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  1. #26
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    Sounds like the cheap ones might be better because they don't have automatic feed

  2. #27
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    I just went out and looked at the thing. There is no adjustment for the spool. No spring. It just has a ratchet mechanism that works, as suggested by Thetyim, on centrifugal force. When the string gets short the spool spins faster. This forces the ratchet lever out allowing the spool to turn a short way and let out about an inch of string.

    What I've noticed though is that it seems to get stuck and feed out a bunch of string at once, which it neatly chops up in to one inch segments.

    I think in lieu of another trimmer I'm just going to buy a jug of Roundup....

  3. #28
    Have you got any cheese Thetyim's Avatar
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    I just remembered something.
    Where the mono comes out of the spool there should be a brass eyelet.
    This is not to protect the plastic.
    If the eyelets are missing then the feed will not work.

  4. #29
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    I think in lieu of another trimmer I'm just going to buy a jug of Roundup....
    Hope you're not planning on drinking it?

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thetyim
    If the eyelets are missing then the feed will not work.
    They're there....

    Should say "were there". As I write Ms. B is returning the damn thing to Home Pro.

    But, I still need to figure out how to mow my lawn.

  6. #31
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    But, I still need to figure out how to mow my lawn.
    As I said in previous post I'm sure I saw an electric version of this in Thailand. Will check and get back to you with details. Might take some practice to keep from destroying the entire garden but at least no carburetors to worry about.

    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  7. #32
    Have you got any cheese Thetyim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    But, I still need to figure out how to mow my lawn.
    Do they sell those electric garden shears in Thailand.?
    Uses a rechargeable battery.

    Last edited by Thetyim; 11-04-2008 at 03:20 PM.

  8. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by NickA View Post
    Oh, sorry... it doesn't automatically feed the string (or it doesn't do it very well)... you have to press a button on the bottom of the spool and pull on the string.
    Nick that button is the semi-auto feed. You are supposed to tap it lightly on the ground while your trimming to extend the line, it feeds a little bit at a time each time you tap it until it is the right length or chops off the surplus if you go a bit too far, each tap should bring out a few centimeters of string, it needs to be rotating though as it's the centrifigual force that expels the string..But usually you have to tap it quite hard on something rather hard like a bare spot or planter edge, etc.

    Just a guess here but if Budhai is disassembling these things to 'fix' them or install new string it is very possible he isn't putting them back together right, in which case they will expel all of their string prematurely..It's also possible the missus might be trying to work the thing and fidgeting with it thinking it isn't working right, who knows? But after years of using them and B/D specifically too I've had few problems.. After 2 units of different models it sounds a little too coincidental to me, and more like user error...

    The problem with sheer cutting your lawn is it doesn't spread the grass seed and thicken it up, plus the cut grass acts as a fertilizing mulch that serves to feed your lawn as it breaks down but not if it is all too long or the picked up and thrown away.. Your grass looks nice, I'm envious....Wish I had more grass.
    Silent but deadly.....

  9. #34
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    My advice is to bite the bullet and buy a small petrol strimmer. You should be able to get the smaller line feed ones out there, though you might have to go to Bangkok to find them.

    Even here in the UK can pick up a good one for less than £100, however here Honda are expensive.

    Although most have auto line feed by the 'tap' method, I have never used this and prefer to pull the mono out. Continueous use of the tap method damages the head and eventually wears it out

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Driventowin
    Nick that button is the semi-auto feed. You are supposed to tap it lightly on the ground while your trimming to extend the line, it feeds a little bit at a time each time you tap it until it is the right length or chops off the surplus if you go a bit too far, each tap should bring out a few centimeters of string, it needs to be rotating though as it's the centrifigual force that expels the string..But usually you have to tap it quite hard on something rather hard like a bare spot or planter edge, etc.
    Ah, is that how your supposed to use it.... i've always switched off, pressed the button and pulled.... mine is so cheap that it will probably break doing it the right way, but I'll give it a go.

    I assume the size and weight of the string has an effect as when I bought some refill string (that was slightly bigger) it kind of autofed and so used up the sting faster, although not the same as in BH's case.

  11. #36
    Have you got any cheese Thetyim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Propagator
    Continueous use of the tap method damages the head and eventually wears it out
    Correct.
    Eventually being a few weeks

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thetyim
    Do they sell those electric garden shears in Thailand.?
    Uses a rechargeable battery.
    Never seen one. Looked at them in the US, but all the ones I saw had transformers that were 110 volts only. And, they all had a proprietary connection to the transformer. Should have bought one and used a step-down transformer for charging.

    Quote Originally Posted by Driventowin
    Just a guess here but if Budhai is disassembling these things to 'fix' them or install new string it is very possible he isn't putting them back together right, in which case they will expel all of their string prematurely..
    Well, the first spool of string was installed by the factory and expelled itself after I mowed about one square wa. For the second spool I carefully removed the empty one and followed the instructions on installing. It all only fits together one way, so not much of a chance of making an error.

    I'm the only one who used it.

    The first unit lasted three years of weekly use, so I guess I shouldn't complain. But, the string feed never worked very well. It was the "tap" type. I always bought the original B&D spools. Often, they got tangled and bound up half way through and ended up having to be fed manually.

    If it's my fault, I'll accept the fact. I've been pretty inept and clumsy all my life so it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

  13. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thetyim View Post
    ^
    I think you would be better trying plastic blades like these
    Plastic Blades for Qualcast QT028

    Easy to change. They just clip in.

    That would be Ok for a Qualcast, but mine is some other make (not here so I cant check the make)

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by NickA View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Driventowin
    Nick that button is the semi-auto feed. You are supposed to tap it lightly on the ground while your trimming to extend the line, it feeds a little bit at a time each time you tap it until it is the right length or chops off the surplus if you go a bit too far, each tap should bring out a few centimeters of string, it needs to be rotating though as it's the centrifigual force that expels the string..But usually you have to tap it quite hard on something rather hard like a bare spot or planter edge, etc.
    Ah, is that how your supposed to use it.... i've always switched off, pressed the button and pulled.... mine is so cheap that it will probably break doing it the right way, but I'll give it a go.

    I assume the size and weight of the string has an effect as when I bought some refill string (that was slightly bigger) it kind of autofed and so used up the sting faster, although not the same as in BH's case.
    Yeah...I'm sorry to say that, that old saying "size matters" applies here. If it's too thin it won't feed properly because it's not heavy enough and if it's to thick for some it will hang up when it's being spun and also not feed properly..Or can feed too much as is being experienced..

  15. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Driventowin
    The problem with sheer cutting your lawn is it doesn't spread the grass seed and thicken it up, plus the cut grass acts as a fertilizing mulch that serves to feed your lawn as it breaks down but not if it is all too long or the picked up and thrown away
    Damn, learn something new every day, I always thought that when the grass was long and the farmers cut it to harvest the lawn seed up in the Willamette Valley where lawn seed is king, that they were doing it right, I didn't know that when you mowed your lawn that you spread the seeds.
    Damn and that asshole where I used to cut this guys lawn in the summer made me take a "Thatching tool" [like a big iron rake] and scratch up the old grass cuttings that lay down on the ground around the plants and choke the grass and the ground gets no air, so he told me to scratch up all that old shit, hard work too and I just now found that it is good for the grass. that sumbitch.

    Boy, learn a lot on here really...

  16. #41
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    I just spent a little over two hours with the hand shears. Hard on the back, but I got all but about one square wa done. I'll finish up in the morning. Now it's Happy Hour....

  17. #42
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    Why not get one of these to cut your grass?

    Quote Originally Posted by Thetyim View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    But, I still need to figure out how to mow my lawn.
    Do they sell those electric garden shears in Thailand.?
    Uses a rechargeable battery.

    She pobly not charge to much and them old women usually do a fair job of work..

  18. #43
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    i think i,ve mentioned this befor, i have several stihl fs 85 2 stroke line trimmers, fantastic machines! looking at the excess trimmer cord lying around i would hazard a couple of educated guesses , check the eyelets where your cord is being thrown from, they could be cutting the cord because there is too much being thrown out, can you interchange the heads? if so go get a universal manual feed, much more reliable, and another tip look for some diamond edge cord, ususally orange in colour and square in shape, a much more durable product that seems to last longer than any thing else i have used, also cuts much cleaner also, i have two mowing crews working for me and by far and away the products i have tried these are the best results,, spend the money and buy a good tool first time, the work you need it for will last you for life!!

  19. #44
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    I have the same model strimmer BH and it works fine for me. I bought one new reel and then worked out that I could buy a cheap spool of same diameter line and now I just rewind the old spool with the cheap line - works just as well.

  20. #45
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    I did the lawn this evening and I have been using the semi-auto feed all along, mine only requires a light tap on the ground for it to feed. I guess I was only manually feeding it when it became stuck.

    BTW BH, i actually bought mine from the Makro in Korat, Goldex is the make.

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    If it's my fault, I'll accept the fact. I've been pretty inept and clumsy all my life so it wouldn't surprise me one bit.
    Buad hai I wasn't suggesting that it was your fault. You had mentioned that your are rather clumsy and not technical minded and I am, but when I first get a new trimmer it still takes me a few times before I get it right as the spools are sometimes a little tricky to thread so they feed properly.. And being brand new is no guarantee they did it right either honestly from the factory the first time.. But anyway that's why I mentioned the possibilities..

    That's another thing I see just now mentioned, I have always bought new string and restrung the old spool, very seldom have I even bought a new one..

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by NickA View Post
    I did the lawn this evening and I have been using the semi-auto feed all along, mine only requires a light tap on the ground for it to feed. I guess I was only manually feeding it when it became stuck.

    BTW BH, i actually bought mine from the Makro in Korat, Goldex is the make.
    Yeah sometimes the line on one side gets overlapped and it just gets tighter wrapped over top of it and what you've been doing frees it up.. The trimmer also gets out of balance when that happens and you'll feel it vibrate pretty good when your cutting, normally it should be relatively smooth when your using it..

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by buad hai
    Never seen one. Looked at them in the US, but all the ones I saw had transformers that were 110 volts only. And, they all had a proprietary connection to the transformer. Should have bought one and used a step-down transformer for charging.
    They also have small universal transformers here too that have a number of different plugs and voltage settings as well as HRz so you can set it to same requirement as the states and just plug right into the tool usually, not always but most times...

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackgang View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Driventowin
    The problem with sheer cutting your lawn is it doesn't spread the grass seed and thicken it up, plus the cut grass acts as a fertilizing mulch that serves to feed your lawn as it breaks down but not if it is all too long or the picked up and thrown away
    Damn, learn something new every day, I always thought that when the grass was long and the farmers cut it to harvest the lawn seed up in the Willamette Valley where lawn seed is king, that they were doing it right, I didn't know that when you mowed your lawn that you spread the seeds.
    Damn and that asshole where I used to cut this guys lawn in the summer made me take a "Thatching tool" [like a big iron rake] and scratch up the old grass cuttings that lay down on the ground around the plants and choke the grass and the ground gets no air, so he told me to scratch up all that old shit, hard work too and I just now found that it is good for the grass. that sumbitch.

    Boy, learn a lot on here really...
    Yeah it's called mulching there BG and most new lawn mowers do that these days since the early 1980's, it's much healthier and spreads the seeds better. Obviously though (or maybe not so obviously) were talking about grass a couple of inches high not 4-5 or 6 inches as that would build up on top and smoother the grass underneath as I mentioned earlier. If the grass is short enough to be cut up into smaller pieces than spreading it is much better for it..Here's a little tip from the net, hope that sheds some light..

    JFYI I used to have the thickest nicest lawn on my street and I always cut it and took care of it myself. I used to be a garden shop manager in my youth and learned quite a few helpful tips during that time...

    So how long should you wait before cutting the lawn? And how short should you cut the lawn (which is another way of asking, At exactly what mowing height should you set lawnmowers?)? According to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, cutting the lawn with a lawnmower set at a proper mowing height can save you from having to bag your grass clippings, even if you don't own a mulching mower. The rule of thumb suggested by the Cornell Extension is, "Mow when your grass is dry and 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall. Never cut it shorter then 2 to 2-1/2 inches or remove more than one third of the leaf surface at any one mowing."
    The premise behind this mowing tip is that the valuable nutrients in the grass clippings can do your lawn some good, left right where they lie after cutting -- as long as their bulk is kept at a minimum. By following this rule of thumb and cutting only about an inch off the top of your lawn at any one time, the bulk of the grass clippings is kept low.
    Employing this mowing tip will entail more frequent cutting, to be sure. But the result will be a healthier lawn, fed by nutrients that you would otherwise be hauling away. Besides, cutting a lawn too short can stress it out, especially during periods of hot weather. In addition, cutting the lawn stimulates growth and increases thickness. Again, think of the lawn not as an amorphous mass but as a vast garden of individual plants. Those plants can profit from "pinching," as can many houseplants or garden flowers.
    Note that with mulching mowers, you don't need to be quite so careful about the height at which you cut the lawn, since the grass clippings are shredded up more finely. This works much better for those of us who don't generally walk around with tape measures on our belts! For more information, please consult my product review of mulching mowers

  25. #50
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    ^that's why I got rid of the gardener and started cutting it myself... he liked to cut it as short as possible.

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