In article m, Frank P wrote:
[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

Any ideas why the bump-feed doesn't work? I replaced the line in mine
a few days about and found that if the line isn't in correctly, it
can foul the mechanism and stop the bump-feed working. There's very
little to actually go wrong otherwise.

Useful ideas about replacement line from other people though. I have
a *lot* of weeds and long grass to strim at the moment and whilst the
normal line isn't really up to the job, the brush-cutter isn't quite the
right tool either.

James

On Thu, 20 May 2004 00:51:47 GMT, Frank P wrote:

[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

So, what's to stop me (other than for safety reasons) from replacing
the plastic line with say, stout steel wire?

Pros & Cons?

It may pay to experoment with different line thicknesses. When I
bought my Stihl strimmer it was fitted with the thickest available
line (brown) and the line broke very quickly. As I already had a bulk
reel of the next thickness down (yellow) I started to use that and
found it lasted much longer. It may of course have been that the brown
line was old and had become brittle though.

So far as the bump start is concerned, it pays not to put too much
line on the reel, otherwise it's difficult to wind it smoothly. I
reckon on about six feet.

--
Andy Minter

In article ,
says...
On Thu, 20 May 2004 00:51:47 GMT, Frank P wrote:

[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

So, what's to stop me (other than for safety reasons) from replacing
the plastic line with say, stout steel wire?

Pros & Cons?

It may pay to experoment with different line thicknesses. When I
bought my Stihl strimmer it was fitted with the thickest available
line (brown) and the line broke very quickly. As I already had a bulk
reel of the next thickness down (yellow) I started to use that and
found it lasted much longer. It may of course have been that the brown
line was old and had become brittle though.

So far as the bump start is concerned, it pays not to put too much
line on the reel, otherwise it's difficult to wind it smoothly. I
reckon on about six feet.


I gave up on bump start mechanisms as they all appeared to weld the line
on the reel

Current Stihl has a simple pull and twist on the head which releases a
fixed amount of line. So far I have had no problems with the line
sticking together.

Recommended length of line is 2.5m x 2


Paul Mc Cann

In article m, Frank P wrote:
[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

Any ideas why the bump-feed doesn't work? I replaced the line in mine
a few days about and found that if the line isn't in correctly, it
can foul the mechanism and stop the bump-feed working. There's very
little to actually go wrong otherwise.

Useful ideas about replacement line from other people though. I have
a *lot* of weeds and long grass to strim at the moment and whilst the
normal line isn't really up to the job, the brush-cutter isn't quite the
right tool either.

James

On Thu, 20 May 2004 00:51:47 GMT, Frank P wrote:

[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

So, what's to stop me (other than for safety reasons) from replacing
the plastic line with say, stout steel wire?

Pros & Cons?

It may pay to experoment with different line thicknesses. When I
bought my Stihl strimmer it was fitted with the thickest available
line (brown) and the line broke very quickly. As I already had a bulk
reel of the next thickness down (yellow) I started to use that and
found it lasted much longer. It may of course have been that the brown
line was old and had become brittle though.

So far as the bump start is concerned, it pays not to put too much
line on the reel, otherwise it's difficult to wind it smoothly. I
reckon on about six feet.

--
Andy Minter

In article ,
says...
On Thu, 20 May 2004 00:51:47 GMT, Frank P wrote:

[Note crossposted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.gardening]

I have an old 28cc McCulloch Strimmer (without brushcutter attachment)
and I'm getting really tired of having to replace the line, and the
'bump feed' has never worked since day one so I'm forever having to
stop to feed out more line from the spool.

So, what's to stop me (other than for safety reasons) from replacing
the plastic line with say, stout steel wire?

Pros & Cons?

It may pay to experoment with different line thicknesses. When I
bought my Stihl strimmer it was fitted with the thickest available
line (brown) and the line broke very quickly. As I already had a bulk
reel of the next thickness down (yellow) I started to use that and
found it lasted much longer. It may of course have been that the brown
line was old and had become brittle though.

So far as the bump start is concerned, it pays not to put too much
line on the reel, otherwise it's difficult to wind it smoothly. I
reckon on about six feet.


I gave up on bump start mechanisms as they all appeared to weld the line
on the reel

Current Stihl has a simple pull and twist on the head which releases a
fixed amount of line. So far I have had no problems with the line
sticking together.

Recommended length of line is 2.5m x 2


Paul Mc Cann