Strimmer line

[breakwellmz]

Having got fed up with nylon strimmer line constantly breaking in my petrol strimmer i put this together this morning.It`s a nylon covered steel cable, can it be that simple or am i missing something?

[beardy]

What happens when it eventually breaks, at some time it may do so, and then you have bits of high speed flying metal wire.
Also it can damage more things that you are strimming near to, the plastic line is a bit kinder during accidental contacts with tree bark, plant pots etc.

I just bought thicker wire (4mm I think) and reached a point where I dont have to extend the cord for about a tankful of strimming, compared to almost non-stop with thinner line.
The poundland stuff would have to be on continuous feed but it isnt really meant for petrol strimmers.

[breakwellmz]

Hi.

The spool eyelets limit the line diameter to about 2,5mm on mine,this is a 1,6mm stainless inner(like a HD brake cable)in a nylon sheath.
I take your point about potentially damaging other stuff but have you seen a brush cutter in action?
I`ll put my industrial wellies on when i use it.

Cheers

[Psamathe]

What happens when it eventually breaks, at some time it may do so, and then you have bits of high speed flying metal wire.
Also it can damage more things that you are strimming near to, the plastic line is a bit kinder during accidental contacts with tree bark, plant pots etc.

I just bought thicker wire (4mm I think) and reached a point where I dont have to extend the cord for about a tankful of strimming, compared to almost non-stop with thinner line.
The poundland stuff would have to be on continuous feed but it isnt really meant for petrol strimmers.

I agree about the steel being dangerous.

And like yourself I switched to 4mm plastic wire, not of a continuous feed but I have a special "head" that takes between 1 and 4 pre-cut lengths of 4mm. And the 4mm really lasts. And I use it to cut some heavy duty weeks, not just trimming the edges of a lawn. The head I use is
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog/Power_Strim_4.html (though I got it somewhere else).

Ian

[PDQ]

I expect the steel will fatigue at the eye in the strimmer head it could then break off as a lump. So watch for others around. Agree with other comments about more damage to plants etc. Wear googles!
It may not last as well as you hoped depending on what you work on.

I have found Oregon Duoline to be very, very durable. It too has metal core but only one thin strand in normal strimmer nylon. Its not expensive comparatively either.

[Mick F]

I am not unfamiliar with brushcutters and strimmers.

I now buy a strimmer line that is black, five-sided, has alu flecks in it, and is very hard. It will happily cut through thick brambles where I used to use a four-bladed steel disc for it before.

This is the stuff, and I highly recommend it. I use the 3mm line.
It outperforms ANYTHING I've tried before. Normal nylon line doesn't even come close.
http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/strim ... OR-1A.aspx

[breakwellmz]

Thanks all.

That looks and sounds impressive thanks Mick and not expensive either really.

Cheers.

[Mick F]

Plus, coz it lasts, you use less of it.
Cheap nylon line gets used up very quickly so it's a false economy.

Believe me, I've tried it. We have a couple of acres of woodland and it's infested with brambles. It took me two or three years of strimming each autumn/winter to get on top of it. Now it just need maintenance though I left it a few years until my last attack. I mustn't let it get a hold again.

We are surrounded by woodland and nobody other than me is doing much about it, so I'm constantly fighting the encroaching jungle.

[breakwellmz]

I tried out my nylon covered steel cable today-It wouldn`t even cut grass,we both looked in disbelief as it didn`t cut a single blade!
As useful as the chocolate teapot.

[Mick F]

What you need is POWER.
Nice big petrol brushcutter like wot I've got. It'll cut through trees.

[Heltor Chasca]

I'd be interested in a progress report I am a gardener and use up loads of chord. I also buy the metal-flecked 5 sided Oregon line and it is better by far. Has the wire DIY set-up got any 'give' should something go wrong? That is: Will it snap if you hit something like a metal post rather than wind you into a tangle?

I'm impressed. I love it when people think outside the box...hc

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I have seen a circular saw blade on a strimmer
I sure thats *&^%$£! dangerous

[Mick F]

Yes, it is.
I have a four tooth blade and an eight tooth blade.

The eight tooth is more like a circular saw!

[Psamathe]

Yes, it is.
I have a four tooth blade and an eight tooth blade.

The eight tooth is more like a circular saw! :shock:

I never got on with the 8-tooth blade on mine. In fact the best blade I ever had was like a flat strip (sharpened leading edges) about 2" wide and with about 1" of each end bent down through 90 degrees. It was brilliant for brambles (as in loads on really old dense brambles) as you just lifted the head above the brambles and lowered the blade down into the bushes and the brambles were all shredded. Sort of cutting vertically rather than the more normal horizontal sweeping use. The shop I got the blades (in France) .. I had to be careful as some assistants insisted my strimmer was not powerful enough for them and others said it was fine (I've a Sthil FS160 - from memory). Still they worked and the strimmer is fine. And I had a massive amount to do and the bent down tips did slowly erode away.

Ian

[breakwellmz]

I am not unfamiliar with brushcutters and strimmers.

I now buy a strimmer line that is black, five-sided, has alu flecks in it, and is very hard. It will happily cut through thick brambles where I used to use a four-bladed steel disc for it before.

This is the stuff, and I highly recommend it. I use the 3mm line.
It outperforms ANYTHING I've tried before. Normal nylon line doesn't even come close.
http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/strim ... OR-1A.aspx

I used this for the first time today, very impressed.I`ve got a healthy 24cc two-stroke behind it so plenty of oomph.
Thanks for that Mick.