Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving me
crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should bave
spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual strings.
This bump-feed is a real horror.

Anyway, I would like to aske the following, please:

a. I saw some replacement "heads" that take individual pieces of already
cut string, that presumably would fit my Homelite. But they all seems to be
around $35 or so. Since the complete unit only cost me $ 65, this doesn't
make much sense. Can't imagine why they are so expensive; it's a relatively
simple part. They probably make all their profit in selling the individual
cut line string.

Are there any available heads that would be in the
$ 10- 15 range ? Do these replacement heads work, ginerally, well, and is
replacing the head a good idea, or... ?

b. When replacing the string on the bump feed, it says to wind in a ccw
direction. Is this ccw direction while looking down the shaft from the
engine to the spool direction, or upwards at the spool from the cutting edge
?

They aren't too clear on this.

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that perhaps
others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that
perhaps
others have learned ?

The line needs to be wound in the correct direction. Maybe yours has an
arrow on the spool somewhere. You can wind some line on the spool and with
the trimmer not running use your hand and push down on the head and try to
pull the string out. You should be able to pull out a short length. If
not, reverse the winding and try again.
The line should be wound parallel to each other and not cross over the
strands. You may be able to find some line that has two parallel lines
slightly stuck together so you can wind them parallel to each other.

"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving
me crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should
bave spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual
strings. This bump-feed is a real horror.

Anyway, I would like to aske the following, please:

a. I saw some replacement "heads" that take individual pieces of already
cut string, that presumably would fit my Homelite. But they all seems to
be around $35 or so. Since the complete unit only cost me $ 65, this
doesn't make much sense. Can't imagine why they are so expensive; it's a
relatively simple part. They probably make all their profit in selling the
individual cut line string.

Never used one but I think you can cut your own.

Are there any available heads that would be in the
$ 10- 15 range ? Do these replacement heads work, ginerally, well, and is
replacing the head a good idea, or... ?

b. When replacing the string on the bump feed, it says to wind in a ccw
direction. Is this ccw direction while looking down the shaft from the
engine to the spool direction, or upwards at the spool from the cutting
edge ?

I would think it would be as you are looking at the spool. Look carefully at
the head and/or spool, they probably has arrows showing which way to wind.


They aren't too clear on this.

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that
perhaps others have learned ?

Bump at full throttle -Very important!
Don't bump in high grass.
Make sure you are using the proper diameter string.
Try different brand string. The string that came on my Troy Bilt trimmer was
horrible. I used some bulk Echo string and it was much better.
Don't try to put too much string on the spool. Maybe a foot or 2 less than
specified.
Don't try to lubricate the string/spool with anything.
Kevin


Much thanks,
Bob

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that perhaps
others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob



It's tempting to try to get as much line on there as you can. Don't get
greedy! Don't wrap as tightly as the new spool was wound.

In article ,
Robert Barr wrote:


c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that
perhaps
others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob



It's tempting to try to get as much line on there as you can. Don't get
greedy! Don't wrap as tightly as the new spool was wound.

Also wet the line before you wind it.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

When I rewind my spools I do so in the direction indicated on the spool, and
I also wind it on the spool in the direction it came off the bulk line
spool, it winds on easier feeds better when the head is taped.

I learned thiswhen I used tore-wind the string on my bait casting fishing
reel.

Tom


"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving
me crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should
bave spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual
strings. This bump-feed is a real horror.

Anyway, I would like to aske the following, please:

a. I saw some replacement "heads" that take individual pieces of already
cut string, that presumably would fit my Homelite. But they all seems to
be around $35 or so. Since the complete unit only cost me $ 65, this
doesn't make much sense. Can't imagine why they are so expensive; it's a
relatively simple part. They probably make all their profit in selling the
individual cut line string.

Are there any available heads that would be in the
$ 10- 15 range ? Do these replacement heads work, ginerally, well, and is
replacing the head a good idea, or... ?

b. When replacing the string on the bump feed, it says to wind in a ccw
direction. Is this ccw direction while looking down the shaft from the
engine to the spool direction, or upwards at the spool from the cutting
edge ?

They aren't too clear on this.

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that
perhaps others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob

wrote in message
...
Bump feeders NEVER work !!!
=== Wrong, mine's worked near perfectly for ten plus
years. Use it right, it works right.

No matter what brand of saw you have, it will NOT
work !!!!
=== Wrong. Mine works, my sister's works, my nephew's
works: ALL different brands. ALL work well also.

I threw away the head and took a piece of an old
lawnmower blade,
sharpened it well, and attached it to my weed
whacker. It cuts
everything. Just keep it away from the house siding
and anything else
you dont want to wreck.
=== If it'd work, that would be good advice! Feet
too!
But look at it this way, it's supposed to
chop weeds, not the house. I like finding the big
burrdock stalks
that are 2" dia, It takes them down in a second.
That string dont do
**** to them except break the string. I have even
taken down a 3 "
tree with my modified whacker.
=== And that's a lie unless the tree was long dead and
very brittle.

Kaners abound at times.



On Sun, 3 Jul 2005 10:31:04 -0400, "Robert11"

wrote:

Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they
have is just driving me
crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I
figure I should bave
spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the
individual strings.
This bump-feed is a real horror.

Anyway, I would like to aske the following, please:

a. I saw some replacement "heads" that take
individual pieces of already
cut string, that presumably would fit my Homelite.
But they all seems to be
around $35 or so. Since the complete unit only cost
me $ 65, this doesn't
make much sense. Can't imagine why they are so
expensive; it's a relatively
simple part. They probably make all their profit in
selling the individual
cut line string.

Are there any available heads that would be in
the
$ 10- 15 range ? Do these replacement heads work,
ginerally, well, and is
replacing the head a good idea, or... ?

b. When replacing the string on the bump feed, it
says to wind in a ccw
direction. Is this ccw direction while looking down
the shaft from the
engine to the spool direction, or upwards at the
spool from the cutting edge
?

They aren't too clear on this.

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly
reliably, that perhaps
others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob

I guess I'm lucky. My old John Deere (Echo) works pretty good. It gets
to be a pain when it's down to the last few feet of line on the spool,
otherwise it works perfectly. The machine is 16 years old. If they
could make it work in 1989 why can't they make one now? I blame the
Republicans.

mort


On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 06:15:16 -0500, wrote:

Bump feeders NEVER work !!!
No matter what brand of saw you have, it will NOT work !!!!
I threw away the head and took a piece of an old lawnmower blade,
sharpened it well, and attached it to my weed whacker. It cuts
everything. Just keep it away from the house siding and anything else
you dont want to wreck. But look at it this way, it's supposed to
chop weeds, not the house. I like finding the big burrdock stalks
that are 2" dia, It takes them down in a second. That string dont do
**** to them except break the string. I have even taken down a 3 "
tree with my modified whacker.



On Sun, 3 Jul 2005 10:31:04 -0400, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving me
crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should bave
spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual strings.
This bump-feed is a real horror.

Anyway, I would like to aske the following, please:

a. I saw some replacement "heads" that take individual pieces of already
cut string, that presumably would fit my Homelite. But they all seems to be
around $35 or so. Since the complete unit only cost me $ 65, this doesn't
make much sense. Can't imagine why they are so expensive; it's a relatively
simple part. They probably make all their profit in selling the individual
cut line string.

Are there any available heads that would be in the
$ 10- 15 range ? Do these replacement heads work, ginerally, well, and is
replacing the head a good idea, or... ?

b. When replacing the string on the bump feed, it says to wind in a ccw
direction. Is this ccw direction while looking down the shaft from the
engine to the spool direction, or upwards at the spool from the cutting edge
?

They aren't too clear on this.

c. any "tricks" in getting this thing to feed fairly reliably, that perhaps
others have learned ?

Much thanks,
Bob

Robert11 wrote:
Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving me
crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should bave
spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual strings.
This bump-feed is a real horror.


$30?? You've wasted more than that in time, frustration and 'exoert'
answers from ahr. It's a cheap POS and you'll always fight that bump
feed. Spending dough for a replacement head for the POS is throwing good
money after bad.

So get used to fighting it, or throw the thing in the garbage and buy
an Echo.

wrote:
On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 12:56:19 -0700, G Henslee
wrote:


Robert11 wrote:

Hello:

Have recently bought a Homelite Weed-wacker.
Works just fine, but that "Bump-Feed" mechanism they have is just driving me
crazy. It's an inexpensive weed-wacker, and by now I figure I should bave
spent another $ 30 or so and gotten a Sears with the individual strings.
This bump-feed is a real horror.


$30?? You've wasted more than that in time, frustration and 'exoert'
answers from ahr. It's a cheap POS and you'll always fight that bump
feed. Spending dough for a replacement head for the POS is throwing good
money after bad.

So get used to fighting it, or throw the thing in the garbage and buy
an Echo.


It's easy to spend other people's money. I'd like an Echo too. How
about you coughing up the cash and buy me one. After all, you're
wealthy !!!!


Bull****. That is good advice ya cheap ass. Buy cheap **** you end up
buying it 2-3 times. Some eventually learn or actually have the common
sense to buy quality products. Some never do and just buy junk and ask
the same stupid questions in ahr about why does it run like ****? or why
doesn't it work right? or won't start? or whine whine whine...

I suspect you're one of those...

I have a Craftsman weed wacker with the bump feeder and it works fine
for the last 5 years. Trick is in the line winding as others have
pointed out.

1. Use the correct size refill line
2. Wind in the direction of the arrow on the spool
3. Wind each strand parallel to the other. Don't cross strands
4. Don't wind too tight
5. Bump more often than you think.

NNTrout

To know when to bump listen carefully to the motor rpm. When is noticeably
speeds up it is time to bump.
If you neglect this the line may disappear back into the spool housing
giving you a aggravating repair problem.

"NJTrout" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a Craftsman weed wacker with the bump feeder and it works fine
for the last 5 years. Trick is in the line winding as others have
pointed out.

1. Use the correct size refill line
2. Wind in the direction of the arrow on the spool
3. Wind each strand parallel to the other. Don't cross strands
4. Don't wind too tight
5. Bump more often than you think.

NNTrout