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How to load strimmer line

Updated: October 2026

The head is empty, the 1.6 mm reel is in your hand, and the last attempt left a bird’s nest in the spool. How to load strimmer line, on a domestic bump-feed or easy-load head, is a short job if the battery is out, the wind follows the arrow, and both tails leave the eyelets at the same length. This page is the procedure. Prices and which reel to buy stay on the [1.6 mm strimmer line comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/1-6mm-strimmer-line). Peter F. used public UK fitting guides, including Husqvarna and STIHL, plus the listings in this category. We did not film a lab reload. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The head is empty, the 1.6 mm reel is in your hand, and the last attempt left a bird’s nest in the spool.

Our top picks

SOL SOL (1.6 mm, two-pack)

Best overall

SOL SOL (1.6 mm, two-pack)
8.0/10about £5.99
View offer
FEPITO FEPITO (Round, 30 m)

Best value

FEPITO FEPITO (Round, 30 m)
7.8/10about £3.79
View offer
Zeqeey Zeqeey (Round, 100 m)

Alternative

Zeqeey Zeqeey (Round, 100 m)
6.7/10about £10.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Which head you have
  2. 2.Load a standard spool
  3. 3.Load an easy-feed head
  4. 4.Before you pull the trigger

Which head you have

Husqvarna’s UK reload article separates three jobs, and you only need one of them. A standard spool opens: you take the cover off, wind the line into the channels, and clip the ends into the notches. An easy-load head stays closed: you line up marks, push the cord through, and wind a knob. A pre-wound cassette drops in as a sealed spool, and you do not wind it at all. An arrow or two holes opposite each other usually mean easy-load. A cover that unclips is the standard job. Disconnect the power first. On a cordless trimmer the battery comes off the machine. On a mains trimmer the plug is out. A petrol machine is switched off, and the lead is disconnected if the manual says so, before you open the head.

Load a standard spool

Take the cover off the way the manual shows. Lift the spool out and clear the old knots. If the line has dried in a hot shed, STIHL UK says soak it for at least 24 hours. Zeqeey’s listing says the same. Soaking is for brittle line. It does not make 1.6 mm suitable for brambles. Cut about 3–5 m a side, or follow the moulded fill line. The manual wins if it prints a length. Do not put a whole 100 m reel into the head. Wind with the arrow. Against the arrow, the line dumps or refuses to feed. Stop at the fill line, trap the ends, and leave the tails equal.
SOL SOL (1.6 mm, two-pack)

Testsieger

SOL SOL (1.6 mm, two-pack)
8.0/10about £5.99
View offer

Load an easy-feed head

Leave the cover on. Line up the arrows, push 1.6 mm line in through one eyelet until it appears at the other, and even the tails. If the line will not pass, stop. Forcing a thicker cord through a 1.6 mm eyelet damages the hole, and the next correct line snaps at the exit. Wind the knob in the direction marked until you are near the fill the manual allows. Stop when the knob stiffens. That stiffness means the spool is full. Another twenty turns will not store a 100 m reel. If a correct wind still snaps, use strimmer line keeps snapping.

Before you pull the trigger

Put on safety glasses and a visor before any test spin. STIHL UK asks for both together, and for hearing protection with a petrol trimmer. The guard stays on. Fit the battery or the plug only when your hands are clear of the head. A short bump on grass should release a little line. A head that throws the whole wind onto the lawn was wound the wrong way, or the notches were not holding. Changing to 2.4 mm is only sensible when the manual allows it, which is the 1.6 mm versus 2.4 mm decision.

Common questions

Which way do I wind?
Wind with the arrow on the spool or the knob. Against the arrow, the bump feed either dumps the line or refuses to advance. If there is no arrow, the manual’s drawing is the direction. Do not copy a clockwise habit from an old head onto a new one. After you close the cover, the test is the tug: both ends should move a little together.
How much line goes in the head?
Only what the head is built to hold. Many domestic spools take a few metres a side, and reload guides often say about 3–5 m or up to a moulded line. Your manual wins if it prints a length. A 15 m donut is several refills. A 100 m reel is a store of refills. Neither length belongs inside the head in one go.
What is an easy-load head?
It is a head you refill without opening the cover. You align the arrows, feed the line through both eyelets, even the tails, and wind the knob until the spool is full. The tails stay short and equal. If the cord will not pass the eyelet, it is too thick or the hole is damaged. Do not copy a 2.4 mm easy-load article onto a 1.6 mm head.
Should I soak the line first?
Soak it when it has dried out. STIHL UK says at least 24 hours in water for nylon that has lost moisture in storage, and Zeqeey’s listing says 24 hours before use. Fresh line that is still flexible does not need a bath. Soaking will not stop snaps on paving or nettles, and it will not make an oversized cord fit the eyelet.
Why does a fresh spool vibrate?
The tails are unequal, or one channel has more line than the other. A head with 15 cm on one side and 4 cm on the other shakes because the cutting length is unbalanced. Stop, remove the battery or the plug, and pull both sides to the same length. Vibration that remains after equal tails can be a bent head or a missing guard, which is a repair, not another wind.

Related pages

What size strimmer line do I need

1.6 mm strimmer line

Best 1.6 mm strimmer line for your confirmed UK head

Strimmer line keeps snapping: check the stub first

1.6 mm vs 2.4 mm strimmer line: when you can move up

Sources

Public UK sources named in the research digest. Amazon prices, stars and review counts are the eight listings captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. Yourspares — how to choose strimmer line (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. Yourspares — strimmer line sizes explained (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Yourspares — strimmer line keeps breaking (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. ManoMano UK — trimmer line buying guide (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. STIHL UK — grass trimmer PPE (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. STIHL UK — replacing trimmer line (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. Husqvarna UK — how to reload trimmer line (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. HSE — INDG480 hand-arm vibration in horticulture (retrieved 19.10.2026)