How to supercharge your string trimmer, save money & give your yard a cleaner, greener cut

Here’s an inexpensive way to take your string trimmer from so-so to supercharged. It’s all in the string!

Most homeowners who buy a string trimmer dutifully buy the same type and brand of string that came with the trimmer. But the pros know better. They store away the manufacturer-provided string and replace it with more effective string that reduces trim time and provides a better cut.

Here’s what you need to know:

The string diameter required by your trimmer. Some common trimmer string diameters are .065” (1.7 mm) to .155” (3.9 mm). Read your owner’s manual to confirm what size is needed for your trimmer.
How long the string should be to fully load your trimmer head. This information will also be available in the owner’s manual.

That’s it!

Now comes the fun part. Most manufacturer-provided string has a simple, round edge profile. It’s fine for light duty work, but because the string has a rounded profile, it will tear, rather than cleanly cut the grass and weeds. This can cause the grass to brown at the tips. It will also generally take longer to trim.

Professionals use string with a non-round shape; they use star, cross and square-shaped string. These shapes create cutting edges that enable you to move through an area significantly faster. Most importantly, it provides a cleaner cut that means a healthier lawn with reduced likelihood of browned tips.

Check out our popular how-a-string-trimmer-works video with tips about how to care for your string trimmer and avoid costly repairs.

Something broken? We’ll help

RepairClinic has troubleshooting and repair how-to information for string trimmers in the Repair Help section of our website. With your string trimmer’s model number handy, head to RepairHelp to view a list of common symptoms including failure to start, engine stopping, head not spinning and others.

RepairClinic has replacement parts and maintenance products for string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers, pole puners, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, log splitters, lawn mowers, small engines, snowblowers and other outdoor power equipment.