How to Put a New Line on a Craftsman String Trimmer

From time to time, the line on your Craftsman string trimmer may weaken and break. Instead of replacing the entire trimmer head, you can save money by replacing only the line. Forty feet of replacement trimmer line can be purchased relatively inexpensively and will most likely end up lasting the life of your trimmer.

Things You'll Need

• Craftsman replacement trimmer line
• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers

Instructions

1. Remove the line glide plate from the cutting head and unthread the old cutting line.

2. Clean the cutting head thoroughly and reinstall the glide head. Align the arrow of the glide head to match the size of your line. Position "A" is for medium and large lines, while position "B" is suitable for smaller sized lines.

3. Insert both ends of the line into the correct holes on the sides of the cutting head.

4. Pull the line taught against the hub. Both ends of the lines emerging from the hub should be even. If both ends are not even, loosen the line and adjust the length on each side.

Tips & Warnings

• Craftsman sells replacement lines that are color coded for easy identification. Red lines are good for cutting grass and small weeds, and black is made for cutting thicker brush. Both of these lines would be used with the glide plate set to position "A."

• You may wish to install a universal trimmer head to your line trimmer. These trimmer heads are designed to fit many model string trimmers and make purchasing and replacing line easy.

• Be sure your string trimmer is positioned in a way that it will not accidentally engage while you are changing the string. The fast moving line can cause injury.

References

• Crafstman 2-Cycle Gas Trimmer Operator's Manual
• Crafstman 12-in. 18 Volt Weedwacker Cordless Trimmer Operator's Manual

Resources

• Article about installing a universal trimmer head