Using weed eaters to trim grass around the house and in the lawn is very popular today owing to the impressive results and the ease of working with this tool. A lot of people enjoy trimming grass with the machine, as it shortens the task considerably. 

While it's easy to figure out how to use a weed eater well, it is not totally risk-free. If you are trimming with weed eaters, there are a number of precautions that you should take to avoid getting wounded by the machine or even damaging the machine itself.

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Below are some tips to apply when cutting with weed whackers to avoid injury or damaging the weed eater:

When working with an electric powered weed eater, you should first check the cord before plugging it into the power source. This will help you to avoid electrocution. If the cord is broken or torn so that a naked wire is exposed, you need to first cover the wire. You can use electrical tape to wrap round it in order to cover it. In this way, there is no danger or risk of electrocution, although you might experience shorts in the power if the cord is broken too badly.

No matter the type of weed eater that you are working with, it is advisable that you first check the individual parts of the machine to make sure that everything is in order and functions properly. If all the parts of your machine are working and are in good condition before you start work, your machine will not only be at its optimal performance, it will also reduce the risk of injury occurring.

For example, a loosened nut if not properly tightened can fly off during cutting and can injure you or another person.

When you are trimming your lawn, especially if you are using electric trimmer, you have to cut with the tip of the line. The tip of the line spins at the highest speed; if you are cutting with it, you increase the efficiency of your machine. Additionally, weed eater line is designed to break off slowly as it encounters stronger resistance. If you try to use the center of the line, you might slow down the speed of the rotation or end up getting the line tangled in the brush you're trying to cut.

Trimming around pots, fencing, pavements and other hard surfaces causes the line to slap against the hard surface repeatedly. If you are trying to use the whole string to cut at once you will be causing unnecessary wear and tear on your line by allowing too much of it to hit the solid surfaces. 

Normally, as you are trimming the grasses in your lawn a lot of particles (including stones and pieces of grass) fly off the ground. The higher the rate at which these particles are flying, the higher the probability of pebbles and hard particles being thrown at you and wounding you. To help avoid getting injured by flying debris, you have to raise the machine a little bit from the ground as you are cutting. Doing so keeps the line from contacting any materials on the ground and throwing them around. Instead, you will only be hitting the grass you want to trim. 

The trimmer normally comes with a guard. You should angle the trimmer in such a way that the guard will protect you. Guards cannot block everything but they will minimize the amount of debris being tossed from the tool's cutting head. 

When trimming your garden, you should not allow the cutting head to rub off the ground. This is as simple as angling the trimmer's head properly. You should also adjust the head’s distance from the ground so that the entire line won't be rubbing off the surface of the ground. Doing this will also prolong the life of your string.

Some weed eaters are powered with electricity and batteries while some are powered with gasoline. 

Gas powered weed eaters are available in two types of engine specifications, namely two-cycle engines and four cycle engines. In the first type, the oil and gas are mixed together in the appropriate ratio and poured in one tank but in the second each has its separate tank. Whether you are using a two-cycle engine or a four cycle engine, it is important that you use the right type of oil and gas in your weed eater. Not every type of oil should go into your weed eater. Some oil types are like poison to the engine. Rather than enhancing your engine's life, it will spoil it.

Read on to know the right type of oil and gas to be used in your weed eater.

Before you pour any gasoline or oil in your weed eater, you have to make sure that it is the right type. Gas weed eaters usually take fresh, clean 87-octane regular unleaded fuel. The alcoholic content of the gasoline should not be more than 10%. If possible, choose Ethanol-free gasoline.  DO NOT USE DIESEL FUEL. 

Similarly, it is not every type of oil that is good for your weed eater. Normally, the type of oil to be used will be indicated in the user manual of your weed eater. So, always check the user manual to find out what the right type of oil for it is. It differs from brand to brand. 

Commonly recommended types of oil for gasoline powered weed eaters are Paramount, Weed Eater, Poulan Pro and Poulan. But there are other good oil brands that can be used in weed eaters. If you are not able to find any of these products on the market or the manufacturer’s recommended type of oil on the market, rather than using any type of oil you should consider purchasing a premium weed eater oil for air cooled engines. On no account should you use boat engine oil or automotive oil on your weed eater. This is because these types of oil can damage the engine of your weed eater as they are not properly formulated.

If you want to store your weed eater for a period of time that exceeds one month, it is advisable that you empty the fuel tank. This is because the longer gasoline is stored, the more gummy it becomes and gummy fuel can block the system. It will also eat away at the inside of the gas tank and might cause problems later on when you try to start the device. Fuel stabilizers might help for some engines but they are not recommended for weed eaters as the fuel also contains oil.

After some time of using your weed eater, the carburetor will eventually become dirty. When this happens, you'll start to notice the functionality of your tool declining and the motor slowing down. If such a thing happens, don't worry: you don't require the services of a professional technician to fix this problem. You can actually repair it by yourself as long as you know the right things to do!

The tips given below will be of help to you when the carburetor of your weed eater is not functioning well: 

You will need some tools or instruments to do this type of work. So, the first thing that you should do is to get the required tool for the work. It is not wise to start the work when you don't have the tool with you. A flathead screwdriver is the only tool that you will need to do this work.

It is not enough to be a do-it-yourself guy in order to repair your weed eater's carburetor. You need to have the right knowledge and skills to do it. It is not quite the same as every other engine repair and you'll need some basic understanding of how these machines work. Having a basic knowledge of carburetors does not mean being a professional technician, so reading up a bit on your own might be enough to get you prepared!

To start work on the carburetor, you'll have to expose it within the engine. You need a wrench to remove the bolts holding it together to work on the carburetor. Do this by removing the air filter cover and bringing out the air filter.

The primer bubble of the weed eater is kept in place with two screws. To split the carburetor into two equal parts, you have to remove the two screws using the appropriate tool.

This is the most important step of the process. Carefully clean out the carburetor, paying special attention to the filter area. Make sure you remove all the debris that might be in it. It's possible that this dirt is what's causing the motor to work poorly, meaning that this step is what will solve the problem. 

Use a bristled brush, pipe cleaner, or a Scotch brite pad to clean it where possible. Don't use sharp or hard instruments for cleaning. Avoid using water to clean the carburetor. 

Weed eaters are comprised of different parts that have to function together for the machine to serve its purpose. If you have a weed eater or you are planning on buying one, it is advisable that you know a little bit about how it works. Knowing the pieces of this machine will help you to understand the user manual and know what to do if your weed eater develops a fault. It will also help you to understand how to maintain it.

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Here are some of the main parts and features of weed eaters: 

The shaft is the part of a weed eater through which power generated in the engine is transferred to lines for trimming to take effect. A traditional weed eater does not come with any sharp blade for trimming. Instead, it trims with the string which spins at a very high speed. If the power is not transferred to the line, the weed eater will remain still. 

The weed eater shaft is normally available in several designs. There are straight, curved, and split shafts.

• If you are tall and you want a product that will give you a longer reach, then you should consider buying a trimmer with a straight shaft. However, weed eaters with straight shafts are generally heavier than other types.
• If you want a lighter weed eater that will be easy for you to use, you should consider buying a curved shaft weed eater. It is also good for shorter people as it does not come too high off the ground. 
• Split shafts are designed to accept other attachments for additional functionality. With a split shaft, you can attach an edging blade, leaf blower, or any other available attachments to your weed eater instead of the trimming head. 

As mentioned above, weed eaters cut with thick string lines rather than blades. These lines are available in different types and sizes. The manufacturers of weed eaters normally specify the type and size of cutting line to be used on their products. Some cutting lines are too thin while some are thicker.

There are some string trimmers that cut with single line and some that cut with double line. Those that cut with two lines deliver quicker and better cutting results than those that trim with one line. Thus, they are more suitable for the trimming of stubborn grasses.

This is the part of the device to which the cutting string is attached. Not all weed eaters that have fixed line heads. In some products, especially consumer trimmers, the stool holding the line functions as the fixed line head. The advantage of this part is that it accepts only a short length of line. It also forestalls the tangling and jamming of line when it is being loaded. This part can also be purchased as an aftermarket product in case the one in your weed eater is damaged.

The part functions by releasing the string from the spool when the trimmer head is bumped on the ground. As you are trimming around the yard you will naturally lose some of the length of your trimming string. With a bump-feed line you just have to tap the trimming head on the ground to release a small amount of extra line as you're working. 

This is mostly available in heavy-duty string trimmers. The part helps to make handling and carrying of the machine easier. It usually exists in the form of a shoulder harness.

This is the engine, the part that generates power. It can be mounted on the top or close to the cutting line. The location depends on the type of weed eater you are using. In the gasoline powered weed eaters, it is top-mounted. However, there are some corded weed eaters that come with their motor mounted close to the cutting line. 

The products with top-mounted motors are easy to handle and are more balanced than those with motors mounted close to the cutting line. A gas weed eater's engine is available in two designs: the four-stroke engine and two stroke engine. The former has different tanks for oil and fuel while in the latter the oil and fuel are mixed together and pour in one fuel tank. The main difference you'll see is in the power exhibited from the two engines. 

A part like this is used for stopping the engine. The engine or the motor of the weed eater stops working when this is switched off.

This part is available only in gasoline powered weed eaters. It makes it possible for the engine to idle without the string spinning.

The fuel tank is available only in gasoline weed eaters while the oil tank is available only in a four-stroke gasoline engine.

Just like every other machine, weed eaters sometimes encounter problems and malfunctions. Some of these problems may require expert attention, but there are many which you can rectify by yourself.

String trimmers, another name for weed eaters, are available in three main types: gas, electric and battery powered. Although they have separate sources of power, each of these types of weed eaters operate in a similar manner to cut weeds and grass. 

All of them come with a drive shaft which holds the string. This string is being spun at a high speed by the motor of the system. When the string is spinning quickly enough, it trims any grass that it comes in contact with. 

If you are a do-it-yourself type of person, you will be able to troubleshoot and rectify some common problems that your weed eater may have as a result of usage. Here are some common problems and how to trouble shoot them depending on the type of weed eater you are using: 

Starting a gasoline powered weed trimmer motor

Starting problem or difficulty starting is mostly experienced in gasoline powered weed eaters.

Electric and battery powered weed trimmers come with fewer moving parts and do not require much maintenance. However, they can also malfunction on occasion. When they sprout a problem, you can troubleshoot by yourself depending on the nature of the problem.