Is it just me with strimmers?

[Ret.]

I have a modest suburban garden with a lawn at the back. I am now on my
second strimmer - which I use solely for lawn edging. I got rid of my
initial Black and Decker because the strimming cord was constantly breaking.
My current Flymo strimmer is (supposedly) purpose designed for lawn edging,
with a curved handle for 'upside down' use - and a roller for running along
the edge of the lawn.

Despite this, once again, the strimming cord is constantly breaking. Often I
cannot get more than six inches along the lawn edge before once again the
cord breaks and the motor screams as it runs free. This necessitates
standing the strimmer on its handle, removing the cord spool cover, feeding
the cord through the hole, replacing the cover and starting over - before
the cord breaks again after a few inches, or a foot or so of edging, and I
have to go through the whole procedure again.

I've just come in from the garden to calm down after flinging the damn
strimmer across the lawn after the umpteenth cord break! I have tried
various different 'grades' of strimming cord - the one in the strimmer at
present is supposedly 'Heavy Duty'...... Ha! I wouldn't call it heavy duty
when it snaps after a few inches of lawn edging!!!

So, any ideas anyone? Is it indeed 'just me' - or does anyone else have
this problem? Can anyone recommend a strimmer that edges lawns without the
cord constantly breaking?

Ret.

[Bob Hobden]

"Ret." wrote

Two things..
You will find most UK gardeners on.. uk.rec.gardening
Strimmer cord is best kept moist, if you let it dry out it becomes brittle.
I use a 2 stroke petrol strimmer and the (green) cord lasts ages unless I'm
doing brambles etc.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

[the_constructor]

"Ret." <xxx> wrote in message
news:69WdnZUYC95lgX7U...@pipex.net...

You are not by yourself. I too have suffered in this way over the years and
now that I find gardening a real chore due to illness, I have thrown the
stimmer and lawnmower away and got myself a neighbour to cut my grass. He
now can have the problems I was, but doesn't seem to.

Jim G

[Bob Hobden]

"the_constructor" wrote
>
>
>"Ret."wrote

>>I have a modest suburban garden with a lawn at the back. I am now on my
>>second strimmer - which I use solely for lawn edging. I got rid of my
>>initial Black and Decker because the strimming cord was constantly
>>breaking. My current Flymo strimmer is (supposedly) purpose designed for
>>lawn edging, with a curved handle for 'upside down' use - and a roller for
>>running along the edge of the lawn.
>>
>> Despite this, once again, the strimming cord is constantly breaking.
>> Often I cannot get more than six inches along the lawn edge before once
>> again the cord breaks and the motor screams as it runs free. This
>> necessitates standing the strimmer on its handle, removing the cord spool
>> cover, feeding the cord through the hole, replacing the cover and
>> starting over - before the cord breaks again after a few inches, or a
>> foot or so of edging, and I have to go through the whole procedure again.
>>
>> I've just come in from the garden to calm down after flinging the damn
>> strimmer across the lawn after the umpteenth cord break! I have tried
>> various different 'grades' of strimming cord - the one in the strimmer at
>> present is supposedly 'Heavy Duty'...... Ha! I wouldn't call it heavy
>> duty when it snaps after a few inches of lawn edging!!!
>>
>> So, any ideas anyone? Is it indeed 'just me' - or does anyone else have
>> this problem? Can anyone recommend a strimmer that edges lawns without
>> the cord constantly breaking?
>>
>
>

>You are not by yourself. I too have suffered in this way over the years and
>now that I find gardening a real chore due to illness, I have thrown the
>stimmer and lawnmower away and got myself a neighbour to cut my grass. He
>now can have the problems I was, but doesn't seem to.
>

I expect your cord is getting dry, seriously, it lasts a lot longer if it is
kept damp/wet. I always dip my strimmer head into water to wet the cord both
before I start and when I finish using the machine. Dry cord cracks and then
breaks easily.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

[Letty]

No, you certainly are not alone. Along with line breakage I have the
problem with the coils of line in the cutter head being flung around
with sufficient violence during running to weld one coil upon another at
many places in the coil. I have tried different types of line, coiling
the line precisely, coiling the line imprecisely even lubricating the
line in the head with WD40 and mineral oil (separately). Yes, I know of
the potential effects of mineral oil upon plastic line but we're talking
desperation here, in any case the oil had no discernible effect, either
in terms of diminishing the welding problem, or of further line
weakening/ embrittlement.

I cannot comment upon the "soaking" idea never having tried it, other
than to say plastic is not totally impervious to water but the
characteristic is not very pronounced either, so I do have reservations,
particularly with regard to the nil effect of the lubricants mentioned
in para1.

One thing I did notice with the line head on my strimmer was that a
groove had worn in the brass eyelet where the line exits. This could be
causing excessive line flexure at this point by trapping the line when
in motion and not allowing the slight degree of "float" needful to avoid
breakage. The breakage does seem to have been a problem that has become
progressively worse over the time of use of the strimmer, so maybe?

I haven't tried any maintenance on the eyelet because it is a
non-replaceable part, being expanded into the plastic if the head and I
feel that any attempt at removal could result in "death" for the
strimmer, plus I cannot think of any suitable filler for the groove
which does not involve heat or is likely to withstand the service
conditions (brass, the original material only lasted a few years of very
moderate usage).

I was thinking of "solving" the problem by throwing it in the bin and
buying another model, so glad to read that other models suffer the same
problem. Thus my solution may not be a way out after all.

My strimmer, by the way, is a cheapo Flymo.

No real solution but oodles of sympathy from someone in similar straits!

[Bob Hobden]

"Letty" wrote ...

This is from the Stihl web site.... and if it applies to their strimmers it
certainly applies to cheaper ones.

"Storing mowing lines wet
To keep a mowing line elastic, remove the spool from the mowing head and
store it in a damp place. Two or three days before the start of the new
season, place the line in water to keep it flexible and supple (this also
applies to the PolyCut blade)."

I rest my case.

[Letty]

Well Bob

I don't accept the doubtful logic that what applies to Stihl products
necessarily applies to other strimmers, cheaper or otherwise, as this
pre-supposes that the line material is identical, also the operating
conditions, which may not be the case. However, in the absence of any
other solutions it does seem a reasonable avenue to test and I will
certainly do so.

I do read the manufacturers information supplied with new products and
cannot recall any warnings about line brittleness being created by dry
conditions contained within them, in which case that is a most remiss
omission on the part of Flymo and cannot do the reputation of their
products any good whatsoever.

Thank you for the information. It is of value and interest.

Regards

Letty

[Bob Hobden]

"Letty" wrote >

>Well Bob
>
>I don't accept the doubtful logic that what applies to Stihl products
>necessarily applies to other strimmers, cheaper or otherwise, as this
>pre-supposes that the line material is identical, also the operating
>conditions, which may not be the case. However, in the absence of any other
>solutions it does seem a reasonable avenue to test and I will certainly do
>so.
>
>I do read the manufacturers information supplied with new products and
>cannot recall any warnings about line brittleness being created by dry
>conditions contained within them, in which case that is a most remiss
>omission on the part of Flymo and cannot do the reputation of their
>products any good whatsoever.
>
>Thank you for the information. It is of value and interest.
>
>

My thinking was that they are about the best machines in the world and they
need to have their line kept damp so others certainly would.

And from a Husqvarna strimmer manual....
"To increase the life of the cord it can be soaked in
water for a couple of days. This will make the line
tougher so that it lasts longer".