Weedeater - Well, this is a new one

[CPA]

We call them weed eaters around here. Yes, we know it's a brand just like crescent wrench and kleenex, but people know what you're talking about when you say weed eater. When I'm searching for parts on the internet I know to type "string trimmer" in the search box for best results.

I learned something from this thread though. I never knew the auto-feed spools worked by bumping them on the ground. I used that info to great effect yesterday.

How did you think they worked? More importantly, how did you feed more line without bumping it on the ground

 

[Minerva]

What brand/model is yours?

i never understood the point of gas trimmers - seems unnecessary to have an engine in such a trivial piece of equipment.

LOLOFOL!

You must live in the city!

Growing up we used a scythe like this one:

Echo is good, we have several. Stihl and Husqvarna also are nice. They have four stroke models now so you don't have to mix gas/oil but if you have it mixed you don't have to worry about clueless hands running them into the ground!

 

[SlitheryDee]

How did you think they worked? More importantly, how did you feed more line without bumping it on the ground

I thought there was some kind of mechanism that used the centrifugal force of the spinning line to continuously feed it as it wore away. I essentially assumed that all the auto-feed spools I had ever used were crap and just didn't work. I would kill the weedeater, unscrew the end, manually turn the spool with my hand, and then close it back to feed it. I knew this wasn't how it was supposed to work, but bumping the thing on the ground never occurred to me.

 

[CPA]

I thought there was some kind of mechanism that used the centrifugal force of the spinning line to continuously feed it as it wore away. I essentially assumed that all the auto-feed spools I had ever used were crap and just didn't work. I would kill the weedeater, unscrew the end, manually turn the spool with my hand, and then close it back to feed it. I knew this wasn't how it was supposed to work, but bumping the thing on the ground never occurred to me.

stop trolling...

 

[Mixolydian]

Because some of us have huge yards (acre) that have more than just grass to clip.

See, this is the type of thinking government has - one size fits all.

what are you cutting with a trimmer besides grass/weeds?

 

[SlitheryDee]

stop trolling...

No lie, but answer me this. In the absence of any kind of instruction (probably should have RTFM), Is it really crazy for me to assume that something that is supposed to work automatically should not require some specific action from me?

 

[Mixolydian]

I learned something from this thread though. I never knew the auto-feed spools worked by bumping them on the ground. I used that info to great effect yesterday.

Note that not all trimmers have the "bumping" mechanism and some DO feed the line automatically.

 

[Mixolydian]

LOLOFOL!

You must live in the city!

I live in the suburbs. Doesn't everyone these days?

 

[CPA]

No lie, but answer me this. In the absence of any kind of instruction (probably should have RTFM), Is it really crazy for me to assume that something that is supposed to work automatically should not require some specific action from me?

I suppose so. Just seems strange.

 

[alkemyst]

stop trolling...

There are indeed auto-feed trimmers that don't require bumping.