Trimmer line -- whats the best?

[exotion]

I use the echo cross fire its decent. I think the .095 round trimmer line is the best... It's inexpensive it lasts forever and it cuts smooth. I do not recommend it for mowing down tall thick weeds tho.

I'm trying out one of those flat heads that you precut the 7" of line and feed it in manually so far I've been using a spooky of 1.05 and it mows down thick tall weeds like nothing I haven't had a chance to use it in normal grass conditions so time will tell

 

[OneMowTime]

Shakespeare "Ugly Line" is the absolute best trimmer line I've been able to find locally. It leaves a very good finish cut on lawns (in weird spots where I can't fit a mower), and is also good for weed and brush work. I knock into wire field fencing with it regularly, and it holds up better than any other line I've tested. (Stihl line was the worst for durability in my opinion!) It will even cut blackberry vines if done correctly.

I just bought a roll... 800 ft I think. At the rate it holds up, even with 19 residential accounts and occasional rural brush clearing, that roll will probably last me 3 or 4 years.

 

[Gary5579]

Hey y'all. I was just wondering what you guys thought was the best trimmer line either for price, durability or quality. Also what's your favorite shape (circle, square, pentagon, whatever else). Interested to see the responses!

I have tried many different brands, shapes, thicknesses, and colors of trimmer line. In my personal experience, Titanium line has always been the best performing trimmer line I have ever used. It is very durable, and lasts 10 times longer than most other lines I have used and you do not have to restring nearly as often. I don't know if anyone else agrees, but for me this is the best I have seen. Thanks.

 

[bertsmobile1]

More important than which line is how you store & use it.
If you are domestic user and buy a big spool keep it under water.
Trimmer line is cellulose based plastic so it biodegrades.
It is also heavily hydrated ( has a lot of included water ) and will dry out and go brittle if exposed to air and will do this a lot quicker at higher temperaures and in direct sunlight.
VU from the sunlight also attacks the plastic. so dark, cool & wet is best storage.

Next is how you use it.
Domestic users tend to run the line till it breaks off.
This causes the line inside the spool to fret and weld together which decrases its strength dramatically when you finly get the !*##!@* out of the trimmer head.
So if you are using a self feeding head, bump it very regularly ( about every 20 to 30 seconds ) and you will get the best out of whatever line you use.
You also will save a lot of time as you will always be cutting with the full length of line the head will spin and not be spending 1/2 your time pulling the head apart to retrieve the broken off end.
The smaller 1/2" to 1" bits than end up n the lawn will be less obvious particularly if you use a black line which because it is black will brake down faster.
I spend a lot of time teaching my customers how to use their trimmers properly and it is amazing that some who used to go through 1lb reels every season are now back to a 4 oz donut pack.

As for shape, the twisted line is quieter and IMHO lasts longer & cuts better.
In theory the star, triangle & square sections should cut cleaner but I hane tried them all and have not seen any significant difference,

 

[exotion]

More important than which line is how you store & use it.
If you are domestic user and buy a big spool keep it under water.
Trimmer line is cellulose based plastic so it biodegrades.
It is also heavily hydrated ( has a lot of included water ) and will dry out and go brittle if exposed to air and will do this a lot quicker at higher temperaures and in direct sunlight.
VU from the sunlight also attacks the plastic. so dark, cool & wet is best storage.

Next is how you use it.
Domestic users tend to run the line till it breaks off.
This causes the line inside the spool to fret and weld together which decrases its strength dramatically when you finly get the !*##!@* out of the trimmer head.
So if you are using a self feeding head, bump it very regularly ( about every 20 to 30 seconds ) and you will get the best out of whatever line you use.
You also will save a lot of time as you will always be cutting with the full length of line the head will spin and not be spending 1/2 your time pulling the head apart to retrieve the broken off end.
The smaller 1/2" to 1" bits than end up n the lawn will be less obvious particularly if you use a black line which because it is black will brake down faster.
I spend a lot of time teaching my customers how to use their trimmers properly and it is amazing that some who used to go through 1lb reels every season are now back to a 4 oz donut pack.

As for shape, the twisted line is quieter and IMHO lasts longer & cuts better.
In theory the star, triangle & square sections should cut cleaner but I hane tried them all and have not seen any significant difference,

Ummmm first I store a large spool in a black lock box exposed to direct sunlight and extreme heat it never goes brittle. And if you bump the head every 20-30 seconds your wasting your money. I say buy your trimmer line whatever brand you use. Full your spool up properly.(so many home owners wind up string wrong causing it to tangle twist etc) and learn to weedeat I can go 2-3 entire lawns and not even bump the head once...

 

[Carscw]

I put 20 feet of line on the spool about every 60 yards. And most yards have chain link fence. If I was to bump it every 20 to 30 seconds I would use a spool a yard. That would cost around $20 a day.

I store my line in the cab if the truck.

 

[Ric]

Ummmm first I store a large spool in a black lock box exposed to direct sunlight and extreme heat it never goes brittle. And if you bump the head every 20-30 seconds your wasting your money. I say buy your trimmer line whatever brand you use. Full your spool up properly.(so many home owners wind up string wrong causing it to tangle twist etc) and learn to weedeat I can go 2-3 entire lawns and not even bump the head once...

I'd have to more agree with bertsmobile1. Whether you the bump the head of your trimmer every 20 or 30 seconds or once a minute is irrelevant. I think the amount of line one uses is going to be determined by what your trimming. The guy that has or trims plain Flowerbeds, Trees etc. will use a lot less line than say a guy that Trims a concrete block house or Flowerbeds with decorative block for perimeters or maybe uses his trimmer to clean out expansion joints in drives or even edge a sidewalk which is ridiculous IMO. It just depends on what your doing and how nice of an appearance you want to leave.

 

[exotion]

I'd have to more agree with bertsmobile1. Whether you the bump the head of your trimmer every 20 or 30 seconds or once a minute is irrelevant. I think the amount of line one uses is going to be determined by what your trimming. The guy that has or trims plain Flowerbeds, Trees etc. will use a lot less line than say a guy that Trims a concrete block house or Flowerbeds with decorative block for perimeters or maybe uses his trimmer to clean out expansion joints in drives or even edge a sidewalk which is ridiculous IMO. It just depends on what your doing and how nice of an appearance you want to leave.

You just like arguing with me

 

[bertsmobile1]

Being a retailer I get slightly differnt insructions regarding storage and service life of trimmer line than what is printed on the pack.
If your current regeime is working for you well and good.
Professionals go through a lot of trimmer line so it is always a lot fresher than a domestic user.
Wound close onto a spool, line stores better than in a doughnut blow moulded pack.
Professionals also use bigger commercial grade trimmers with a lot thicker line than the small motor even electric trimmers used domestically.
However the material handleing procedures for optimal storeage & useage life still stand.
If you advance the line enough to stop the line snapping at ferrule then well & good you are at one wth your trimmer.
Domestic users who do less than 1 hour trimming week never get to the same level of competence .
Commercial users can usually tell by the sound of the trimmer when the line needs to be advanced if not by the cutting quality.
Domestic users first hint is when the trimmer stops cutting or they get a kick back as the trimmer line goes flying over the fence.
The OP was a domestic user and there is a good chance using a Ryobi Lawn Hornet ( worlds largest selling trimmer ) not a $ 400 Sthil or Honda.
You are using it properly I am selling it to customers with no idea and the biggest complaint I get is "the line won't feed".
I sell a lot of Dragonfly trimmer heads because the customers insist they want a pre cut line head because "none of these wound up things work"

 

[Ric]

Being a retailer I get slightly different instructions regarding storage and service life of trimmer line than what is printed on the pack.
If your current regime is working for you well and good.
Professionals go through a lot of trimmer line so it is always a lot fresher than a domestic user.
Wound close onto a spool, line stores better than in a doughnut blow molded pack.
Professionals also use bigger commercial grade trimmers with a lot thicker line than the small motor even electric trimmers used domestically.
However the material handling procedures for optimal storage & usage life still stand.
If you advance the line enough to stop the line snapping at ferrule then well & good you are at one with your trimmer.
Domestic users who do less than 1 hour trimming week never get to the same level of competence .
Commercial users can usually tell by the sound of the trimmer when the line needs to be advanced if not by the cutting quality.
Domestic users first hint is when the trimmer stops cutting or they get a kick back as the trimmer line goes flying over the fence.
The OP was a domestic user and there is a good chance using a Ryobi Lawn Hornet ( worlds largest selling trimmer ) not a $ 400 Stihl or Honda.
You are using it properly I am selling it to customers with no idea and the biggest complaint I get is "the line won't feed".
I sell a lot of Dragonfly trimmer heads because the customers insist they want a pre cut line head because "none of these wound up things work"

As far as storing trimmer line, mine gets stored on the spool handler on the trimmer rack and yes there's a big difference in how much line the Domestic user and the commercial guy will use. I go through two 5lb rolls a season.