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How to use a Makita strimmer

Updated: October 2026

You are about to cut a UK lawn edge, with either a Makita DUR head or one of the third-party sticks in our [Makita grass trimmer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/makita-grass-trimmer). How to use a Makita strimmer starts with the line the booklet names, the battery out before you open the head, and a walk through the grass. The bump feed is printed for a DUR190. It is not printed for seven of the eight Amazon listings. Products Compared read the manual, UK safety notes and those listings on 22 October 2026. We did not run the tools in your garden. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to cut a UK lawn edge, with either a Makita DUR head or one of the third-party sticks in our Makita grass trimmer comparison.

Our top picks

Hengriacly Hengriacly HY-08 red

Best overall

Hengriacly Hengriacly HY-08 red
8.4/10about £119.98
View offer
ConBlom ConBlom 0061

Alternative

ConBlom ConBlom 0061
8.0/10about £62.99
View offer
ConBlom ConBlom AN01538

Best value

ConBlom ConBlom AN01538
7.4/10about £59.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The line a DUR190 is built for
  2. 2.Feeding the line
  3. 3.Edging and tall grass
  4. 4.Check the grass, then the head

The line a DUR190 is built for

The DUR190 manual prints nylon cord of 2.0–2.4 mm. Makita's DUR190U page prints 2.0 mm. An ITS page for a DUR190LRT kit prints 1.25 mm. If your booklet says 2.0–2.4 mm, that is the cord you wind. Do not swap in the shop-page figure. Never use metal wire or rope in the nylon head. A break sends a hard piece past the guard. A replacement head, part 191D89-4, is listed for the DUR190, DUR191 and DUR192 at 2.0 mm with an M10 x 1.25 left-hand thread. Power Tool World showed it at £28 including VAT, out of stock, when that page was read. That price moves, and it is not proof a ConBlom or Hengriacly uses the same thread. The H510-01 nut tightens counter-clockwise on that listing only.

Feeding the line

On a DUR190 bump head, line feeds when you tap the spinning head on the ground. The head has to be rotating. A tap on a stopped head does nothing useful. If a tap while it spins still gives no line, switch off and take the battery off before you open anything. Then you can see a welded lump, a trapped tail or an empty spool. Follow the booklet for wind direction and the tail you leave. If that paper is missing, or it is not in English, stop rather than copying a video of a different model. Only the Hengriacly HY-08 bullets, red and grey, name a tap-and-go head. Do not tap a ConBlom, Fiutazge, GfsGsjzc or YUTVCZO head because a DUR190 works that way.
Hengriacly Hengriacly HY-08 red

Testsieger

Hengriacly Hengriacly HY-08 red
8.4/10about £119.98
View offer

Edging and tall grass

Keep the head nearly parallel for trimming, and turn it vertical for the lawn edge, in slow sweeps. On tall growth, take a higher pass and then a lower one. That pattern is ordinary UK advice, including Flymo and Expert Reviews, and it still needs the guard on. More than one AN01538 review says the guard was missing. Do not start without the guard the booklet shows. These eight listings are cordless, so a trailing lead is not their problem. It is the problem on a corded UR3501. HSE points to a 30 mA RCD, with the lead fully unwound and the grass dry. Keep the cable on the side you have already cut. A nicked lead is an electrician's job.

Check the grass, then the head

Walk the grass first. The RSPCA says hedgehogs rest in long grass and curl into a ball. The RHS asks you to use strimmers sparingly under hedges. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society's cut is to take long grass to about a foot, check again, then go lower. The same walk is where you look for wire and stones. If you cannot see the ground, do not start. A ConBlom 0061 review used normal cord on lawn edges and could not cut thick rye. That is a limit of the line, not a prompt to fit a disc. The YUTVCZO claims five blade types and does not name a line feed. One review says the fitting tools were missing. If you cannot fit the head the booklet shows, you are not ready. A saw disc belongs on the blade or line page. A pack that will not run belongs on the 18 V battery page. Work without training is a handover.

Common questions

How do I make a bump-feed head give more line?
On the DUR190, tap the spinning head on the ground. It has to be rotating. Only the Hengriacly bullets in this comparison name tap-and-go. Do not copy the tap onto a ConBlom, Fiutazge, GfsGsjzc or YUTVCZO unless that booklet says so. A similar shape is not a bump head.
What if the line will not come out?
Switch off and take the battery off before you open the head. The DUR190 manual wants that, and the head comes off to replace the cord. Look for a melted lump, a trapped tail or an empty spool. The rewind depends on the head. If the guard is missing or you have no booklet, stop. Do not keep tapping a head that is not spinning.
How do I edge without scalping the lawn?
Keep the head nearly parallel on the grass, and turn it vertical for the soil edge. Use slow sweeps. On tall growth, cut higher first and lower second. A short head still scalps if you rush. AN01538 reviews that mention a missing guard are a reason to stop, not a reason to edge carefully and hope.
Do I worry about the cable on a cordless Makita?
Not about a trailing lead, on these eight cordless listings or a DUR on an LXT pack. You still take the pack off before you open the head, and you stop if it is swollen or unbranded. On a mains UR3501 you want a 30 mA RCD, a fully unwound lead, the cable behind you, and dry grass. A cut lead needs an electrician.
How do I check for hedgehogs?
Walk before the motor starts. Hedgehogs rest in long grass and curl up. Cut long grass to about a foot, look again, then go lower. Use the strimmer sparingly under hedges. The same walk shows wire and stones. If you cannot see the ground, you are not ready to start.

Related pages

Makita grass trimmer buying guide

Makita grass trimmer

Makita 18V strimmer battery: BL names and 21 V kits

Best Makita strimmer: top pick and who should skip

Makita strimmer blade or line: nylon or a saw disc

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk captures named in the digest.

  1. Makita UK, DUR190U (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Tool and Lawn Supplies, Makita UR3501 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Makita UR3501 booklet (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First, grass trimmers (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Noise emission regulations, Schedule 3 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. HSE, brush-cutter flails (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Makita UK, battery health check (retrieved 22.10.2026)