§ How-To
Trimmer Line Won't Feed: A Troubleshooting Checklist
Six things to check when the line stops paying out — before you blame the spool.
A trimmer that won’t feed line is almost always one of these.
1. Welded line
Heat from cutting fuses loose coils together. Pull the spool, unstick the layers, and re-wind tight and flat.
2. Wrong line diameter
Line that’s too thick binds in the eyelet. Match the gauge your head is rated for.
3. Too little line left
Many auto-feeds stop feeding with a few feet remaining. Just re-load.
4. Cross-wound layers
If coils overlap, the line snags itself. Re-wind in even rows in the arrow direction.
5. Worn eyelet
A grooved or sharp eyelet frays and grabs line. If the eyelet is metal and worn, replace the head.
6. Tired feed spring
Bump heads rely on a spring. If it’s weak or popped out, the indexing fails — replace the spring or the spool assembly.
If the head itself is worn out, a universal bump head is an easy upgrade.