What size trimmer line does my whipper snipper take?
It's printed on the trimmer head, and if it's worn off you can measure the old line.
The trimmer line your whipper snipper takes is set by the head, not by the engine or the badge on the shaft, and a lot of heads have the size printed on them somewhere. Tip the machine over and look at the head, and you're after something like .080" or 2.0mm. That number is your answer and you match it exactly when you buy line.
Line gets marked two ways, in inches and in millimetres, and they're the same measurement said differently. A head stamped .080" and a pack marked 2.00mm are a match. Our packs carry both numbers so you can line it up either way.
Jak Max Pro-Round - .080"/2.00mm, 1/2lb Donut Trimmer Line 62m
Where is the line size written on my whipper snipper?
- On the head itself, usually stamped or printed near the eyelets where the line feeds out.
- On the spool inside. Pop the cap off and have a look at the spool and the inside of the cover.
- On the sticker on the shaft or the motor housing, which also carries the model number.
- In the manual under specifications. If the manual went missing years ago, the model number off that sticker will usually find it for you.
How do I measure the old line if there's no sticker?
Pull a length of the old line out of the head and measure across the line itself with a vernier caliper, or against a ruler if that's what you've got in the shed. You're measuring the thickness of the line, not the spool it was wound on. Then match that to the mm on the pack.
The other check is the eyelet. Feed a bit of new line through the hole in the head by hand, and if it won't go through easily it's too thick, basically. If you land between two sizes, go the thinner one. Line that's too thick jams in the eyelets and bogs the motor, and it wears the head out. Line that's a bit thin just breaks more often, which is annoying but it won't hurt the machine.
What sizes do we stock?
| Size | Line | Pack | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| .065" / 1.60mm | Pro-Round | 1/2lb donut | 97m |
| .080" / 2.00mm | Pro-Round | 1/2lb donut | 62m |
| .095" / 2.50mm | Pro-Round with inner core | 1lb donut | 80m |
| .105" / 2.65mm | Pro-Round with inner core | Clamshell | 15m |
| .120" / 3.00mm | Pro-Round with inner core | Clamshell | 15m |
The two thinner ones are plain nylon and come as a donut, so you get a lot of line for the money if your machine runs through it.
Jak Max Pro-Round - .065"/1.60mm, 1/2lb Donut Trimmer Line 97m
From .095" up it's round nylon with an inner core through the middle, which Jak Max make for a stronger cut, and that's the line you want if you're going at blackberry canes and thick stuff rather than lawn edges.
Jak Max Pro-Round - .095"/2.50mm, 1lb Donut Trimmer Line 80m
The heavier two come in a 15m clamshell, which is handy if you only need enough to get a job finished.
Jak Max Pro-Round - .105"/2.65mm, Clamshell Trimmer Line 15m
Jak Max Pro-Round - .120"/3.00, Clamshell Trimmer Line 15m
What if I've got the right size and it still keeps breaking?
Usually it's old line that has dried out. Nylon goes brittle sitting in a hot shed or in the sun on the back of the ute, and it snaps off at the eyelet every few minutes. Keep the donut in a sealed container out of the light, and if the line you've already got is dry, a soak in a bucket of water overnight softens it up again.
The other one is how it's wound. Wind it on tight and in the direction the arrow on the spool tells you, because loose line tangles over itself inside the head and then it won't feed at all.
If in doubt, bring the head in, or a bit of the old line, and we'll Hardware CSI it. We'll measure it, check the head and match it on the spot. Too far to pop in? Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 or send us a message with the model number off the machine, and we'll work it out from there.
Cheers,
Candeece
