reeled out every few mins. I must be doing something wrong.. any pro tips??

 

[PhilTheFragger]

They are all the same.
You need one with metal blades, they are the business, but a bit lethal, so exercise great care around cables, shrubs and toes 👍

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I buy a slightly thicker pastic string and wind them ontop the spool myself. Its not perfect, but definetly I find better than the preloaded flymo stuff.

 

[Hobbit]

Replace the cord with braided wire. Works a treat.

 

[Dibby]

Assuming it's not horrible cord, what angle are you cutting at, and are you doing edges that are near objects that break the cord?

I'm no strimmer expert, but from seeing a few other people use them, it seems people tend to hold them such that the cord whips the ground rather than travels parallel to the ground a short height (whatever you want to cut at) above it.

I also think the strimmer makes a difference, years ago I had a cheap electric Bosch, when I moved I got a 2 stroke Stihl as the garden was bigger and I didn't want to faff around with power cords, and it's much better with the cutting cord.

 

[patricks148]

i think i've had 3 different makes and none worked very well and maybe lasted a few attempts.

its hard work but now i use the old fashioned long handled sheers, some of the area's that get very overgrown a guy who does our trees has petrol one and does it when needed

 

[jim8flog]

I have not used mine in years after alterations to the garden that took away the need for one.


The one I had then, Black and Decker (still in the shed) had an autofeed lever which cured the problem compared to the previous one.

 

[Mudball]

I would not dare using a metal spinning blade.. can’t trust my skills. Mine has an auto feed (more like a centrifuge rather than any technology). To a point above, I might unspool it and then spool it back just to ensure that it’s not overlapping

Replace the cord with braided wire. Works a treat.

What is that?

 

[Jacko_G]

I have a petrol strimmer, it's ok but when talking to a greenkeeper one day who was out strimming the bankings of the tee I noticed they had a much bigger head and twine was about 8 times as thick as the stuff I use.

I have always been meaning to look for a bigger head so I can use thicker twine as stop start round the fence when it breaks is a pain in the hoop!

 

[chrisd]

The thicker the cord that the machine will take the better imo