Best Trimmer Line for String Trimmers [What Is the Best Line for You?]

Trimmer Line Reviews

Want all the details? Well, here are the pros, cons, and features of all the string trimmer lines that I tested:

1. Best .095 Trimmer Line: Oregon 22-895 Magnum Gatorline Trimmer Line.095-inch

I loved that this line has a weld-resistant outer sheath, as welding can quickly ruin lower-quality trimmer line. At such high speeds, your line is prone to heating up, and when it gets too hot, the line can melt and fuse together.

It’s not completely irreparable, but it’ll sure put the fire hose on your plans to spend the day gardening. This is a large part of why the Oregon 22-895 is my best 095 string trimmer line.

Embedded inside that sheath is a tough inner core that’s not going to wear down quickly. Sometimes, I thought it could be a little too tough – more on that in a moment – but it does mean you get more for your money. Also, with it being a square-shaped line, you’ll get a cleaner finish on your grass when you’re done, though other shapes are available in the same brand. 

Though you get less line in this spool than you might in competing brands, it goes much further. One thing worth mentioning is that you should avoid getting too close to small decorations like stakes around a flower bed. This line doesn’t break easily, so it’s got the potential to yank a stake straight from the ground and wield it like a high-speed weapon. 

Pros

• A specialized outer layer prevents welding from ruining your plans.
• Aside from grass, this line can easily handle weeds and smaller branches, even those with tougher or wood-like stems.
• A high-strength core runs through the center, reducing the speed of fraying and breakages, letting you go for longer.
• This line is square-shaped and as you’ll remember from the above, this means a cleaner cut. 

Cons

• Comes with fewer feet of trimmer line than your typical spool at this price range.
• Will strip the bark straight from a tree trunk or the skin from your ankles, so tread carefully.
• Increased strength against breakages means that it could wrap around and suck up small objects like a weapon. 
• Sometimes even the guard blade struggles with the strength of this line and you may need to use line cutters. 

Best 0.095-inch

2. Best Commercial: Desert Extrusion Cyclone .065 Commercial Trimmer Line

Cyclone is another twisted string trimmer line that’s best for heavy-duty cutting. It’s super strong and super sharp, so be careful where you point it!

If you use a 0.065-inch string trimmer line regularly, you know that it often just doesn’t hold up for too long. But this line really takes things up a notch, giving you great durability despite the string’s thinness.

It’s also commercial grade, and you can also get this trimmer line in various thicknesses, which is great news considering its strength.

Pros

• Very durable
• USA-Made
• Comes in 0.065-inch, 0.08-inch, and 0.095-inch diameters so you can get the perfect match
• Tough enough for commercial applications and plenty tough for residential ones.

Cons

• The thinner 0.065 inch line is known to bind up on some weed eaters.
• The line can stick to itself, but a quick spray of machine oil or WD40 will fix the issue immediately.

3. Best 0.08 Inch: Arnold Maxi-Edge .08-Inch Commercial Trimmer Line

The great thing about this 0.80 trimmer line is that it’s suitable for your backyard yet tough enough for commercial-grade tasks. So if you’re a landscaper who doesn’t tire of seeing the outdoors even after a long day at work, then you can kill two birds with one stone using this string. 

I’d suggest avoiding this line for lawns that are less well-established and filled with debris, like rocks or branches. Multi-sided lines are meant to be more resistant to breakages, but I found this line to split against hard objects just as easily as rounded lines that I’ve tried. You’ll get a cleaner cut, but don’t bank on your line lasting longer. 

Also, multi-sided lines can be prone to binding, which is essentially that super-annoying thing that happens to your Apple earbuds any time you stuff them in your pocket. You don’t want to spend an eternity unbinding the line when you’re halfway through trimming the lawn. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t buy multi-sided, but it’s a risk with certain spools. 

Don’t let these drawbacks put you off, as this did win me over for second place on my quest for the best trimmer line. I really liked how it comes with a cutter, as the guard blade on some trimmers can become dull and too weak to cut through tougher lines over time. That’s certainly a risk here, as this commercial trimmer line can take punches from chain-link fencing and come out fighting.

Pros

• The package includes a line cutter for trimming your line. 
• Produces an overall neater finish than round trimmer lines. 
• Its toughness is suited to commercial-grade tasks as well as your yard. 
• Commercial grade means that it can stand up to abuse from rocks, chain-link fencing, and other tough obstacles. 

Cons

• I couldn’t really feel a difference in longevity compared to the round line.
• It’s tough enough to chew up any wooden fence posts that dare stand in the way of your trimmer. 
• Multi-sided trimmer lines can be prone to binding. It didn’t happen to me, but bear this in mind. 

4. Strongest Line: Maxpower 338813 Premium Twisted Trimmer Line .080-Inch 

Maxpower’s line is made from commercial-grade copolymer resins. What does that mean?

Well, let’s address the boring stuff first; a copolymer is a combination of more than one species of monomer. To put it more simply, it combines multiple polymer types to increase its strength. Or even more simply, it won’t suffer breakages easily. 

Aside from strength, which was my main reason for picking this line, it’s also an almost sickeningly-colored optic yellow.

Though it may not be nice to look at, you’ll never misplace any broken string debris in your grass — should it ever break, which isn’t likely. It’s also said to be up to 50% quieter than some other trimmer lines, and to be fair, it didn’t produce too much noise when I tried it out. 

There isn’t much to say in the way of negatives other than it being pricier than similar products, though you do get a whopping 280 feet of the stuff. Also, if you intend on tackling any well-established weeds or commercial work, you’ll want to look elsewhere, so it’s not really adaptable. 

Pros

• 280 feet of line means you won’t be running out anytime soon. 
• The optic yellow color easily stands out against your green lawn. 
• Promises up to 50% noise reduction compared to similar lines. 
• The twisted design offers a cleaner cut and translates into less vibration in your tool. 

Cons

• A little pricier than similar types of twisted string trimmer lines. 
• The diameter of 0.080 isn’t really suited to heavier types of work. 

Strongest

5. Best Auto-Feeder: Eventronic Line String Trimmer Spool

This is one of my go-to trimmer lines when I need to replace the spool on my auto-feed Black+Decker trimmer. It’s a cordless electric tool that’s better suited to smaller areas, so I have a second trimmer for tougher tasks. But the beauty of these is that they come in large value-for-money packs while working with leading-name brand trimmers. 

Though they aren’t an official Black+Decker product, these spools will fit pretty much any of their string trimmers. If you’ve got a smaller trimmer for modest trimming and a beefier brute for whacking tough weeds, then it’s handy to have these lying around. And, as they support auto-feed systems, there’ll be no bumping the head against the ground to feed the line through. 

It’s probably worth mentioning that, like with most things, you will notice the difference between the real thing and a discount imitation. It’ll get the job done at a cut price, but you might see niggles like the occasional poorly-wound spool or your line not lasting quite as long.

Still, when you’re paying this little for this much line, who cares? 

Pros

• Can be used with auto-feed spool trimmers.
• Compatible with a whole bunch of different string trimmers from the Black+Decker range. 
• Sold in multipacks of large quantities at a discount compared to buying directly from the official brand. 
• Using an auto-feed spool with a trimmer that supports it means you don’t risk damaging the head of your power tool. 

Cons

• A little on the small side to be suited to larger yards.
• Possible quality control issues — some of the spools unraveled on me when unpacking them, though not every time.
• There is a noticeable difference in durability and longevity between the original Black+Decker spools and these.

Best Autofeed

Eventronic String Trimmer Replacement Spool

Compatible with Black+Decker String Trimmers (8-Line Spool + 1 Cap +1 Spring)

Gauge:
0.065-inch

Shape:
Round

Amount:
240 feet

Get More Info

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

05/12/2023 06:44 am GMT

6. Quietest: LoNoiz .130-inch Commercial Grade Spiral Twist Trimmer Line

Lord knows how, but this manufacturer has managed to create a design that produces less noise than other types of trimmer lines. This is great news if you like to hit the yard before your neighbors are awake on Sunday mornings. 

This line uses a heavy twist design, where multiple fibers wrap around each other to create a tight line. The result is something that’ll whip through weeds like they’re nothing while being strong enough to stand up to those fences and rocks in your garden. Don’t get me wrong, the line’s toughness means you can use it outside the garden for commercial use too. 

As I mentioned with another trimmer line above, this one is also resistant to welding and binding. It won’t melt under the heat generated by friction and it shouldn’t bind itself together, meaning more time trimming and less time cursing at your trimmer. 

In terms of negatives, it won’t fit every trimmer, so do your research first. And while it’s decent enough for industrial use, there are even stronger lines available for everyday commercial use. You’re also going to have to dig a little deeper for this compared to the cheaper, thinner trimmer lines. 

Pros

• Produces less noise than most other designs.
• Heavy twist design offers some of the toughest resistance to breakage. 
• The material doesn’t become easily bound and is resistant to welding. 

Cons

• Lacks the strength of some heavy-hitting .130 trimmer lines, like Diamond.
• Pricier than other options — for example, you’ll get 9 Eventronic spools (above) for around a third of the price of 1 of these.
• Much thicker than your average trimmer line, so be sure that it fits your tool before committing. 

Quietest

How To Tell Which String Trimmer Line Is Right for You

First things first, your string trimmer doesn’t use your everyday, run-of-the-mill string that you might pick up in a stationary store. Instead, it uses a monofilament line that’s spun at high speeds to slice through blades of grass and weeds, with the centrifugal force keeping the line stiff. 

You mean there are different shapes of string?

Absolutely!

Choosing the Right Shape 

Trimmer line comes in a variety of shapes and diameters that depend on the size of the task at hand. The type you need will depend on the size of your yard and the thickness of the grass to be cut.

Who knew choosing a piece of string could be so complex? Well, let’s make it a bit easier. Here are the most common styles and shapes of string trimmer line and what each one is best for:

Round String Trimmer Line

Round trimmer line, which is similar in shape to regular string, is the industry standard. It’s suited to most string trimmers, and will easily chop through grass and small weeds. It breaks less easily and can stand up to being accidentally slapped against concrete here and there. 

This type of cylindrical trimmer line is likely what you’ve tried the most in the past. It’s durable enough and cuts through weeds and grass just fine.

Multi-Sided String Trimmer Line

If you got up close and personal with multi-sided trimmer line, you’ll see that its shape is usually similar to a square, pentagon, or hexagon. They’ll give you a cleaner cut, but if you make contact with solid stone or chain-link fencing, prepare to replace your spool much more quickly, as it’ll be chomped right up. 

Serrated String Trimmer Line

Then you’ve got serrated trimmer line, which is ideal for yards choked with weeds. The teeth work like a kitchen knife, making it ideal for burning through weeds at speed. For commercial purposes, this is probably your go-to line, though it’s also the line you want to keep as far away from your flesh as possible.  

So, if you have large, woody weeds or an overgrown lawn to tackle, a serrated string trimmer line is your best bet.

Choosing the Best Size String Trimmer Line

Much like the shape, string trimmer line comes in different weights and diameters, too. Bigger diameters are best for lawns where more cutting power is needed, but string trimmers vary in what diameters they can support.

While shape is important, size is equally important. 

So, here’s how to tell what size string trimmer line will be best for you:

• If you’re trimming the front and back lawns with very few weeds, you can get away with 0.065 to 0.080 diameter. These are the most common sizes for inexpensive to mid-range residential string trimmer lines.
• But if your lawn’s seen better days, it’d be best to move up to a string trimmer line that’s 0.085 to 0.10 inches in diameter.
• For anything like industrial landscaping, you’ll want to bring out the big guns. In that case, go for a commercial trimmer line with a diameter above 0.110 inches. 

So, which trimmer line is best? I’ve found a useful YouTube clip that does a pretty good job of illustrating the differences for you, just in case you’re still unsure: 

Our Best String Trimmer Line

For me, the choice for best string trimmer line just had to be the Oregon 22-895 Magnum Gatorline Trimmer Line.095-inch. It checked all my boxes for producing a clean cut, being suited to light, medium, or heavy work, and for pure strength too. That high-strength core just laughs in the face of obstacles like fencing and rockeries. 

Do you agree? Do you have a favorite string trimmer line you think we should have included? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!

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  Elle is the founder and visionary of Outdoor Happens. She adores wild gardens. Makes sense, considering she’s never been very good at fitting into boxes, sticking to neat rows, or following the rules. Elle is a qualified permaculture teacher with a diploma in horticulture and naturopathy. She lives on a farm with cows, sheep, horses, chickens, and a bunch of horses. Passions include herbalism, fermentation, cooking, nature, animals, and reading.

  
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