Weed eaters are used to remove weeds in homes and any landscape areas. It can be made of aluminum bars, steel bar, with a motor and blade. Others have nylon strings on two opposite ends. Some come in two handles, while others have one handle only.
These weed eater machines need minimal maintenance. Just always keep it clean to avoid rusting, spoiling the blade, or clogging the engine. It is normal for dirt, grass and weeds to be stuck in the machine after use. To remove these, you need an air compressor or leaf blower. For weed eaters with strings, regularly replace the strings, or whenever it thins out or breaks. Be careful in restringing. Thread the string properly and make sure that the length of the string is adequate.
As a guide, the usual diameter of strings used in portable weed eaters ranges from 0.065 to 0.095 inches. But to be sure of the size, follow the recommendation in the user's manual. Whenever you notice that the string is loose already, remove the lower part of the head by pushing it slightly and turning it clockwise. Cut the new string, making sure it is not shorter than 6 inches. Otherwise, the weed eater might not function properly.
Be sure to thread the string back following the guides properly. If you do not put it the right way, there is a possibility that the head will pop off during use. In these cases, the machine can be damaged. In worse circumstances, if the head pops out, it might be directed to any family member or neighbors close by.
Another option is to buy a string replacement cartridge so that you will not have to manually replace strings anymore. Although this is more expensive than just buying the strings, if you are inexperienced with the machine, this is definitely the safer route. It also saves a lot of time in stringing.
If your machine is the type with a rolled hook, you just have to press the head and pull the string to replace. Continue pulling the string until you get the right length. Be sure that all the gadgets you need are ready before you start trimming. Prepare all the extra strings and blades needed. Always make sure you follow instructions carefully to prevent breaking your machine. If you keep it well-maintained, the weed eater will last you a long time.
Aside from keeping the weed eaters properly stringed all the time, also make sure to clean it right after every use. Check for dusts or small particles that might be clogging the head. For the blade, you have two options. It can be made of nylon cord or plastic. Both are effective and inexpensive but choose carefully nonetheless. Plastic blades tend to become brittle and break easily after quite sometime. For nylon cords, the usual complaint it receives is that it needs to be replaced more often. On the average, it is replaced after every usage.
Other than this, the machine requires very little maintenance already. Most weed eaters have built-in air filters, fuel filters, starter parts, throttle controls and trimmer lines.
