Seeking Strimmer head with clutch!

[Stubby]

Just now, Muddy42 said:

 

I think I followed your recommendation.  Epic combination that obliterates grass and brambles. Occasionally one of the two strings gets jammed or the stub gets too short to extract, but the beauty of the four string head is you can carry on by using the spare slots.  Its easy to strip, grease and replace pawls and springs, if like me you lent it someone with a ham fist.

 

I never use all 4 slots just 2 but use a 4 slot head as it keeps the nut below flush .

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, GarethM said:

Having used line for years on bigger strimmers, I'll bet you barely get past 1/2 throttle. Much more and the line disappears, but good indicator for who is abusing the tools 😉

Not the 4mm square Diamond edge line from desert extrusions . Very hard wareing .

[GarethM]

9 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Not the 4mm square Diamond edge line from desert extrusions . Very hard wareing .

I'm still slowly working my way through a spool of 3.3 green, I might finally break open the spool of 3.9 diamond orange that's been there for the last decade!.

[Muddy42]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

I never use all 4 slots just 2 but use a 4 slot head as it keeps the nut below flush .

 

me too. I start off on the top two slots but if the line jams, I use the bottom pair as backup.  

 

 

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Not the 4mm square Diamond edge line from desert extrusions . Very hard wareing .

 

50 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I'm still slowly working my way through a spool of 3.3 green, I might finally break open the spool of 3.9 diamond orange that's been there for the last decade!.

 

I have some non desert extrusions 3.9mm string too.  But it doesn't come close in terms of durability, you have to try this stuff.

[Stubby]

54 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I'm still slowly working my way through a spool of 3.3 green, I might finally break open the spool of 3.9 diamond orange that's been there for the last decade!.

You will need to soak it in a bucket of water then . Nylon is hygroscopic and will absorb water to prevent it becoming brittle .

[pleasant]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

You will need to soak it in a bucket of water then . Nylon is hygroscopic and will absorb water to prevent it becoming brittle .

This is correct. I have always suggested to domestic consumers who insist on purchasing a large roll of line to store it in a bucket of water......they think I'm taking the piss.

[pleasant]

Having read a lot of the comments, may I just say please adhere to the manufacturers recommended line diameter. Particularly if the machine is in within warranty.

 

See a lot of 'gardener' types buying Stihl FS50 swan neck grass trimmers and the lower end Stihl straight shaft brush cutters and then fitting the thickest line they can get away with.

It may not break as regularly, but will add additional load to the drive train...and the cheaper Stihls use a flexidrive, which can easily shear under excess loads, and importantly on lesser powered machine the heavier line actually reduces the rotational speed of the head, thus making it less efficient.

 

You can fit a one inch bit of rope of the end of your brush cutter which won't break, but rest assured something else will on your machine.

 

Our local county show used to have a stand selling this huge lump of aluminium head, designed to take 4 6 or 8 lines up to 4 mm...........two weeks later we always had a load of lightweight machines coming in with gearbox, clutch and driveshaft issues.

Edited June 10 by pleasant

[Muddy42]

5 minutes ago, pleasant said:

Having read a lot of the comments, may I just say please adhere to the manufacturers recommended line diameter. Particularly if the machine is in within warranty.

 

See a lot of 'gardener' types buying Stihl FS50 swan neck grass trimmers and the lower end Stihl straight shaft brush cutters and then fitting the thickest line they can get away with.

It may not break as regularly, but will add additional load to the drive train...and the cheaper Stihls use a flexidrive, which can easily shear under excess loads, and importantly on lesser powered machine the heavier line actually reduces the rotational speed of the head, thus making it less efficient.

 

You can fit a one inch bit of rope of the end of your brush cutter which won't break, but rest assured something else will on your machine.

 

Our local county show used to have a stand selling this huge lump of aluminium head, designed to take 4 6 or 8 lines up to 4 mm...........two weeks later we always had a load of lightweight machines coming in with gearbox, clutch and driveshaft issues.

 

Very true, luckily often thick line wont fit in the tap-n-go heads .  I spent years p1ssing around trying to get underpowered strimmers to cut knee high grass - thicker string and blades. its slow, frustrating for the operator and not good for the machine whatever thickness line you use.  I think electric strimmers or <30 cc (that nearly everyone seems to have) are fine for neatening up the whiskers on the edge of a lawn but for 'long grass' that only gets cut once, twice or thrice a year - you need 45cc or above and thick string.  Same for brambles and weeds. 

[doobin]

Am I the only person who has no trouble whatsoever windrowing knee high grass with just 2.4mm Stihl line on an FS460? Guard off, max string out before it starts to drag. I even use the little bump feed head from a smaller Stihl for a nice accurate cut around obstacles.

 

I can't stand thicker line unless for brambles, and even then a 4 way head with 2.7mm line is fine until you get to old enough brambles to need a blade.

 

I think the main problem people have with cord is not listening to the engine note and running it down to almost nothing. Got to keep it bumped out otherwise it flexes too much by the eyelet and shears off there too.

[skc101fc]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

think the main problem people have with cord is not listening to the engine note

Now there's the magic words, same goes for the sound of whistling cords and a seriously overloaded engine when operators pay out way too much cord on a bump head, and thats before they attempt to start cutting. When I hear that ,I just want to snatch it from them and trim the lines down