How to Restring a Ryobi Weed Eater

restring ryobi weed eater (1)

Most homeowners appreciate how handy it is to own a weed eater.  While there are many brands of string trimmers, one particularly popular brand is Ryobi. They’ve been around for a long time and have built a reputation of producing affordable, quality products. 

Their grass trimmer lineup is no exception.  

Like every weed trimmer on the planet, Ryobi string trimmers eventually run out of the plastic string trimmer line that is spun around by the trimmer head and used to cut weeds in your lawn.  When the spool is empty, your Ryobi tool will no longer work.  

At this point, you need to restring your Ryobi weed eater.  Don’t worry – it’s not very hard.  We’ve got some tips to help you make the  process of replacing your Ryobi weed whacker string as easy as possible.

Steps To Restring Your Ryobi Weed Eater

Here are the steps to successfully restring your Ryobi string trimmer.  If at any point you become confused, please take the time to check the manual for your model and unit.  While the differences between restringing Ryobi gas string trimmers and cordless trimmers are pretty minimal, there are sometimes some subtle changes across different units.

Step 1: Determine the String Size

The dimensions or thickness of trimmer string that you are supposed to buy depends on your specific weed eater model. Make sure it’s compatible with the Ryobi string trimmer that you have. This way, it will perform its function properly. If you still have it, now is a good time to refer to the owners manual. The thickness of the string that a specific model uses is typically written in the manual.

If you don’t have the manual, you may also look at the empty outer spool as the string size will be printed on a sticker or directly on the spool.  Hopefully whomever put the string on your grass trimmer did it correctly the last time.

Most weed eaters use string with diameter sizes of either 0.065 or 0.095 inches.

Step 2: Buy Replacement String

You now need to purchase new replacement string.

You have a few decisions to make.  First, you need to decide if you want to actually restring the Ryobi trimmer, or buy a replacement spool.  Frankly, I’d just buy the matching replacement spool for my model – it’s not an expensive purchase.  You simply remove the old spool, put on this new spool, and you are done!  You can ignore the steps on winding below – this is the most time-consuming part of the process.

Here’s one of many popular Ryobi replacement spool line combos.

If you decide you wish to continue manually restringing your spool, you’ll need to decide how much line you want to buy.  It’s the first step in how to refill a Ryobi weed wacker.  Trimmer string comes in many different lengths, from 10 feet up to 400+ feet long! 

string for grass cutter

The length will depend on how much weed whacking you do during a summer and how much trimmer line you burn through.  Line lasts a few seasons but not forever, so this isn’t a case where more is always better.

Finally, you won’t be able to store as much thicker-diameter line on a spool as you would a thinner-diameter trimmer line.   A trimmer head can only be so thick – so thicker line takes up more space.  Just keep that in mind when shopping.

You can find trimmer line online or at your local hardware or big box store.  If you need it immediately it’s probably worth the drive rather than ordering it online.

Step 3: Prepare Your Tools and Work Area

 Once you already have the string in your possession, you should prepare all of the items that you will need in order to complete the task of restringing your Ryobi weed eater. These items include the string, the weed eater itself, a utility knife or scissors, and a flat head screwdriver. 

It’s easier if you round up and assemble all these necessary tools before you begin – it’ll make the process go quicker.

how to restring a Ryobi weed eater

Step 4: Remove the Cap From the Ryobi Weed Eater Head

The trimmer head houses the spool and the string.  Usually you pop the head cap off by inserting a flat head screwdriver in the gap underneath it.  It should come off easily.

In order to remove the spool, push the center knob down and unscrew it so that both the spool and the cover of the trimmer head will pop out. They should easily pop out – there is a spring below the cover which should help it pop right out.  Don’t lose the spring!

Step 5: Add String To Your Ryobi Weed Wacker

Now that you have the spool in hand, you can begin adding string.  This is where we learn how to load a spool on a Ryobi weedeater.

At the center of the spool, you will be seeing two holes located on opposite sides. Take an appropriate amount of string in your hand. One end of this string should be inserted into one hole and should be pulled out from the other hole. You want to make sure that the spool is at the center of the string so you must stretch it out until both sides of the spool have the right amount of string.

Step 6: Wind The Weed Eater Spool

You should wind up the string on the direction that is stated on your spool, which could be clockwise or counter clockwise, depending on the model. The string should be wound so it’s not too loose or too tight. The string should be snapped into the holding notches of the spool. You can cut out the excess string but leave short amounts of string on both sides.

If you have a bump head, you can press it against the ground a few times to let out enough inches of string to match the width of your Ryobi tool.  

Step 7: Lock Down The Spool

At the head of the weed eater are two holes that matches the holes on the spool. You should be inserting both ends of the string onto these two holes and lock the spool back in its place by pushing it down. Afterwards, you should tighten the center knob on the string head if there is one.

Hopefully these steps help you get back to trimming in no time!  Of course, there are some differences between models – some have two sided strings while some use one.  If you are in doubt, consult your manual.

All About Weed Eater String Sizes & Shapes

When it comes to string trimmers, one of the most important things to consider is the size of the trimmer string. The wrong size string can damage your trimmer, so it’s important to choose carefully.

Since you are replacing your shaft string, you can usually just use the same diameter trimmer string that you just had on the trimmer head.  

There are a few factors to keep in mind when selecting a string size. First, consider the width of the trimmer cutting area.  A wider cutting swath usually requires thicker string to handle the increased centrifugal forces.  This also usually means you have a more powerful engine or motor as well.

Second, think about the type of vegetation you’ll be cutting. Thick, tough weeds will require a stronger string than delicate grasses.  

man cutting thick grass and weeds

Finally, take into account the power of your trimmer. A powerful trimmer can handle a thicker string than a weaker one. With these factors in mind, you should be able to select the right string size.

String Trimmer Sizes

String trimmer lines are usually bucketed into three different size categories:

  • Light: The smallest trimmer line comes in 0.065″ to 0.080″ diameters. You’ll find these on most non-professional cordless models.  These sizes can handle trimming grass around a normal yard and killing common grassy lawn weeds.  
  • Medium: You’ll find some medium line on larger cordless trimmers along with some gas string trimmers.  This line has a diameter between 0.08 inches and 0.11 inches.  They can handle larger weeds, tall grass and spaces overgrown with weeds.
  • Heavy: This is for lines over 0.11 inches.  I’ve never seen a battery-power model use this size string – only a  professional gas trimmer goes this large of line.  You can begin to handle thin brush with this size line – though there are special cutting heads with a blade are a better tool for brush cutting.

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2 Comments

  1. George Walz says:

    Don’t find anything on stringing Ryobi triimmer EU13153N130141. Can
    t even get the cap off to replace another spool of string.

  2. Yeah, George!

    Unable to unscrew the nut on the cap so as to remove it.

    You say to have all tools ready, and then don’t complete the list. I don’t see what I could use other than the weed eater, string and a scissors…perhaps a stick of dynamite? Is that the other essential item?