by OldGuy » 02 May 2025, 02:10
If you do any yard maintenance, you have most likely used a weedeater. A gas or electric machine that spins a nylon cord to cut grass or trim edges.
I use a weedeater on every property I work on. I maintain the yards for 16 apartment properties on a regular basis. I have used both gas and electric versions and actually like the electric ones better. Switching to a new battery as needed is faster than filling it with gas. I carry several charged batteries with me and they won't explode in any accident like a can of gas could do.
Some machines require a single cord installation that wears down until you have to replace it. Some machines extend the cord automatically each time you start it up or increase the speed. Some machines have a bump knob. The cord extends a bit each time you bump it on the ground, if it works. It often does not work right and you have to hand push the bump knob and hand pull out the additional cord as needed until it runs out and you have to rewind the thing with a new roll of cord.
This topic is specifically about the cord itself.
The cord is most often sold in rolls. You cut a length and install the cord about 10 feet or less and the package usually has enough for 6 to 10 lengths at about $25.00 (USD) per roll. That means each piece costs $2.50 to $4.13 per cut piece from a single roll. Remember that cost and compare to what I am about to reveal.
In some cases, a single installed length will last for several cuttings. In other cases, it gets frustrating because it wears really fast or even breaks off as you work with it.
I finally learned WHY the difference.
I had purchased a new machine and a roll of cord at the same time. I was really having a hard time using it because the cord was almost immediately breaking off inside the head and I was stuck reinstalling new cords 2 or 3 times per property. I thought something was wrong with the weedeater.
I took it back to the vendor to have them check it and they found nothing wrong with it. It kept breaking the cords multiple times on each job. I got so frustrated with it I called the manufacturer for help. Their service rep explained what was going on. What a shock and wow, what a difference.
Seems the vendors receive their stock of new cord each season and hang them on the shelf. Over the course of a single season, they dry out while they are on display. If you buy them when they are actually new, they are very flexible and will do their job with no issue. However, the later you but them, the dryer and more brittle they become. By the end of the season, they are too dry to work and break off, a lot, even if you buy them “new”. If you already have some left from last year, they are already too dry to use so you have to buy new product each season.
The manufacturer's rep explained that the nylon cords are actually made with a process that uses water. The water keeps them flexible. When they dry out, they are no longer flexible which causes the breakage. All you have to do is store them in a bucket of water to keep them in flexible condition.
I also discovered the cord is available in huge rolls for commercial landscapers. The whole roll only costs $50, but there is enough cord for several hundred cut pieces that brings the cost down to about $0.25 per piece. A single roll will last a lifetime for any homeowner just doing their own lawn. You may have to buy 2 of the $25.00 packages for a single season. DUH. Just keep the $50.00 roll in a bucket of water and the roll will last the rest of your life. Of course, you can also store the smaller package in water for the same effect.
With cords stored in water, I often cut the entire yard without a single extension required. When the cord was dry, I often used up an entire winding in a single yard and had to load a new piece for each property.
If you do any yard maintenance, you have most likely used a weedeater. A gas or electric machine that spins a nylon cord to cut grass or trim edges.
I use a weedeater on every property I work on. I maintain the yards for 16 apartment properties on a regular basis. I have used both gas and electric versions and actually like the electric ones better. Switching to a new battery as needed is faster than filling it with gas. I carry several charged batteries with me and they won't explode in any accident like a can of gas could do.
Some machines require a single cord installation that wears down until you have to replace it. Some machines extend the cord automatically each time you start it up or increase the speed. Some machines have a bump knob. The cord extends a bit each time you bump it on the ground, if it works. It often does not work right and you have to hand push the bump knob and hand pull out the additional cord as needed until it runs out and you have to rewind the thing with a new roll of cord.
[center][size=150]This topic is specifically about the cord itself.[/size][/center]
The cord is most often sold in rolls. You cut a length and install the cord about 10 feet or less and the package usually has enough for 6 to 10 lengths at about $25.00 (USD) per roll. That means each piece costs $2.50 to $4.13 per cut piece from a single roll. Remember that cost and compare to what I am about to reveal.
In some cases, a single installed length will last for several cuttings. In other cases, it gets frustrating because it wears really fast or even breaks off as you work with it. [b][i]I finally learned WHY the difference[/i][/b].
I had purchased a new machine and a roll of cord at the same time. I was really having a hard time using it because the cord was almost immediately breaking off inside the head and I was stuck reinstalling new cords 2 or 3 times per property. I thought something was wrong with the weedeater.
I took it back to the vendor to have them check it and they found nothing wrong with it. It kept breaking the cords multiple times on each job. I got so frustrated with it I called the manufacturer for help. Their service rep explained what was going on. What a shock and wow, what a difference.
Seems the vendors receive their stock of new cord each season and hang them on the shelf. Over the course of a single season, they dry out while they are on display. If you buy them when they are actually new, they are very flexible and will do their job with no issue. However, the later you but them, the dryer and more brittle they become. By the end of the season, they are too dry to work and break off, a lot, even if you buy them “new”. If you already have some left from last year, they are already too dry to use so you have to buy new product each season.
[b][size=150][color=#4000FF]The manufacturer's rep explained that the nylon cords are actually made with a process that uses water. The water keeps them flexible. When they dry out, they are no longer flexible which causes the breakage. All you have to do is store them in a bucket of water to keep them in flexible condition.
[/color][/size][/b]
I also discovered the cord is available in huge rolls for commercial landscapers. The whole roll only costs $50, but there is enough cord for several hundred cut pieces that brings the cost down to about $0.25 per piece. A single roll will last a lifetime for any homeowner just doing their own lawn. You may have to buy 2 of the $25.00 packages for a single season. DUH. Just keep the $50.00 roll in a bucket of water and the roll will last the rest of your life. Of course, you can also store the smaller package in water for the same effect.
With cords stored in water, I often cut the entire yard without a single extension required. When the cord was dry, I often used up an entire winding in a single yard and had to load a new piece for each property.
