This is simple: the trimmer line is mostly made of pa66 (nylon). Nylon is a hygroscopic plastic which means it absorbs water. Dry nylon is way more brittle than hydrated nylon so if you soak your trimmer line in water it will be hydrated (less brittle). Also Stihl is recommending to soak trimmer line in water before usage.
Enjoyed the video! Here's a tip my grand dad handed down. Dried out cracked tire sidewalls. You can restore them and add years to their life especially trailer tires. He was too old for WWII, a fisherman by trade. During WWII rubber went to the war effort, if you needed new tires you were out of luck. So he searched junk yards to replace tires but most of them suffered dry rot. He smeared Vaseline on the sidewalls once a year. I do this to my 22 year old boat trailer and they still look new! I had an old Dodge Dakota and during a rain storm my wipers stopped working. It turns out the rubber bushings at the base of the wipers had dry rot and weren't flexible enough to operate. I smeared them with Vaseline and had years of use after. Best Regards, Jay
I like that idea I just bought new tires , and boy they cost me . I thought how I can make them last longer. I thought about putting old cooking oil on them or baby oil 4 real , because of the price of tire now , but going to try all 4 with different oil to see what works . Yes I have the same problem with my stringer trimmer came across of the water bucket , and thought I will try it , cause once you start trimming and get it to it what do you no you just ran out of string.
As an extension of this topic I went through the following. I bought a new Stihl trimmer ( FS 38 ) from a Stihl dealer and from first firing it up the line ( green 2mm ) would last 5 minutes approx before both ends would snap off inside the trimmer head meaning I'd have to remove the head to restring it. The trimmer quickly moved to the back of my shed and a year later I decided to try again. Same deal with the line breaking off. I went back to Stihl for heavier line or a bladed replacement head only to be told the 2mm line was the heaviest the trimmer could handle and that there is no alternate head produced for the machine. I explained my problem with the line breaking and was told my line was old and needed replacing. I had bought a spool of replacement line with the trimmer a year previously so I went home and tried that. Same deal. Approx 5 minutes and I was back to respooling the head after this line also snapped off. This is on a trimmer that'd worked about half an hour total since new. Back to the dealer and I was told the new line I was trying to use was too old too. After all this they (Stihl) finally recommended I store any line in water in a fridge from the day you buy it. They said it wasn't worth trying to rejuvenate any old line doing the same. New spools of line have a production date on them shown as a clock face giving month and year ( that's just a guess ). As a warning this is on the packaging so you still have no idea about how old the actual line is. Good luck trying to read it because I still couldn't make it out even after taking a pic of it and blowing it up on a computer screen. Your test would be more interesting trying freshly produced line but I've no idea how you work out the production date. The dealer also added that they mainly sell the small spools of line ( 45' ) so that people have the best chance of actually using it before it's useless. I'm old and cranky and can spend days talking myself into doing something like the trimming so when it doesn't work as advertised I'm surprised it only took a year to try again. Now when I find I've been lied to / what they forget to tell you, I have a very short wick. Good luck with your tests and plaster the results all over the internet. These line companies have it coming for their dishonesty. Edit: At a guess trimmer line is probably only made by a few factories worldwide and someone like Stihl could order 1000 miles at a time. It's a lottery.
Well GP, I was 13 years old when you were born and I never heard that before either !! Of course string trimmers weren't invented for about my first 20 years though. But like virtually everything you present, that was informative as well as useful information my friend. Have a wonderful week.
I was told about this a couple of years ago, I was also skeptical till I tried it!! Being in the lawn care industry, I go through a lot of string. Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Great video GP. The Lawn Care Nut had a video in the spring explaining this. I cannot remember exactly what it was, but he used a plant to explain the way the water is able to "re-hydrate" the line which removes the brittleness. I tried it on some smaller string I had from 2014-2015 that was basically unusable and it worked. I ws sold at that point and have decided to make doing this an annual; spring activity.
Hello Gord! Lot of good content lately! I’m surprised you and others have not heard this before? Don’t mistake me, not judging, but a dealer told me this years and years ago. In fact, just leave it stored in water, and only take it out when you refill your head. I have less than 10 acres, and Wife decided she wanted to try out a battery weeder, so she bought an Echo 56 Volt, and it does really well. I cant stand the thing, but she loves it. I have told her to soak the line, but she said “It’s silly,” so there ya go. Thanks for putting this out, GP, and I appreciate your self deprecation! I have to say, your technique with the trimmer is pretty darned good! Cheers! 👍✌😊
My grandmother would always say “I’m joshing you.” You and her are the only ones I’ve ever heard say that GP. My family immigrated to the states from Canada in the 18th century and ended up in Alabama.
Gord, I grew up on a public golf course here in Ohio (family business) and have been using weed eaters/string trimmers since the 70s when they were first introduced. Until recently, I never heard of trimmer line “drying out” and to soak it in water to re-hydrate it. This was news to me. I have a spool soaking in my barn now! One of the issues I had (and still have occasionally) is the trimmer line sticking/fusing together in the spool and fail to unwind. Back in the 70s, we didn’t have automatic feed trimmer heads and we had to manually let the line out by pressing a spool-release button on the top of the trimmer head. When the line would fuse, it took some time to open the trimmer head to free the line. To solve this problem, I sprayed WD-40 on the trimmer line as I wrapped fresh line on the spools. Perhaps I was hydrating the line without knowing it. I use WD-40 silicone these days. If you have an issue with your line fusing together in the spool, give this method a try. Thanks, always, for your hard work proving us with great content.
Thanks for this info Greg. I've been having this exact problem with my Greenworks string trimmer. Bought different line and still the same thing with the line sticking together inside and not coming out properly. I spray the entire line with WD-40 and put it in the spool and yes, that seemed to do the trick so hopefully it continues to work. Thank you for suggesting this. It appears to me that some or most of the string trimmer line is coming from China and most is inferior and causing this issue with me lately.
I worked in a hardware store for 5 years and worked for a lawn and garden service for 2 years. Even "new" line needs to be hydrated since it may have sat in a warehouse for some time before sitting on the shelf in the store for who knows how long.
GP had to jump on the old computer to make a comment, still haven't mastered the tv yet. In my 64 years on the planet I've never heard that either and I've been using brush cutters since the mid 70's. Just chucked 500 metres of line into a bucket of water.
I was told that by a guy at my mower workshop years ago, but figured he'd been sniffing the 2-stroke fumes for too long. He actually suggested I store the line in water.
I learned that same thing earlier this year, I’ve been using a string trimmer for years and I never heard of such a thing. You learn something new everyday I guess, thanks for the video
Good idea for a video and a nice string trimmer hack to share. I had not heard of that before. I don’t trim as much as I should so my string has been hanging on the wall for years. Will definitely give this a try and share it with friends. Thanks!
You know the secret that no one told you is to put miracle grow in the bucket with water you will end up with a bigger spool.😂. Honestly I have never heard about this either. Thanks for the video.
I was just getting ready to purchase the pro line from your last video. I’m glad I waited. I still have some line so I was not completely out. Incredible difference. Will be wanting to see the difference between the soaked pro line and the standard line. Cheers.
Hey GP.....well, you influenced the purchase of another B2601. Thanks for all the great info you provided over the years. Purchased one yesterday with 3rd function and grapple....should be ready next week. Caring for property in western MD.
Congratulations Lee! You must be excited. Perhaps let me know how it is going after you get it. (be great to ensure you fill the rear tires and don't forget ballast on the 3 point:)) Cheers and all the best Lee!
Hey good evening Todd! To be honest, I thought this was going to one of those videos where I dispell the old wive's tales.. LOL. i was pretty shocked. LOL.Be well!
you might try re hydrating even new line. After all you don't know long new line has been sitting in warehouses and sitting in the store. So re hydrating new line may extend the life of that also.
I purchased standard orange line in a large spool which I soak in a bucket of water every spring. As an upgrade to your trimmer purchase an Echo Speed Feed head. Get the universal model which has adapters for many trimmer brands including Stihl.They are much easier to re-spool with line. When I’m trimming I keep an extra coil of line in my pocket cut to length and re-spool the speed feed head without returning to my shed.
I don’t know if you have the same experience as I do because my property if you can believe me is even more rocky than yours! I wear off the bump button on the spool part way through each grass cutting season and since I am having trouble locating replacement spools I must shell out for a whole new cutter head! This time just before the button was completely worn down I drilled a hole in the centre of the button and inserted a small carriage bolt making sure the spring would fit over the nut securing the bolt on the inside. This adds about 3/16 to the protrusion of the button and works great except for bumping on softer surfaces! I’m thinking of adding a washer to increase the surface area of the carriage bolt.
That’s a great recommendation!! By the way…I used the log Ox for a big day of splitting yesterday. My back feels great this morning. I’ve always loved making firewood, and this tool will help me go into old age.
GP, Ditto on not knowing! Prolly last longer yet if you cut when it's raining! Lol ,but I know I would never find THAT out!!! Thanks for sharing, I learn a lot from you! Enjoy your weekend GP.
Hey GP. I would never thought of that. I will try it myself. Oh by the way we bought a new husqvarna lawn ride on mower. We named it Husky Bob. After your friend. We got a kick out of it. Keep up the good videos. We enjoy them.
Never heard of anything like that in my lifetime either Gord? Just going to have to try it, you know seeing is believing. Thanks for sharing this with us, just can't tell what a person can learn from watching your channel. You always keep it interesting. Stay safe up there. Fred.
Thanks for sharing the trick! Although not scientific, the empirical research you did on the subject is quite interesting. That brings me to consider throwing away my very old trimming line spools and starting fresh. Thanks!
Thanks a bunch ✊🏾 normally once I buy string like this it tends to heat up and stick together (I have a fs240 bike handle) and it's frustrating. This is proven and it's very eye opening.
Gordon I saw this from another UA-camr. She shows you how to fix and repair your small engines. Saws, trimmers, blowers, lawnmower. Her and her husband have a shop. They are very knowledgeable. Check her out. Her channel is(chickanic) her name is Bree. Did you know that the canned premix gas can go bad or be bad when you buy it? Bree shows a 600 rpm difference between pre-mixed gas and fresh mixed gas. Check her out. Stay safe my friend from Washington state.
Hey GP, I switched over to the grey and orange Stihl line and find it lasts much longer and better on woody plants. I don’t buy the large rolls now. Our grasses are quite heavy compared to what you have.🇦🇺🍺
I do the lawn maintenance for 20 rental units at 2 different locations plus my home. As soon as it stops freezing overnight, April give or take, I throw my line in small buckets of water at each location and leave them there until our first frost. Dry them out by letting them drip dry before our 5 months of winter starts. My wife told me about it after she was researching why her new string line was breaking so fast.
I just did a Google search on biodegradable trimmer line. It’s all over the place. Lot say yes but takes a lot of time and there is a different line one can buy that is for sure bio. The local outdoors recreational shop told me that years ago. I believed them as I never could recall finding the little ends that cut off when you tap the head. They also mentioned the hydration of the line.
LOL. Hey guys. It's all good. Well is 425' down with great pressure. It is clean and potable however it has a high iron content. So, ok to drink occasionally but not all the time. I have two filter systems in the crawl space, including an Iron filter, and also a soft water system. :)) Its kind of seasonal - throughout the year there are times when it looks yellow and other times when it is clear. But hey, I am safe....(I think...LOL!). Cheers guys!
One way to check yourself Gord is hold a magnet to your body and see if it sticks! Yeah, if I didn’t have a filter on our main line from the well our water would be brown! Have a UV light and water softener as well. The water softener does not use salt because of my high blood pressure…
Never considered this GP. I guess the proof is in the pudding. For me, I always use the .105" line. Most Stihl comes with the. 090" line. A coworker was telling me he always used the heavier line. Made a believer outta me. That's all I ever use now.
I'm 62 and I've never heard of that either. I have no need for a trimmer anymore. One device I had on my last trimmer was a Piv-o-Trim which really helped with line longevity as the line was free to swivel at it's mount point on the head. I just kept line in My pocket and put on new when needed. the Head was set up for 4 pieces of line but I only used 2 . Does your water clear up when you let it run awhile ? Thanks Gord. Mike M.
Hey good day Mike! It does during most of the year but tends to be yellow at times. It has a high iron content but is still potable. I have filtration systems in the cottage. Cheers!
Good stuff GP, looking forward to the test between the 2 trimmer lines. I can't wear that shoulder strap like you do, I find it to hard to maneuver the trimmer. I gather you are using it to take some weight off your arms. Have a great day.
LOL! Hey JO! I adjust it and it does make a difference for me for sure. Stay tuned. I am dying to find out if I have wasted my money on this trimmer line. Cheers!
great info GP. You have super followers. How about a favor. I can't seem to respool my trimmer without it jamming and running out of line quickly. now I will soak my line but a short video on your technique for respooling would be welcome, Cheers
I use Oregon brand .095 square trimmer line. I run 10 trimmers with it in them, high quality,last longer. Skip the cheap stuff, the extra few dollars on high quality line will change your trimmer experience.
After soaking the line in water for a couple of days, how long will it stay in the hydrated condition following its removal? Can it just be stored indefinitely in water? Does hydrating work on all types of trimmer line?
Interesting . I wonder if ultra violet direct exposure too sunlight over time sitting in garage by a window or show room window makes it brittle also . Good test . I still have a full roll of orange couple years old so I will have too try it . 👍
Very interesting video! I had consistently noticed the performance of my trimmer line becoming less and less as time went on yet I had not switched line, machine, or area. Never heard of this trick but it makes a great deal of sense, I'll have to try it. Thanks for the content!
I'm sure a lot of trimmer users are thinking about all that money needlessly paid for more and more string especially landscapers/gardeners and how much they could be saving by adding a soak,
Jesus.. you need a bigger trimmer. Fs 91 or 111 would be good. Or you can just bump it right up to a 131 big dog. Keep your little trimmer for around the house cause the low powered ones are less likely to break a window.
This is simple: the trimmer line is mostly made of pa66 (nylon). Nylon is a hygroscopic plastic which means it absorbs water. Dry nylon is way more brittle than hydrated nylon so if you soak your trimmer line in water it will be hydrated (less brittle). Also Stihl is recommending to soak trimmer line in water before usage.
Enjoyed the video! Here's a tip my grand dad handed down. Dried out cracked tire sidewalls. You can restore them and add years to their life especially trailer tires. He was too old for WWII, a fisherman by trade. During WWII rubber went to the war effort, if you needed new tires you were out of luck. So he searched junk yards to replace tires but most of them suffered dry rot. He smeared Vaseline on the sidewalls once a year. I do this to my 22 year old boat trailer and they still look new! I had an old Dodge Dakota and during a rain storm my wipers stopped working. It turns out the rubber bushings at the base of the wipers had dry rot and weren't flexible enough to operate. I smeared them with Vaseline and had years of use after. Best Regards, Jay
Thanks Jay! That's a pretty neat trick. Cheers!
I like that idea I just bought new tires , and boy they cost me . I thought how I can make them last longer. I thought about putting old cooking oil on them or baby oil 4 real , because of the price of tire now , but going to try all 4 with different oil to see what works . Yes I have the same problem with my stringer trimmer came across of the water bucket , and thought I will try it , cause once you start trimming and get it to it what do you no you just ran out of string.
As an extension of this topic I went through the following.
I bought a new Stihl trimmer ( FS 38 ) from a Stihl dealer and from first firing it up the line ( green 2mm ) would last 5 minutes approx before both ends would snap off inside the trimmer head meaning I'd have to remove the head to restring it.
The trimmer quickly moved to the back of my shed and a year later I decided to try again.
Same deal with the line breaking off.
I went back to Stihl for heavier line or a bladed replacement head only to be told the 2mm line was the heaviest the trimmer could handle and that there is no alternate head produced for the machine.
I explained my problem with the line breaking and was told my line was old and needed replacing.
I had bought a spool of replacement line with the trimmer a year previously so I went home and tried that.
Same deal. Approx 5 minutes and I was back to respooling the head after this line also snapped off.
This is on a trimmer that'd worked about half an hour total since new.
Back to the dealer and I was told the new line I was trying to use was too old too.
After all this they (Stihl) finally recommended I store any line in water in a fridge from the day you buy it.
They said it wasn't worth trying to rejuvenate any old line doing the same.
New spools of line have a production date on them shown as a clock face giving month and year ( that's just a guess ).
As a warning this is on the packaging so you still have no idea about how old the actual line is.
Good luck trying to read it because I still couldn't make it out even after taking a pic of it and blowing it up on a computer screen.
Your test would be more interesting trying freshly produced line but I've no idea how you work out the production date.
The dealer also added that they mainly sell the small spools of line ( 45' ) so that people have the best chance of actually using it before it's useless.
I'm old and cranky and can spend days talking myself into doing something like the trimming so when it doesn't work as advertised I'm surprised it only took a year to try again.
Now when I find I've been lied to / what they forget to tell you, I have a very short wick.
Good luck with your tests and plaster the results all over the internet.
These line companies have it coming for their dishonesty.
Edit: At a guess trimmer line is probably only made by a few factories worldwide and someone like Stihl could order 1000 miles at a time. It's a lottery.
Nice job, thanks for the test. Michael
54 years and I've never heard of that either. Great info and thanks for passing along, Gord!
Hey Ian. I was pretty surprised. Who knew??
Well GP, I was 13 years old when you were born and I never heard that before either !! Of course string trimmers weren't invented for about my first 20 years though. But like virtually everything you present, that was informative as well as useful information my friend. Have a wonderful week.
I was told about this a couple of years ago, I was also skeptical till I tried it!! Being in the lawn care industry, I go through a lot of string. Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Thanks for taking the time and doing the comparison.
Great video GP. The Lawn Care Nut had a video in the spring explaining this. I cannot remember exactly what it was, but he used a plant to explain the way the water is able to "re-hydrate" the line which removes the brittleness. I tried it on some smaller string I had from 2014-2015 that was basically unusable and it worked. I ws sold at that point and have decided to make doing this an annual; spring activity.
I also, have never heard of this before. It's amazing what you can learn on GP Outdoors and UA-cam! 😁👨🚒
:)) Cheers DA!
Hello Gord! Lot of good content lately!
I’m surprised you and others have not heard this before? Don’t mistake me, not judging, but a dealer told me this years and years ago. In fact, just leave it stored in water, and only take it out when you refill your head. I have less than 10 acres, and Wife decided she wanted to try out a battery weeder, so she bought an Echo 56 Volt, and it does really well. I cant stand the thing, but she loves it. I have told her to soak the line, but she said “It’s silly,” so there ya go. Thanks for putting this out, GP, and I appreciate your self deprecation! I have to say, your technique with the trimmer is pretty darned good! Cheers! 👍✌😊
Morning and thanks George! Yup, it was a new one on me but now I know. LOL! Hey if she enjoys it, that's the main thing. Have. nice weekend!
My grandmother would always say “I’m joshing you.” You and her are the only ones I’ve ever heard say that GP. My family immigrated to the states from Canada in the 18th century and ended up in Alabama.
Gord,
I grew up on a public golf course here in Ohio (family business) and have been using weed eaters/string trimmers since the 70s when they were first introduced. Until recently, I never heard of trimmer line “drying out” and to soak it in water to re-hydrate it. This was news to me. I have a spool soaking in my barn now!
One of the issues I had (and still have occasionally) is the trimmer line sticking/fusing together in the spool and fail to unwind. Back in the 70s, we didn’t have automatic feed trimmer heads and we had to manually let the line out by pressing a spool-release button on the top of the trimmer head. When the line would fuse, it took some time to open the trimmer head to free the line.
To solve this problem, I sprayed WD-40 on the trimmer line as I wrapped fresh line on the spools. Perhaps I was hydrating the line without knowing it. I use WD-40 silicone these days. If you have an issue with your line fusing together in the spool, give this method a try.
Thanks, always, for your hard work proving us with great content.
That's really interesting Greg! It happens to me sometimes so I just might try it. Thanks for sharing the great tip!
Thanks for this info Greg. I've been having this exact problem with my Greenworks string trimmer. Bought different line and still the same thing with the line sticking together inside and not coming out properly. I spray the entire line with WD-40 and put it in the spool and yes, that seemed to do the trick so hopefully it continues to work. Thank you for suggesting this. It appears to me that some or most of the string trimmer line is coming from China and most is inferior and causing this issue with me lately.
I worked in a hardware store for 5 years and worked for a lawn and garden service for 2 years. Even "new" line needs to be hydrated since it may have sat in a warehouse for some time before sitting on the shelf in the store for who knows how long.
I've been using a string trimmer for over 30 years and never hear of this either. Great video Gord!
Thanks Dave!
Great Tip Gord !
Very cool and interesting, thank you. I will definitely try the water trick! Another great video and thanks for sharing Gord
You bet - Cheers Brian!
GP had to jump on the old computer to make a comment, still haven't mastered the tv yet. In my 64 years on the planet I've never heard that either and I've been using brush cutters since the mid 70's. Just chucked 500 metres of line into a bucket of water.
LOL! Good day Mark!
I was told that by a guy at my mower workshop years ago, but figured he'd been sniffing the 2-stroke fumes for too long. He actually suggested I store the line in water.
I learned that same thing earlier this year, I’ve been using a string trimmer for years and I never heard of such a thing. You learn something new everyday I guess, thanks for the video
Cheers Dude!
Never been told that information
I didn’t know that you can rehydrate weed eater line. You learn something every day
Good idea for a video and a nice string trimmer hack to share. I had not heard of that before. I don’t trim as much as I should so my string has been hanging on the wall for years. Will definitely give this a try and share it with friends. Thanks!
You know the secret that no one told you is to put miracle grow in the bucket with water you will end up with a bigger spool.😂. Honestly I have never heard about this either. Thanks for the video.
LOL! Too funny - thanks SM!
Good Job, Gord! There are some interesting comments here too! You could become the new "Project Farm" for outdoors channels! Cheers!
Good day Michael!
What GP you are 58 yrs old !!! I was pretty sure that you were much more younger than me !!! LOL ; ) Outstanding water trick !!! Cheers !!!
I was just getting ready to purchase the pro line from your last video. I’m glad I waited. I still have some line so I was not completely out. Incredible difference. Will be wanting to see the difference between the soaked pro line and the standard line. Cheers.
Good Info! Thank you GP.
Hey GP.....well, you influenced the purchase of another B2601. Thanks for all the great info you provided over the years. Purchased one yesterday with 3rd function and grapple....should be ready next week. Caring for property in western MD.
Congratulations Lee! You must be excited. Perhaps let me know how it is going after you get it. (be great to ensure you fill the rear tires and don't forget ballast on the 3 point:)) Cheers and all the best Lee!
Nice info you passed along Gordon. I’ve never heard of that before either! I guess I’m going to start soaking my trimmer string🤣..👍🏻👍🏻-TOA
Hey good evening Todd! To be honest, I thought this was going to one of those videos where I dispell the old wive's tales.. LOL. i was pretty shocked. LOL.Be well!
you might try re hydrating even new line. After all you don't know long new line has been sitting in warehouses and sitting in the store. So re hydrating new line may extend the life of that also.
I purchased standard orange line in a large spool which I soak in a bucket of water every spring. As an upgrade to your trimmer purchase an Echo Speed Feed head. Get the universal model which has adapters for many trimmer brands including Stihl.They are much easier to re-spool with line. When I’m trimming I keep an extra coil of line in my pocket cut to length and re-spool the speed feed head without returning to my shed.
You may wanna try the same trick with that 58 year old line as well...maybe store it in the lake under the dock for the winter!
My goodness when was the last time you ran that!!!
LOL! About 3 weeks probably. Cheers!
I did not know that! TY, Cheers!
Great video ,can’t wait to see the next comparison
Well you taught this old dog new trick thank you I also never knew of it even living in Florida
Hey Bob! Let me know how it works out for you. I was pretty shocked, to be honest!
I don’t know if you have the same experience as I do because my property if you can believe me is even more rocky than yours! I wear off the bump button on the spool part way through each grass cutting season and since I am having trouble locating replacement spools I must shell out for a whole new cutter head! This time just before the button was completely worn down I drilled a hole in the centre of the button and inserted a small carriage bolt making sure the spring would fit over the nut securing the bolt on the inside. This adds about 3/16 to the protrusion of the button and works great except for bumping on softer surfaces! I’m thinking of adding a washer to increase the surface area of the carriage bolt.
That’s a great recommendation!! By the way…I used the log Ox for a big day of splitting yesterday. My back feels great this morning. I’ve always loved making firewood, and this tool will help me go into old age.
Wow this is crazy. Glad it only tok me 43 years to figure it out haha I'm going to have to mention that to my buddy that does lawn care.
GP, Ditto on not knowing! Prolly last longer yet if you cut when it's raining!
Lol ,but I know I would never find THAT out!!!
Thanks for sharing, I learn a lot from you! Enjoy your weekend GP.
Hey GP. I would never thought of that. I will try it myself. Oh by the way we bought a new husqvarna lawn ride on mower. We named it Husky Bob. After your friend. We got a kick out of it. Keep up the good videos. We enjoy them.
Never heard of anything like that in my lifetime either Gord? Just going to have to try it, you know seeing is believing. Thanks for sharing this with us, just can't tell what a person can learn from watching your channel. You always keep it interesting. Stay safe up there. Fred.
Thanks for sharing the trick! Although not scientific, the empirical research you did on the subject is quite interesting. That brings me to consider throwing away my very old trimming line spools and starting fresh. Thanks!
Great tip! Will give it a shot. Try the .105 line, I was sold after using it compared to the thinner stuff. Thanks for bringing us along!
Thanks a bunch ✊🏾 normally once I buy string like this it tends to heat up and stick together (I have a fs240 bike handle) and it's frustrating. This is proven and it's very eye opening.
No kidding … who would have guessed. I have old line probably 3+ years old…gonna have to try this on the last of it.
Gordon I saw this from another UA-camr. She shows you how to fix and repair your small engines. Saws, trimmers, blowers, lawnmower. Her and her husband have a shop. They are very knowledgeable. Check her out. Her channel is(chickanic) her name is Bree. Did you know that the canned premix gas can go bad or be bad when you buy it? Bree shows a 600 rpm difference between pre-mixed gas and fresh mixed gas. Check her out. Stay safe my friend from Washington state.
Thanks James! You too good sir!
Great tip Gord. By the way, I haven't heard of soaking the line in water either, and I have a few more years on you. Thanks for sharing this.
Hey GP, I switched over to the grey and orange Stihl line and find it lasts much longer and better on woody plants. I don’t buy the large rolls now. Our grasses are quite heavy compared to what you have.🇦🇺🍺
Get video . Thanks for the tip👍
I do the lawn maintenance for 20 rental units at 2 different locations plus my home. As soon as it stops freezing overnight, April give or take, I throw my line in small buckets of water at each location and leave them there until our first frost. Dry them out by letting them drip dry before our 5 months of winter starts. My wife told me about it after she was researching why her new string line was breaking so fast.
I just did a Google search on biodegradable trimmer line. It’s all over the place. Lot say yes but takes a lot of time and there is a different line one can buy that is for sure bio. The local outdoors recreational shop told me that years ago. I believed them as I never could recall finding the little ends that cut off when you tap the head. They also mentioned the hydration of the line.
A new one on me too GP. You can bet I’ll be trying it.
I saw this a few months ago on Chickanic
Gord! It was the dirty water in your pail that added new life! 😂 Hope you have a filter for the rest of the house!
LOL! I sure do. :))
I noticed the dirty water too, and thought Holly Cow.
Does it clear up when you let it run a while ?
Mike M.
LOL. Hey guys. It's all good. Well is 425' down with great pressure. It is clean and potable however it has a high iron content. So, ok to drink occasionally but not all the time. I have two filter systems in the crawl space, including an Iron filter, and also a soft water system. :)) Its kind of seasonal - throughout the year there are times when it looks yellow and other times when it is clear. But hey, I am safe....(I think...LOL!). Cheers guys!
One way to check yourself Gord is hold a magnet to your body and see if it sticks! Yeah, if I didn’t have a filter on our main line from the well our water would be brown! Have a UV light and water softener as well. The water softener does not use salt because of my high blood pressure…
I new that from a youtuber Bill Max .
Never considered this GP. I guess the proof is in the pudding. For me, I always use the .105" line. Most Stihl comes with the. 090" line. A coworker was telling me he always used the heavier line. Made a believer outta me. That's all I ever use now.
Hi Gord, as my 9th grade science teacher always used to say, ‘Water is weird.”
LOL!
I'm 62 and I've never heard of that either. I have no need for a trimmer anymore.
One device I had on my last trimmer was a Piv-o-Trim which really helped with line longevity as the line was free to swivel at it's mount point on the head. I just kept line in My pocket and put on new when needed. the Head was set up for 4 pieces of line but I only used 2 .
Does your water clear up when you let it run awhile ?
Thanks Gord.
Mike M.
Hey good day Mike! It does during most of the year but tends to be yellow at times. It has a high iron content but is still potable. I have filtration systems in the cottage. Cheers!
great test
Great tip, thanks.
Good stuff GP, looking forward to the test between the 2 trimmer lines. I can't wear that shoulder strap like you do, I find it to hard to maneuver the trimmer. I gather you are using it to take some weight off your arms. Have a great day.
LOL! Hey JO! I adjust it and it does make a difference for me for sure. Stay tuned. I am dying to find out if I have wasted my money on this trimmer line. Cheers!
great info GP. You have super followers. How about a favor. I can't seem to respool my trimmer without it jamming and running out of line quickly. now I will soak my line but a short video on your technique for respooling would be welcome, Cheers
I use Oregon brand .095 square trimmer line. I run 10 trimmers with it in them, high quality,last longer. Skip the cheap stuff, the extra few dollars on high quality line will change your trimmer experience.
I heard about this a few years ago. Just forget to do it because you soak it a day or two before you need it. But when you need it it’s not soaked.
After soaking the line in water for a couple of days, how long will it stay in the hydrated condition following its removal? Can it just be stored indefinitely in water? Does hydrating work on all types of trimmer line?
Great information. One thing for sure is that Ferris would make life much easier.
Indeed it would. :))
Interesting . I wonder if ultra violet direct exposure too sunlight over time sitting in garage by a window or show room window makes it brittle also . Good test . I still have a full roll of orange couple years old so I will have too try it . 👍
Give it a try Ridgeback and let me know what you find. My Shed has no windows. I was kind of shocked, to be honest. Let me know!
@@GPOutdoors 👍👍
Interesting idea I will have to try it. By the way did the turtle eggs hatch?
Never heard that either…seems crazy, but hey..cool tip for making it last longer..thanks for uploads and useful tips along the way..:)
Amazing how much trimming there is to do around a yard.
Currently trying this on some old brittle plastic dominoes. Wish me luck lol.
😮cool
STIHL puts the water sign on there big rolls check some out on line and you see,thanks
Very interesting video! I had consistently noticed the performance of my trimmer line becoming less and less as time went on yet I had not switched line, machine, or area. Never heard of this trick but it makes a great deal of sense, I'll have to try it. Thanks for the content!
You have to watch chickcanic she’s good I learned the line soaking from her
I also heard it from her. She has a good channel focusing on helping the DIY'er.
I think I would have been way beyond skeptical of soaking plastic in water to rejuvenate it.
This info can also be found in the manual for these machines,
Now I know men think manuals are for suckers but I beg to differ
LOL!!
you have to do it blind to which is hydrated and which is not. You could be subconsciously pushing one and nursing the other.
You Have a Nice Trimmer, String Trimmers are very Good, i Like your channel keep up the Good Work,
Cheers Ebele!
Ha! Who’d a thunk it?
LOL! Not me - hope you are keeping well Larry!
I'm sure a lot of trimmer users are thinking about all that money needlessly paid for more and more string especially landscapers/gardeners and how much they could be saving by adding a soak,
Jesus.. you need a bigger trimmer. Fs 91 or 111 would be good. Or you can just bump it right up to a 131 big dog. Keep your little trimmer for around the house cause the low powered ones are less likely to break a window.
Lol
Get a speed feed mate you can tank me later
Thats why I unsubscribed to your channel. Thought you knew everything. You didn't. Open your mind.