How to Feed a Weed Eater

Remove the Spool

• 1

  Press the tabs on either side of the weed eater string hub or turn the central knob as you pull upward on the cap to remove it from the hub. Although the design of hubs varies, you can usually remove the spool using one or both of these techniques.

• 2

  Note the order of installation of the cap, knob and spring, and set them aside.

• 3

  Remove the spool from the weed eater hub by pulling upward. If there is a spring beneath the hub, make note of its position and set it aside.

• 4

  Remove string scraps from the spool. Examine the hub and remove any string or grass wound around its outer base.

Identify the Winding Pattern

• 5

  Examine the spool hub to identify the winding pattern. Determine whether the spool has a single or dual winding channel--if there is a divider separating the upper and lower hub, you will need to wind each channel separately.

• 6

  Locate the holes in the spool center that secure the ends of the line--if there is only one channel, there will be only one hole, whereas a dual channel spool will have two holes for string ends. Dual channel spools may have a single hole running through the center of the spool from side to side (you can see through the hole) or a separate hole in each channel.

• 7

  Check the lower edge of the bottom of the spool for notches for holding string in place. These will make your task much easier.

Wind and Install the Spool

• 8

  Cut approximately six feet of string-trimmer line to feed the weed eater. If your weed eater has a single channel or a dual channel with a single hole running through the center of the spool hub from side to side, you will use a single piece of line. If your weed eater has a dual channel with two separate holes in the hub, cut the line in half to create two yard-long pieces of line.

• 9

  Insert the ends of the string(s) into the holes until they stop. If your weed eater has a dual channel with a single hole running through the center of the spool hub from side to side, insert the string through the spool hub and pull through until even lengths of string extend from each side.

• 10

  Wrap the line tightly around the spool in a clockwise direction, leaving approximately six inches of line free. If your weed eater has a dual channel with a single hole running through the center of the spool hub from side to side, follow the angled grooves extending from each side of the hole to wind the string. One groove will angle toward the top channel, and the groove on the other side of the spool will angle toward the bottom channel. If the edges of the bottom of the spool have notches, secure the line in place in these notches for easy installation. Otherwise, hold the ends of the line against the bottom edges of the hub with your thumb and forefinger. Do not let go.

• 11

  Replace the spring beneath the spool in the hub (if applicable) and hold the spool over the hub. Insert the free ends of the line through the eyelet channels in the hub, so that the line runs from the inside to the outside. Lower the spool into the hub as you tug gently on the ends of the line to prevent the line from binding.

• 12

  Replace the springs, knob and cap on the hub in the appropriate order. Turn the knob until it tightens or pops into place.