I've always hated bump feed. Unintended bumping means the scattering of nonbiodegradable nylon, the hassle of rewinding, the need to buy more line. The line is cut at full length (usually 6" for a 17" diameter). That's great for using a trimmer like a scythe to mow an area; you get the maximum tip energy and swath. It's not so good for trimming. You can't control a longer line as well because it pulls more when it cuts. It also bounces more when it hits the ground, a manmade object, or vegetation. When it bounces, it's not cutting where you intended. In edging, a bouncing line can mean an irregular trim. When a full-length line hits a full-grown asparagus stalk, it will pull, causing a subsequent impact to be well behind the tip. The line will wrap, damaging several inches of line and jerking the trimmer out of control. A shorter line will cut the same stalk as smoothly as a hot knife goes through butter. Shortening a line can also prevent wrapping on a manmade object, besides reducing impact damage to the object and the line. Instead of measuring inches, I’ve always gone by how a trimmer feels. I guess 5” is a good limit for general trimming, and 4” is a better limit for tricky situations like chain-link fences. For 30 years, I had a Hoffco Power Scythe, which I think was the original string trimmer. When I replaced it, I couldn’t find one with a manual feed. I tried to live with bump feed, but I couldn’t. I thought Oregon’s price for a manual head was exorbitant, so I tried a Chinese version. I would have saved a lot of money if it had worked. The Oregon works. Extending or retracting line is simple. Winding new line is easier than I've seen in the past. You double it over so that one end is about 4” longer than the other, pull it through the holes, and wind. As each end gets close, you pull it tight and stick it through a slot to secure it while you thread the ends through the eyelets. Oregon is supposed to make good line. I tested the included line on a job of about 1500 feet of edging, buildings, chain-link fence, wood fence, and shrubs. With my Hoffco, I might have stopped once or twice to snip the ends square and adjust. With the line from Oregon, I had to stop too many times to count. It wore rapidly against concrete. Ends would break off. More than once, the line broke at an eyelet. In 44 years, it’s the worst trimmer line I’ve seen. It would have cost Oregon very little to include a sample of real line. Then I would have known if I wanted to switch to their brand. Nylon can hold 6 or 8% water, which gives it 8 times more impact resistance than dry nylon. The increase in abrasion resistance may be similar. Dry nylon may be why most trimmers have bump feed. To keep my line elastic, I’ve been letting the spool assembly sit in a pail of water overnight, several times a year. Oregon provided a tip. They say too much water content can be detrimental. They recommend putting the spool assembly in a container with a wet sponge for 24 to 48 hours. Instead of a container, I use a ziplock bag. That way, I didn’t have to remove the spool assembly.
