Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Grow with Bovees
A string trimmer or weed wacker, whether it’s powered by electricity, gas or cordless, is the perfect tool for adding that final level of polish to your landscaping project.
Made for reaching those tricky spots that your lawnmower can’t access easily, a weed eater helps you get your lawn up to your own high standards.
Here we focus on parts of the weed wacker that people might not consider — the best weed wacker string trimmer lines. It’s something you may not think about, but the quality of the line makes a big difference in the performance of your weed wacker.
This article is all about helping you decide on the best trimmer line for you. We will start by reviewing 5 of our favorite types of trimmer line.
After that, we will provide a resource for everything you need to know about what separates some lines from others, including durability, materials, features, and much more. Let’s get started with our top picks.
Our Quick Picks
Here are 3 of the best from our research;
Best Trimmer Line – Reviews
Oregon Magnum Gatorline Best 095 Weed Eater String — Top Pick
The Magnum Gatorline is our top pick for best trimmer line because it is a high-value choice with great functionality. This excellent trimmer string is trusted by home landscapers and professionals alike.
Pros
What sets this line apart is its strength and durability. This is a truly heavy-duty trimmer string that was made to stand up to the toughest weed whacking jobs. Its strength comes largely from the design.
This line is not called the best trimmer line for nothing, it is exceptionally strong. The high strength inner core combined with the outer layer makes a strong line that lasts a long time.
Along with being able to cut through the thickest grass, this line also doesn’t wear down as fast as other trimmer strings.
The Gator Speedloader system is another benefit of this product. Its donut round string shape makes it easy to load onto any trimmer and the outer layer of the line is designed to be weld-proof.
Because of these long-lasting features, this weed eater line is a great choice if you’re looking for value.
Dual polymer weld-resistant square shape
Long lasting with flexible core
Professional grade heavy duty
Cons
Any negative reviews for this product stem from the fact that the line is perhaps too strong. It’s so powerful that you have to be careful using it around siding or delicate plants and landscaping.
Overall
This is our top pick for best weed eater string because it’s simply some of the strongest weed eater lines out there. The two-layered design makes it great for standing up to anything you put it up against, and it has an incredibly high cutting efficiency.
Perhaps its best feature is that it is such a high-value pick. Its high strength inner core means it wears down slower than other lines. So, if you are looking for a trimmer string that will last you a long while, this is the choice for you.
Husqvarna Titanium Force Weed Eater String 095-Inch
The Husqvarna Titanium Force weed eater string is another great choice if you want an extra-strength line that’s made to last longer than the traditional trimmer line.
The durable high-strength inner core is able to resist breakage, making the line last longer and its high cutting efficiency is sure to run through thick weeds and thick grass without problem.
Pros
This is a commercial-grade copolymer trimmer string that’s intended to meet the high strength requirements of professional jobs, but a strong string trimmer is certainly useful in almost any type of yard-work.
It cuts through even dense rough growth and doesn’t wear down as fast as the cheaply made weed eater strings.
The strength of this weed eater sting makes it a good value pick. You may be tempted to spend less on a trimmer line, but just know a cheaper line costs less, it’s not nearly as durable and gives you less value for your money.
This package contains 140-feet of trimmer line and is meant to be used with all standard trimmer heads. You most likely don’t have to worry about whether or not this fits your weed whacker.
Cons
While most reviews make this out to be the best weed eater line for its durability and strength, there are concerns with using weed eater string this strong around fragile materials like fences or house walls.
Strong trimmer line can damage siding, plants, and small trees. It’s therefore very important to be careful of your surroundings when using a line this strong.
Overall
Another great value choice. This weed wacker string is strong and durable. It not only gets you through the toughest weed whacking jobs but it also won’t degrade at a fast rate, giving you a great amount of value for your money. Includes a free line cutter.
Will fit most standard trimmer heads.
Patented design, offering longer life, excellent flight characteristics and reduced fuel consumtion.
Co-polymer commercial grade line
Black and Decker 30ft 0.065″ 3-Pack Best.065 Trimmer Line
Among various trimmer line models, here is our pick for the best 0.065-inch trimmer line. It works great, but is a top pick for best weed eater string because of its focus on convenience and ease of use.
Pros
This line is made with one main thing in mind – reducing the inconvenience that often comes along with loading your trimmer line into a trimmer head. It is made with Black & Decker’s Auto Feed System making it easier for you to simply place the spool into your weed whacker.
These string trimmer lines require no hand-winding spools and are made to use centrifugal force to prevent tangles that require re-adjustment. If convenience is a top priority, this Auto Feed System is worth the extra investment.
Of course, this would not mean much if the line itself wasn’t well made and, luckily, it’s quite functional as well.
Customer reviews state that it lasted a long time once installed with minimal hiccups in the design. Plus, the line is strong enough to handle thick rough growth and weeds.
Cons
Be careful, however, to make sure it fits your weed whacker. Check that your trimmer head can support the Auto Feed System before purchasing.
Fits most Black and Decker trimmers
Overall
While this trimmer line is slightly more expensive than other best weed eater strings, we think you’ll find the extra investment worth it because it helps you avoid so much hassle.
If convenience and ease-of-use are top priorities, the Auto Feed System eliminates a major headache that is often associated with this trimmer line.
Cyclone Desert Extrusion 0.080 Inch 200 Foot Commercial Grade, Best .080 Trimmer Line
Here’s another heavy-duty trimmer line that can stand up to your needs even if they are quite extensive! This earns our pick for the best 0.080 trimmer line.
Pros
This line is strong and durable. It is a 200-foot line and will likely last you a while. It’s compatible with any trimmer head that accepts a 0.080-inch line.
The cutting power of this trimmer line comes from its design. Firstly, it has a copolymer foundation. Next, it uses its patented 6-bladed “cyclone” shape to cut through thick rough weed and plant growth with ease.
Fits any trimmer that uses 0.080 inch line
The cutting power of this line adds to the value. Customers rave about it lasting through many uses, even on large rural properties. It holds up against heavy-duty work and should last you a long time.
Another advantage of a copolymer design is that it protects against welding. Experienced landscapers know that welding occurs when the heat of the rotation causes the line to melt and fuse back together.
There is nothing more annoying than having to manually pick apart fused parts of the trimmer line. With this product, you won’t have to.
Cons
Be sure that your string trimmer can handle a 0.080-inch line diameter and this should work just fine with your trimmer. It’s always good to pick a line that is most compatible with your own needs and string trimmer.
Overall
This is another great value pick with both great strength and durability. If you are looking for a 0.080-inch trimmer line, this is the pick for you.
Cyclone .155 Inch 315 Foot Commercial Grade (best 0.155 trimmer line)
Here’s a big, strong spool of trimmer line to give you the ultimate bang for your buck. You won’t sacrifice quality and functionality with the Cyclone trimmer line. It’s our pick for the best 0.155-inch diameter trimmer line.
Pros
This trimmer line provides commercial-grade strength. It has a copolymer design that is strong and prevents welding. Plus, it uses the patented “cyclone” 6-bladed design which is ideal for cutting through the roughest grass.
Strength and durability adds to the longevity of this trimmer line. It doesn’t degrade quickly. If you’re looking for a high-value purchase, this is it.
Well suited to landscapers and professional gardeners
Co-polymer commercial grade line giving optimum strength and performance
Aside from the added longevity that is given by the durability, this trimmer line comes with 315 feet of line. One purchase will be enough to last you a long while, even with very extensive trimming needs.
Cons
Be sure before you purchase that your string trimmer can take a 0.155-inch trimmer line, and you’re good to go.
Overall
If you’re looking for a trimmer line and your number one concern is longevity, we cannot recommend this product enough.
Not only does the design hold up to a lot of tough jobs, but the mega-sized spool of line also provides you with a replacement line for many jobs to come. Overall, this is a great product with long-lasting performance.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Line
There are many different trimmer strings for many different purposes. There are also many types of cordless, gas and electric trimmers. Ultimately, all machines aren’t built for the same type of work.
The type of trimmer line you need depends on what you are using it for, which is why it’s so important to evaluate your needs so that you can choose the right trimmer line.
The importance of choosing the right line is mainly to ensure that you get a product that fits what you want. You want a trimmer line that accomplishes the types of jobs you are doing but value and ease of use are also big features.
Many trimmer lines are designed for easy installation which is a major bonus. Many are made to be durable and heavy-duty but whether or not you need to consider these qualities depends on how much power you need.
If you are simply cutting the edges of a small lawn, you might not need something extra strong and a standard weed wacker line with round string might suffice.
Not only will you likely spend more than you need to but the extra-strong variety may also cause damage to your garden.
The true importance of selecting the right trimmer line is to ensure that it suits your needs and accomplishes the jobs you want it to.
Always evaluate what you want out of your line and how much you want to spend first and then use our buyer’s guide to pick the trimmer line that best suits these needs.
String Trimmer Line Thickness
The thickness of the trimmer line is all about matching the intensity of the job at hand. It’s pretty intuitive that the thicker the line you choose, the more adept it is for performing more powerful jobs. Generally, trimmer lines are divided into small, medium, and large sizes.
We’ll touch on the specifics of the different thicknesses below.
The general rule is this: a thicker trimmer line is capable of heavier work. So, be sure to evaluate your needs before choosing a line size. Of course, there are varying jobs you can do with a trimmer, from trimming grass to thick bush, that’ll require different line thicknesses.
You also wouldn’t want to buy a line size that is too thick for the job. Not only will this cost you more than necessary but it’s also easier to cause unwanted damage with an overly thick line.
As with anything, it is important to evaluate your needs before making a purchase. For more detail on each line size, check out our “Sizes and Application” section below.
String Trimmer Line Material
String trimmers are made for many different jobs which have resulted in a variety of different levels of strength and durability.
They are also made in different shapes, including round lines and twisted lines. Because of these variations, the material used to make the line often differs as well. The material you choose again depends on your needs and the jobs that you plan to perform.
Material basic trimmer string or a plain nylon line is by far the most common trimmer line material out there. It is made up of hardened monofilament nylon but there are many others for more advanced usages and purposes.
Some are made with a copolymer to prevent melting and welding while others even have added aluminum or reinforced composite nylon for extra strength and versatility.
Overall, the material used in a trimmer line is important but it also depends on the quality of the craftsmanship and design. Good material is important but a quick check of customer reviews will often tell you whether the extra materials stand up to regular use.
Additionally, the more advanced materials used, the more expensive these lines are. A simple nylon trimmer line may be perfect for your lawn but you may require something more extensive if you are a commercial landscaper.
Durability
Durability is a very important feature in choosing a trimmer line for your cutting tool. It speaks to how fast the trimmer line breaks apart and degrades, eventually leading to it needing to be replaced. Many factors go into the durability of a trimmer line.
Generally speaking, investing in a durable trimmer line is a wise choice as it lasts longer and you won’t have the headache of constantly replacing the line.
As mentioned, the materials used to make the trimmer line make up a big part of its durability. Stronger materials such as aluminum also add toughness to the line.
It is important to pay attention to the materials used but just know that more advanced construction often leads to a higher price.
The next feature that adds durability is the thickness of the line. As mentioned, the thicker the line, the more suited it is to tougher jobs. So, it also stands to reason that a thicker line lasts longer as well.
Of course, it is still important to pick a thickness that is most in line with the work you are doing.
Another feature that affects durability is the line’s shape. Trimmer lines that have shapes with “sharper” features such as a square trimmer line and multi-sided edges can more readily cut through thick bush.
This once again makes it more durable as it is less likely to fall apart while cutting a particularly thick bushy area with tough weeds.
Overall, these are the main features that contribute to durability. However, as a consumer, you should also be aware that these features tend to come at a higher price tag.
The extra cost is often worth the expense, though, considering the ease of use and longer-lasting product.
Welding & Melting
An experienced weed whacker user is surely familiar with welding and melting of a trimmer line of the cutting tool. This is a major inconvenience and likely one of the main reasons to invest in a quality trimmer line.
Essentially, welding and melting happen when the speed of the trimmer head heats up the line. The line then melts and, when it re-solidifies, fuses or welds together. This is a major pain as the line won’t feed out of the weed whacker properly and you have to tear it apart manually or replace it with a new weed eater string.
Luckily, many quality brands of trimmer lines are built to avoid this problem. It essentially all comes down to the materials used. Higher quality trimmer lines often use a copolymer that is specifically designed to resist welding.
The most important thing to look for as a consumer is whether the product specifies that it is weld-resistant. The products in our buyer’s guide are a great choice in this regard.
Flight Characteristics
Another important consideration with a trimmer line is flight characteristics. The way the trimmer line is shaped is quite indicative of how it flies or cuts through the air.
When dealing with a more aerodynamic shaped line, it cuts through the air efficiently, which eliminates drag and improves fuel efficiency for your weed whacker.
This is a characteristic that a lot of people don’t consider often but can be quite important. If a trimmer line has favorable flight characteristics, it usually says so on the packaging. So, keep an eye out for trimmer lines with this feature.
Which Weed Eater String is Right For You?
Shapes of Line
There are many different shapes of trimmer line available. Some have a high cutting efficiency and others don’t.
Generally speaking, the more complex the shape, the more efficient it will be at trimming grass, but also the more expensive it is due to the complexity to produce. Here is a quick overview of the major types of line:
Round Line
A round shaped line is the most common type of trimmer string and the simplest to produce. The round trimmer line is good for simple jobs like cutting a few weeds here and there but the round shape lacks the sharp edges to cut through dense bush effectively. A round line is considered to have the least strength.
Square Trimmer Line
The edges on a square trimmer line provide increased ability to cut through thick grass and bush. Square line is a more efficient shape than the round shape, and it degrades less quickly as it is better able to slice through bush due to its four edges.
Square line may be classified as a medium duty trimmer string, coming in second after a round trimmer line.
Multi-sided (5+ sides)
Some trimmer lines have even more than 4 edges for even more cutting potential. Generally, if there are more edges, there are more opportunities for the line to cut through bush. These lines are more complicated to produce and may cost a bit more.
Twisted/X String Shape
Twisted trimmer line offers more surface area than a round shape or square line for example and more jagged edges capable of gripping the brush and pulling it apart, compared to other string shapes.
A twisted line is a step-up over the traditional rounded shape trimmer string and ends up being more durable as a result.
Serrated Trimmer Line
Serrated string shapes are considered to be heavy duty string and are thus an ideal choice for a really heavy-duty trimming task.
This cutting edge technology line features serrated teeth, similar to on a knife. You can imagine how adept this would be at cutting even the thickest brush; however, this high quality trimmer line costs quite a bit and comes with the damage potential you might expect.
Be sure that you need the additional capabilities if you are considering this line.
Sizes and Application
As explained above, the variation in thickness of the trimming line makes different types better at different kinds of work.
The general guideline is the thicker the line size or line diameter, the more heavy-duty work it is capable of. Just ensure that you actually need that much power as it not only costs more but also has the potential to cause unwanted damage. There are generally three categories of thickness:
.065”-.080” For Light work, Best .065
This thickness is best suited to “light” yard work. If you are simply buying trimmer line to get the edges of your lawn or for trimming grass, this is probably the size you are looking for.
.085”-.105” For Medium work, Best .095
The next step-up is “medium” thickness. This is for cutting thicker grass and weeds. If you are cutting an area that is more overgrown than just your front lawn, start looking into a medium thickness trimmer line.
.110” plus For Thick Brush, Best .155
Finally, the heavy-duty, thickest trimmer strings of all. This is for really thick brush and heavily overgrown weedy areas.
Line this thick is for a very specific purpose, but it is the only thickness that will be effective. If you are doing some heavy-duty cutting, then you want this heavy-duty line.
This is the best weed eater string for thick weeds as well as tough weeds.
A Word About Safety
While cutting weeds and grass may not sound like a very dangerous pastime, there are considerable dangers presented by this activity.
The weed eater machine runs at very high RPM, and will very often pick up stones and debris and throw these objects at high speed in random directions.
Although these machines are fitted with a guard, it is inevitable that some debris will get past that guard. For this reason, please at the very least wear safety goggles while operating this machinery.
If you are operating a gas-powered weed eater, you should also be wearing ear protection or even the same type of protective helmet with hearing protection and a visor similar to what is used when using a chainsaw.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, our top 5 picks for the best trimmer lines on the market. Which should you pick? The one that helps you the most with your individual needs.
Do you prioritize strength above all else or are you looking for a better value? Do you want the longest-lasting trimmer line or just one that is easy to load and use?
Be sure to identify these needs before shopping. Once you know what you are looking for, you will find our buyer’s guide much more helpful in meeting your needs.
It is also important to ensure that any replacement line you buy is compatible with your trimmer head.
Conclusion Of What Is The Best Grass Trimmer Line
Thank you for reading our buyer’s guide on the best overall trimmer line. Whatever line you choose, be sure that it is one that matches the task at hand.
Evaluate your needs then read through our guide to discover which trimmer line is best for your circumstances. With proper research, you can invest in a product that keeps you satisfied for a long time.