Weed eaters (line trimmers) spools wear out for a variety of reason due to intended usage, operator abuse, and the materials their made of. The Short answer as of “why” is basically because when the spool line is spinning the operator is either in constant contact with ground level, or the operator is quickly wearing through the spool line which forces the operator to lower the head (spool) to ground level. Although wear and tear is typical of all trimmers, hard landscape and rough surfaces tend to do the most damage. In the article below, we will discuss in detail why this happens and how to make your power equipment last longer along with safety issues and other concerns.
Why do Spools Wear Out?
Most weed eater, or line trimmer spools wear out simply because they are made to chomp through weeds and other plant material that is not desirable on one’s property. Usually, spools have a life span depending on usage which can either be residential, or commercial and each spool is designed for each application.
For most residential usage, the wear of a weed eater head (spool) tends to last a lot longer because it is mainly used for small lots containing thin plant material and some minor border edging along grass lines, or other lawn and garden features. Usually usage is minimal and will generally last a lot longer.
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Whereas, commercial usage are generally larger lots with thick organic materials and variety of different terrain which also wears out the head, but are made of a better quality and thicker material.
This is why companies sell different types of spools and weed eater lines to handle each accordingly. For the most part, I would recommend purchasing, if possible a thicker gauge line, because you will quickly realize how fast weed eater line wears out.
As with each application, the general purpose of a weed eater spool is to house weed eater line. Typically spools, or “heads” are designed to release the line when the spool is tapped on the ground while the spool is spinning letting gravity eject the line that is worn down. However, there are other setups that you have to manually press a button on the spool to achieve the same action.
As far as inside of the spool, what happens is that when the spool is spinning, over a period of time, the line reservoir gets embedded because the revolving action squeezes the spool with the line it holds causing cracks and breaks inside and out. This is typical of line trimmers and is a normal wear issues across all grades of weed eater power equipment.
Additionally, sometimes if a grass or lawn area gets out of hand, other types of equipment are required to completely clear out an area. For more information on what happens, check out this article. What Can Possibly Happen if you don’t Cut Your Grass?
If your interested in a line trimmer, click here to view more.
Causes of Weed Eater Spools Wearing Out
While either setup is personal preference, basically all spools are made up of a hard plastic material. Therefore, when the spool is in constant contact with dirt, rocks, concrete, cement, or any abrasive material, the base of spool is usually the first to wear out and a sign of this is when the line doesn’t eject when spool head is tapped to release more line.
This again is all dependent on how much the weed eater itself is used, and depending on how much wear, will make it unusable because weed eater line can no longer be fed out the spool. Usually you will notice the cap of head (spool) is worn down which gets filled with debris and you can no longer be press down to eject more line. Once this happens, you will need to purchase another one.
On the other end, spools will wear out due to users abuse meaning that if someone is using a line trimmer for other uses other than recommended, wear tends to happen rather quickly. As for all power equipment, proper training as user techniques should be accompanied with personal protective equipment (PPE).
Can you Make a Spool Last Longer?
Generally, spools will last longer if the user does not place the head of the spool directly on the surface while clearing out plant material. This tends to wear out spools quickly because the rapid spinning action on rough surfaces eats away at the plastic base resulting in abuse and eventually having to purchase another head (spool) all together.
To avoid this, the user should angle the head (spool) towards the ground about 4 inches to make plant material clearing more effective. This will avoid wearing down the head while forcing the weed eater line to do its job. It’s always easier and cheaper down the road to buy a bundle of line rather than replacing the spool setup. Also, depending on your setup, it can get rather pricey.
This also applies to electric weed eaters (line trimmers) because they perform the same task. The only difference is some trimmers are either gas, 2 cycle which is a mixture of gas and oil, or as specified electric. Again, it’s all up to personal preference.
Which Weed Eater Spool Last Longer?
This all depends on your specific application and needs. If you’re a person that loves to keep a neat and trimmed yard, it would probably best to get a medium grade trimmer because the spool itself will be a thicker material, as well as, the line itself. In turn, each will last a lot longer and the job can be performed faster and more effective.
Although there are many brands one can choose from, it’s always a good idea to purchase something that can be easily maintained where parts and accessories are readily available such as Echo, Black and Decker, Husqvarna, RYOBI, STIHL, Toro, and many others.
Usually when purchasing, they will specify their usage meaning how many CC’s the engine produces. So, the higher the CC’s, the higher the spinner and cutting power you will have at the head.
Additionally, the more power a trimmer has the faster the head will spin which eats away at thin spool line rather quick. This is where purchasing quality equipment and material is beneficial because you will get more life and usage and in turn, save money. This also applies to all other lawn and garden equipment such as digging, cleaning and all power tools. As always, check with the manufactures recommendations.
For more reading on tools if your a beginner gardener check out out article here. What Tools Should a Beginner Gardener Have?
Other Safety Concerns
What is typical of all power equipment is safety and should always come first. While line trimmers are safe, things do happen. Usually, the dangers come from flying debris that can potentially harm or injury one’s eye, or fly out and injure someone else. This is why it is always best to keep guards in place and keep distance between yourself and others. Additionally, if the spool is completely worn down, sometimes it gets detached from the trimmer and becomes airborne.
What I have always witnessed is a lot of residential gardeners using trimmers with no eye and guard protection while edging a border along lawns. This always made me wonder because they have the line trimmer spool horizontal why debris is flying behind them. I understand why they don’t use a guard which is for visibility issues, but for whoever has been hit with flying rocks or other hard materials know exactly what it feels like.
In my opinion, the bare minimum protection one should use is good rated eye protection, along with a long sleeve shirt, pants and boots. Again, this is all dependent on the landscape you are working with, but always keep safety in mind. You only have one set of eyes.
Final Thoughts
Although weed eaters (line trimmers) perform a basic function, they do a lot of work that takes the place of manual labor. When used correctly, they tend to last for a very long time and very little parts need to be changed out, and with the proper training you should have no problems with the power equipment you chose to purchase. Hope this answer your questions. Happy and safe gardening.
