How To Change The Coil On An Electric Trimmer

Thick line

It is stored at the top of the trimmer body.

In addition to the standard lawn line, my trimmer has a thick line for cutting rough weeds. It is shaped like a pigtail, i.e. Three lines are tightly intertwined. This line has its own spool.

Trimming the line into the trimmer.

I want to devote today’s article to the sore subject of summer residents and gardeners of the entire post-Soviet space “How to fill the line in the trimmer.” Not many trimmer manufacturers answer this question in their instruction manuals. Therefore, it is also difficult for simple gardeners to figure out how to do it correctly.

I want to start with a brief description of the technical characteristics of the trimmers.

So, trimmers are electric and gasoline. The cutting element for trimmers can be a line and a knife. The line is ordinary, four. Pentahedral and intertwined (in the form of a pigtail). Knives come in 2, 3 and 4 bladed knives. Knives also come in plastic and metal.

The line feed system from the trimmer is manual, semi-automatic and automatic.

Development engineers who create new trimmer models clearly calculate the diameter (thickness) of the line and the number of knife blades, according to the power of the trimmers. Otherwise, the motor is overloaded, resulting in damage. And these are additional and significant costs.

Trimmers on the market today:

With one nozzle. only line.
With two nozzles. a fishing line and a three-four-blade knife.
With one nozzle. only three to four blades.

Our Kulibins long ago learned to improve any mechanisms. So, for example, some gardeners make successful, in their opinion, replacement of fishing line with a metal cable, or fishing line. But at the same time, they do not think about the safety of their own and their loved ones, because, like a cable with the power of a working trimmer, it can easily break out and not only injure the mower and others, but leave him crippled for life. Using a fishing line can and gives a better effect, I have never personally tried it than a trimmer line, but such work has a number of inconveniences: when it comes into contact with hard objects, it loosens or can simply be pulled out of the reel without limit.

So, what is called closer to the topic. Here is an example of how to thread the line into the trimmer (Trimmer BOSCH Art 30). Everything is very simple. Started.

After you have chosen the line for refueling, you need to cut off the required amount of line, because all the line in a skein will not be wound into a reel.

Cut off and start reeling.

Remove the coil and the protective cover from the coil.

They took it off. We fix one end of the line in the gap and carefully and evenly wind the line.

The amount of line should be such that the protective cover of the reel closes and the line on the reel unwinds a little by itself.

We put the other end of the line into the hole on the protective cover.

Next we take the coil and the protective cover of the coil. We squirt the end of the line from the reel into the metal hole on the protective cover of the reel. Tighten the line a little.

We put it all on the trimmer. Turn the coil clockwise until it clicks.

They fixed it. Now we connect the trimmer to the network. We put the trimmer in the starting position for work. We turn on the trimmer. Excess line length will be cut on the trimming blade.

Coil in trimmer

That’s all we start working.

Material you can see

A little advice. Try not to let the line come into contact with hard objects when cutting. With this contact, the line will be cut. And since in this trimmer the line is not fed automatically, then every time you have to stop work, remove the reel and release the line again.

Spare coil storage space

It is very simple to install such a fishing line into the reel. according to the internal scheme inside the reel. We insert the center of the line with a metal mount in the upper part of the reel, and draw the ends of the line along the grooves and bring it out.

Heavy-duty line in a reel

This reel is attached to the trimmer in the same way as a reel with an ordinary line.

Single-barbed trimmer coil

Single-barb lawn mowers reel

Many owners and experts note the ease of use and ease of refueling the bobbin with one mustache. Depending on the manufacturer, the length of the threaded line can vary from 2 to 5 meters. The end of the line is inserted into the head into a special technological groove or hole, and the winding is carried out in the direction opposite to the working rotation of the bobbin. Most reels have arrow marks on the outside of the body that indicate the direction of travel of the trimmer reel.

After winding, you need to leave a free end of 15-30 cm to enhance the centrifugal force, which is decisive when removing the trimmer line in automatic and semi-automatic spools. We pass the left end through the working hole of the coil and assemble the head.

How to wind line around the trimmer cutter head or lawn mowers

Changing the line in the trimmer: 2 easy ways

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We wind the fishing line

Slowly completed disassembly of the spool-spool without losing its spare parts allows you to proceed to the main task. winding the fishing line into the reel. Technological features of the spool design and the number of working antennae determine the sequence of actions.

How to wind line on a trimmer reel: key points

A gasoline or electric trimmer is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of a modern summer resident or owner of his own home.

Thanks to these gardening devices, even a large garden plot can be mowed with ease. After purchasing this tool and performing several mows, many people think about how to properly wind the line on the trimmer reel. For an inexperienced user, the first operation to replace it will seem problematic and time-consuming, since the developers often do not fully reflect the instructions for replacing the fishing line in the operating manual.

How to remove and put a reel on a lawn mower!

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Step 3. disassemble the coil

After the coil is removed from the head, it must be carefully disassembled. It is better to do this on an already mown area, because there may be a spring inside the coil, which will be quite difficult to find in the highest grass. Electric trimmer wiring diagram with half electric trimmer As you have seen. After disassembly, we will have three parts on our hands: the body (top cover), the protective casing and the coil itself.

Method 2. two segments

Two coiled line pieces

Fundamentally no different from the method The only difference is two wound pieces of fishing line, instead of one.

The end of each segment is folded

The end of each segment is folded.

Two special fixing sockets

There are two special fixing sockets on the coil (see picture above).

We start reeling the line

They hook it with a hook formed earlier on the fishing line, and begin to wind the fishing line.

Winding is carried out in a special order

The winding must be carried out in the following order: first the lower line, i.e. The one that is closer to the fixing holes at the bottom of the coil, and only then the top one, i.e. The one that will overlap the bottom section.

The bottom line is reeling

The tips are made into the holes in the trimmer spool body. They are pulled until they click, which means that the line has come out of the clips.

The tips are threaded into the holes in the trimmer spool body

The coil is fastened into the body. The line in the spool has been replaced.

The line in the spool has been replaced

Trimmer head with automatic line threading

Types of trimmer heads

Some models on the market have a reel with an automatic winding mechanism. It is enough for the owner to properly thread and fix the ends in the head, and the winding operation will be performed by the tool itself when it is turned on. It is almost impossible to wind the line incorrectly into a trimmer with such a head, since the coil independently determines the position of the antennae. The advantages of an automatic trimmer head include ease of threading the line, and the disadvantages are frequent breakdowns of the mechanism due to the complexity of the design and high cost.

Preparing for replacement

We disassemble the trimmer spool

For clarity, the mowing head (spool) was removed from the lawn mower. To replace the fishing line, you do not need to remove it, everything is done locally. It doesn’t take long.

We disassemble the trimmer spool. it rests on the latches. Remove the cover by pressing on the latches. If you do not have enough effort to do this with your hands, then use a screwdriver.

The spool consists of the following:

  • Spring case
  • Cover with locking latches
  • Reel with button

The principle of operation is as follows. By pressing the button, the spool presses on the spring and comes out of the locking grooves in the spool cap. Holding in this state, the reel can be twisted, thereby adjusting the length of the line. When the button is released, the body spring returns the coil to its original fixed state.

Disassembled trimmer spool

On the bottom of the reel there are several holes for different diameters of the lines. They may differ from trimmer manufacturer. In some cases (like here) they are signed, in others they are not.

These holes are needed to fix the line when replacing it. After winding the fishing line on the bobbin, the ends of the latter are inserted into them. This is necessary so that the scaffold does not unwind when the coil is installed in the trimmer body. In other words, it makes it easier to change the line.

Holes for fixing the line

There are models without specifying the diameter of the consumable. Then, in order to find out what the maximum diameter of the scaffold can be used, it is tried on along the holes for the outlet of the fishing line from the trimmer spool body (see Figure below).

Fitting on the holes of the line output

The reel has two line sections separated by a baffle. They may not exist. They are needed only to delimit and facilitate the winding of the consumable.

Two sections for line

First, they are determined with the required length of the loess. The latter is wound into one of the sections of the coil so that it does not go beyond its limits. In this case, 3 mm was wound, the length turned out to be about 2 meters. THOSE. For two sections, you need a 4 meter segment. this is for the 1st method. For the second method, you need two segments of 2 meters each.

Determining the required line length

Now you need to figure out which way you need to wind it. To do this, many trimmer manufacturers apply special designations to the spools, such as in the figure below.

Special designation on the reel

If no such designations were found, then you need to pay attention to the spool body. There is necessarily an arrow that indicates the movement of the mowing head. The line is wound in the opposite direction.

Bobbin case designation

How to Change the Trimmer Coil

What types of woods are there

The most common type of line that will fit almost all reel types is round cord. This is an ordinary fishing line, suitable for mowing succulent grass, but it will be much more difficult to mow dead wood with it, and even more so it will not cope with bush.

As a rule, the diameter that can be used to cut young grass does not exceed 1.6 mm. The thicker the thread, the more coarse grass it can overcome.

There are fishing lines with sharp edges in the form of an asterisk or a square, this option is more adapted to mowing dry grass precisely due to the existing sharp edges, but its disadvantage is greater wear and is inferior in strength to a round cord.

There are fishing lines with improved aerodynamics with characteristic dents, scales and notches, such a product makes less noise, but it is used only on lawn mowers, since the exit of such a thread from the reel is difficult, it is used most often with discs into which segments are inserted. The disadvantage of such a product is its fragility.

Most often in gasoline trimmers with an engine power of more than 1.5 HP. Use cords with a metal cable inside.

This thread is ideal for cutting dry grass and small bushes. The presence of a core has a positive effect on the wear resistance of this material.

The disadvantage of such a cord is its price, which is significantly higher than the above listed opponents.

How to change the line in the trimmer and which one is better to choose

Since we considered the choice of a trimmer in the previous article, today we will tell you how to properly fill the trimmer with fishing line, and which one is better to choose based on the working conditions.

After you bought a trimmer and began to actively use it, sooner or later the question of replacing the fishing line will arise, since this is the most wearing element in the tool, then intensive use of the trimmer will lead to frequent replacement of consumables.

How to remove or tuck the line into the trimmer

It will take about 10-15 minutes to wind the line. What is a trimmer coil? Plastic body with a cassette inside, on which there is a special hook for easy winding of the fishing line.

Almost all trimmer reels have a similar fastening principle, this is a central screw-button, when pressed, it becomes possible to pull out the line of the required length. The photo below shows a few examples of different trimmer spools.

The bobbins of the trimmers, the motor of which is located at the very ground, have a different attachment to the axis of rotation, they have two buttons on the spool located on the sides that need to be wrung out, otherwise the replacement of the thread is no different from other cassettes.

The principle of correct winding of the fishing line is similar in all of the above cases, therefore, for example, consider the standard version with two antennae.

To remove the spool with the fishing line, you need to unscrew the centrally located screw, but note that the thread is left there, so you will have to turn it clockwise, this was done on purpose so that during operation it does not open under the influence of centrifugal force.

Next, using a screwdriver, disassemble the head and remove the spool onto which the fishing line is directly wound.

Having measured the required length and folded in half, you need to tuck the fishing line into the spool, eventually bringing its ends opposite each other (for this there are special slots for fixing).

After that, it is necessary to assemble the head in the reverse order, threading the ends of the cord into two corresponding holes.

If you have doubts or it is not entirely clear how to load the line on the trimmer, we recommend that you look at: how to properly wind the line in the lawn mower.

In this, step by step, the instructor will open the trimmer head, measure the required amount of line, usually from two to four meters, and demonstrate assembly and installation on the trimmer.

Disassembling magneto

Disassembling the magneto is very simple. First, remove this device from the engine and clean it, removing oil particles and dirt. Further, since the ignition timing machine is securely fastened, you need to unscrew the nut, and then remove the part and pull the key out of the groove. The cover is fixed with four screws; to remove it, you need to unscrew and remove the fasteners. Then you need to pull the magneto rotor out of the case, unscrew the pins holding the transformer and get it out. And to collect the magneto, you need to follow the steps described above in reverse order.

No sparking

If the magneto does not spark at all, the main cause is an open circuit in one of the transformer circuits (primary or secondary). The defective part must be replaced to repair the mower. If the primary circuit is shorted to ground, it can also cause no spark. You need to fix it to fix the problem.

Magneto. design and operating principle

The purpose of the ignition coil is to convert the rotational energy into a high-voltage discharge and form a spark that ignites the fuel mixture. In an internal combustion engine, this part is called a magneto, since in it an alternating current is generated from the rotation of a permanent magnetic rotor or armature.

Magneto structurally consists of two windings: high and low voltage. A capacitor with breaker contacts is connected in parallel to the latter. Whereas the leads of the high voltage winding are connected to the candle and the body. Both of them are wound on a core, between the poles of which a rotating magnet is installed, magnetized longitudinally.

Method 1

The first way to check the ignition coil involves the use of special equipment (stand). At home, it is not available. you can find it only in service centers.

Replacing the magneto

To remove the magneto, remove the plastic cover from the trimmer. This process is different on different mower models. It is usually necessary to remove the bolts, but on some gas trimmers it may be necessary to depress the latches. After that, access to the coil opens. To remove the part, you need to unscrew the retaining fasteners and disconnect the wires.

When installing a new part, you need to correctly set the distance between the flywheel and the magneto. To do this, turn the flywheel upwards with magnets, install the coil and secure it, but do not fully tighten the screws so that there is a small distance between the parts. Next, between the coil and the flywheel, you need to put a calendar, business card or A4 paper folded in four, you can also use a plastic strip cut from a bottle. These tweaks will ensure adequate clearance between the flywheel and the magneto. A more competent solution would be to use a special template, but purchasing it for the sake of just one time is impractical. Next, you need to tighten the fasteners, remove the object between the parts, and, holding the magneto with your hands so that it does not spin, tighten the fixing screws tightly. After that, turn the flywheel and make sure that it does not catch the coil anywhere. Now you need to connect the wires and insert the candle into the cap, and then check the operation of the device.

Insufficient sparking

The weak spark on the magneto is caused by a damaged capacitor. To eliminate the damage, it is necessary to replace the failed part.

Method 3

If there is no multimeter, you can check the coil in another way.

For diagnosis, you need to take the following steps:

  • Open the cover that covers the cylinder;
  • Remove the cap of the high-voltage wire from the candle without unscrewing the part itself to maintain compression;
  • Place a nail without a cap tightly in the cap, it will simulate the central electrode of the candle;
  • Tie the cap with a nail to the cylinder with a dielectric material so that the gap between the simulator of the candle electrode and the mass varies from 5.5 to 7 mm (the exact distance for a particular model is recommended to be found in the user manual), but the part does not come into contact with the mass;
  • Using the starter to reproduce the engine start several times, holding the ignition button in the on position;
  • If a spark appears, you need to consider what color it is.

A strong white or bluish spark is normal, and a faint gleam of orange or yellow indicates coil failure.

Often, a cold magneto creates a powerful spark, but when heated, due to a defect in internal components, it does not conduct current. Once the mower coil has cooled down, it starts up again and mows the grass with a fishing line or knife until the magneto heats up. This is abnormal behavior and the coil must be changed.

Unstable sparking

If the magneto sparks intermittently, check the contacts first. They could be burnt or oily. The carbon deposits found are cleaned with a file, and the oil is wiped off with suede, previously soaked in gasoline. The second possible cause of the problem is the adjustment of the gap between the contacts. To eliminate it, you need to set the correct distance.

If the spark appears intermittently, it may also mean that the breaker arm pad is worn. To eliminate the malfunction, you must change the lever to a new one. In addition, the clearance should be adjusted, as with another possible cause of breakdown. misalignment of the outline.

Capacitor breakdown can also be the culprit for interruptions in spark formation. In such a situation, replacement of the damaged part is required, since it cannot be repaired and recharged.

Functional check

Before starting to diagnose magneto, you need to make sure that the problem is actually in this node. To do this, you need to check the entire chain and make sure that there are no other reasons for the breakage of the trimmer.

  • First, you should carefully inspect the coil for cracks and other external defects on the case. Next, you need to study all the elements and nodes that conduct current, and make sure that they are clean.
  • The next step is to inspect the high voltage wires. They must be in good working order and securely attached to the contacts, free from traces of rust and with intact insulation.
  • The next step is to check the plug cap. As a result of careless actions, the user often tears it off the high-voltage wire, and then improvises and creates a homemade mount. You need to understand that any poor-quality connection in this place significantly reduces the power of the electric arc of the candle.
  • Then you should make sure that the candle itself is working. Filling the mower with poor quality gasoline will significantly reduce the life of this part. In addition, it can be flooded or have a large carbon deposit that interferes with operation. Sometimes the candle even sticks and does not unscrew.
  • Next, you need to inspect the circuit breaker. On trimmers and chainsaws made in China, it often breaks.

After completing all these steps and excluding the listed nodes from the list of possible causes of failure, you should proceed to checking the coil. This can be done in several ways.

DIY trimmer coil repair

The trimmer, whether petrol or electric, is the only solution for cutting grass in hard-to-reach places that a wheeled lawnmower cannot handle. As a cutting tool in trimmers, metal knives or special fishing line are used, which is tucked into the trimmer coil. But, unfortunately, the trimmer heads become unusable over time during operation. Some malfunctions can be eliminated by hand, and some require a complete replacement of the mowing head.

The cord lengthens spontaneously

There are times when the trimmer user notices a very fast line flow. At the same time, he never hit the ground with the button to lengthen the line. The reason for the fact that the line spontaneously lengthens, being cut on a special knife on the casing of the device, may be the absence of a spring in the mowing head. Often novice users of mowers, trying to load the line into the reel, forget to install the pressure spring in the head, or completely lose it when opening the cover, and in the future, do not even suspect of its existence.

Major coil faults

Trimmer users and lawn mowers often face a problem with the semi-automatic mowing head. Coil malfunctions can be as follows:

  • The line does not lengthen automatically;
  • The cord spontaneously comes out of the reel.

Line does not lengthen automatically

If the line does not lengthen when you lightly hit the trimmer button on the ground, then the reasons for this may be the following.

Option 1. a bite has occurred, i.e. Clamping the cord between turns. This problem usually occurs if the user has been winding the line on the reel unevenly, with intersecting turns, or winding it with insufficient tension. In the latter case, when the mowing head rotates at high speeds under the influence of centrifugal force, the cord begins to tighten, as a result of which inter-turn clamping of the fishing line is possible. To fix the problem, you will have to disassemble the coil on the trimmer and rewind the cord correctly, that is, in even turns with good tension.

Option 2. too short ends protrude from the head. The line may not come out when hitting the ground if the ends sticking out of the head are not long enough (short). In this case, the centrifugal force is not enough to stretch the line. Therefore, it is required to stop the unit (turn off the engine or disconnect the trimmer from the mains) and pull out the line manually, after pressing the button.

Option 3. the line is brazed inside the mowing head. This causes the coil to lock and not spin when the button is pressed. Basically, this happens for several reasons: poor quality of the cord, overheating of the coil during prolonged operation of the unit, hitting the line against hard objects.

  • In the first case, third-party cord can be made of low-quality and low-melting materials that cannot withstand mechanical and temperature stress. Therefore, you should give preference to “branded” lines.
  • But, if you nevertheless purchased a fishing line of unknown quality, and it is often soldered during operation, then you can follow the example of some users who, after filling the cord into the reel, wet it with either silicone grease (from a can) or mineral oil. This procedure greatly reduces the likelihood of soldering the turns of the fishing line together.
  • Also, the line can become soldered if it strikes a hard object (stone, fence, dry branch, etc.) during mowing. As a result, it stretches slightly and is pulled back into the head at high speed. From friction, the cord heats up, and its turns stick together. The only thing that can be done to eliminate this malfunction is to open the trimmer spool and rewind the line.

How to remove the spool and replace the line

Trimmer owners, mostly beginners, find themselves in confusion, bordering on panic, when they need to change the cutting tool or line in the reel. Very often, when trying to unscrew the mowing head, users simply render it unusable, not suspecting that it is unscrewing in the opposite direction. To prevent this from happening, if you need to replace the tool, we recommend that you read the step-by-step instructions below.

  • Stop the mowers engine or power off the trimmer before placing the line into the spool to avoid injury from accidentally starting the cutting tool.
  • Unscrew the nozzle attached to the gearbox shaft. To do this, the shaft must be fixed by aligning the holes on the washer and on the axle, and inserting a metal rod or screwdriver into them.
  • Unscrew the nozzle. You should be aware that the thread on the shaft is left-hand. Therefore, turn the trimmer coil to the right, that is, clockwise.
  • Disassemble the mowing head. Most often, the head cover is attached with clips. To remove it, you will need to sink these latches into the case, squeezing the edges of the cover. If your trimmer has a semi-automatic mowing head with a button on the bottom, then the disassembly of the attachment should be done carefully, since you can lose the spring, which sometimes flies out when the cover is removed.
  • Cut off the required amount of line. Usually its length is 5 meters. Use a cord of the same diameter as indicated in the instructions for the tool. It is not recommended to exceed the maximum line diameter as this will result in increased engine stress and higher gas mileage.
  • Find the midpoint of the line by folding it in half. You will have a loop.
  • Special grooves are cut inside the coil (there may be holes). Insert a loop of line into this groove.
  • Wind the line around the spool by turning it counterclockwise. It is necessary to fill in the cord as evenly as possible, the turns should lie down without overlap and with good tension. When winding is complete, leave free ends of the line about 20 cm long and fix them in the grooves on the sides of the reel.
  • Assemble the mowing head. Remember to insert the spring and washer (if equipped) before final assembly of the accessory. Place the spool in the body and thread the ends of the cord through the holes or eyelets.
  • Put on the cover and secure it with the snaps.
  • Screw the adapter back onto the gearbox shaft, also securing it with a screwdriver. You will need to twist the trimmer coil to the left (against the arrows).

Trimmer coil device

Trimmer mowing heads come in a variety of designs, both simple and complex. The picture below shows an exploded view of the Husqvarna (Husqvarna) semi-automatic trimmer head.

This type of head is present on most lawn mowers and trimmers such as Stihl (Stihl), Patriot (Patriot), Champion (Champion), Bosch (Bosch), Huter (Huter) and others. The device of the mowing head is quite simple. It includes the following details:

  • Mowing head base;
  • Button for semi-automatic cord feed;
  • Spool (spool) into which the line is tucked;
  • Spring;
  • Eyes. through them the line comes out;
  • Trimmer head cover;
  • Line (cord).

There are also simpler trim heads shown in the following photo.

All these attachments do not allow changing the length of the line in a semi-automatic mode (after pressing a button). If the cord breaks, you have to stop the mower and change it manually.

How To Change The Coil On An Electric Trimmer

Is it possible to make a coil for a trimmer with your own hands

  • Take a piece of plywood or PCB and draw a circle about 14 cm in diameter on it.
  • Cut the disc with a jigsaw or metal saw.
  • Drill a hole in the center of the disc that matches the diameter of the gearbox shaft. Do not forget to put a washer on it before installing the disc on the shaft.
  • Small corners can be screwed along the edges of the disc or 1-2 holes can be made on opposite sides. They will serve for refueling the fishing line in them.
  • Several screws can be screwed into the plywood to secure the line.

This homemade mowing attachment is attached to the shaft with a nut. It will not work to tighten or unscrew the nut without fixing the shaft. To replace the cord, it will be enough to loosen the screws, insert a piece of line of the required length and press it again.

Also, the mowing head for attaching the fishing line to it can be made of metal sheet. How to do this can be understood from the following.