Harbor Freight Portland String Trimmer - HOWTO - Winding Trimmer String

[@yellysavy]

I’m a DIY type of lady so I’ve been thinking about cutting off the gardeners and getting dirty myself. I purchased a blower and weed wacker plus tree trimmer. The next step was coming on KZbin and seeing how to actually use these things, so I wanted to thank you for your video. it is very helpful

[@Eagle-lm7gp]

Coming from a “Jill of all trades” awesome training video! I love my PORTLAND 13” weedeater ❤

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Awesome! Thank you - glad you liked the videos, from a jack of all trades! I use this weedeater a lot and it works great - thanks for subscribing!

[@AaronNoldenMusic]

THANK YOU! The default string was horribly done, so I watched your video, restrung it and it’s working like a CHARM!!!! You saved my sanity and made my day.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

thanks for the positive comment, thanks for subscribing!

[@AaronNoldenMusic]

@@snapwholeharborfreightreviews You’re welcome. I cannot express how much frustration you saved me from and I was also able to get way more done. This video was a day-saver!!!

[@timothyalanogrady]

Your video on stringing the harbor freight weed wacker was very helpful for my wife after she bought it and now I stream all my weed wackers that way

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

very glad the video was helpful -thanks for subscribing !

[@timothyalanogrady]

@@snapwholeharborfreightreviews we buy a lot of tools from harbor freight so now I know that I have a channel that I could check on reviews 🙂 thank you

[@mrcodcommando3939]

Need a close up shot

[@knowledge5106_]

Thank you for this video. I have watched others that wound the spool with top and bottom at the same time and every time I did it that way the entire spoiled line spit out as soon as I started using it. I’ll definitely have to try restringing it this way. I’ll do this before doing the steel wireline hack with a rubber grommet or zip ties or the hard painted plastic utility line. Thanks again

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Glad you found the video helpful - I think winding both at once is not easy to control and keep tension on both lines is why I recommend doing it this way, hoping it work well for you - Thanks for subscribing!

[@knowledge5106_]

@@snapwholeharborfreightreviews It actually did work! Trimmed up my back yard this morning! I'm so glad the spool did not go spitting out as before! I also removed that guard to help me see my cutting area so much easier! If those that feel like they want to use the guard PLEASE USE THE GUARD!

[@markeastridge9649]

Thanks. Got my light duty frustration purchase doing light duty work again. Hung in the wall in favor of crouch and scoot with my rechargeable hand trimmer for a couple years.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Glad the video helped you, I still use this trimmer, and it has been frustrating, mainly because HF does not include enough info in the manual to make it work consistently - thanks for subscribing!

[@manuelrangel3278]

Ive had this trimmer for around 7 years or so and just left it in the garage because the spool just ran out and could never get a replacement to work....so finally today after watching this video i finally got it going again!!! Thank you!!! Lol

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

very good, glad the video helped you - thanks for subscribing!

[@RJS614]

I’ll have to try that methods. I’ve been stringing the top and bottom at the same time and have been having the same problems like the others .

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

keeping the line tight and not letting it unspool is the key to keeping the trimmer feeding line correctly and working - thanks for subscribing!

[@sarahlove3733]

This flipping yard tool omg Ugh 😩 I tried 5 times to wind it and it spit it out or ATE IT so Thank you! I needed this!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

glad you found the video helpful - in doing research on this tool when I was working on it - it only feeds line when you let off the on switch - so if you run it full speed all the time, it does not auto feed the string - thanks for subscribing!

[@SeattlePioneer]

Heh, heh! You did VERY well if that only happened to you five times! I've found that you need to leave nine inches of line loose at the end to minimize the risk of it being drawn back into the housing. Using a clothes pin to hold it so that doesn't happen is good too. Once everything is reassembled, you can gently wind some of the excess back into the spool. This takes PRACTICE!

[@teresateresa5172]

Thank you for showing me how to spool my trimmer, I was threading it wrong.

[@fifty6648]

I have this trimmer and I've had a black and decker. Both of them I want to throw off a cliff. Why is it that as a kid I could wack whole backyards all day long no problems but these brand new ones won't feed, feed to soon, break the line, or coil back inside, etc etc etc?????

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

string feeding problem are all in how the string is loaded, any slack creates binding (monkey knots) - this saturday and sunday, I'm releasing 2 video on how I fixed the overfeeding problem and what caused it, and a general teardown and reassembly of the trimmer - spoiler - the bauer light weight/battery powered is a better trimmer, I released the 2 year follow up on it last saturday - thanks for subscribing

[@iamsunflower-fu3lk]

I have one and boy oh boy the times I have to stop and pull the string out ugh. But it will work for the moment

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

two things cause it not to feed - when you wind it, if the tension is released, you can get a monkey knot, when a 'lower' winding is tightened over an 'upper' winding (to fix this you have pull really hard, another cause - if you run the trimmer flat out all the time, it will not feed out string, it only feeds out string when you let off and on the power switch - thats how it auto feeds, it takes a while to get used to doing it that way, but it works - thanks for subscribing! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGmWdaZjfqZkmc0

[@brittanycaplinger6110]

This was very helpful thank you!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

glad you found the video useful, and thanks for the positive feedback, thanks for subscribing!

[@GoMathewVideo]

I bought this exact trimmer about a year ago. I don't use it much so the pre wound string lasted a while. I tried doing it exactly like this and when I placed it back into the weed eater it just came unraveled and I ate through an entire reel in 5 minutes . Im not an expert but something tells me it should last longer than that so i don't know what i did wrong.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

the unraveling is what allowed it to come out so fast, I know it is hard to do, but you can get the spool installed without it unraveling - use the cord locks to hold the cord tight, insert the line into the hole first and one side at a time, pull the string one at a time and pop them out of the lock as you seat the reel, once the reel is in its place, it will hold tension - a little awkward the first few times, but it does work, once the tension is released on the spool and the cord unravels, you need to start over after rewinding the cord - the working end of this is exactly like the ones black and decker uses on their trimmers, might even come from the same factory - thanks for subscribing!

[@danle2884]

Hi so you thread in the opposite direction for the upper and the lower levels? Thank you.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

no, they have to be in the same direction - the key is to not let them lose tension, that creates problems with feeding - thanks for subscribing!

[@letitiastrathman6585]

Do you know where I cand find replacement parts? I can't find the cap to mine.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

you can contact HF customer service and ask about parts, their number is on their website - but you can check the product page on their website, they normally have a PDF with any parts that are available, HF is not known for offering a lot of spare parts....... thanks for subscribing!

[@coppellpianoshop3812]

The directions that are on the unit say to use one length of wire. From there, the directions are unclear, referring to a "white sleeve". I think something happened during the translation: there is no white sleeve.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

I way I did it lets you take of the spool of string, the say the manual describes requires you to start in the middle of a piece of string, try that method and you see why I do this method, a lot less messy - thanks for subscribing!

[@robertbairt9094]

I would guess the white piece is 🤔 bushing between shaft & line cartridge 🧐

[@knowledge5106_]

I did see one video of a guy who had this same trimmer and his came with a white sleeve that kept the line taught. Mine didn’t come with that. It would be helpful though

[@eidrianespino2792]

So do I get this right? You spool each side individually? It’s so frustrating to spool it up and will not auto feed. I know this is an entry level weed whacker but it’s not supposed to be this complicated. lol. Thanks in advance.

[@freerepublicusa2064]

This is the crappiest string trimmer I’ve ever owned. Always a fight to get the string to come out no matter how I wind it. Makes a 10 min job hours long.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Thanks for making my point that 100% of the problems you have with a string trimmer feeding line is caused by how the spool was strung, you should watch the video and wind your spool this way and your problems will disappear - thanks for subscribing!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

the trimmer on auto feeds string when you let off the power switch and then apply power - if you run it flat out all the time, it will not feed string - thanks for subscribing!

[@donaldjones8920]

@@snapwholeharborfreightreviews Thanks, I didn't know this was how the string was fed.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

@@donaldjones8920 Glad the video helped you out - thanks for subscribing!

[@SeattlePioneer]

The instructions give a basic description of advancing the trimmer line. If you listen carefully, you can hear a soft "click" when the trimmer comes to a stop. That's the feed mechanism advancing a notch. You can advance it by just powering it on for a half second and then letting it come to a stop again ----click! Several clicks and soon you have enough line to work with! Now THIS advice isn't in the instructions!

[@TheTayedrums]

How does it feed line? or does it feed itself? Is there a button...??

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

both, it is self feeding, just run it full power and it works fine, if you do need to feed line, there is a button on the bottom that will allow more line to come out, I have to use this option if I am by a metal fence, which eats up the line quick, the auto feed assume you are not hitting anything but grass, I use this trimmer line and it lasts a lot longer because the fence can't cut it as easy - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpjTdayMdt2tnZo -great product, I can do my entire yard twice on 1 spool, regular line takes 2 sppols - thanks for subscribijng!

[@carorivera8390]

My machine is releasing the entire cord. I already installed it in every possible way and it keeps throwing everything away. What should I do

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

try running the trimmer wide open all the time you cut, no pauses, that will keep the cord feeding correctly, it is designed that way and the auto feed works best - thanks for subscribing!

[@Fereshteh89]

Is the head removable on this trimmer? I wanted to put in a universal one with metal blades, and find a hole for the method with an allen wrench..

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

it is removable - once - but I would not expect a universal head to fit it, but it might -Thanks for subscribing!

[@bluex7delta]

Thank you for your video I really appreciate it

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

You are so welcome! Thanks for subscribing!

[@ericUSA1985]

Appreciate the video, but there were times where you totally didn’t have it in view and I would’ve had it a little closer to show exactly where the string goes. I had to rewind it a few times and guess.

[@Ifusarian]

Do you wind both strings in the same direction, or opposite directions?

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

same direction keeping them tight and not let them unspool - thanks for subscribing!

[@julimorris1165]

Thank you! Very helpful😍

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for Subscribing!

[@sylviawilliams696]

I need a replacement dual line spool for my poland. Where can I get one with the slot in it?

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

I suggest you try amazon.com and search for poulan trimmer parts - HF sells the portland trimmer in the video and the spool for it will not work in the poulan trimmers - thanks for subscribing!

[@SeattlePioneer]

At least with the Harbor Freight trimmer, the spool can be ordered as a replacement part for about $2.50. This was described in the instruction manual. You can probably Google the model of your trimmer and get the manual, and see what it says. Or you may be smart and have SAVED the manual!

[@InsideRiders]

This design is not great and it's hard to re-string compared with other brands, but that's what you get with Harbor Freight stuff! Still, I found a way to re-wind the unit using a single long piece of line rather than two separate pieces. It requires putting a hole or slot in the middle partition of the spool so you can insert the line and wind both sides easier and faster.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

thanks for subscribing!

[@rachelcurran7923]

Your video helped thank you!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Very Glad the video helped- thanks for subscribing!

[@victoriaelyse6581]

I followed your video down to the T, went to use it and all my string came out. I need some up close footage of how your loading it lol

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

the key is keep the line tight once you wind on the line - but if the string is coming out, try again and run the trimmer wide open all the time, that will control the auto line feed function, anything else and it will feed to fast - let me know if that works - thanks for subscribing!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

watch video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGmWdaZjfqZkmc0

[@El_Seyer]

Thank you man !!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

Glad it helped thanks for subscribing!

[@ofraggy8428]

Thank you!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

glad you liked the video - thanks for subscribing !

[@marinebulldog0309]

Auto feeder....how does it know

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

run the saw flat our and it will auto feed correctly, changing the speed constantly wll cause it to feed to much, is is sensing the speed of the motor and feeds extra and the motor speed changes - thanks for subscribing!

[@sniper7783]

For some reason I have test with two different type of twist nylon and always get untangled and out od the reel. So disapointed with these machine :(

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

can you explain the problem you are having? thanks

[@jorgecruzm8638]

@@snapwholeharborfreightreviews i have the same problem, the instructions say to use a single string

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

@@jorgecruzm8638 the single string fits in the slow in the center of the reel, a double string uses the other side to hold the other string, this has no affect on the reel tangling - keep tension on the string is the keep to no tangles - that problem is not unique to this trimmer, all trimmers have this issue - how the line is installed and managed is the difference in success or failure - Thanks for subscribing!

[@SeattlePioneer]

Heh, heh! WHAT! Your READ THE INSTRUCTION!!! Yes, using just one string is fine. Winding them carefully and evenly is the key to good results. I find that leaving 7-9 inches of line out through the hole is good, and holding the line in place with a clothespin or paperclip prevents the line from getting pulled back into the housing until the trimmer is reassembled.

[@Thecak3isalie]

Video is too dark & camera is too far away. I cant see anything.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

you can't see my winding the string on the spool? you should check out the adjustments on your display if you have a computer, there are usually buttons on the back of the monitor that pulls up a menu or if on a phone, try turning up your screen brightness, check settings if an iphone, if its an android, I don't do androids, or go to your service provider maybe they can help you or get your phone fixed, Good Luck - thanks for subscribing!

[@nikigiannini1196]

I can’t see how you started it. Can’t see which groove it went in.

[@alexkongs7830]

You basically skipped over the confusing part….

[@alexkongs7830]

How do you initially connect the string to the spool. You do not show that part

[@turleytho]

The directions said to use a maximum of 9’.

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

as long as you stay inside the drum and the line does not leave the channel it is in, there will not be a problem - I typically don't measure out 9 ft each time, much easy to just fill the drum to capacity, thanks for subscribing!

[@maxximum18]

you did not show how you took the top off lol

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

you did not watch the trimmer review LOL, this is loading string only, the review covers common items like how to take off the top off (bottom?) - thanks for subscribing - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5mxZYmLjMxjbrM

[@SeattlePioneer]

Heh, heh! That IS a skill, isn't it? My experience is to use a finder to push just one of the two notches up to partially open the head. Then you can pull the whole top off easily. Trying to open both at the same time is a lot more difficult. And rather than just pushing the clip in, push it UP, so that the top is released. That's my method, so far.

[@researchandbuild1751]

the whole "auto extender" design sucks

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

run the device wide open all the time and the auto advance will work better for you - thank for subscribing!

[@SeattlePioneer]

I find that it will work reasonably well. The trick is to listen for a soft "click" when the head is almost stopped rotating. That's the feed mechanism advancing one stop. You can turn the switch on for a half second then release it and let the head stop rotating again ---"click!": Do that a half dozen times and you've got a workable length of line. Keep at least three inches of line out to minimize problems.

[@caesarvegas]

thank you!!

[@snapwholeharborfreightreviews]

You're welcome! thanks for subscribing!