Mine came with scary tough strings--a huge supply. They install weirdly but someone figured them out and they cut fine. Although I think mine came out during the Jurassic period. I only have one good leg so I do better with my battery powered trimmer with me swiveling back and forth, step, swivel back and forth, step...and let my slave child use the DR. If I needed to brake the big one, chances are I would just hit a rock or a pole.
I checked and they are taking the estimated cost of parts right off the Ford Company parts catalog. Then adding labor factors. They are likely underestimating the cost of the paint (tri-coat) and its application. I will do some searching over the weekend and think about it. And I don't see anything left over for profit for the body shop. For comparison, a touch up kit for that red paint has 6 cans and costs $115 incl clearcoat. Similar complete kit with white is only $85. Next car I buy will be white.
On second look the model trimmer I have is old enough I don't think you need that extra brake assembly, but I could be wrong. There is a brake pad already next to the pulley on the trimmer wheel.
Maybe you already have a brake installed. I gave up on the Beaver Blade because of the brake issue, but it DID cut down small trees up to about 3" in diameter with relative ease. I would recommend the new model head for the older trimmers, as it makes changing line easier and allows much heavier line to be used. It is the head that was developed for the tow-behind model and I can easily cut 1/4" trees and brush with mine and the heaviest line.
One of my sons was once using an early trimmer--I think it was called the Scout--and he hit a rock and threw it though a car windshield and didn't realize it until the car owner told him when he paused the machine. Do you have the new head that uses 11" line or do you use the 23" line?
I believe it is a 23" piece cut from a roll that it came with. It is held in the middle so has the two ends cutting instead of one like in my smaller trimmers.
The new heads can use heavier line as it does not have to bend to get threaded. It just sticks into a "grabber".
♫ When I'm calling yooo oo oo oo...oo oo oooooooooo ♫ [oldguy] Those were the day when you could understand the words [/oldguy]
Jeanette and Nelson are a bit corny, don't you think? How would you like someone singing a love song that loud right up in your face.
Got the trimmer ball to spin. But... ...it only massages the grass, bends over the tall plantain blossoms, and tickles the quarter inch stuff. Also stops turning completely when the ball just barely touches the ground. Maybe the belt isn't tight enough, or the cable that engages it is out of adjustment or sticky inside, or all 3 and more. The clutch handle doesn't operate the way it says in the manual. And releasing the brake bar is supposed to stop the ball from spinning. It doesn't. This pic from the manual is the only one I could find. On mine the two sides of the belt almost touch together when the belt is tight. I don't see that metal piece coming from the left side of the smaller pulley on the right. That pulley has a belt guide on it and it's not pictured here. Parts diagrams don't help at all. Anyway, I got to start mowing with the regular lawn mower. Will think about it later.
It sounds like the belt needs replacing, @Nancy Hart. At least that is how mine acts when the belt is worn.
It's a new belt. Pretty sure it's the right size. I compared it with the old one. Maybe it's no good and stretched already.
A pic from the underside of your machine at some point might help. It sounds like you have that variable of the blade brake on yours thrown into the mix. The head is obviously not spinning fast enough. Have you tried spinning he head by hand to make sure it's spinning freely? And how is the clutch "behaving unlike the manual says?" I'm assuming the clutch pulls on that idler pulley where you say the two sides of the belt almost touch (thus making the head spin), and the brake is a safety thing that stops things from free-spinning when the clutch is disengaged...mainly because of the centrifugal force when the blade is installed.
Got it! I had that one pulley hooked up on the wrong side of the belt. Main use in town will be to trim the grass around the hedge. The ball that came with it is about the same height as the lawnmower blades. It cuts grass well and level. The string was worn down to about 3" in the first part of this video. In the second part I put on a new string which protrudes about 9". Nothing big in the yard to test it on, so I went after an iris bush I've been wanting to take out. I'll have to get used to handling it. Tough to push uphill on rough ground, tends to pull to the right, and that ball gets stuck in the ruts if you're not paying attention. Even harder with one hand. ps. I see no reason to bother with a battery. The rope pulls easy. Starts on 1st or 2nd pull, so far.