Can my weed wacker designed for .065" (1.651 mm) trimmer line handle .08" (2 mm) one?

Question

I have a Ryobi P2200 hybrid weed whacker. It takes .065" (1.651 mm) trimmer line. I have found better deals and much better shaped line. I have found a piece of (plastic) wire that was exactly .08" (2 mm) and fed it through the hole and it fits with some room left over (did not run with wire in, very dangerous!).

I would naturally think there is a great possibility that it would work. But would there be a reason why it does not say in the manual it can handle .08" (2 mm)? Will it mess with how it auto feeds, how it performs etc. Would it be worth trying? Not that I go spend $8 at a local store and it does not work.

Answer 1

It looks like it could fit (in a pinch). I have successfully used different guages of line on other weedeaters (although I have never used this particular weed eater). So I'm just going to list some of the possible pros and cons.

Pros

1. 0.08" is commonly available, and might be cheaper (by the foot) in some areas.
2. Thicker line should be more durable; so if it's about the same price, but it lasts longer, it would be generally more economical.
3. Trying will not cause the weedeater to explode.
4. knowing whether or not it can use a different string will be handy for future reference (it's better to test it at your convenience than when your options are limited).

Cons

1. Thicker line might require more power to move/cut through weeds.
2. Thicker line will be shorter on the spool (in other words, you might get 6 ft of 0.065" line on the spool vs. 4 ft of 0.08".
3. Feeding thicker line though the hole (especially during operation) might be a problem, causing snarls.
4. Heavier line might cause vibrations (which can lead to a bent rod).

Answer 2

Get rid of that bump and go trimmer head! What headaches! Take it in and get a 'fixed head' for that trimmer. Get rid of the shield. The shield is supposed to be for safety but it is hard to see exactly what you are doing and I think that is far more important and safer to see what you are trimming. I did this for a living and almost! went into competition with my little weed wacker! All my trimmers were fitted with fixed heads and shields removed. One has to be very vigilant the direction they chose and to make sure no kids, no pets, no windows are in that path and continually check. Shields just make for a false sense of security.

ALWAYS WERE SAFETY GLASSES. ALWAYS.

For fixed heads one needs to cut lengths of line, fit them through the holes that are made to hold onto that line, then cut as close as you can to equal lengths. Pull them together above the head (where the bump and go used to be) as centered as possible and cut to 4 or 5". The equal lengths or weights the trimmer has to spin is so important for the life of the motor and the precision of cutting that I also take that trimmer, turn it upside down, turn it on. Then on concrete or a big boulder (making sure where the lines are throwing) touch the lines lightly on the surface. You'll hear the change in RPM go up as the two lines become perfectly equal. The length of those lines are usually no more than 4" each. Any longer and your trimming will be out of control. Again, look where the line is tossing!!

DO NOT USE WIRE...you need to use the plastic!! Get the star cross section. It is imperative that you use the plastic, there is no way to get the lines equal and when pieces of wire go flying, very dangerous. I've never used wire.

And wear safety glasses!! Watch for kids, people, pets and windows. Those tiny little rocks become gnarly rockets. Get used to trimming (edges of lawns) on both sides to be able to change your direction. Mow your lawn first, then trim edges making sure the height of grass is the height you've mowed the rest of the lawn. No shorter than 3"!!! Do the trimming next to concrete last as that melts your lines and make for more change outs. Find the perfect length of line and cut 3 or 4 lines to loop in your belt loop and take with you. Also take a small pair of cutters. Be precise with your gas and oil mixture! Do not guess. And never use gasoline with ethanol!!!

And wear safety glasses!! Grins, sorry, but I had two of my guys, each took his glasses off when he went around the corner and each poked an eye out. Kids...sometimes the more 'parent' one is the more childish they become.

Answer 3

My dearly departed Dad left us a spool of .080 the size of a battleship gun round, so this should last us our lifetimes! LOL. Our pootie little Ryobi 18V weed-eater bit the dust, so we got a 2nd hand 40V Black & Decker that cautioned "only use .065 line".

Well, our donor also gave us pre-wound spools of that size, but I could not rewind the empty ones with the thicker plastic line, so I awl-ed out the keeper hole and slot to accept it. Tried it and it works absolutely fine! I did Dremel sharpen the cutter blade on the housing after a nice scraper cleaning.

BTW & fyi, those pre-wound spools are kept in place with reinforced packing tape, so it takes longer to remove that mess than to simply wind your own, like I did from dear ol' Dad's "barrel-O-trimmerline"! Hope that helps Y'all.

The reason we all need a clean and sharp cutoff blade on the housing is because otherwise it will "gum" the line, and sling out more of it until inertial forces pull wasteful amount of material out of your magazine. Sorta like eating corn on the cob with no teeth. Apologies in advance for being a nerd & an engineer.