Why not put an electrical copper wire into the weed whacker?
GHenry
"string".
I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.
I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?
I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?
Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)
J Burns
Vibration and flexing make copper brittle. I imagine a flying piece of
wire could endanger the eyesight of passersby some distance away.
Twenty years ago I used to see ads for weed whacker heads using flailing
chain-saw chain. None for me, thanks.
Dean Hoffman
There are a lot of heads like this: > http://tinyurl.com/2bcpcux
Some look a lot like a skillsaw blade. I've never tried them so can't
say how well they work.
FatterDumber& Happier Moe
I use the "titanium" string made by Husqvarna. It holds up better
than anything else I've used. Also when cutting it's the the far end of
the string that does the cutting not the middle. The more you make the
"end" cut the longer the string will last.
dadiOH
Copper wire wouldn't last but you can replace the string head with one that
uses flails, either chain or metal (or plastic) blades.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=flail+head&Nty=1&D=flail+head&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial
The chain flails don't cut neatly but are effective. I used one for some
time to whack down 6-8' tall dog fennel, worked OK. Ultimately, I added a
couple of wide 6" saber saw blades to the ends of the chains, worked even
better.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
HeyBub
I've used that style. It works well but eventually the "blades" get worn
down and have to be replaced. No big deal and not expensive (a set of 12 is
about $5).
Stormin Mormon
guessing.
Though, I've met people who have had thier AC electrical line cut by
folks with trimmers.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
<james...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:rrn536hjam0hceu6u...@4ax.com...
>
>I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14
>gauge or
>so, into the weed whacker?
>
>Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
>dangerous.)
Many men have lost their manhood that way. Do you want to lose yours?
jamesgangnc
> GHenry wrote:
> > I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
> > "string".
>
> > I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only
> > lasts a few minutes in touch terrain.
>
> > I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14
> > gauge or so, into the weed whacker?
>
> > I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a
> > coat hanger perhaps)?
>
> > Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
> > dangerous.)
>
> Copper wire wouldn't last but you can replace the string head with one that
>
> The chain flails don't cut neatly but are effective. I used one for some
> time to whack down 6-8' tall dog fennel, worked OK. Ultimately, I added a
> couple of wide 6" saber saw blades to the ends of the chains, worked even
> better.
>
> --
>
> dadiOH
> ____________________________
>
> dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
> ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
> LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
> Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico
I have one of those chain ones and it got a "recall". They supplied
plastic replacement blades free to anyone that asked. Seems the
chains were wearing out the pin that held them in. You can get
triangular solid metal blades for rough work.
LSMFT
Just make a metal blade for it. Cut out a piece of lawnmower blade and
sharpen it on a grinder. Bolt it on.
--
LSMFT
I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.
I don't like to interrupt her.
GHenry
>>I mean, why does it use plastic?
>> Why not copper or steel wire
Understood. But lawn mower blades aren't made of plastic.
Jigsaw blades aren't made of plastic.
Drill bits aren't made of plastic.
Lawn cultivators and edger blades aren't made of plastic.
etc.
Point is, LOTS of cutting things we use can hurt us.
But, my plastic string trimmer lasts only about 5 minutes between refills.
My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5 minutes.
Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.
Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?
GHenry
> it's the the far end of the string that does the cutting not the middle.
> The more you make the "end" cut the longer the string will last.
I don't understand what you mean here but I will google to see if there is
a good explanation on the web of what you intimate.
GHenry
> Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.
>
> Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
> trimmer materials don't exist yet?
Ah. I read the rest of the posts. Sturdier (i.e., metal) materials DO exist
for string trimmers!
I like the ideas posited. Flailing chains and saw blades. I wonder if the
head will fit my Craftsman string trimmer though. Plus there's that safety
cover with the blade that cuts the string if I put one in that's too long.
Interesting that the flailing chains and saw blades were proven, but no
metal wires.
DerbyDad03
re: "My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes."
Start your jigsaw and ram it full speed into the material you want to
cut; include a rock or chain link fence in the mix.
Let us know how long it lasts.
re: "My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes."
Start your drill and ram it full speed into the material you want to
cut; include a rock or chain link fence in the mix.
Let us know how long it lasts.
re: "My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5
minutes."
I'll assume you aren't cultivating or edging rocks or chain link
fences. If you are, let us know how long they last.
re: "Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers. "
I'm guessing it's the force they undergo when be rammed full speed
into the material you want to cut, including rocks or chain link
fences.
GHenry
> I use 120 line in my trimmers with a special hub that you just insert
> 2 six inch lengths of the line into.
> 120 will knock down just about anything and survive quite a long
> time on concrete for edging etc....
I just checked my stock.
I have 150 feet of 0.130" "nylon" string which I cut into foot-long lengths
to fit into the Craftsman string trimmer.
Mine only last a few minutes, five or ten at the most before they're
cheweed up to an inch or three sticking out (which is probably about 8
inches long but more than half of that is unusable inside the center cap).
So, I'm pretty surprised you say 0.120 will "survive quite a long time"
since I only get about five or ten minutes out of 0.130 nylon line.
PS: No, I'm not hitting chain-link fences; I'm just hitting weeds and brush
at most about 1/4 inch thick. Very rocky soil though.
jamesgangnc
Get a twin line bump and feed hub. That business of sticking little
sections in is idiocy if you work up against concrete or brick. And
if you are using it as an edger, stop, get an edger. A stick edger.
You'll never go back. I edge my sidewalks, drive, and the curb in
about 10 minutes. I have one of the ones with the swapable
attachments. The little chain saw is also great for pruning trees.
GHenry
> I have 150 feet of 0.130" "nylon" string which I cut into foot-long lengths
> to fit into the Craftsman string trimmer.
>
> Mine only last a few minutes, five or ten at the most
I just measured the string size after I cut the 150 feet 0.130 nylon.
Each cut is an 18 inch length (based on a saved sample of an original 16"
string); and of those 18 inches, only six inches protrudes out each hole
(so 6 inches is always wasted inside the spool).
Of the protruding six inches, about 2 inches are left after five or ten
minutes, so the "wear" is about 4 inches per side per ten minutes.
That's about 24 inches per hour per side.
dadiOH
I suppose you could use thin, stranded (flexible) wire. Something like
1/16 - 1/8 7x19 stainless. End would tend to unwind though...maybe a nico
press on it?
GHenry
> I have one of the ones with the swapable attachments.
> The little chain saw is also great for pruning trees.
Hi James,
I have (probably) the same weed whacker you have!
Craftsman Model 358.791170 which takes multiple attachments.
Please tell me more about how well/poorly the attachments work because I
only have the weed-wacker attachment.
I never bought the edger or pruner attachments (although I could sorely use
both but I wondered how well/badly they worked).
BTW, be warned, my Craftsman trimmer has the "built with Sim-Pul for smooth
easy starts" (which is a crock because twice I had to replace the entire
starter assembly because the clutch didn't disengage so the weed trimmer
melted the plastic starter assembly).
Gordon Shumway
>Point is, LOTS of cutting things we use can hurt us.
>But, my plastic string trimmer lasts only about 5 minutes between refills.
>
>My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes.
>My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes.
>My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5 minutes.
>
>Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.
I got a great idea. Because you don't want to take the advise of
other, wiser individuals why don't you just do what your bright mind
tells you to do. Go ahead and use a wire and let us know how it
works. One caution though, make sure nobody is anywhere in sight when
you fire that trimmer up the shit his the fan.
GHenry
> I got a great idea. Because you don't want to take the advise of
Hi Gordon,
Who said I'm not taking the advice? I'm only asking the question.
About the only advice I won't take is yours (which would be idiocy to just
fire it up and see what happens).
I have no intention of doing anything any more dangerous than what we all
do every day with the rest of our power tools.
I'm trying to find out if stronger material exist, and, apparently, as
people have posited, they DO exist.
We're just exploring the possibilities (it seems like it's YOU who is
jumping to conclusions without thinking ahead, not us).
But I do thank you for your advise (sic).
jamesgangnc
No, I have a ryobi. It's also "easy pull" so I suspect your craftsman
may be a ryobi. Sears doesn't actually make anything. It's worth
keeping up with who is making stuff for them as sometimes you can get
a deal on an item that would be pricier under it's original label. I
still have a big mac chain saw I bought under their label 30 years
back when mac was the name to get.
It ought to start in a couple pulls or maybe you are priming too much
or too little. Usually it's hard starting the results in broken
starters.
They standardized the attachment mounts among most of these. I have
the little chain saw and the pruner but I think they are a different
brand. One of them came with a 2 foot extension pole. I already had
a dedicated stick edger but I'm sure the attachemnt one would be about
the same. I have a number of high trimming and pruning chores that I
have to do a couple times a year so these worked well for my needs
because of the reach. So I'm not really using them enough to tell if
they have wear issues. If I was doing it for a living I would get all
dedicated stuff.but as a homeowner it's just too expensive.
GHenry
> So how much total 130 do you have sticking out the hub when you start?
> And what size motor in your trimmer?
Of the 18 inches of the 150 feet of 0.130" nylon strands I cut (the
original strand was about 16 inches but I make mine longer ostensibly so
they last longer), 6 inches stick out of each side of the hub.
The motor is on a Craftsman 358.791170 which if I look it up has a manual
at http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0901278.pdf
The manual says it's a "33cc/2.0 cu.in. 2-cycle gasoline weedwacker" and
that it meets California emissions regulations for small off-road engines.
It takes optional attachments (none of which I have):
Edger ................. 358.79240
Cultivator ............ 358.79241
Blower ................ 358.79242
Brushcutter ........... 358.79244
Pruner ................ 358.79245
It says to use red line (#71-85908) for cutting grass and small
weeds and black colored line (#71-85909) for cutting larger weeds and light
brush.
The soil is (rather young) typical Franscisian sediments, only about 30
million years old, so there are no solid (as in granite) "rocks" per se, no
quartz, no conglomerate, just soft shales and limestones and harder chert;
but, the soil is almost wholly chips and flakes of deep ocean sediments so
the weedwacker will almost always touch something hard.
BTW, the instructions say never wack from right to left, only from left to
right (like you read a book), which is interesting in and of itself.
GHenry
> If I was doing it for a living I would get all
> dedicated stuff.but as a homeowner it's just too expensive.
Yeah. Even these attachments are $150 dollars or so (just for the
attachment).
I do need a good looooooong hedge trimmer as my 20 inch hedge trimmer is
too short for the tops of a line of very tall bushes that I can't reach
except on a ladder and even then I have to lean halfway over the ledge,
which is dangerous so I don't do it. A longer hedge trimmer (about 40
inches would be nice) is what I really need - but money is always an
object.
Likewise for the edger attachment. I have a few hundred yards of edging
that has been neglected. Sure I have a MANUAL edger, but, I'm getting too
old for that wheel and spring thingey. :(
If I KNEW the edger and/or hedge trimmer attachments were useful, I'd
likely get them over time though.
LdB
> I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
> "string".
>
> I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
> few minutes in touch terrain.
>
> I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
> so, into the weed whacker?
>
> I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
> hanger perhaps)?
>
> Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)
If you want to chew up the countryside why toy with a piece of copper
wire man. Get yourself one of these . That's a solid steel blade in
there. If you really want to make a mess of things you could replace
the normal blade with a 10" carbide tipped saw blade. Danger? Men
like you laugh at danger.
http://www.stihl.ca/ViewProduct.aspx?ProductID=17&x=FYHv+XF4mF7doeX4mc2vDQ
LdB
Nonny
"GHenry" <GHen...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:i0vaai$o7u$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
> On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:54:16 -0700, GHenry wrote:
>
>> Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.
>>
>> Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why
>> sturdier
>> trimmer materials don't exist yet?
>
> Ah. I read the rest of the posts. Sturdier (i.e., metal)
> materials DO exist
> for string trimmers!
>
than monofilament. It's one of those times, though, when you wear
long pants and wear safety goggles.
Nonny
--
On most days,
it's just not worth
the effort of chewing
through the restraints..
keith
Not sure they're the same units, but I have the Troy-Bilt 4-cycle
trimmer with a leaf blower and edger attachments. They work really
well. The only issue I have with the system is that the nozzle on the
blower is constantly blowing off. I could glue it on but then to get
it off...
I doubt it would have enough power for the cultivator, though (so I
didn't get one).
J Burns
>
> Of the 18 inches of the 150 feet of 0.130" nylon strands I cut (the
> original strand was about 16 inches but I make mine longer ostensibly so
> they last longer), 6 inches stick out of each side of the hub.
In my experience, longer strings wear much faster due to higher tip
speeds. The line I use splits, which makes it less effective for
cutting and quicker to disappear. For heavy cutting or chain-link
fences I'll snip the lines to less than the nominal 17" diameter.
>
> It says to use red line (#71-85908) for cutting grass and small
> weeds and black colored line (#71-85909) for cutting larger weeds and light
> brush.
I wonder what the specs are for those lines. Perhaps the line you
bought is unsuited to this trimmer.
I've used nylon trimmer blades whose manufacturer recommended soaking
before use so they'd be less brittle. Maybe soaking would help your line.
>
> BTW, the instructions say never wack from right to left, only from left to
> right (like you read a book), which is interesting in and of itself.
It depends on which way the head rotates. Mine rotates clockwise. If I
swing it to the right, the right side cuts, throwing debris toward me.
mkir...@rochester.rr.com
>
> Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
> trimmer materials don't exist yet?
Go ahead and try the wire. Ask again when the wire breaks off and
harpoons you in the ankle.
Trimmer string won't hurt you when it comes flying off the trimmer
head. Either it comes off in small harmless chunks, or it curls up
into a wad.
Circular saws, lawn mowers, etc. all have SHIELDS to protect you from
the blade if it should break or come apart. Jigsaws and drill bits
break when they're embedded in the material they're trying to cut, and
the material keeps the broken pieces from turning into shrapnel.
String trimmers don't have that kind of shielding. You couldn't get
close to whatever you were trimming around if they were properly
shielded.
Wires, saw blades, and chains will also cause damage to the things
you're trying to mow around. They will take chunks out of cinder
blocks. They will peel the bark off trees. They will gouge posts.
Fat lot of good trimming around the tree does you if you girth the
tree with the trimmer and cause it to die.
GHenry
> I have the Troy-Bilt 4-cycle trimmer with a leaf blower & edger attachments.
> They work really well.
Mine is a two stroke so it's probably different. But, it's good to know
that the edger actually works "very well". I might consider getting one.
As for leaf blowers, I ended up with the huge backpack two-stroke 180mph
Echo, which does a decent enough job.
I've had a whole series of two-stroke lawn vacuum/blowers (the type that
has that long nozzle and bag) but almost always:
- The blower is anemic
- The vacuum is pretty good
- But the bag zipper always breaks making the vacuum also useless
Maybe I'll open a separate thread on how to get a better outdoor yard work
vacuum for home. :)
GHenry
> longer strings wear much faster due to higher tip speeds.
If that's true, it's a trick on me that I added two inches to the 16-inch
string (to make it 18 inches) for the purpose of having the string last
longer ... only to find that it might make the string actually last
shorter! :(
keith
> On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 11:04:17 -0700 (PDT), keith wrote:
> > I have the Troy-Bilt 4-cycle trimmer with a leaf blower & edger attachments.
> > They work really well.
>
> Mine is a two stroke so it's probably different. But, it's good to know
> that the edger actually works "very well". I might consider getting one.
It does the job on my couple of hundred feet of edging each week,
anyway.
> As for leaf blowers, I ended up with the huge backpack two-stroke 180mph
> Echo, which does a decent enough job.
>
> I've had a whole series of two-stroke lawn vacuum/blowers (the type that
> has that long nozzle and bag) but almost always:
> - The blower is anemic
> - The vacuum is pretty good
> - But the bag zipper always breaks making the vacuum also useless
Let me elaborate, a little. I don't use it to blow leaves; got none
(left them behind in Vermont, with the taxes). I use it to blow the
grass clippings off the street and driveway after I do the edging. It
does a nice job of that, and the bark mulch, red sand, and Mica that
inevitably washes out of our flower beds.
Larry W
one myself so I can't say how way they work.
--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (H L Mencken)
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org
TheHack
> I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
> "string".
>
> I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts
> a few minutes in touch terrain.
>
> I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge
> or so, into the weed whacker?
>
> I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a
> coat hanger perhaps)?
>
> Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
> dangerous.)
>
***** DARWIN AWARD *****
Nonny
"Larry W" <lwas...@sdf.lNoOnSePsAtMar.org> wrote in message
news:i101me$dr1$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
> There are solid blade wheels available for many trimmers. I've
> never used
> one myself so I can't say how way they work.
When I was doing my own yard trimming, the string trimmer I had
came with a replacement lower end that held a flat bar of
about1/8" or 3/16" steel an inch or so wide and about 12" long.
It was used to edge alongside a walk or driveway, cutting a groove
in the soil like a traditional edger. It would have been terrible
as a line trimmer, but sure did a good job along the driveway and
sidewalk. You could also remove the knife-like blade and replace
it with a heavy duty circular saw-type blade to cut brush. The
trimmer came with a harness you wore in the situation that
prevented the long tube and blade from coming close to operator
body parts.
For trimming around stone walls, foundations and decorative rocks,
however, my replacement "line" of aircraft cable did the trick.
Nonny
--
On most days,
it�s just not worth
Smitty Two
<7aac9253-e2e9-45ae...@b35g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>,
jamesgangnc <james...@gmail.com> wrote:
> And
> if you are using it as an edger, stop, get an edger. A stick edger.
> You'll never go back.
Eh? What's a stick edger?
timscott9
>
Besides the 48 in. per hr. of cutting string, u you also have to calculate
your time that it takes to change that string. RIDICULES!!!I went and asked
at my sears store if there was a replacement "tap & go" head for this
aggravating thing. From the Sears salesperson (and a consensuses of store
employees) "I don't know". I was told to check with local lawn mower shop
to see if they had some different heads that I might try. So much for
Sear's knowledgeable personnel. Just happened to have an old head in my
shop from a previous weedeater which I owned, tried it and it fit
perfectly (lucky)I don't remember what it came off of and didn't have any
name brand on it, so I hope that I don't have to replace it. The head was a
large capacity head that will hold up to 0.105 line size, which is plenty
big enough and besides none of it is wasted. I now have nothing against the
Weedwacker. Plenty of power (33cc), starts every time and with the head
fully loaded, I can cut until it runs out of gas. (The way it should be!!!)
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