Can Zip Ties Replace Weed Eater Line? Does it Work?
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2016
- Can you replace your expensive weed eater string with cheap zip ties?
Does it work?
I do the dirty work so you don't have to... Click here to see part 2, you'll be surprised! • Can Zipties Replace We...
Had a brain storm then looked here realizing someone else must have tried it. THANKS FOR SHARING! GAVE YOU A THUMBS UP!
I just tried this several times and discovered that as long as you don’t tighten the zip tie to tight, it’s fine. The second you tighten em up it’s bye bye for the zip ties. Also tried just inserting them through the holes in the line head without actually zipping anything, and that seems to work the best. And it’s quicker and easier.
That is what I was thinking
Im using a steel wire now, works like a charm if you know the area you are clearing, about to try one of those multipurpose blades
Hey, I'm late to the show, but I wanted to thank you for saving my GrassHog GH1000. I couldn't find the zip ties so I used .085 line - first trying it leaving it loose and then looping it around through the hole again so it was secure. Then, I drilled (4) more lines in the housing. so I have (6) lines of .085. THIS THING IS NOW A BEAST! I cleared a 50' x 4' x 3' high section of weeds behind my fence witihout skippig a beat and without losing a single line. They were a bit shorter in length than when I started, but I'm blown away. The addition of the extra lines did not seem to heat up the whacker. Thanks again. Mike
Cool, glad it helped!
Try using mutithread wire. Cut the wire to length (diameter of the guard) open the multithreads in the middlle of its length to equal the diameter of the spindle. Put a grommet in the hole you made in the wire, tighten the wire arround the circumference of the grommet. Thread the wire through the 2 holes ( from the inside out) in the cap and slip the grommet over the spindle along with the cap. Replace and bolt back onto the cap securely. In other words replace the cord with wire as thick a gauge as is neccessary. It will last a lifetime and will even cut into small tree branches. They only sell you cord so that you consume, they won`t sell the trimmer with wire, no way.
Thanks for the idea. Needed alternative. But I think it will work even better with the spool in and cap on for balance. And I will maybe double up the ties in some way
Amazing
Yes it does , buy the metal cable ties and you won't go back to plastic mate 👍
This might work but it would damage my fence.
the way this guy speaks is relaxing lol
I am so close to doing this!! Ty I feel like more dyslexic every time I try to put the spool in and it hits cement! Frustrated when you get out there to do yards
And get 5 ft and done !!lol love it
I just had to laugh! lmao! I was gonna try it.. thanks for saving me the trouble! :)
Good video man! I like the patient, laid back approach you take. Have you ever been a teacher professionally? Feels like you have the knack for it.
Thanks, never been a teacher but I do enjoy training and teaching people. I try to answer questions I would have myself if I was trying to learn the topic.
You can also put two more where the cap snaps into if your going to use it like that with thicker zips
Nice San Juan shirt lol thanks for the vid 👍🏼
I have been waiting for someone to do this....... Does it work... ya.. is it practical? No..... Weedeaters are meant for around areas you cant mow... it will hit hard objects and break... thanks man.. this was great.
Exactly, maybe if I mounted it more loosely or used something more durable it might do better.
sounds like round 2 is in order... buy a pack of the big boys and give her a go.
Same Here Blue Need To Try Them Out.
My boyfriend uses a weed eater for oir whole front yard cause its really rocky and on a hill
cool experiment. thanks for trying it. would not f thought of that!
The problem with going through the string too fast is the auto feed. I've found that using aluminum tape holds it in place to keep centrifical force from moving the autofeed. It's a pain to have to stop every once in a while but it beats paying for all that string. Mine is a single string feed Black and Decker - corded. I'll never again get an autofeed.
Cool. Ty. Im just gonna tie some line in the holes. Dont have the spool or the cap. Wish me luck
If 2 work well would 4 or more work better on a homemade disc mounted on the drive shaft?
that's a cool idea....I agree trying the thickest zip ties on the market may make a huge difference.
btw.....how long does that 420 last you in propane?
Yeah, those broke really easily.
It lasts us forever because we don't get that much cold weather and the gas only runs the fireplace. I think we only top it off every other year.
+MrBulletpoints right on. Believe it or not...those are the hardest type of Tanks for me to obtain. I pay nearly as much for them as I do a 500 gallon tank. Our suppliers put them on trucks and ship them to FL and charge twice as much as they do here. They are desired (when customer has low quantity usage) because there is not a code requirement of distance from the house.
Very helpful and love the Tull
I tried other stuff but decided to use the string it was designed to use and saw on another channel just tie a knot on one end and slip it through the holes. I thought it would fly out but the knot by centrifigual force keeps the knot from coming out. But remember tie the knot and pull tight. I carry extra in back pocket as when they wear out, easy to replace and no string bumping
That is what I do now too. I figured that out after trying lots of different ways. (I've had a video about that or a while myself).
Three years later, he made to the other side of the tank.
lol That's what I was sìthinking hasn't got a cutting edge on it it's lightweight
Lmao I was going to try this... welp.... next lol. Love the shirt by the way! Salutations from Naguabo, Puerto Rico 🤘🏾✌🏾
Thanks. My wife is from Caguas.
I would be curious to see if you wrap it around the shaft and put it through the whole if it would last longer .. never tried it but I'm thinking the Locking clip of the zip tie wouldn't be exposed and it would be using the face instead of the edge and would probably bend easier instead of breaking really enjoyed the video I will give it a shot
Cool tip, never heard of using zipties like this b4. Wonder how well they will hold up in a gas powered weed wacker. Thanks for sharing.
I would like to try it again with stronger or multiple zip ties. The ones I used broke too easily.
I have a Echo weed eater and it works great. I buy a very large roll of the plastic and cut pieces to fit my weed eater and I have no complaints at all. I put the pieces in an empty water bottle for storage, so I can get almost through the whole season without re-cutting.
This was an experiment. It doesn't work that well. I do the exact same thing you do. The bulk rolls are so cheap compared to the pre-loaded spools.
Thx for demonstrate. ..same happened to me...
For everybody saying "Try metal", I have not tried it, but Art from Art and Bri did and he had a mishap that did not injure him but easily could have. I don't remember the details, but he has a video on it. Said he would never try it again.
Thanks for the demo.
Iv'e used bass guitar strings and they work pretty well, and hold up against hard surfaces.
MDKArtist really, I need to try that...
tennis racket string they say works great but don't know just a rumor wouldn't know where to even get it
I had a model older than this one that I love. My sister has difficulty with tools that are too heavy and she actually loved mine and found it easy to use ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx_rBCFuDW1zD6blTGhLkvAkxU657uR_lG . This is a newer model but was even lighter which she really appreciates. She enjoys it and I no longer have to go to her house to trim as she can handle it fine. Haven't used it enough to comment on the battery life but lithium batteries last longer than the old style. Being cordless makes it easy to trim the far edges of the property. The entire yard can be trimmed with one charged battery.
Thank You. Sure would be a lot easier if it works.
zip ties work, but line is cheaper so long as you buy the big package and refill your own spools
The lines on my harbor freight curls up so much it's hard to work with.
Great Tune! Not heard it in over 20 years!!!
Thanks, I've been using it for a while. I get a few people who recognize it.
Man, are u on the ball today! I am going to use the method today on a Ryobi trimmer that NEVER FEEDS at all!
It was kind of an experiment. I usually buy a bulk roll of trimmer string, cut off a few pieces, tie a knot in one end and put those through the holes. Works great and costs way less than the pre-loaded spools.
During a hurricane everything loose flies through the air but usually lands undamaged everything hard fastened really gets blown apart so leave your zip tie loose in the hole without fastening them maybe they will handle the stress much better
I always remove all safety equipment from everything I own. They have very thick commercial grade zip ties that can cut through railroad ties. And take that friggin' cutter off. I removed the entire safety head the cutters attached to!
that's a great idea. Yeah i think with some more heavy duty zip ties would be better. good video
I'm going to try again when I get the time to do it.
Did you find the time to do it yet? @MrBulletpoints
Looks like the grass was being fanned more than anything
This works for me. The secret is to use 4 zip ties, two on each side.
Thank you going to try that one.
I wonder if you left them just loose enough to have some give if they would act like a flail blade.... and since it lost a lot of weight i wonder if you could add two more zip ties in the other holes. Thanks for trying it out
I thought of that after I looked at the video that might have made a big difference if they were mounted loosely.
Definitely a cool and creative idea.
Thanks 3G. Might work with a little fine tuning.
Maybe if you put them in loose without zip tying them they might last if you hit something hard
Informative, Thx. Try cable.
Sorry sir, but I have to give you
2👍thumbs up. With all the weed eating I have to do; every little bit helps. Definitely dealing with the line is an issue I don’t like to deal with. However, your suggestion will definitely decrease the amount of effort this job usually requires.
I have that exact kind of weed eater. I HATE the autofeed feature. The first time I ever used it, I ran through a whole spool in like 15 minutes!
I found that every time I pulsed the motor, it fed more line whether it needed more line or not.
So I put some cardboard under the lid to disable the auto feed and manually have to undo the lid when I want more line. I can get at least 3 times of doing my whole yard on one spool. Takes about 30 minutes to do my yard.
It is a bit inconvenient, but no more than putting on a fresh set of zip ties.
I got rid of that one a while back. It could sometimes take two entire rolls of line to do my large yard one time.
Best line I've found is Husquevarna's, although I did see recently a utube video where a thin steel cable was used, and not only cut brush, but lsted quite a while. I need to try that!
steel cable wont last as long as regular trimmer line tried it
Gary you are right about the Huskie trimmer line. I use the Husqvarna silver line and that stuff is tough.
I never would have thought of trying that.
Going to try an update today to see if I can do better.
Ok I cracked up at that. 🤣🤣
The zip tie will break off easily, yes. You can use bigger line or better yet a cable. It works better for sure.
ill bet small steel cable the size of a pencil lead or thicker would work good if you'd cut a piece twice as long as you need, double it over, put the bend through the hole in the weed eater, then slip the doubled line through the loop
sir may i ask, is your unit still working today? i ask because i've heard that black and decker product isn't durable, but i thought of buying one of their grass trimmer like yours. so i thought of asking for your advice and opinion. thank you sir.
Mine is still working fine. I just don't like the pre-loaded spools of trimmer string made for these. The B&D Grasshog models actually got very good reviews from Consumer Reports. I buy bulk rolls of string and use that instead of the spools. Works great and is way cheaper.
I even tried steel wire and it didn’t hold up like I thought it would.
How about some bycicle cable ?
Haha thanks for testing it out.
Gonna have to find some heavy duty zip ties from somebody at work to get for free...Good stuff...
Stronger ties and maybe leave some slack in them when you mount them.
Heard about this and watched a few videos, it doesn't look like it cuts well and takes more time to cut
We will try, my old man has zero patience restringing.
Seems to take a much longer time, unless he was being careful. Thanks for sharing though.
Hello from Victoria Australia, back to the drawing board, there is a design waiting,but haven’t see one yet, tried everything thing, all break get tangled,or waste time, I think a disk with a cutting edge. But not a metal disk.
Lately I have been buying bulk rolls of trimmer string and cutting it into 9 or 10 inch pieces then tying a tight knot in one end threading the pieces though the string holes. It works great and doesn't break like the zip ties and when it does break it is really easy to reload a new piece. It saves a lot of money over buying the pre-loaded spools.
Normal weedeater use, no issue with weedeater. For other areas like the easement, I use a 6" metal cable that I buy from lowes, but it smokes the engine of the weedeater. It often has to cool down but it does work. Just wish they would make a weedeater that was more durable and with better weed line like a metal cable or a 10" table saw blade. This video just shows grass. Not sure why your having a problem with what looks like nice green soft grass.
Do you think if you do not tie them it would work beater? I am going to give it a try with mine. I Mow the yard with just a weed eater. God Bless.
Yeah, I bet if I hook them on loosely they might not break as easily.
If they are cheap they may not be nylon. You want the nylon ones. If you see discolored ones soak them in water B 4 use. Nylon needs some moisture to keep its strength.
Why not use the metal wire
Jethro Tull was great !!! zip tie thumbs up Fred !!!
what about the thicker zipties in the larger square holes?
Check out the updated video, (click the upper right corner of the old video) I tried it with better zipties.
I meant to try that but got a little sidetracked, It would be interesting to try it with one in each of the little holes and two hooked loosely on each of the square holes.
I use aluminum wire from an old section of chain-link fence. I can hit many hard surfaces before the impacts break it.
I started using the real trimmer string again but not the pre loaded spools. I cut short pieces and tie a knot in them then put them through the holes. Works even better than the expensive spools.
Exactly! I do the same thing and I don't have to buy spool after spool like they designed the junk to use!
Tried heavy duty zip ties on my Ryobi. Snapped off in 2 seconds. Too much torque?
Try cutting short pieces of trimmer string and tying a knot in one end. Feed them through the holes in the trimmer. Works way better than Zip ties. They will still eventually break but they last longer and cut better.
Has anyone tried any of the metal ones ? Thinking about giveing them a try on my battery powered Ryobi
That sounds like a pretty dangerous idea. Try it!
I replaced my string with some zip ties, but after using it for just a few minutes, they broke off why?
Most zip ties will break fairly quickly. some last a little longer. I have found it works better with actual trimmer line you can buy in bulk rolls way cheaper than the pre-loaded spools.
i believe this will work forme with much beefier zip ties and not sinching them down
Tried it with heaviest duty zips I could fit. Lasted a few seconds.
zip ties are made of a plastic that becomes brittle at high loads. They're not rubbery/flexible at high speeds as the mower line is.
Jethro Tull was a nice touch too!
Came here to say that.
I have to try it :)
You might want to try copper wire. Copper wire is flexible and should at most bend if it hits something hard while cutting through grass.
I wouldn't want to get hit by any type of metal wire. Please wear safety glasses if you try this!
Try the red zip ties that are made for usage in fire hazard areas, or they make a black one that is weather resistent. I think the quality would be better.
Good video Great song ! Jethro tull : Teacher
You got it. I've been using that song for a while. A few people have recognized it.
I tried this. Does not work. THe ties snap when hit stone or kerb.
On the grass the cable ties have not cutting power, because, the ties are not thin enough or strong enough.
Tie a knot in short pieces of trimmer string and feed them through the holes in the trimmer. This way works much better.
Wow it cost me 10 mins to find that out if that would of worked bud you would of seen it in the past have a good 1
I use them for my new friends I meet while I drive around in my van.
Don't use these, your friends will get away!
you mean the ice cream van? I'll tell you if you had free WiFi you'd get more "business" ;) woah...got a little dark there
ebomey come and meet me then we will see the light
I realize it's been months but I dont get this about driving around in vans with zip ties thing and really curious. Hoping to get it explained or better yet come along if possible. Oh well I'm gonna keep an eye out and ask anyone in a van I encounter . Hey you guys seem nice trying to help and all and maybe you could be one of those scary looking guys I see driving slow and staring driving by several times but it's not scary weird you're just being accessible and one cant judge a book by its cover right. "Hello good sir if you have strong zip ties I will let you use them on my wacker" would be a nice way to break the ice and wink wink you know...am I right.
Anything I will try anything this damn Black and Decker GH900 is making me crazy.
they work just can't him them against a hard surface or they will break
use 2 fishing leaders (metal) mount in same fashion and secure with zip ties.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Wow, that's genius!
I tried that. Utter failure when I was on a job and the weed eater line was left behind. I spent more time replacing them to finish such a small area, that I ever did weed eating.
It was kind of an experiment. I usually buy a bulk roll of trimmer string, cut off a few pieces, tie a knot in one end and put those through the holes. Works great and costs way less than the pre-loaded spools.
I bout one bulk roll...promptly put it in a safe place so I would remember where I put it. Had to buy a second bulk roll, then had the stupid head blow apart completely. Now I have two bulk rolls of the string, and no head to put them in. I put on a head that uses nylon cutting blades that install and remove with no tools. Never had to screw with it again. My efficiency has improved on the job sites, and I can get 2-3 hours of weed eating near chain link fences before I need to replace the blades. I'm well satisfied now.
Works briefly.
fishing braid. like power pro
so insted of wire ties take a long piece of actual weed eater wires and attach them to the holes.
Buy a gas powered, Stihl or Echo. Changing the spline is easy and cost effective.
That's probably the best idea. I hate dragging the cord around and the string's an expensive pain in the butt.
Cool idea in a pinch
Looks like a good idea... If the zip ties were stronger it would be great.
All right.....well the dawn was coming heard him ringing on me bell
You got it...
good for emergency but the cost of the zip ties lol cheaper to buy the proper string i could see using the zip ties on a broken weed eater instead of replacing the head as a temp solution but that's about all good test good video
Yeah, it actually works pretty well as long as you only hit grass, but the expensive string is pretty fragile too. I go through tons of that stuff.
You'll prob find it would work better if you put a shield on the front so the cutters cant go near a wooden fence or brick wall, or any obstruction that will break them.....F.
That is a good idea.
Pretty good. I'll stick with my nylon handled clippers.
It was kind of an experiment. I usually buy a bulk roll of trimmer string, cut off a few pieces, tie a knot in one end and put those through the holes. Works great and costs way less than the pre-loaded spools.
My question is: how do they compare to the actual strings made for the trimmers? If they don't do as good of job, are you really even saving money?
It was intended to be an emergency workaround and works fine for light usage. I have found since making this video that if you buy the bulk trimmer string in a roll and cut small pieces (9" or so) you can tie a knot in one end and put it through the holes in the trimmer it works just as well as the pre-loaded rolls and costs next to nothing. If you make up a bunch in advance it takes no time to reload.
I don't think cost is an issue here they are looking for ease of replacement over the restringing procedure, but in the end doesn't work nut as I stated earlier there are several different grades of trimmer string as well as zip ties, cheapos from harber freight not even considered please
Use galvanized wire! It works!
make a couple of hard plastic blades and attach then with the cheap zip ties... hopefully if you hit concrete the zip ties will fail and you can re-use the blades (if they are not embedded in your shins LOL )
LOL, Good idea. I'm thinking if I connect the zip ties loosely they might not break as easily.
That is a cool idea
Needs some refining. I need to try it with 4 (or more) heavy duty zip ties tied loosely.... that might work better.
What's wrong with string line
Nothing. This was kind of an experiment. I usually buy a bulk roll of trimmer string and cut pieces off, tie a knot in one end and thread them through the holes in the trimmer head. It works great and is super cheap to do.
I want to try braded coated steel cable
That could work pretty well.
steel cable does not work tried it
fishing leader line is a good choice.
It was kind of an experiment. I usually buy a bulk roll of trimmer string, cut off a few pieces, tie a knot in one end and put those through the holes. Works great and costs way less than the pre-loaded spools.
Hmm wonder how 2 zip ties per hole would work and that sounds bad... LOL. I've never thought of zip ties in my 15 years of weed eating!!! When you run out of string and dont have anymore it seems like its always half of the front of the house you have left. Have a good'nnn
Yep, I thought of that after I looked at the video. It might not put that much stress on them if they were looser.
Will there be a test 2? Have a good'nnn
geargriden19 Maybe if I get time (and it's not 140* outside...).
The Ty Raps just keep breaking off. It works great for about 10 seconds.
You should have used thicker zip ties and just stuck the end through the holes.