How to fix Ryobi or Hart weedeater head that WON'T OPEN!

[@davidsellon4580]

Add my name to the list of all the viewers you've saved from having an aneurysm fighting this damn thing. New subscriber.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad this helped, and thanks for the comment and sub!

[@jeffinjordan]

Yes, I subscribed, too.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks!

[@troybackus9785]

This is the only video that actually helped. Made the modification. After two days of swearing at it...... it is fixed. THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback!

[@Chuck-sn7vg]

What can I say that hasn't been said already. Like so many others I thought the problem was me. I'm up in age and I just attributed that my hands were just not strong enough anymore. Thanks for helping Gramps much appreciated. Keep up the good work and Press On. New Subscriber!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! I always enjoy hearing when one of my videos helps someone! Thanks for the comment!

[@oldsalt7534]

79 years old here. Ditto

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@jeffinjordan]

Thank you. I watched several videos, but yours was the only one that walked me through the entire process and helped me fix the weedeater.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great. Glad this helped!

[@jenniferalex9820]

Thanks for the amazing tip. 15 minutes of this ended my 2-3 hours of struggling.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! I'm always glad to hear that this was helpful!

[@ajjohnson2383]

Yes! I spent a few hours struggling also to no avail. I purchased a new bump feed head for my 40v Ryobi trimmer. Just as I thought I completed the installation using the poorly written Ryobi instructions, I could not get that stupid head to turn to the locked position. At first, I thought I had a defective part. Even with the screwdriver solution, I still needed to brace the pole and turn really hard with both hands like in the video to get the thing to go into the locked position. I don’t know how regular people manage without the help of the videos from these tool-inclined guys.

[@Chris-r7m]

I've been fighting by Ryobi weedeater for years now. I dreaded attempting to twist the string assembly off and on. I have resorted to hammer and chisel, spraying it with WD-40, etc.. My frustration level was 11 out of 10. Sent away for new parts and have been waiting now for over 3 months. Your video has brought so much peace in my outdoor, yard maintenance life. Thanks so much!!! KZbin has saved me once again ! I did have to work quite aggressively with a file to knock those indentations down. Took me 3-4 times before I could finally twist the assembly on and off. What a relief ! Surprised the notches still hold.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Awesome! Glad this helped. Yes, this is a super frustrating problem.

[@thecuttingedgepb]

This was one of the main reasons I hated and regretted buying the Ryobi trimmer. Thanks so much for figuring this out! Great to-the-point video. I didn't have a file that would fit in such tight spots so I carefully 'shaved' down just the inner edge of the grooves with a box cutter/razor blade until it rotated easier.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad I could help. Thanks for the nice comment. 🙂

[@dreamwalkingraven]

I’ve been losing my mind for an hour trying to get the ryobi head back on. Used the screw driver trick and it worked in one go. Thank you!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@dalegray302]

Like many others on this feed, I couldn't get the head back on the string trimmer after removing it. Your fix solved the problem immediately. Thank you!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@remington2277]

THANK YOU! Brand new Ryobi trimmer was locked solid. Followed your instructions, and problem was fixed in minutes…….😊

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! Bad design but at least there's a way to fix it.

[@patnelson4289]

Thanks you saved me a lot of grief. Still photos with arrows great help.You presentation style is excellent

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thank you for the kind words! 🙂

[@stevesheldon7051]

THANK YOU ! ! ! That was one of the most helpful, well-presented videos I have ever stumbled :-) across in trying to get a frustrating yard tool tool work easier- you get an A+ Excellent work

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Wow, that's a fantastic compliment! Thank you!

[@mustafahhaque1130]

Thank you for your help. I rarely comment on videos but your video saved me from buying another ryobi trimmer head. Please keep on posting useful videos like this

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks for the nice comment. Glad this was helpful.

[@Pierre-i1d]

The bigger question is why can't Ryobi fix this issue. I have replaced the head twice in 2.5 years and I have four months of winter. The engineering of this head is pathetic, I would never recommend Ryobi to anyone, they don't stand behind this obviously faulty product. Why do the end users need to take a file to the head to make it work properly? There is obviously something really wrong with this.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Agreed

[@wflentge]

Thank you. I was searching for a way to disassemble the head and you provided. I had string in side that had broken off and prevented me from re stringing.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad this helped!

[@CoconutPalmPictures]

Thanks for the info! I have a Ridgid, it uses the same head. I found I was able to fix the problem without screwdriver prying by using a razor blade to trim a little off the tip of the rounded male tab. Works great now! Thanks again!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Nice!

[@juicedjamaican]

Thank you… I was so close to breaking this Ryobi weed eater along with other things in my garage

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Yep, been there... 😉. Glad this helped!

[@40stefanie]

I did 😠 😡

[@LitoKuro]

you are the goat. Saved me from giving up on lawn care

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁😁

[@Jollygreen72]

You're a genius! I was beyond frustrated, you saved me time and money!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad this helped and you're back in business!

[@waninfrastructure8691]

Very greatly appreciate your video. I shaved the locking tabs to no avail, but your video gave me a sense of the design, so tried a little light oil in the groove all the way around. That worked.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good work! Glad this helped you!

[@bjuberchaub9824]

You fixed a Ryobi design flaw. Thank you! Ryobi -- Your A54ST01 product, as built, is broken. In general, I really like your products. But this one is a pain. It is impossible to replace the reel without modifying the product!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You're welcome 🙂👍

[@jktrader37]

Thank you! I was struggling with the reassembly.. Thanks to you, I saw what I was doing wrong!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad this helped!

[@tomschmitt544]

I ordered the unit to replace the head on my Ryobi that basically fell apart. I had to replace the nut to match the threads on the shaft. I t was extremely difficult to turn the head to the unlocked position and then impossible to get it back on to the locked position. I called Ryobi and spoke to two techs that seemed to have no idea that there could be a problem. I had ordered it from HD so I sent it back and ordered another, hoping it was a one-off defect. Of course the 2nd one had the same problem. Thanks so much for this video - I was able to fix the problem. I had thought about WD40 but I'm always a little concerned about using it on plastic parts.😅

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! Glad this helped. Hard to believe the folks at Ryobi aren't aware of this obvious defect.

[@brendanash4082]

Thanks very much. My intentions were to take it back to Walmart but I miss place my receipt and threw the box away. So yes I have no other choice but to keep it. I really appreciate your video and of course I did hit that like button. Thanks again.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thank you. Yeah, that's a bummer that you can't take it back. But that's what happens to most people - they don't realize they've got a bad one (hard to open) until they've used it a while. Hopefully, you're able to fix it and get many years of use out of it! I think you will.

[@davidlarson9975]

Now subscribed! Thank you. Filing down those tiny plastic notches did the trick. Thanks again.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! Thanks!

[@stephenbell6686]

Great Video to identify what the problem was with those tabs and the slots they drop into. However my filing with a comparable file did not help, perhaps I was reluctant to take off more plastic. But because you did identify the problem I realized I could open the distance between the tab and the slot by creating two wedges that I inserted from the top of the head, in the ouiter slot right next to the arrow. It turns out that I cut out two "WEDGES" from a paint stick, 2" long and 1/2" wide and inserted them in the outer slot on the top of the head which pulls the tab away from the slot and you can open and close. I will NEVER open it again realizing the best way to change trimmer line! Lesson learned. THANKS for your help

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good, creative solution!

[@c.g.anderson6767]

thank you so much! my new ryobi string trimmer was beyond difficult, unlike yours. this video was a sanity saver!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great. Glad this was helpful!

[@MrTredd222]

Dude you are a life saver!!! I don't usually take it off to replace the string, but the couple times I needed to (bc of the string being stuck or something) it was hell trying to get it off and especially back on...😂

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I know exactly what you mean!

[@nedhedrick5752]

Wish I had seen this video 12 hours earlier -- would have saved me buying a replacement head!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Dang!

[@alvarovaldez2221]

muchas gracias!! Compre un cabezal nuevo para mi RYOBI ..lo pude abrir...pero no pude cerrarlo...me pase toda una semana sin poder cambiar el hilo...no encontré nada en la web!! hasta que llegue a su canal🙏...gracias por el consejo ...adicionalmente agregue unas gotas de WD-40 para lubricar y facilitar el giro...todo quedo genial!!...saludos!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Excellent!

[@cardinalnest6272]

Thank you for a great video. You could also use a grip strap wrench like those used to unscrew engine oil filters.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good idea 👍

[@brettbriggs2253]

Saved my Relationship with my Son!!! Thank you!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁

[@stevenorton3022]

Thanks, I was about to chuck the whole thing in the trash. Got it back together after fighting to get it apart.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@barbarashaw8528]

Oh my gosh- thank you so much- I had been wrestling with this thing for an hour. Go Flyers!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁😁

[@BarbieOkie]

Nothing wrong with this suggestion. However the head came apart easily enough when new. A year later one is fighting to open it. The problem isn't the lock tabs grew over the past year. The problem is the natural lubrication when new has evaporated or dried out. Put some three in one oil, WD 40, or any light weight oil into the area with the lock tabs. It's now lubricated as new and will twist off as easily as it did when one purchased that puppy.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I have 3 units with this head: two Hart brand and one Ryobi. The first two (Ryobi and Hart) were fine as is. The third one was impossible to open right out of the box. That's when I decided to do this video. So some are brutally difficult to open straight from the factory.

[@lil_brando98]

I have no doubt the video would have worked but I've been fighting mine, and sprayed some wd40 on the tabs after reading this comment and works perfectly. Thanks for commenting

[@rayaranda387]

Will this help me get it back on? I’m having an issue getting the head back on. Had to give up and use my old trimmer. 😥

[@FixEverythingYourself]

This should help with that

[@beejp8]

It worked!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH❤ I have been trying g to open this for over 3 hours😱

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad you got it open!

[@rogiefernandez1633]

Very helpful. My first time doing it and you helped me so much! God bless you, Sir!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

That's great! Good job making it work on your machine!

[@lb-we-are-one]

Same issue here. Taking it off and putting it back on. This is the problem. Thanks!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@GiantRobo77]

I also fixed this with about 3 inches of boiling water in the bottom of a bucket just took a minute to soak in and make the plastic more compliant/flexible......didn't hurt that it washed out some fine dust and grit in places I couldn't reach. Still did this mod and hoping it prevents future lockups ....which also prevent the winding side from twisting back on. I appreciate the clever design but clever doesn't hold up over time.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Well said.

[@raoul740]

I had to use a pipe wrench and big channel lock pliers to unlock mine. I'm going to try your method next time. 😊

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Yeah, this one is a hassle. Bad design.

[@petervalenti3203]

My problem is that it doesn't stay attached in the lock position, it's way too loose. Is there a fix for that?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

My guess is that the indentations I show in the video aren't deep enough on yours. If that's the case, you'd need to figure out a way to deepen those so the tabs lock in place more firmly.

[@bejbenn]

My problem is with reattaching the head if I have to remove it when the string breaks off inside. Normally I just align the arrows on the green top piece with the holes, making sure I see daylight through the holes, and feed line in through those holes. When line is stuck inside I no longer have thebstrength needed to put it back together! Gotta be an easier way.

[@brendanash4082]

Thanks Mr Fix Everything Yourself. I'm so glad that you made it possible for me to fix it myself. And of course I'm hitting that like subscribe and share button. Again predicate you.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You're welcome! Glad you could do it yourself!

[@spresc2180]

Why is this necessary? I have the same exact head and you can load fresh string without taking it apart. I’ve had mine about 3 years and never had to take it apart and the bump function always works.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

It's not uncommon for string to get stuck inside, either because it gets wound too tight or because one end of the string breaks and no longer extends from bumping.

[@Ukeville]

Mine would not go together at all. Where this guy is prying with the screwdriver, instead I just sprayed a bit of lubricant into that same seam. In 2 seconds it twisted together.After 3 days of trying to get it together…shazamm it went together so easy. I used WD-40. Magic!

[@YukonHawk1]

That's what I ended doing.

[@woundswithwood]

That's what I did too.

[@godly_theone2647]

Hey what do I do if the little pin that make it lock open and some are close I have the problem that some are open and the other one are closed🤷🏽

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Not sure what you mean?

[@alexaknight8932]

So helpful with the still shots added in !!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks. I hope you're able to get yours fixed!

[@Athena-qi1ll]

Plastic got caught in the motor and it stop spining what should I do.

[@dannywolfe9452]

Thank you. This was kicking my butt. you are a genius

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks! Glad it helped!

[@C0SM1CDUD3]

How do I remove the entire head? I got fed up with the pointlessly difficult locking head and broke it. Bought a new "regular" head but can't get the base of the old one off

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I haven't done that yet. Will try to take a look and see if anything jumps out at me as to how to do it.

[@C0SM1CDUD3]

@@FixEverythingYourself found a short video in the bowels of KZbin. You should demonstrate as well, get it out to more people. All you need to do is look at the metal ring around where the base of the head meets the shaft. You'll notice there are 2 flattened sides on that ring. Grab it tight with a pair of pliers and just unscrew the head. I was kicking myself in the ass when I finally learned that's how easy it is. Replaced it with a "normal" non locking 2 tab bump head

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good job! Thanks for the comment!

[@kmjobrien62]

I have a hart weed eater after I load the string I start weed eating and it keeps releasing the string don’t know how to get it locked in like it should be

[@FixEverythingYourself]

This is usually caused by the string being wound in the wrong direction on the spool. Try rewinding the string again. If you're not sure which is the correct direction, take note of how your current spool is wound and go the opposite direction. This should fix it.

[@Z15dude]

Great video!...i was clueless...tried some WD40 on the slots first and it fixed the issue.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

🙂👍

[@howardkoster4026]

This helped BIG time!! Thanks for posting!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks!

[@wendyharrison9474]

Only 1 month old and i am unable to take the head apart to restring. Your video was good but you had already taken it apart. Once i can actually open it i will do your suggestions. Please help!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

The early part of the video shows me using a screwdriver to hold the head in place while I twist with both hands. That's how I got it open.

[@mikemason4792]

Thank you. Excellent presentation.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks!

[@gambusinogutierrez2851]

Te agradezco amigo..acabo de comprar Mi Ryobi..no sabía cómo armar y desarmar el cabezal...a esa parte que le limas Yo le puse un poquito de aceite 3en 1.. y funcionó..gracias saludos desde el EDO. De coah. Mex.❤🎉

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Excellent! Thanks for the comment!

[@just_smile3960]

Still not working for me unfortunately I can’t get the Hart trimmer feed off still

[@sylviabivens2032]

THANK YOU! I feel so much better. I’m going to try it today

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good luck. You can do it.

[@ShibbyDude223]

By God you are a Saint, thank you! What an incredibly helpful guide!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks! 😁😁

[@TheSilverSmitih]

Mine was stuck on there so hard, I had to fix the trimmer head in a vice and use the impact of a hammer on a screwdriver on that groove to get the damn thing to come off

[@diamondpool]

Only other advice: always buy the extra coverage when buying a Ryobi. Every Ryobi weed trimmer I’ve bought at Home Depot has done this- locked up the head- so because I also keep my sales receipt I just take the unit back & get a new one for free. They don’t even argue w me because at 76 w arthritic hands they already know this is a flawed piece of equipment I can’t fix. I did return one where the guy in charge of gardening section got the head off for me & I was willing to buy a new head as long as he put it on for me which he gladly did. Why do I keep buying these? I cannot handle the heavy weed eaters and have 3 Ryobi 40v batteries I can still use. The beefier Ryobi can handle my property of tall weeds & brambles right up until the string breaks off inside head & I can’t unscrew it. Nobody can w just their bare hands. Terrible design- hard to re- string once it’s been used in the dirt awhile- so I’m going to try another brand & save my batteries for my Ryobi blower. Frustrating- right?

[@vinniedisco7]

I align the arrows but the head won’t pop off.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Probably just need to pull the two pieces apart a little bit and it'll break free.

[@cardinalnest6272]

This does not have to happen. Mine was brand new and used only a couple of times when this happened. It's obviously a major design flaw. Thanks for the video!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@SeanLozano]

thank you..this was driving me crazy

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I hear you... 😄

[@christhomas7500]

I just got a new Homelite Trimmer and it has that head on it.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good to know 👍

[@DesertPrimrose]

I cant figure out the screwdriver step

[@FixEverythingYourself]

The screwdriver basically resists turning so that when you're twisting off the cap, the bottom part doesn't move at the same time. That explanation may not make sense, either, but it's just like opening a jar of pickles. You need to be strong enough to hold the jar with one hand and turn the lid with the other. In this case, the screwdriver holds the "jar" while you can use both hands to turn the "lid".

[@rodk691]

GEEZ...I could not figure this out...thanks for sharing

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@badgermanc7973]

Outstanding!! Much appreciated!! ( Hey, someone put a Flyer "P" on your Blackhawks hat 😊)

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Ha! Well, I'll admit I'm a Jim Cornelison fan!

[@JRussUT]

I was able to get it off ... now I can't get it on. I'll have to use the file.

[@ernienichols2194]

Thanks you just save the day for me

[@FixEverythingYourself]

👍👍

[@cristyesquivel3771]

I can’t get it back together

[@bnagrom5601]

oh my god thank you you just saved from having a fit of rage. thank you

[@FixEverythingYourself]

🙂👍

[@KelseyWaltersS]

Saved me. Thankyou!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@Achilyse]

I wish this worked for me. Mine is hopelessly stuck.

[@s.bridges8461]

The screwdriver fix didn't work for me either. It was necessary for me to pry off the "flexible" (I use the term loosely) ring that has the lock / unlock symbols on it, which reveals 4 little tabs that i had to poke in to get the head apart. Cleaned the entire thing up with a few wipes of a wet cloth so it looked like new, pushed the flexible ring back on where it went, then applied a quick squirt of wd-40 and everything else went back together like a champ. However, without the modification he suggests, it's probably going to be the same hassle the next time it is necessary to get into the inner workings.

[@dstorm666]

thank you !!!it worked

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Awesome!

[@sethrich2790]

So excellent🎯💥⚡️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@Gumupah]

Thank you

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@hiedichinelly5715]

It worked, thank you!!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Glad to hear it! Did you file off some of the plastic or just use the screwdriver trick to get it open?

[@hiedichinelly5715]

@@FixEverythingYourself Filed! With a nail file of course 😃. It took a few times but you demonstrated it so even a chick can figure it out. Why in the world would the manufacturer do such a thing? Just subscribed. Look forward to learning more.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Excellent! Glad the instructions and video/photos were descriptive enough. Good job fixing yours!

[@hanshart314]

mine does not have any arrows. Crap

[@wendyharrison9474]

Mine won't open to make modifications. Your video already had it open.

[@tradeericz1390]

Life saver ❤

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😄👍

[@calvinsutton4405]

Thank you very much bro

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@CotisWilson]

That was so helpful

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@joshejingles1]

thks soooooo much, really helped

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Awesome!

[@perriello66]

Big help. Thanks!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! Thanks!

[@tucaz65]

Thank you, needed that

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Awesome!

[@hiimterry2009]

Thank you!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@PanyingPilot]

Me too!

[@danielcent5134]

Sir thank you.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@paulkenney2180]

THANK YOU!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😀👍

[@luxury]

Thanks much for this

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW!

[@crashn2me105]

Thank you you saved my bacon lol hate this system.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@marksanders6271]

I found that the nubs should be filed on mine.

[@righteyeartistry156]

I was hoping this would work for me as well, but alas it did not.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

What happened when you filed off some of the plastic around the grooves/slots? Is it still hard to open?

[@righteyeartistry156]

@@FixEverythingYourself Absolutely. It's an insane design. Ryobi has always done bad designs. I wound up going to get a new trimmer head. Besides what you did, I also took some of the bump out hat go into those slots, and was finally able to get it to lock and unlock more easily. I also had to get two strap wrenches to twist the head to unlock. Thanks for checking back in.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks for the reply. Good work.

[@cuppadan]

Thank you! My is a bitch to open and close.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

🙂👍

[@m4design552]

Anyone send these videos to RYOBI!?!?! Sheesh!!!

[@mariaoldham9677]

Thank you for this! I wanted to throw my trimmer across the yard!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁 Ha!

[@douglassexton1100]

Thank you, I was ready to turn it into a baseball bat!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😁👍

[@ttodd910]

Why don't they just make these things so they're not such a PITA!! Its like they want it to be a hardship. It shouldn't take longer to change trimmer line than it does using the trimmer!

[@KeithJenkinsvideos]

Those heads are awful they don't auto feed they're pretty bad put a pivot head on it works really good Three little pieces of line no water feed to worry about

[@mrs.donohue9569]

Still can't get it open. I'm a 67 year old woman and I will never buy something this hard again. I tried to look up a service person to take this to but that doesn't even happen. Pretty p*ssed.

[@s.bridges8461]

The screwdriver fix didn't work for me either. It was necessary for me to pry off the "flexible" (I use the term loosely) ring that has the lock / unlock symbols on it, which reveals 4 little tabs that i had to poke in to get the head apart. Cleaned the entire thing up with a few wipes of a wet cloth so it looked like new, pushed the flexible ring back on where it went, then applied a quick squirt of wd-40 and everything else went back together like a champ. However, without the modification he suggests, it's probably going to be the same hassle the next time it is necessary to get into the inner workings.