I thought I saw a discussion here a while back about a new type of battery weed whacker that you don't have to wind up a spool of trimmer string on? It takes pieces of trimmer string instead or something?

I really could use one of these, I have such a hard time winding up the spool and not having it come out all over or be too tight etc.

Any recommendations here?

Any of the EGO PowerLoad trimmers have the auto loading heads, several other brands have them.

https://egopowerplus.com/power-string-trimmers/

This string trimmer head is ideal for folks who dislike the persnickety old method:

https://youtu.be/iwQoymtszJQ?si=6cbgHuytDsljfTzS

Another vote for eGo. The string is thick and durable, and it has a self-winding function that easily loads it for you.

This one is similar to the one I have used for a couple of decades now. On mine, I pre-cut the string to a foot long and double it through the carriers, sounds more complicated than it is. The one referenced above seems to use a feed-through loading, which I don't imagine is an improvement. Mine is branded "Pivotrim" (which sems to be defunct, or acquired by rino-tuff, and is mostly plastic, more like this one but with four connection points rather than three. The stings seem to last longer than they did in any of those wonky auto-feed heads with a lot less waste. I have fitted the head to a number of trimmer brands with no complications.

I use it with the Rino-tuff brand .095" string but I imagine any decent string will do.

My 40V Ryobi has their REEL EASY+ 3-in-1 bump-feed head. I cut off a section of line and in under minute I'm back in business. That's assuming I remember to have 6 or 8 feet of line in my pocket and I don't have to walk back to the garage when I run out of line mid-trim.

EGO all the way, I got rid of everything else as I got tired of mixing gas and oil, and rethreading the cutting line.

A charged battery, one back up battery and a reel of line in my wheelbarrow and I'm GTG for a good distance around the house, barn and turnout fields.

Project Farm just did a battery powered weed whacker test/review of several brands.

https://youtu.be/BrOkIPQ1gJk?si=37FA6_NAo0D8SoWh

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
This string trimmer head is ideal for folks who dislike the persnickety old method:

https://youtu.be/iwQoymtszJQ?si=6cbgHuytDsljfTzS

I put one on my 60v Dewalt. Easy to use. I used to hate changing string.

Another vote for EGO.

My model has the bump-feed to let out more line as needed.

They do have an ‘auto-feed’ model, but reviewers say that it feeds out line too frequently which uses up the string way too fast.

I recommend staying with a product line you already own. I'm invested in the Milwaukee m18 cordless power tool line. I added a sting trimmer which takes one of the 6 batteries I already own. You can also by universal quick feed trimmer heads for existing products.

I have found getting rid of the plastic safety shield on the trimmer drastically increases the life and ease of the string. Before removing the safety shield I would constantly have the string break and retract inside the spool causing me to disassemble and respool the line. After removing the shield it barely if ever happens.

I have the EGO with powerload (and bump feed) and like it. Very easy to load (string 14' through the head until you have two equal 7' sections and push the load button and the motor rolls it in, let off the button when the outside lengths are what you want). When I bought it, I got several packs of the EGO .095 14' precut rolls (5 rolls per pack). But realized the cost was high buying it that way and bought a 253' roll of .095 Echo Black Diamond (and just cut 14" off it). I've never tried putting more than 14' in it as that was the precut roll length.

quote:

Originally posted by dar185:

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
This string trimmer head is ideal for folks who dislike the persnickety old method:

https://youtu.be/iwQoymtszJQ?si=6cbgHuytDsljfTzS

I put one on my 60v Dewalt. Easy to use. I used to hate changing string.

The Ryobi 20v string trimmers come with this style of bump head on them. (No SpeedFeed brand, but the same concept.)

Much more convenient than the old style.

I pull about 3x arm spans on trimmer line (~18 feet) out of my big spool spool of line, cut it off, slide one end through the eyelet on the trimmer head, pull on one side and eyeball it until it's hanging about 50/50 in length on either side, and then crank the center of the head by hand about a dozen turns to spool the line inside.

Takes about 20 seconds, and you're back in business.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I found that the EGO AH1530 Rapid Reload Head fits on my 24V Kobalt which works out perfectly as the tool works great, it was just loading the string that was a PITA. This seems to load the string much easier: