I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)

GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)

Vibration and flexing make copper brittle. I imagine a flying piece of
wire could endanger the eyesight of passersby some distance away.

Twenty years ago I used to see ads for weed whacker heads using flailing
chain-saw chain. None for me, thanks.

J Burns wrote:
GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a
coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
dangerous.)

Vibration and flexing make copper brittle. I imagine a flying piece of
wire could endanger the eyesight of passersby some distance away.

Twenty years ago I used to see ads for weed whacker heads using flailing
chain-saw chain. None for me, thanks.

I use the "titanium" string made by Husqvarna. It holds up better
than anything else I've used. Also when cutting it's the the far end of
the string that does the cutting not the middle. The more you make the
"end" cut the longer the string will last.

On Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:16:06 -0500, FatterDumber& Happier Moe wrote:
it's the the far end of the string that does the cutting not the middle.
The more you make the "end" cut the longer the string will last.

I don't understand what you mean here but I will google to see if there is
a good explanation on the web of what you intimate.

GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)

There are a lot of heads like this: http://tinyurl.com/2bcpcux
Some look a lot like a skillsaw blade. I've never tried them so can't
say how well they work.

Dean Hoffman wrote:
GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only
lasts a few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14
gauge or so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from
a coat hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
dangerous.)

There are a lot of heads like this: http://tinyurl.com/2bcpcux
Some look a lot like a skillsaw blade. I've never tried them so
can't say how well they work.

I've used that style. It works well but eventually the "blades" get worn
down and have to be replaced. No big deal and not expensive (a set of 12 is
about $5).

GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)

Just make a metal blade for it. Cut out a piece of lawnmower blade and
sharpen it on a grinder. Bolt it on.

--
LSMFT

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.
I don't like to interrupt her.

On 7/6/2010 2:16 AM, GHenry wrote:
I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts a
few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a coat
hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are dangerous.)

If you want to chew up the countryside why toy with a piece of copper
wire man. Get yourself one of these . That's a solid steel blade in
there. If you really want to make a mess of things you could replace
the normal blade with a 10" carbide tipped saw blade. Danger? Men
like you laugh at danger.

http://www.stihl.ca/ViewProduct.aspx...7doeX4mc 2vDQ

LdB

GHenry wrote in :

I have the type of weed whacker that takes about a foot long plastic
"string".

I buy the weed whacker string in bulk, so it's cheap but it only lasts
a few minutes in touch terrain.

I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14 gauge
or so, into the weed whacker?

I mean, why does it use plastic? Why not copper or steel wire (from a
coat hanger perhaps)?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
dangerous.)


***** DARWIN AWARD *****

How often do people string trim their bodyparts? Not often, I'm
guessing.

Though, I've met people who have had thier AC electrical line cut by
folks with trimmers.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


wrote in message
...


I wonder. Would it work to just put an electrical wire, maybe 14
gauge or
so, into the weed whacker?

Is it that it would be too dangerous? (But plenty of things are
dangerous.)

Many men have lost their manhood that way. Do you want to lose yours?

On Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:48:06 -0500, wrote:
I mean, why does it use plastic?
Why not copper or steel wire
Many men have lost their manhood that way.

Understood. But lawn mower blades aren't made of plastic.
Jigsaw blades aren't made of plastic.
Drill bits aren't made of plastic.
Lawn cultivators and edger blades aren't made of plastic.
etc.

Point is, LOTS of cutting things we use can hurt us.
But, my plastic string trimmer lasts only about 5 minutes between refills.

My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5 minutes.

Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:54:16 -0700, GHenry wrote:

Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?

Ah. I read the rest of the posts. Sturdier (i.e., metal) materials DO exist
for string trimmers!

I like the ideas posited. Flailing chains and saw blades. I wonder if the
head will fit my Craftsman string trimmer though. Plus there's that safety
cover with the blade that cuts the string if I put one in that's too long.

Interesting that the flailing chains and saw blades were proven, but no
metal wires.

"GHenry" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:54:16 -0700, GHenry wrote:

Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why
sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?

Ah. I read the rest of the posts. Sturdier (i.e., metal)
materials DO exist
for string trimmers!

I used aircraft cable and it worked fine and lasted much longer
than monofilament. It's one of those times, though, when you wear
long pants and wear safety goggles.

Nonny
--
On most days,
it's just not worth
the effort of chewing
through the restraints..

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 13:37:57 +0000 (UTC), Chief Two Eagles wrote:

I use 120 line in my trimmers with a special hub that you just insert
2 six inch lengths of the line into.
120 will knock down just about anything and survive quite a long
time on concrete for edging etc....

I just checked my stock.

I have 150 feet of 0.130" "nylon" string which I cut into foot-long lengths
to fit into the Craftsman string trimmer.

Mine only last a few minutes, five or ten at the most before they're
cheweed up to an inch or three sticking out (which is probably about 8
inches long but more than half of that is unusable inside the center cap).

So, I'm pretty surprised you say 0.120 will "survive quite a long time"
since I only get about five or ten minutes out of 0.130 nylon line.

PS: No, I'm not hitting chain-link fences; I'm just hitting weeds and brush
at most about 1/4 inch thick. Very rocky soil though.

On Jul 6, 10:22*am, GHenry wrote:
On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 13:37:57 +0000 (UTC), Chief Two Eagles wrote:
I use 120 line in my trimmers with a special hub that you just insert
2 six inch lengths of the line into.
120 will knock down just about anything and survive quite a long
time on concrete for edging etc....

I just checked my stock.

I have 150 feet of 0.130" "nylon" string which I cut into foot-long lengths
to fit into the Craftsman string trimmer.

Mine only last a few minutes, five or ten at the most before they're
cheweed up to an inch or three sticking out (which is probably about 8
inches long but more than half of that is unusable inside the center cap)..

So, I'm pretty surprised you say 0.120 will "survive quite a long time"
since I only get about five or ten minutes out of 0.130 nylon line.

PS: No, I'm not hitting chain-link fences; I'm just hitting weeds and brush
at most about 1/4 inch thick. Very rocky soil though.

Get a twin line bump and feed hub. That business of sticking little
sections in is idiocy if you work up against concrete or brick. And
if you are using it as an edger, stop, get an edger. A stick edger.
You'll never go back. I edge my sidewalks, drive, and the curb in
about 10 minutes. I have one of the ones with the swapable
attachments. The little chain saw is also great for pruning trees.

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 07:40:32 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc wrote:

I have one of the ones with the swapable attachments.
The little chain saw is also great for pruning trees.

Hi James,
I have (probably) the same weed whacker you have!
Craftsman Model 358.791170 which takes multiple attachments.

Please tell me more about how well/poorly the attachments work because I
only have the weed-wacker attachment.

I never bought the edger or pruner attachments (although I could sorely use
both but I wondered how well/badly they worked).

BTW, be warned, my Craftsman trimmer has the "built with Sim-Pul for smooth
easy starts" (which is a crock because twice I had to replace the entire
starter assembly because the clutch didn't disengage so the weed trimmer
melted the plastic starter assembly).

In article
,
jamesgangnc wrote:

And
if you are using it as an edger, stop, get an edger. A stick edger.
You'll never go back.

Eh? What's a stick edger?

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 07:22:14 -0700, GHenry wrote:

I have 150 feet of 0.130" "nylon" string which I cut into foot-long lengths
to fit into the Craftsman string trimmer.

Mine only last a few minutes, five or ten at the most

I just measured the string size after I cut the 150 feet 0.130 nylon.

Each cut is an 18 inch length (based on a saved sample of an original 16"
string); and of those 18 inches, only six inches protrudes out each hole
(so 6 inches is always wasted inside the spool).

Of the protruding six inches, about 2 inches are left after five or ten
minutes, so the "wear" is about 4 inches per side per ten minutes.

That's about 24 inches per hour per side.

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 15:08:46 +0000 (UTC), Chief Two Eagles wrote:

So how much total 130 do you have sticking out the hub when you start?
And what size motor in your trimmer?

Of the 18 inches of the 150 feet of 0.130" nylon strands I cut (the
original strand was about 16 inches but I make mine longer ostensibly so
they last longer), 6 inches stick out of each side of the hub.

The motor is on a Craftsman 358.791170 which if I look it up has a manual
at http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/lis_...M/L0901278.pdf

The manual says it's a "33cc/2.0 cu.in. 2-cycle gasoline weedwacker" and
that it meets California emissions regulations for small off-road engines.

It takes optional attachments (none of which I have):
Edger ................. 358.79240
Cultivator ............ 358.79241
Blower ................ 358.79242
Brushcutter ........... 358.79244
Pruner ................ 358.79245

It says to use red line (#71-85908) for cutting grass and small
weeds and black colored line (#71-85909) for cutting larger weeds and light
brush.

The soil is (rather young) typical Franscisian sediments, only about 30
million years old, so there are no solid (as in granite) "rocks" per se, no
quartz, no conglomerate, just soft shales and limestones and harder chert;
but, the soil is almost wholly chips and flakes of deep ocean sediments so
the weedwacker will almost always touch something hard.

BTW, the instructions say never wack from right to left, only from left to
right (like you read a book), which is interesting in and of itself.

On Jul 6, 8:54*am, GHenry wrote:
On Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:48:06 -0500, wrote:
I mean, why does it use plastic?
Why not copper or steel wire
Many men have lost their manhood that way.

Understood. But lawn mower blades aren't made of plastic.
Jigsaw blades aren't made of plastic.
Drill bits aren't made of plastic.
Lawn cultivators and edger blades aren't made of plastic.
etc.

Point is, LOTS of cutting things we use can hurt us.
But, my plastic string trimmer lasts only about 5 minutes between refills..

My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5 minutes.

Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?



"My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes."

Start your jigsaw and ram it full speed into the material you want to
cut; include a rock or chain link fence in the mix.

Let us know how long it lasts.

"My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes."

Start your drill and ram it full speed into the material you want to
cut; include a rock or chain link fence in the mix.

Let us know how long it lasts.

"My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5
minutes."

I'll assume you aren't cultivating or edging rocks or chain link
fences. If you are, let us know how long they last.

"Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers. "

I'm guessing it's the force they undergo when be rammed full speed
into the material you want to cut, including rocks or chain link
fences.

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:54:16 -0700, GHenry wrote:

Point is, LOTS of cutting things we use can hurt us.
But, my plastic string trimmer lasts only about 5 minutes between refills.

My (steel) jigsaw blades last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) drill bits last longer than 5 minutes.
My (steel) cultivator & edger blades last longer than 5 minutes.

Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

I got a great idea. Because you don't want to take the advise of
other, wiser individuals why don't you just do what your bright mind
tells you to do. Go ahead and use a wire and let us know how it
works. One caution though, make sure nobody is anywhere in sight when
you fire that trimmer up the **** his the fan.

On Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:52:55 -0500, Gordon Shumway wrote:
I got a great idea. Because you don't want to take the advise of
other, wiser individuals ... Go ahead and use a wire

Hi Gordon,

Who said I'm not taking the advice? I'm only asking the question.

About the only advice I won't take is yours (which would be idiocy to just
fire it up and see what happens).

I have no intention of doing anything any more dangerous than what we all
do every day with the rest of our power tools.

I'm trying to find out if stronger material exist, and, apparently, as
people have posited, they DO exist.

We're just exploring the possibilities (it seems like it's YOU who is
jumping to conclusions without thinking ahead, not us).

But I do thank you for your advise (sic).

On Jul 6, 8:54*am, GHenry wrote:
Something (dunno what yet) is DIFFERENT about string trimmers.

Does anyone know if there is a SPECIAL danger or reason why sturdier
trimmer materials don't exist yet?

Go ahead and try the wire. Ask again when the wire breaks off and
harpoons you in the ankle.

Trimmer string won't hurt you when it comes flying off the trimmer
head. Either it comes off in small harmless chunks, or it curls up
into a wad.

Circular saws, lawn mowers, etc. all have SHIELDS to protect you from
the blade if it should break or come apart. Jigsaws and drill bits
break when they're embedded in the material they're trying to cut, and
the material keeps the broken pieces from turning into shrapnel.

String trimmers don't have that kind of shielding. You couldn't get
close to whatever you were trimming around if they were properly
shielded.

Wires, saw blades, and chains will also cause damage to the things
you're trying to mow around. They will take chunks out of cinder
blocks. They will peel the bark off trees. They will gouge posts.

Fat lot of good trimming around the tree does you if you girth the
tree with the trimmer and cause it to die.

There are solid blade wheels available for many trimmers. I've never used
one myself so I can't say how way they work.


--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (H L Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

"Larry W" wrote in message
...
There are solid blade wheels available for many trimmers. I've
never used
one myself so I can't say how way they work.

When I was doing my own yard trimming, the string trimmer I had
came with a replacement lower end that held a flat bar of
about1/8" or 3/16" steel an inch or so wide and about 12" long.
It was used to edge alongside a walk or driveway, cutting a groove
in the soil like a traditional edger. It would have been terrible
as a line trimmer, but sure did a good job along the driveway and
sidewalk. You could also remove the knife-like blade and replace
it with a heavy duty circular saw-type blade to cut brush. The
trimmer came with a harness you wore in the situation that
prevented the long tube and blade from coming close to operator
body parts.

For trimming around stone walls, foundations and decorative rocks,
however, my replacement "line" of aircraft cable did the trick.

Nonny
--
On most days,
it’s just not worth
the effort of chewing
through the restraints..