Thick trimmer line question??

[GarPA]

I'm embarrased to ask this ? but I will. I usually use .95 guage or lower but I have a knock down to do and I bought the real thick stuff ECHO makes. I cant remember what guage it is but its really thick. How do I get this stuff thru the little holes on the trimmer spool??? I tried to widen the hole but I didn't want to break the spool holes. Do I need a different spool to be able to load this stuff??? dahhh....thanks

[BobR]

I do not think that echo makes a manual or bump head that will accommodate the 115 trimmer line as it is just too big (diameter),
I picked up one of those 'rapid loader' replacement heads to try the bigger line and was so disgusted with it (way to much wasted time and line) that it now resides in the trailer 'junk box'. Do not punch out the metal eyelets on your 95 head cuz it will then be useless. I was looking for a line that would not wear as fast as the echo crossfire 95 but the 115 and rapid loader was a waste when attempting to use it for trimming on lawns. Maybe good for 'field' or 'ditch cleaning' of big weeds.
BobR

[GarPA]

ok Bob...but hmmmm...Echo makes a line that is too big for the spools they sell...now there has to be an answer here some way somehow I would think...and yes this is for some major overgrowth where a brush mower wont get close enough to the bldg.

[o-so-n-so]

My stihl trimmers come with .95 line size. My thinking on cutting is the smaller the line the cleaner the cut. Without compromising fast wear I went to .80 line. To make this work I drilled smaller holes in all my spools. I would think you could do the same with the echo spools. Don't drill out the existing holes so you can go back to your standard line.

I use a commercial grade line and it will cut all types of stuff except woody brush. If your just cutting overgrown grass and weeds your standard line should do OK. Put on the proper safety gear and crank it up to full throttle and get with it.

[BobR]

Maybe they do make a head (echo) I was caught up in the 'rapid loader' thing at the time of my purchase, If you want I will mail the **** thing to you (if I can find it), it is only the 2 line model that fits an echo straight shaft but I will never use it again. just e-mail me your info to rowe@superior.net
BobR

[Shady Brook]

Use a small punch, or nail that is a bit bigger then the hole in the head for the line, and knock it through. Cut your line on a diagonal, so there is a point, and use some needle nose pliers to push it though the hole, and yank it out the other side. You may get buy with just cutting the line on an angle, and feeding it though with the pliers if you are using something like 105. I use some 130, and had to bore out the holes a bit. Works great for me. Hope you have something in the echo 260, 2601 range.

Jay

[awm]

to bad u cant put a brush cutter head on for that heavy stuff.

[Bluesteel]

I wouldn’t modify the spool unless you plan on using this size from here on out. I bought some .095” square Gator Line Magnum to knock down some Cattails. But I guess they measure that stuff across the flats instead of across the corners. Anyway, it wouldn’t fit, so I used some wire cutters to cut the line at an extreme angle (instead of straight across). With a few other snips here and there, it worked into those little holes.

By the way, I knocked down 110 x 10 yards of a weeks growth of Cattails in less than 20 minutes with that stuff. If the Navy Seals used a weed-whacker, they’d have square Gator Line Magnum on the spool. LOL

[65hoss]

Originally posted by Bluesteel
By the way, I knocked down 110 x 10 yards of a weeks growth of Cattails in less than 20 minutes with that stuff. If the Navy Seals used a weed-whacker, they’d have square Gator Line Magnum on the spool. LOL

lol! I agree. It would be the Seals line of choice.

I have the Stihl trimmers and the Gator line goes in without any problems. My openings are will take much bigger than .095. I've had .105 with room left over before.

[Green Thumb Lawncare]

My Echo uses .095 line, and cam with the fire wire which was a bunch of ----, but I went to the red line that is .105, and it works a lot better, no modifications needed at all. you may try that size, also the dealer told me that the .105 is all that the local LCO's are using now.

[TLS]

The Echo Spools come with 2 holes in the spool. Drill one out a little bigger to use the BIG stuff (.130) and keep the other for the smaller stuff.

I personally LOVE the .105 Echo Crossfire line. I buy it in small 3lb spools and feel it takes a LOT less power to spin than the SQUARE line and the Crossfire has the same benefit of the square, the line acts like a mower blade and actually cuts. Regular round line will fray grass tips while the Crossfire and Square line will cut it cleaner.

[Green Thumb Lawncare]

I've used the croddfire in the past, and it is very good for trimming around trees and the such, but is worthless when edging sidewalks and driveways.

[TLS]

Originally posted by Green Thumb Lawncare
but is worthless when edging sidewalks and driveways.

Why is that?

As ANY brand line gets old, it gets brittle and wears REAL FAST. Is this what you were experiencing?

[Green Thumb Lawncare]

No, when i bought my new trimmer, it came with the crossfire on it, and I also went ahead and bought an extra roll and it went in the first week. And I only do yards in the evenings after my FT job. But since I have gone to the .105 size line, one full spool of that wil last me a week. I have found that when the grass is drier, or the homeowners don't water as much it makes the string break even faster, but the thicher stuff still works better in my opinion.