A weed eater is a string trimmer device founded in Houston, Texas in the year 1972 by a George Ballas. This invention dawned onto George Ballas from the concept of an automatic car wash's spinning nylon bristles. With this, he though of coming up with a device that can protect the tree barks he was trimming.



After a few years, his company was bought by Emerson Electric which then emerged with Poulan. After a few years, Poulan was published by Electrolux.

Restringing a Weed Eater

This is for cases when the strings of your weed eater got unraveled while you work on your yard. It is a very easy procedure which can guarantee that your string will not unravel anymore. You only need a weed eater cord, oil-filter wrench (only if necessary) and a weed eater, of course.

It is fairly easy to replace the strings. The first step is to press its lock and carefully rotate the spool on a counter-clockwise manner. Make sure you remove the locker ring if your device has it.

Take off its automatic feed button.

Make sure you wipe off any debris.

In order to release its locking tabs, you need to push down on its spool.

Carefully take out the spool from its chamber.

Feed the line inside its lower deck. Make sure the line travels in a somewhat upside down manner. This is more like sewing a button, without tying off the line and securing the line's internal end.

Wrap the line according to the directed arrows. Continue doing this until it becomes wrapped onto the chamber's depths.

Make sure you secure every line in its very own lower and upper deck grove settings.

Make certain that you install the spool into its chamber again.

The lines should be passed onto the right and left holes, snapping its spool onto place.

When the spool is placed inside its sleeve ad then fed into the right and left eye holes, you need to simultaneously pull on both ends.

If needed, you need to also reinstall its locking ring.

Using a Gas Weed Eater

String trimmers or wed eaters are usually utilized for edging around driveways and sidewalks as well as for trimming weeds against the curb, house or around the mailbox. In fact, you can use this device onto any place your lawn mower cannot reach. The things you only need is a trimmer line, long pants, closed-toe shoes, oils and gas mixture as well as safety goggles and a weed eater.

You need to initially put on a pair of safety goggles.

Make sure your weed eater has enough oil and gas in its tank before starting to use it.

Make certain that you have enough string. If it seems not enough, just add more line into the spool.

Your gas weed eater needs to be primed in at least 2 up to 3 strokes. The bubble shaped button is its primer button, usually situated below the motor.

Switch its button to "Start."

Hold down its gas trigger while pulling off its starting chord with powerful and quick yanks. Continuously pull onto the chord until it starts.

When it starts, carefully switch its button to “Run.”

Hold your weed eater with your right hand on its trigger while your left hand on its shaft handle.

Start your trimming task while pulling and holding you weed eater's gas trigger. Make sure you hold its trimmer as far from you as you can.

Cut the weeds as well as the grass around your house, sidewalks, curbs and trees.

Safety Tips

If your trimming seems to be becoming less effective, this means that your weed eater requires more line.

Make sure you don't place plain gasoline into your weed eater's tank. This is because it runs on oil and gas mixture. If in doubt, always refer to the manual that came with it.

It is imperative that you wear closed toe shoes.

Since the weed eater has a tendency to throw debris which can scratch even your bare legs, it is best to wear long pants.