*edit* Never mind I was trimming my lawn today and did a good job I am really good with tools, I own just about every tool you can think of since I like taking on new projects. I guess it is due to my inexperience, but I find weed eating to be really awkward. I have an electric weed eater and for some reason it seems like only gas powered weed eaters have the long straight shaft. I am 6'3" so I have to kneel all the way down to the ground while weed eating, not sure how silly I look doing that. Then after a while I am swinging the weed eater back and forth so the muscle in my forearm feels like it is about to explode. Then there is the problem of me not cutting the grass right. I either get it too low where I leave a huge gash in the dirt and kill the grass in that area, or I am too high and do not cut anything. It is especially harder when going up against the house or fence and the nylon is smacking up against the wall and I feel like I could do damage after a while. So yeah I hate weed eating, and I cannot find a good video to show how to do it properly. People who I see weed eating make it look so easy, they just swipe the weed eater across the ground a couple of times and everything is cut nice and evenly. *edit* Shortly after creating this topic I see that weed eaters are more commonly referred to as string trimmers, so I am finding more videos on them so hopefully that will give me some confidence.
I think the secret is getting a trimmer that is the correct size for you. Then you won't have to be bent over and using your muscles awkwardly. It also takes some time to learn how to best use it. It took me a while to figure mine out, but now I can use it with precison. Good luck!
I used to have one of this trimmers until it was stolen by idiotic #@!&* burglars . It need some practice and getting use to operate this machine properly. It is only useful for trimming grass edges or anywhere where a mower can't get at. What I learn is to make sure the machine is cutting away from you, that is the cut grass is flying away from you Now I am using expired scissors from the kitchen to trim the edges around the house and a sickle to get at where the mower cannot.
Oh well great news, I took your advice and began practicing the trimmer in my garage. I noticed near the bottom of the trimmer was a hard to see button and when pressed, it angled my trimmer head! So that is why it was so much harder as the trimmer was parallel with the poll so I had to bend down more to try and get it aligned with the ground. So this should help a little as I will not have to bend all the way down anymore.
I am a terrible weed eater too. I have a gas one and an electric one. I can never figure out how to refill the string for one... and the gas one just baffles me as far as the engine maintenance and how to start the darn thing. I have become so frustrated with it, I've dropped it and walked away to keep myself from throwing it. So if you find any videos on youtube that you found particularly helpful, pass them along! I will too. I've never thought of searching youtube for that -- what a great idea.
Hi daisybeans, here is a video I found that is pretty basic but I did pick up a couple of good tips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSkYtOdFCEM
And here I was, thinking I'd find recepies for ground elder soup, dandelion salads and chickweed topping.
When it comes to string trimming, basic is my name... actually, I'm like pre-basic. That demo linked me to a few others that dealt with restringing so that was great. Thank you!
*steps down puts her weed eating soapbox away* I have to laugh,,,sorry,,,LOL!! I am so not one for keeping up with the Olsens, or Jones as they say. Why bother to trim it at all. If you look at some of the most beautiful paintings of landscapes or of home settings,,,the grass is always in a sweeping motion. Long grass near a wood fence to me is inviting. When i see neat trimmed grass and perfect borders,,i feel like i even have to take my shoes off to go on it or it will be ruined. (kind of like going in a home, don't want to ruin what someone has) or afraid someone will come running out and yell for being on their yards. LOL. sorry but i am all for letting nature just do what she does best. Grow!! LOL! I'm with you Droopy, i thought this was a thread where weeds were not liked to be eat.
Well my house has little short hills for water drainage so my lawn mower cannot get to them. Plus the foot long grass up against the fence doesn't look good at all imo.
Hey I mowed and trimmed my lawn today and did a good job My biggest problem with trimming before was the angle the trimmer was set at, and the button to change the angle was totaly flush with the unit so it looked like you couldn't adjust it. Plus I watched every video I could find on how to trim, and the guys took their time and so did I and got it done right. Before I watched a full time lawnmower man do it and he only took two seconds to use the trimmer on the driveway so I thought you had to trim like that but I guess he was just a 20 year pro. Plus I removed the retractable guard to get a closer cut. However the string sometimes broke and didn't retract, but that may be the unit itself.
