How to Thread an Echo Weedeater

Turn the Echo's motor off and flip the weedeater over so you are looking at the bottom of the unit.

Hold the large drum steady in one hand while you turn the spool, located at the very bottom of the unit, clockwise. The spool will disconnect from the drum, and you can pull it out. A few Echo models may have a cover on the bottom of the unit. On these models, just push in the two opposing tabs on the cover, remove the cover and then remove the spool.

Purchase replacement nylon line from a home improvement store. The size of line will be determined by your model of Echo trimmer. Some spools will have the required line size printed on them, otherwise consult your owners manual or the Echo website to find the correct replacement line size. Cut a 20-foot piece of line for small spools, a 50-foot piece for large spools, or two 20-foot pieces for double spools.

Unravel what remains of the old line and remove it from the spool.

Thread the new line through the loop on the outside of the spool until the two ends of the line are an equal length. If you have a double spool, which is a spool that contains two chambers separated by a barrier, insert the ends of each line into a small hole in the base of the spool. There are two holes, one on each side of the barrier.

Wrap both lines around the spool in a counterclockwise direction. Keep your finger between the two wires, or the two halves of the wire, to make sure they don't get tangled up. Continue until each wire end only has about 6 inches remaining.

Hook one wire in a notch on the outside of the spool, then wind the other wire halfway around the spool and lock it in another notch.

Place the spool most of the way inside the drum, feeding the two wires through the opposing holes in the side of the drum. Pull on the lines from the outside of the drum until they come free from the notches, then lower the spool the rest of the way in.

Hold the drum steady and turn the spool counterclockwise to lock it into place. For models with a cap, place the cap back over the spool and push it down until it locks in place.