I have a 3 year old Troy-bilt 4 cycle gas string trimmer that takes
attachments ((either TB575SS or TB525CS--forget which and have the
manual in front of me). The string on my trimmer keeps getting stuck
inside the spool. It's a real pain to have this happen in the middle
of a job.

Is there a replacement head, spool, or trimmer attachment that's less
likely to break on me? I love the basic unit--starts fast, and I have
the blower and tiller attachments.

Thanks.

"mike" wrote in message
...
I have a 3 year old Troy-bilt 4 cycle gas string trimmer that takes
attachments ((either TB575SS or TB525CS--forget which and have the
manual in front of me). The string on my trimmer keeps getting stuck
inside the spool. It's a real pain to have this happen in the middle
of a job.

Is there a replacement head, spool, or trimmer attachment that's less
likely to break on me? I love the basic unit--starts fast, and I have
the blower and tiller attachments.

Thanks.


I have the same trimmer and I experienced the same problem until I got very
tired of it.

I bought the Shakespear fast loader at Lowes and changed out the heads.
This uses cut string sections. Replacing string is fast and easy. Takes
about 2 seconds to replace a broken line. Buy a spool and cut your own this
model needs a string about 1" longer than the precuts. The precuts are also
a little pricey.

Also this particular model is one of the more difficult to install the head
on and have a nice tight fit. I can write more about that if you choose to
go for it since I plan to put an article on my site when I have time to
write it. The directions that came with it were basically useless for this
model trimmer but the product is well worth the time and effort to install.
Even with the difficult install I would grade the product 4.5 Stars on a 1-5
scale. Everything I needed was in the package but I had to cut down the
brass bushing.


--
Colbyt
Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com

On 5/8/2010 8:02 AM, mike wrote:
I have a 3 year old Troy-bilt 4 cycle gas string trimmer that takes
attachments ((either TB575SS or TB525CS--forget which and have the
manual in front of me). The string on my trimmer keeps getting stuck
inside the spool. It's a real pain to have this happen in the middle
of a job.

Is there a replacement head, spool, or trimmer attachment that's less
likely to break on me? I love the basic unit--starts fast, and I have
the blower and tiller attachments.

Thanks.

I got one of these for my Stihl.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/p...t=2,2160,40710

LdB

LdB wrote:
On 5/8/2010 8:02 AM, mike wrote:
I have a 3 year old Troy-bilt 4 cycle gas string trimmer that takes
attachments ((either TB575SS or TB525CS--forget which and have the
manual in front of me). The string on my trimmer keeps getting stuck
inside the spool. It's a real pain to have this happen in the middle
of a job.

Is there a replacement head, spool, or trimmer attachment that's less
likely to break on me? I love the basic unit--starts fast, and I have
the blower and tiller attachments.

Thanks.

I got one of these for my Stihl.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/p...t=2,2160,40710

LdB

Try a different brand of string, and watch how you wind it on the reel.
I had one package of discount-store string that I threw away half-full,
because after about 4 or 5 bump feeds, the string would get bound up on
the reel, and break at the hole where it feeds out. Different brand,
different color, probably slightly different diameter and cross-section,
and the problem went away.

--
aem sends...

mike wrote:
I have a 3 year old Troy-bilt 4 cycle gas string trimmer that takes
attachments ((either TB575SS or TB525CS--forget which and have the
manual in front of me). The string on my trimmer keeps getting stuck
inside the spool. It's a real pain to have this happen in the middle
of a job.

Is there a replacement head, spool, or trimmer attachment that's less
likely to break on me? I love the basic unit--starts fast, and I have
the blower and tiller attachments.

Thanks.

SS is straight shaft and CS is curved shaft. That probably determines
whether your arbor has RH or LH threads. A replacement head would need
the matching thread direction, diameter, and pitch.

On May 8, 4:55*pm, J Burns wrote:
SS is straight shaft and CS is curved shaft. *That probably determines
whether your arbor has RH or LH threads. *A replacement head would need
the matching thread direction, diameter, and pitch.

Thanks to all. My trimmer is a Straight Shaft.

Colbyt, how long does a pre-cut string typically last? I imagine I'd
need more than one per trimming, as I've typically needed more than
one "bump" per trimming.

mike wrote:

On May 8, 4:55*pm, J Burns wrote:
SS is straight shaft and CS is curved shaft. *That probably determines
whether your arbor has RH or LH threads. *A replacement head would need
the matching thread direction, diameter, and pitch.

Thanks to all. My trimmer is a Straight Shaft.

Colbyt, how long does a pre-cut string typically last? I imagine I'd
need more than one per trimming, as I've typically needed more than
one "bump" per trimming.

Mine is this model-- but I suspect there is little variation between
brands;
Better Heads LLC 1101PTC PIVOTRIM Trimmer Head
[$22 shipped]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

I bought the bundle of precuts for it last May when I replaced the
third style of string head on my 6-7yo Poulan.

I usually went through 2 loads of string in a summer.

This gadget is still on the factory string & they show no sign of
wear. It works as well or better than the regular heads I've used
in the past.

Jim

"mike" wrote in message
...
On May 8, 4:55 pm, J Burns wrote:
SS is straight shaft and CS is curved shaft. That probably determines
whether your arbor has RH or LH threads. A replacement head would need
the matching thread direction, diameter, and pitch.

Thanks to all. My trimmer is a Straight Shaft.

Colbyt, how long does a pre-cut string typically last? I imagine I'd
need more than one per trimming, as I've typically needed more than
one "bump" per trimming.

Mike, it depends on what you are trimming and your skill level at not
hitting stuff. Each little string with this replacement head is cut to 8-9"
so when it breaks shorter than 4" it is time to replace it.

I will use yesterday as an example. I went to a rental house I own which
has chain link fence. The fence rows had not been trimmed in for a couple
of years and the orchard grass was about a foot high, a few weeds and young
Chinese honeysuckles mixed into the mess. While doing 2 sides of about 200
foot of fence I went through 30-40 strings because I kept hitting the damn
fence. At bad as that sounds I was only there about an hour. Chain link
fence is the worst thing in the world to weed eat around.

With the bump and go crap I would have been there all afternoon.

That was a bad day so I stopped at Lowes and bought a new roll, 155 feet
for $8 before I went to the next house. That roll will make 206 precut
strings.

I went to another house and did the whole back yard while never replacing a
single string. Around my own yard I seldom break more than one or two per
trimming session and that is usually when I am edging along the drive or
walk. On pure grass the .095 string lasts a long time

Colbyt

Colbyt wrote:


Mike, it depends on what you are trimming and your skill level at not
hitting stuff. Each little string with this replacement head is cut to 8-9"
so when it breaks shorter than 4" it is time to replace it.

I will use yesterday as an example. I went to a rental house I own which
has chain link fence. The fence rows had not been trimmed in for a couple
of years and the orchard grass was about a foot high, a few weeds and young
Chinese honeysuckles mixed into the mess. While doing 2 sides of about 200
foot of fence I went through 30-40 strings because I kept hitting the damn
fence. At bad as that sounds I was only there about an hour. Chain link
fence is the worst thing in the world to weed eat around.

With the bump and go crap I would have been there all afternoon.

That was a bad day so I stopped at Lowes and bought a new roll, 155 feet
for $8 before I went to the next house. That roll will make 206 precut
strings.

I went to another house and did the whole back yard while never replacing a
single string. Around my own yard I seldom break more than one or two per
trimming session and that is usually when I am edging along the drive or
walk. On pure grass the .095 string lasts a long time

Colbyt


It takes me back...

In the 1970s I bought the first string trimmer I saw. It was invaluable
in maintaining an old cemetery with 250 headstones. In 1982 I began
trimming half a mile of electric fence, perhaps weekly, using a similar
lightweight trimmer. I couldn't stand straight using that trimmer, and
bending that long was fatiguing.

So I got a 17-pound Hoffco from Troybuilt. It had a shoulder strap and
two wide handlebars like a motorcycle. I could stand straight and cut
for hours without fatigue. After 13 years of hard use, the carburetor
quit working. I didn't fix it because an aunt gave me a Hoffco of the
same model that she'd owned 11 years but now found too heavy. I've used
that for 14 years and it still runs fine.

To me, two wide handlebars are important. I've tried models with only
one wide handlebar or none, and I found them fatiguing and control poor.
For heavy cutting such as a hillside covered with briers, it came
with a head that holds 3 plastic blades or 3 doubled heavy lines. Most
of the time, I use .095 line from the spool head.

The lines don't break because they exit between posts of aluminum tubing
about 3/8" in diameter, with gives them a big radius to bend around.
The head is a simple design. The spool is mashed between rubber
washers. You snip off the frayed ends of the lines, loosen the screw
cap, pull out the amount of line you want, and tighten.

This allows you to set the length to cut any size swath from 8 to 17".
A bigger swath is more destructive due to higher tip speed, but a
smaller swath allows better control and is less destructive to the line.

I trim a lot of chain-link fence. If I'm running my usual swath, I'll
have to stop and snip split ends shortly after I start on the fence.
Then I can probably do hundreds of feet of fence with no further
splitting. The secret is to control tip speed by the use of the
throttle and a smaller swath, perhaps 11".

I've read that Hoffco invented the string trimmer in the 1940s. I wish
they still made them. A few months ago I downloaded a 2009 guide from
Tulsa Small Engine Warehouse showing which of their 12 favorite trimmer
heads they recommended for each of perhaps 1000 trimmer models. No
Troybuilts are listed, but my antique Hoffco is.

Thanks Colbyt and J Burns.

So, what are some good models available today at a Big Box store like
Lowes or Home Depot? I'd be fine using my Troybilt with just the
blower, edger, and tiller/cultivator attachments I already own. This
is for home and not commercial use. Should I be looking at a
commercial-grade model? If so, what model, where, and what should I
expect to pay? Surely those who landscape for a living aren't using a
model like mine--at least I hope not.