Trimmer head, spool for brush cutter - experience of use, advice on selection
Spring, summer is a hot time for lawn care, playgrounds, areas in front of and behind fences, own mowing of grass and weeds for various needs or beauty. And this happens regularly and in significant volumes.
Gasoline and electric trimmers, brush cutters and brush cutters serve us well in this. And the trimmer (mower) head (spool, reel) is the main working, but at the same time, expendable body, into which we feed the mowing line ("line").
It is no secret to anyone that the manufacturers of such equipment put low-quality heads, and argue that it is intended for mowing lawns. But this is what trolley mowers are used for, which give a perfect slope and "vacuum" the mown. And we need a universal tool that can be "taunted" on the roadside with pebbles, under the fence, overgrown weeds and blackberries in the canal, and generally everywhere where it would be worth putting a knife, but it's risky, and even dangerous. But we'll talk about that too.
What breaks in mower heads?
Let's consider the typical breakdowns of standard heads, which irreversibly disable them, so that you can't even put together a set of three.
For this, we will take 4 virtually similar factory heads that were completely installed on gasoline and electric trimmers, which passed through the author's hands and failed in the previous and this season during intensive work in only half a season (but in difficult conditions). Whereas those purchased for replacement have worked for 5-7 years and are still serving. But everything is in order.
Critical failure - cracks and chips of the lid and body, difficult working conditions and the star-shaped fishing line breaks the feed holes (but this is not critical).
Critical failure - broken lid latches in both cases as a result of hitting stones or other obstacles. The cover can no longer be fixed, and even if the head is intact on the outside, it is not suitable for use.
Critical damage - the diametrically opposite lugs of the cover are broken. As if not critical, there are two more - but the lid will not hold. The body of the case is not enough to make an alternative.
Not critical wear of the spool head. But this is a reason to think about replacing the head, or if there are spare parts from previous ones - to replace it. In our "wealth" this is not a problem, unfortunately...
The quality of the plastic of the caps and head bodies varies. The left is objectively stronger. And it can be seen from operation. The right is no longer valid.
Consequences of low mowing on the crushed stone of the roadside - the plastic of the cover wears out, fasteners break.
At each breakdown, or when researching the offers in markets and stores, "what is interesting about mowing?" almost everything that has quality and reliability has been picked up in practice. So let's consider the typical offers of factory head replacements with estimated prices as of July 2020.
Cheap replacement of the factory head, but no more
The first sample is a cheap replacement of the factory trimmer head (price around UAH 60). To refill the fishing line, you need to disassemble it. Attachment to the braid is standard threaded.
Standard replacement for the factory head. Cheap, but no more. However, if you mow the tender grass of the lawn, it will last a long time. The main thing is to choose a fishing line.
It is worth noting that almost all collapsible heads with a body, spool and cover are quite tight to disassemble and require a "screwdriver in your pocket". But this is to your advantage - it will not open during operation.
What you can already exchange for
This model is similar to the standard mower head of one of the well-known motorcycle manufacturers.
It has a strong original construction. The cost is about UAH 120. The fishing line needs to be disassembled for refueling. But this procedure is quite easy and without any tools at hand.
A quality replacement for the factory head. Strong, not fragile plastic. Standard threaded fastening. Easy to disassemble (mostly new). The author has not tested it, but according to customer reviews it has proven itself quite well.
Disassembled head. The design is quite original. The advantage is the design of the line guides, which can be adjusted 1800 when worn.
... standard threaded fastening...
The head is in a semi-disassembled state.
A high-quality mower head that met all expectations
The head that we present here has been in service for more than 7 years. And it still works. But it already needs to be replaced. But I can't stay in the store anyway, and I bought something else... The price is about UAH 170. So a photo of a working veteran directly on the scythe.
View of the new head. A characteristic feature is the presence of a bearing in the "heel" of the spool, which makes the line lengthening procedure softer and saves the line. But in harsh conditions and littering of the territory, the bearing sags and fibrous material, eventually even grass, gets under its heel. But it is not critical.
The heel bearing has been missing for several seasons. But the plastic is strong and allows you to do without this design.
The head fits quite tightly to the gearbox and has a bevel, which turned out to be useful for winding tall grass during mowing. And clean in such cases without digging...
Guiding lines, in theory, should be rearranged to lengthen the work and reduce the number of its breaks... but in reality - no. However, even with such wear, the line does not break on the way out.
It is quite easy to disassemble, but a small screwdriver in your pocket will not hurt.
The wear of the guide line in all its glory. One of the reasons is the use of star-shaped fishing line thicker than 3 mm. Plus the working conditions.
There are 2 latches on the case, and they, like the case, are not made of fragile polymer.
There used to be a bearing here... even a fitted cover didn't save the situation. But it saved a couple of seasons.
Definitely worth the money. The nuance is that mowing the grass is quite high. But you can play with the angle of the trimmer to "trim".
Well, then the original is constructive, appropriate and inappropriate, but has the right to life...
A high-quality massive head at a price of 190 UAH. A feature is charging the fishing line without disassembly. The winding direction is indicated on the cover. The material is of high quality. The author has not tested it, but the reviews are positive. Due to the weight, it is obviously advisable for more powerful equipment with stronger gearboxes.
The attachment is standard threaded, the adjusting lines are metal and can be adjusted as needed during wear. You can confidently recommend this product.
Constructively interesting mowing head, the most expensive among those presented - the price is about UAH 215. Completely metal. It does not have a spool. Pieces of fishing line are laid and automatically fixed. It is quite massive, so it is aimed at more powerful motor and electric trimmers.
Demountable, attachment to the trimmer is standard threaded. The arrows indicate the direction of inserting the fishing line.
High-quality replacement of the standard mower head, tested by the author, at the price of UAH 125. Provides a low cut. Not damaged. When laying a complete set of fishing line, the work is no worse than a metal knife. Does not contribute to grass winding and is easy to clean if necessary.
Attaches with a standard nut from the trimmer kit. But the nuance is that you need to twist it more than when you put the knife. So don't be surprised that it "doesn't work" - press until it is fully fixed and enjoy the mowing. In addition, there are spacer washers for this. There can be 4 fishing lines...
and there can be eight, - then everything falls in a row, even a young vine.
Gathered threaded head.
And this is the head on the electric trimmer, which cut off everything in a row and everywhere in about half a day with ONE refill of the line. During the mowing of vine fences, a part of the fishing line got untwisted and flew away. He turned back, but inserted the fishing line with a bend inside out so that it would hold, clamped it tighter - and forward. I think this dressing will be enough for one more mowing. So I strongly recommend the head. And another bonus is excellent balance and the absence of unnecessary vibration of the trimmer!
The degree of fit to the gearbox.
Unscrews easily without fixing the gearbox and special tools just by hand. Maybe it's a coincidence, because the sellers recommend making a bolt attachment for it with a welded handle.
Somewhat similar to the previous head, here is this attachment for the nut. Low bevel, good balance. This is a view of the gearbox.
And this is the "face". Pieces of fishing line are laid. But thicker 3 mm - still. It used to be bought for UAH 40.
Two disks are fixed together by bending one into the holes of the other. It didn't fly apart while working, but it did wind up grass and weeds, so something didn't go away...
And this is its modern prototype. The price is just ridiculous.
It's great that there are instructions for the head on the package.
Interesting design of the replacement head. The material is metal with high-quality painting. The price of the order is UAH 100. Fastening with a nut. Feeding the fishing line, judging by the design, is manual. Winding is simple, but...
View from below...
... and from the side. We will be glad to hear reviews on the forum about this tool.
An interesting constructive replacement of the trimmer head, which costs about UAH 200. Massive disc for powerful trimmers. The chain is not fixed and slips a bit when tensioned. Appointment? Probably overgrown weeds, vines, etc. If you have experience using this, please give feedback on the forum.
Knives and discs for trimmers and brushcutters
Knives and discs are intended for use with powerful brushcutters and electric scythes. Fastened with complete washers and nuts. It is very important to use protection and examine the grass stand for stones, wires, stumps, etc. There are known unfortunate cases of fatal injuries caused by pieces of such discs during roadside maintenance and reclamation work. So be careful.
Knives are different. These are for grass and weeds. Yellow is thinner and lighter, black was taken for overgrown weeds on potatoes and vines.
The thickness varies significantly, as does the weight.
Acuity for them is a relative concept, the main thing is balance, the absence of significant damage and burrs. If necessary, you can add it. But I almost made a propeller out of one similar to the yellow one, so I sent it to the scrap yard.
Mowing discs, as a rule, have carbide tips, well balanced, lightened by perforation, so not heavy. Prices vary by manufacturer.
Rather, their purpose is mowing wooded grass, weeds and vines. There are discs for mowing hay, which help to stack the windrow.
Which mower line should I choose?
The lines come in different thicknesses, colors and profiles. The price varies by thickness, profile and manufacturer. There is a fishing line for road workers with a saw-shaped profile and reinforced with steel wire. The author also tried this one. But the peel should cost a fortune. The following profiles and thicknesses are sufficient for daily life.
This is a square with a diameter of 3 mm, effective both on grass and weeds.
Thick fishing line (it seems to be 3.4 or 3.2 mm, the package was not stored) with a four-sided cross-section (star-shaped square). Recently, I have been using this one. In the photo, it is flattened because it was cut with side cutters, the rest is weak because of its strength.
Classic sprocket 2.7 mm or 3 mm. Works on grass and ungrown weeds.
Safety when mowing with an electric and motor tool is above all else!
In the end, let's talk about safety, which the author is often ashamed of.
Check the tool and its protective shields for efficiency before work. Excessive vibration of the equipped tool may indicate certain problems that must be eliminated.
Eye protection is a must! It doesn't matter which one - glasses (plastic, acrylic), a shield, all this is much cheaper than even partial vision loss. Earplugs or protective headphones when working with a power tool, tight-fitting clothes and shoes, especially when mowing badlands, roadsides, finally a cap on the head - all this will not be superfluous when working both with fishing line and knives (discs.)
Make sure that there are no people or animals in the mowing field (spreading grass, garbage, stones, etc.). And it won't be too much to drive the car away - broken glass, chipped paint or even dents from stones can be an unpleasant "surprise".
In conclusion
Constructively new mower heads and improved proven models are constantly appearing on the market. It remains to choose what is suitable for the power of our trimmer or scythe and for the purpose of use.
It is clear that models with a metal body are stronger and last longer in use. But in any case, ask the seller, the buyers about reliability and quality. Often, the sellers themselves have already tested all their products and have clear answers about the suitability of certain heads for different needs and wallet capabilities. The same applies to knives, discs and fishing line.
В місцях продажу таких комплектуючих часто можна придбати перевірені за зручністю та ціною захисні засоби для косаря, а не шукати де-інде. Не гребуйте своєю безпекою.
Perform timely maintenance of trimmers or motokis, in particular the gearbox (for the presence of grease) - this will make work both safer and more comfortable (without undue vibration). And it will reduce the likelihood of unpleasant surprises during work.
Safe mowing for you and fulfillment of expectations from the tool used!
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