How To String A Kobalt Weed Eater [Step By Step Guide]

Weed eaters are used to easily eradicate unwanted weeds growing on the lawn or in the garden. You might have bought a Kobalt weed eater and are now wondering how to attach a new string. Don't worry—we have researched to give you all the important information you will need when attaching a string to a Kobalt weed eater.

Below is a step-by-step guide you can follow when inserting or replacing a string on a Kobalt weed eater.

1. Remove the battery.
2. Flip the weed eater upside down, with the spool covered up and the inner side of the guard exposed.
3. Align the tip of the triangle on the spool cover to the tip of the triangle on the spool housing.
4. Feed one end of the string into the hole under the 'Line In' label. (The string should come out through the other hole at the other side of the string housing.)
5. Pull the string on both ends until there is an even length.
6. Rotate the string cap counterclockwise until there is enough string length to reach the cut-off blade.

Weed-eating machines can significantly reduce your work hours when removing tough weeds. Continue reading as we discuss additional important details you need to know when installing a string in a Kobalt weed eater.

How Do I String A Kobalt Weed Eater?

Kobalt weed eaters utilize string or monofilament lines to cut through weeds sticking up from the ground. The weed eater rotates the string at a velocity high enough to cut through weeds and thin stalks of small plants.

The weed eater string can be used until it runs out. No set amount of time or working hours reached will require you to change the string before it runs out. Below is a step-by-step guide for installing a string to a Kobalt weed eater.

Remove The Battery

As mentioned, a Kobalt weed eater rotates a monofilament line at a high velocity. The high velocity creates a centrifugal force strong enough to keep the string at a straight line that can cut through weeds and thin plants.

Before working anywhere around the area where the string rotates, ensure no battery is attached to the motor. This will prevent accidentally turning on the weed eater while replacing the string.

Flip The Weed Eater

After removing the battery, flip the weed eater upside down. This will allow easier access to the spool housing and the spool cover.

To determine if the weed eater is upside down, check if you can see the spool cover. The spool cover has an orange logo with an orange triangle beside it. Arrows indicating a rotating motion can also be seen at the top and bottom of the orange logo.

Align The Triangles

Once you have turned the weed eater upside down, locate the triangles on the spool cover and housing. The tip of the triangle on the spool housing should be aligned with the tip of the spool housing.

Note that the triangle on the spool housing is not orange. The triangle on the spool housing is engraved on the black housing and is located at the side of one of the vents of the spool housing.

After you have located the engraved triangle on the spool housing, rotate the spool cover until the ends of both triangles are aligned.

Both tips of the triangles must be facing each other and not off by a few spaces. This is because a notch inside the spool cover will align with a notch inside the housing. These notches will then form a hole through which the spool will go.

Feed The String Into The Housing

While holding the spool housing in one hand, carefully insert one end of the string into the hole of the spool housing. There are two holes in the spool housing. Insert the string end into the hole under the 'Line In' label.

The string will only enter the hole if both triangles are properly aligned. You can tell that the notches inside have met if the end of the string exits the other hole on the housing.

Pull The String

Once the end of the string exits through the other hole in the housing, pull the string until there are equal lengths on each side of the spool housing.

To check if both ends are of equal length, place the weed eater on a flat surface. Take both ends of the string from there, holding one end in each hand. The spool housing is flexible and can rotate, so you do not have to put weight on the weed eater to keep it in place.

Put both ends of the string next to each other and carefully pull them away from the spool housing. Make sure you hold the ends firmly to keep them from snapping away from your grip. Keep pulling the ends of the string until both are of equal length.

Making sure that the string is of equal length is important if you have bought string that is the exact length you wanted. However, if the string at hand is longer than necessary, you can cut it with pliers until both are equal in length.

Wind The String

If you are sure that the string on each side of the spool housing is of equal length, proceed to feed the string into the housing. You can do this by holding the spool cover and rotating it counterclockwise. This will wind the string into the spool.

Make sure to leave just enough string to reach the blade. The blade is the black flat surface located at the upper right corner of the inner surface of the guard.

What Size String For A Kobalt Weed Eater?

The size of the string depends on the type of weed eater you own. Generally, the thicker the string, the higher the power required for it to be able to cut through plants and weeds. The weight of the string, as well as the surface area, affects the performance of the weed eater.

If you are wondering what the best size of string for your Kobalt weed eater is, refer to the voltage of the unit. If you own an 80V, you can use a thicker string.

The thicker strings have a diameter that ranges from 0.085 to 0.110 inches. These strings are used for heavier work, such as stubborn weeds and thick underbrush.

For weed eaters with lower capacities, such as 40V, you can choose 0.065 to 0.085 inches of string. This type of string works great for cutting down grass and thin weeds.

Click here to shop for weed eater strings on Amazon.

What To Do If String Won't Feed Into Kobalt Weed Eater Spool

Improper alignment of interior notches is one reason why the string might not feed into the spool housing. As we mentioned, the notches are indicated by the triangle on top of the spool cover and the one on the spool housing.

If the interior notches are not aligned, there will be no space for the string. Leaving the triangles misaligned essentially closes up the tunnel the string is supposed to run through.

However, if the two triangles are aligned and the string won't go through, you can open up the spool housing and manually wind the string. Below is a step-by-step guide for manually installing a string on a weed eater spool.

1. Locate the two push tabs on the spool housing.
2. Push the two tabs until the spool cover pops off from the spool housing.
3. Mark the middle of the string.
4. Locate the notch on the middle rib of the spool.
5. Hook the middle of the string into the notch.
6. Wind the string around the spool until just enough length is left to reach the blade. (Make sure to hold the string down to keep it from unwinding.)
7. Return the spool to the spool housing.
8. Place one string into each hole on the spool housing.
9. Lock the spool cover back into the spool housing. (Make sure that both holes on the spool cover are aligned with the push tabs on the spool housing.)

To Wrap Up

The string of a Kobalt weed eater can be replaced when it runs out. The spool cover and housing have features that can help the user install the string easily.

This article discussed the process of putting a string into a Kobalt weed eater. We also discussed what size of string is best for each machine and what you can do if the string will not enter the spool housing.

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