How To Prevent a Trimmer Line Break


Picture the scene: You’ve toiled for over an hour mowing your lawn to return it to its finely manicured state, so far so good. The finishing touch involves working the trimmer/strimmer around the edge of your lawn. However, halfway through the trimming ohase, the line breaks.

Nothing is more frustrating than failing at the last hurdle!

Although it is inevitable that your trimmer line will break at some point, you can take steps to reduce the frequency of trimmer line breaks. A broken trimmer line is easy enough to replace, but you can save some time and money by knowing why trimmer lines break, as well as three tips that keep your trimmer line performing flawlessly.

Three Common Causes of Trimmer Line Breaks

Contact with an object in the grass or along the lawn’s edge represents the most frequent cause of trimmer line breaks. If the trimmer head hits a wall, paving edge, garden stone, or some other type of object then a break is much more likely. Trimmer lines must rotate freely or else a stress point will form in the line, ultimately leading to a break. You should steer clear of solid objects as much as you reasonably can to avoid this.

Another avoidable cause of trimmer line breaks is the use of the wrong replacement parts. Manufacturers design trimmers with specifications that homeowners must follow. If you need a part for a trimmer, make sure it is either designed by the original manufacturer, or is a suitable substitute.

In particular you’ll find there are differing thicknesses of trimmer line available on the market, typically: 1.5mm, 1.6mm, 2.4mm, and 3mm. Check the instructions supplied with your trimmer or strimmer to determine which you require.

Finally, wear and tear caused by frequent use eventually causes a trimmer line to break. Store your trimmer in a shed or garage during winter to avoid corrosion that leads to exposed sections of the trimmer head.

Clean Your Trimmer

After every trimming job, take the time to clean the trimmer head and remove debris from the line. If anything, a cleaned trimmer performs much better than a trimmer caked in mud and grass. Clogged trimmer heads often disrupt the line-feed mechanism that creates correct line tension.

Slack is Good

We do not mean take the rest of the afternoon off, but instead, create enough line slack to prevent the line from getting too rigid. A rigid line has a much better chance of breaking than a trimmer line that slices with plenty of slack. Many manufacturers design trimmer heads to include an edge that cuts excess trimmer line.

Once Again, Use the Manufacturer’s Trimmer Line

We cannot emphasize this enough: if your trimmer line breaks, purchase a replacement line made by the original manufacturer. In addition, the replacement line must be compatible with the model designed by the original manufacturer. Some trimmer models handle heavy-duty jobs for lawn care companies, while other trimmer models handle your average homeowner trimming jobs.

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