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How to load Oregon strimmer line so the head will feed

Updated: October 2026

The coil is on the bench and the strimmer still throws one short tail, or the bump does nothing, or the head shakes as soon as you start it. Loading Oregon strimmer line is mostly direction, even layers and two equal ends, after you have already matched the diameter. This page is the reload. It does not rank packs. The [Oregon trimmer line comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/oregon-trimmer-line) is the eleven amazon.co.uk listings if you still need a reel. Peter F. used maker notes, Husqvarna's UK reload article, HSE guidance and the captured reviews. There was no lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The coil is on the bench and the strimmer still throws one short tail, or the bump does nothing, or the head shakes as soon as you start it.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon Round 2.0 (127 m)

Best overall

Oregon Oregon Round 2.0 (127 m)
7.2/10about £16.07
View offer
Oregon Oregon Star 2.4 (90 m)

Rank 2

Oregon Oregon Star 2.4 (90 m)
8.8/10about £25.76
View offer
Oregon Oregon Serrated 4.0 (21 m)

Alternative

Oregon Oregon Serrated 4.0 (21 m)
6.4/10about £27.57
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On this page
  1. 1.Which head you are holding
  2. 2.Direction, fill and equal tails
  3. 3.Soak, storage and welding
  4. 4.When a new spool will not fix it

Which head you are holding

Name the head before you split the spool. Husqvarna's UK article separates three kinds of reload: a standard spool you open and wind, an easy-feed or easy-load head that takes line from the outside, and a pre-wound spool you swap as a unit. Oregon's UK site does not publish one wind sequence for every third-party head, so the arrow on your spool is the instruction. Opening an outside-load head by hand fights a mechanism that was not meant to be unwound. A pre-wound spool is seated the way the manual shows. You do not invent a wind. If the guard is cracked or the eyelet is chewed, a fresh wind will not feed.

Direction, fill and equal tails

Wind with the arrows on the spool. Wrong direction looks like a bad brand of nylon. There is no single clockwise rule. If the arrow is rubbed away, use the manual for that housing. Lay the line in even layers. Overfill is the next jam: the spool needs room to turn, and a bump head needs room to let out a short length. A review of the 4.0 mm serrated doughnut says loading less avoids a jam. That note is about stiff 4 mm cord, not a 1.6 mm or 2.4 mm spool. Keep the two tails the same length. One long tail and one short tail is the shake you can see before you start. Shape, if you are still choosing it, is on star or round Oregon trimmer line.
Oregon Oregon Round 2.0 (127 m)

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon Round 2.0 (127 m)
7.2/10about £16.07
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Soak, storage and welding

Nylon that has dried in a shed snaps at the eyelet. Oregon's Gatorline note is to submerge dried monofilament for 24 hours. Soak the length you are about to wind, then wipe it. Do not store the whole season reel under water. Months in a bucket can make line stiffer, and the soak is not a measured gain in cutting life. Heat is a different failure. Reviews of the 2.4 mm star include melting in a bump head, and a review of the 212 m star describes melting in a polycut head on a Stihl 560. If the spool comes out as one lump, let it cool, clear it, and check the diameter on the Oregon trimmer line buying guide.

When a new spool will not fix it

Stop when the guard is cracked, the eyelet is worn through, or the machine smokes or stalls with the correct cord and equal tails. Vibration that remains after you have matched the tails is a reason to retire the head, not to add more line. HSE's brushcutter bulletin points at EN ISO 11806 for nylon strimmers and single-piece metal blades. A new doughnut does not add a blade the manual never offered. STIHL UK's grass-trimmer advice is glasses and a visor together. A nest in the grass you are about to cut is protected. Call a dealer if the head is cracked, the machine vibrates with equal tails and the right diameter, or the work is paid and nobody has trimmer training. Paid work sits under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and PUWER 1998.

Common questions

Which way do I wind?
Follow the arrow on the spool in your hand. Husqvarna's UK article treats the wrong direction as the usual reason a wind will not feed. Oregon does not publish one clockwise rule for every head. If the arrow is gone, use that housing's manual. An easy-load head may not want opening at all.
How much line goes in the head, not on the doughnut?
The 15 m, 90 m or 212 m figure is the stock in the packet. The head holds an even wind with room for the spool to turn. A 4 mm review that says loading less avoids a jam is about that stiff cord, not every diameter. PGT's 10-15 cm tails are that shop's tip. Keep the two ends equal, and follow your manual if it prints another length.
Do I soak Oregon line?
Soak dried line for about 24 hours, the submersion Oregon prints for Gatorline. STIHL's 12-24 hours is that maker's tip for its own cord. The soak is for brittle, dried nylon. It is not a measured gain in cutting life, and months in a bucket can make line stiffer. Wind the length you need after a wipe, and store the rest dry.
Why does bump feed do nothing?
Typical causes are a wind against the arrow, an overfilled spool, dirt, a diameter the eyelet will not pass, or an eyelet worn oval. Yourspares lists thickness, dirt and worn eyelets. Clear and rewind before you replace the machine. If the correct diameter still will not leave the eyelet, the head needs a new eyelet or spool carrier.
Why does the head vibrate after a refill?
Unequal tails unbalance the head. HSE INDG480 links improper line lengths to higher vibration. The 2 to 7 m/s² figures in that table are for machines, not for one reel. Cut both ends to the same length and restart. If the shake remains with equal tails and the right diameter, stop and have the head checked. Smoke, a cracked guard, or a second melt after a correct reload is the same stop.

Related pages

Oregon trimmer line for thick weeds

Oregon trimmer line

Best Oregon strimmer line for the head you already own

Oregon strimmer line size: match the head before the brand

Oregon star vs round strimmer line, once the diameter fits

Sources

Shelf prices, star ratings and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the listing files for this comparison. The other pages are maker notes and UK safety sources on profile, soak advice and brushcutter guidance.

  1. Oregon catalogue profile map (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  2. Oregon UK Nylium Star 2.4 mm 90 m (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  3. Oregon Gatorline soak note (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  4. Screwfix Oregon Nylium Silencio 2.4 mm x 87 m (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  5. DW Tool Shop Oregon 111085E (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  6. HSE brushcutters and strimmers (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  7. STIHL UK grass trimmer PPE (retrieved 23 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings for these reels (retrieved 23 October 2026)