# Best trimmer string?



## alderman

Just wondering who has suggestions for the best trimmer string. I tried some Shakespeare square .105 yesterday. It cut well and didn't break off easily. I've got some .130 which lasts forever but doesn't cut as well as the smaller diameter stuff.


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## jus2fat

alderman said:


> Just wondering who has suggestions for the best trimmer string. I tried some Shakespeare square .105 yesterday. It cut well and didn't break off easily. I've got some .130 which lasts forever but doesn't cut as well as the smaller diameter stuff.


I like the square cut line as well..seems to cut great and doesn't wear out quickly.
My experience is that when you go over .90 or .105..you just start knocking stuff down 
rather than cutting-mowing it down. I also don't use a "tap-release" and keep the line(s) about 6".

I'm really a blade guy mostly and just finish off with a string when I've reduced it down to 4"-8".
If the job is small..I'll try with string first - but if it ain't workin'..I'm going to a blade trimmer.

I use Stihl commercial use square line..but Shakespeare is good line as well.
You can find it on eBay sometimes from a Stihl dealer for a good price.
(there's no warranty involved..so the dealers sell stuff..chains - bars - plugs..etc.)

J2F


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## alderman

I use a blade quite a bit on the woody stuff but if I keep it knocked down for a couple of years I find I can cut the grass and weeds just as easily with a string head. I've been using the speed feed heads with some success.


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## LegDeLimber

Have lost track of the specific brands over the years (I'm a perpetual scrounger)
But found that any way to concentrate the energy into smaller edge/area
helps the string work.
i.e. smaller diameter or sharp edged lines.
Drawback to the square or other non-round lines is increased tendancy
to friction/heat weld inside the string head.
Smaller stock can be easier to break off at the eyelet.
ether way we get to shut down and go pull the head apart,
desnarl line, clean the grit & debris out and go back at it.

have tried various sorts of cooking spray, WD-40,
old (gettin' scarce here) stock of dry PTFE ("Teflon") lube.
those sponge rings, heck even a wadded &twisted paper towel
or only winding 2~3 feet total of line into spool per loading
you get the idea of my agravation.

Best trick to date ??

A bowel of water.

Yep, Read it somewhere (could be here or that Lawnsite place)
Tried it last year by letting the line stay in the water 
for at least a couple of weeks before using
(always covered by the water, keep topping off or changing the water)

Well wadda ya know
Hmm, made a nice improvement.
The engineers in the crowd here can give y'all the rundown on 
how to figure for plastics absorbing water or other things.
some years ago I did read about it being a factor in designing molds 
for plastic parts (varies by type stock used, etc...)
also Helps explain how plastics absorb oders!


results for me?
I've been running line that's at least 10 years old
and once it had a good saturation period and is kept under water,
I've not had any breakage or welding snags since then.

Now be aware I'll still snag an obstical that the string can 
wrap it's self around and that's gonna snap anything,
no matter what it's made of...
edges of rocks, bricks, concrete & black top all will abrade and
weaken or grind away at it.

bottom line, try the *Continuous* underwater storage
and see what ya think.

Also helps to find string heads that are balanced and run true
better if the line is not vibrating/grinding against itself all the time 
also better on the trimmer and operator.
good smooth bump head with the internal spring(s)
made in correct orientation for the heads rotation.
Wrong way spring winding/design tends to cause issues also.
learn to tap (not smack/beat) the head on firm surface
and if line is good not welding ,then you might experiment with 
trimming a small bit of spring height/preload.
lighter spring tension gets an easier spool to use
but you gotta get your finesse up or it will just be bouncing 
and spitting out line.

Gonna cork the spiel for the moment, 
but go soak your line and see what you think!

if it works for ya, overvolting the electric ones or 
A muffler mod and carb tune gasser will
suddenly have great appeal .


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## michael j

Yup, water. Had some old string last year and it rejuvenated it. I keep my spare line in water all the time.


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## KenJax Tree

I've been using the Husqvarna titanium line i got a 3lbs roll for free for a promotion Husky was having when i bought my 326LS last year it seems to work pretty good. For free WTH i will use it.


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## chrisoppie

Husqvarna titanium wire best stuff I have used so far


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## Remi

After trying a few brands, I settled for Echo .130 and .155 depending on the trimmer I use that day. It doesn't wear as fast as other brands and still gives a good quality cut. Not on par with smaller wire for cutting grass, but still a lot better than other square or round lines I've used.


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## GrassGuerilla

Depends on both the trimmer, and what your trimming. For everyday (IE weekly) trimming I prefer .095 diameter line. It cuts well, and the head will hold more of it. For knocking down big mean grass and weeds I like .105 Square magnum Gator by Oregon. It's clear, so bits left behind blend in well. It wears like iron (even has an aramid core wire running through it). It's also great for cleaning up edges. I've used some of the newer shaped lines, spiral wound etc. while perhaps quieter, I've seen none in clear so ill stick with the Gator mag. For me round in 095, and square in .105

Btw, stick with .095 if your trimmer has less than 25cc


Edit: the water thing does indeed work. I use an old 2gallon paint bucket to hold either 3 or 5 lb rolls. Just keep the lid on and it stays cleaner. Only need an inch of water in the bucket after its soaked a while. Just keeps it "fresher". And while the "speed feed" type heads load quick and easy, the Husqvarna T-35 head holds 28ft of .095 line (about double a speed feed) and re-spool very easily too. 

Since I found that .105 sq mag gator, I hardly ever use a blade unless saplings are near finger size or bigger.


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## sawdust_wizard

Oregon platinum gaterline hands down the best trimmer line


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## Ilmater

alderman said:


> Just wondering who has suggestions for the best trimmer string. I tried some Shakespeare square .105 yesterday. It cut well and didn't break off easily. I've got some .130 which lasts forever but doesn't cut as well as the smaller diameter stuff.


Try Shakespeare Ugly Line (triangle shaped).


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## zogger

KenJax Tree said:


> I've been using the Husqvarna titanium line i got a 3lbs roll for free for a promotion Husky was having when i bought my 326LS last year it seems to work pretty good. For free WTH i will use it.



That stuff^^ right there is the best I ever tried.

I never heard of the soak in water trick, but gonna try it.

Now I wonder if soak in cheap thin oil might work too, like some cheap two stroke mix.


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## Franny K

LegDeLimber said:


> Best trick to date ??
> 
> A bowel of water.
> 
> Yep, Read it somewhere (could be here or that Lawnsite place)
> Tried it last year by letting the line stay in the water
> for at least a couple of weeks before using
> (always covered by the water, keep topping off or changing the water)
> 
> Well wadda ya know
> Hmm, made a nice improvement.
> *The engineers in the crowd here can give y'all the rundown* on
> how to figure for plastics absorbing water or other things.
> some years ago I did read about it being a factor in designing molds
> for plastic parts (varies by type stock used, etc...)
> also Helps explain how plastics absorb oders!
> 
> 
> results for me?
> I've been running line that's at least 10 years old
> and once it had a good saturation period and is kept under water,
> I've not had any breakage or welding snags since then.
> .


My take is this material's engineering and research comes from the fishing line industry. More specifically the long line fishery. The monofilament used to catch swordfish is right in the size ballpark for string trimmer line.

The yellow Stihl line is what I am working on a pound of perhaps 0.105 but I have pretty large engine size. The gator, titanium, and pulverizer all work better than a simple round. I do not use a guard and put out a lot of line from a manually adjusted head. That way if I run the speed slow it can be pretty gentle up against something. I am more in the couple of times a year like say one had an electric fence and didn't like weed killer. Wire, concrete rocks woody plants all take their toll probably in that order of severity.


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## dgb84

I'll be the odd guy out that votes for Shakespeare ugly line. As far as .095 goes, its the toughest and best cutting I have found. I run it in my echo srm225, stihl fs70, and fs55rc.


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## HuskStihl

I like the Shakespeare 95 and 105. It resists breakage much better than the husky titanium. I've got a modded 326l, I tend to handle more brushy stuff than grass, and the first time I tried Shakespeare was much better than what I had been using


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## LegDeLimber

I tried WD-40, cooking spray, a dry film Teflon lube, Graphite powder
A sponge ring like I saw on some prewound spools......
Anything oily or sticky just seemed to hold all the grit and make a worse mess.

You think you were in an ill mood before?
Wait till your untangling a spool of line with oil on it.

Haven't found anything yet that beats keeping it underwater.
I dropped a shot of anti-freeze in the water this spring to see what that did
hard to say for sure But seems a tad slicker.
But you gotta be damn careful about any critters and make sure the lid is secure
so no ones pet gets a drink of it.

Only hangup I had all year was when I had a good day of not snagging the line
and hadn't needed to advance the line for a while. 
Otherwise not a hitch and that was with the 10+ year old multi-edge line no less.
The line was in some better grade, unversal heads that I grabbed for $5 a piece
when homer-desperate changed vendors for them, So no idea of the actual string brand. 
I unpacked them all and put in a parts drawer, so don't even have a label left to read.
I looked at them back when this thread started in case it would help to know, No luck though.


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## jughead500

Try some lo noize.I like it so much I bought spools of it.I've went through literally 10's of thousands of feet of line and many weedeaters.the lo noize is my favorite.


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## wahconah98

The orange line that came with my FS250 would instantly snap and weld to itself if I touched anything thicker than normal grass. I replaced the line with some cheap store bought stuff that I use in my small Echo trimmer and had the same results. I was pretty irritated so I went back to my dealer and he comped me 1lb donut of square 0.095" Magnum Gatorline. It makes a night and day difference! No more welding to itself and it readily handles small saplings and light brush. I liked it so much I bought the 0.080" version to put in my Echo for the more delicate trimming needs around our flower beds.


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## jughead500

I had troubke with all of the stihl line on my fs250 other than the.130 black line.had to modify a big line head to accept it though.


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## PasoRoblesJimmy

Have been using Stihl orange line on my Stihl trimmer for years. However, Husky Titanium came on the new Husky trimmer that I bought earlier this year. I'm really impressed with how tough it is and how long it lasts. Husky Titanium may be my new go-to line.


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## fuzz1500

Am I the only one that uses Shindaiwa Grass Attack ?? Tough crap !!


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## Twisted Priorities

I mostly use the Stihl .095 orange line, never had a problem. All spools of line are stored in buckets of water with lids, the stuff will last decades.
We started using the poly blades about 7 years ago, work good on grasses.




But for bigger jobs like reeds, saplings and small trees nothing beats a blade.

Don't buy cheap line you will just use more for the same job. My buddy tried that Echo cross fire string, he used 3 times as much as I did. Plus I had 8 year old stihl string from behind the seat of the old work truck.


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## fuzz1500

> Don't buy cheap line you will just use more for the same job. My buddy tried that Echo cross fire string, he used 3 times as much as I did. Plus I had 8 year old stihl string from behind the seat of the old work truck.



Made that very same mistake..never again !


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## Austin26

I used Oregon Gator line in .095, .105, .155, an .170 sizes i water an fabric softener soak all them hardly ever get breaks, the line once soaked it last 4-5 times as long as non soaked line 

Oregon site says soaking line will make it last much longer. i was shocked at how much longer it last 

Airecut blade is the best blade I have ever used i have used pretty much every blade made 

as we all know there is a time for line an a time for blade, a time for a flame thrower, and a time for a bush hog


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## LegDeLimber

I love what keeping it in water does for it.
Out of curiosity I put a shot of anti-freeze in the last batch, I figured the lube in it might help.
I'll try that fabric softener in the next batch.
But it may take a while,as the water soak is making it take longer to use up !!
If nothng else, i won't have to be quite so concerned with critters getting into the laundry juice.


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## Austin26

I've used The fabric softener trick for cast nets for years 
Trimmer isn't most different than a cast net
Yes it works. Like I said I was shocked at how well it works


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## michael j

Never tried the fabric softener yet. Soon as I get home I'll put some in it!


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## Deleted member 83629

I use Stihl X-Line http://vanceope.stihldealer.net/products/trimmers-and-brushcutters/accessories/trimmer-line/xline/
the .95 which goes in my srm-225 much better than the echo trimmer line.


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