In this guide we’ll take a look at the best strimmer heads.
We’ve compared design, ease of use, reliability and cost
to give you our top recommendations.
3 Best Strimmer Heads
2022 Review for the UK Market
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What Are The UK's Best Strimmer Heads?
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Read Our Strimmer Head Reviews
Clive Harris
Oregon Universal Professional Strimmer Head
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Clive Harris
Oregon Universal Professional Strimmer Head Review
This large Oregon Professional Strimmer Head is a great choice for anyone who struggles to load line into their current strimmer. It’s also a sturdy strimmer head that is simple to attach to compatible models.
Unlike a lot of strimmer heads, there is no need to take the Oregon Professional Strimmer head apart in order to load more line. Line can simply be fed through the holes in the head, and the head is then twisted to wind the line on.
This makes it one of the best strimmer heads if you’re looking for an easy way to load line – quite a relief, given that this process can be far from easy on other models.
Although this strimmer head is compatible with a lot of strimmers, it is quite large and needs to be used with machine with sufficient power; it will fit most straight shaft strimmers over 33 cc. There’s no need to take the head apart to secure it in place and it is easy to fit with the five screws provided.
The bump-feed mechanism works smoothly and the head can be loaded with cutting line up to 4 mm in diameter, making it a useful strimmer head for tackling harder undergrowth and thick brush. If your current strimmer head is too small to cope with tough vegetation, this is a good option to consider.
Overall, the most impressive aspect of this strimmer head is how simple it makes the process of loading new line. Alongside this, it’s also strong enough to cope with cutting thicker undergrowth (with the right cutting line fitted) and it simple to attach to existing strimmers.
It comes pre-loaded with Oregon Techni 280° line, which is a durable 3 mm cutting line for tackling thick grass and weeds.
Pros
- Easy mechanism for loading line into head is a lot easy than other styles
- Head does not have to be taken apart to attach to strimmer or load new line
- Comes pre-loaded with Oregon Techni 280° line which is good for thick grass and weeds
- Bump feed action is very smooth and easy
- Robust, sturdy construction
Cons
- Instructions are poor although there are assembly videos online which are easy to follow
- Doesn’t fit all strimmers and needs to be fitted to powerful models with at least 33 cc
Clive Harris
Trueshopping Bump Feed Strimmer Head
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Clive Harris
Trueshopping Bump Feed Strimmer Head Review
A useful strimmer head to buy on a budget, the Trueshopping Bump Feed Strimmer Head is a cheap but reliable replacement.
Although it is only intended for use with Trueshopping strimmers, it fits other models as well; however, it’s difficult to know which ones exactly without trying it, therefore there is a bit of risk involved if your strimmer isn’t from Trueshopping.
It comes pre-loaded with 5 m of 2.5 mm diameter line and is easy to attach to the strimmer without needing to undo the entire head. The head screws on easily and can be fitted in minutes.
Because of its price, this is one of the best strimmer heads to buy on a budget; however, there are some caveats to go with it.
Whilst the head itself has quite a robust construction, some customers have reported that the bump-feed mechanism wears out sooner than they would expect. Nevertheless, this doesn’t reflect every user’s experience.
For some, this budget option may even be quicker and easier than messing around with buying and fitting new cable. The fitted line is long lasting and durable.
All things considered, this is a great budget purchase. It doesn’t cost much considering the amount of line provided and the relative robustness of the head itself. However, there is a drawback in that it is not suitable for all strimmers. The head is only advertised as being compatible with the Trueshopping strimmer – even though customers using other strimmer brands have provided positive feedback.
Pros
- Line supplied with the head is good quality and suitable for most domestic tasks
- Easy to screw head onto strimmer, with line already loaded
- 5 m of line provided in strimmer makes it a good budget purchase
Cons
- Bump feed mechanism is not very robust
- Sold as only being compatible with Trueshopping strimmers, although customers have reported success using it with some other brands
Clive Harris
Oregon Universal Aluminium Strimmer Head
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Clive Harris
Oregon Universal Aluminium Strimmer Head Review
Compatible with square cutting line, this Oregon Universal Aluminium Strimmer Head can help with tougher strimming jobs.
The line can be fitted either as two single pieces, or doubled up in the head for more cutting power. Particularly when using thicker line, this strimmer head can assist with cutting thicker vegetation like brambles and undergrowth.
It comes with 42 cm of pre-cut Nylium line which is very tough and durable.
The head itself is compatible with the majority of straight-shafted strimmers, although it may not fit on some non-petrol models. Due to the head’s size and design, it does require a lot of power and is therefore best used with a petrol strimmer anyway (at least 25 cc).
Several different washers are included in order to help it fit different strimmers. Although it’s ultimately easy to fit, assembly may still take a bit of trial and error because the instructions aren’t desperately clear.
Due to its overall design, it’s much easier to load the cutting wire into this head than it is to thread line onto a traditional bobbin strimmer head. There’s no bump-feed mechanism, but the process of replacing line when necessary is quick.
It’s one of the best strimmer heads for use with square line, and can fit any width line from 2 – 4 mm. This makes it a useful accessory in the battle against thicker undergrowth in the garden.
Pros
- Compatible with the majority of straight-shaft petrol strimmers
- Fits square line between 2 - 4 mm
- Included Nylium line is durable and suitable for cutting tough vegetation
- Several washer sizes included to make it possible to easily fit to strimmers of different makes
- Line can be doubled up for more cutting power
Cons
- Instructions are not very clear which can leave some assembly to trial and error
- Mostly only compatible with petrol strimmers as needs to be twisted on, not bolted
How to Choose the Best Strimmer Head
When it comes to useful gardening tools, a strimmer is certainly up there. But the story doesn’t end there, and there are additional accessories that can alter the effectiveness of a strimmer.
One of these accessories is the line, and the other is the strimmer head. Although the head that comes with your strimmer will likely be sufficient to begin with, there may come a time when you need to use a different one, or it simply needs replacing.
The following information will help you stay up to date with the different types of strimmer head available, why you might want to use them, and how to choose the best strimmer head for your garden/strimmer.
Ensuring the Strimmer Head Fits
Not all strimmer heads are the same size, and there’s a lot of variety on the market.
Blade heads that describe themselves as ‘universal’ are generally compatible with the majority of strimmers; however, there are some important factors to bear in mind.
Strimmers can either have a ‘female’ or ‘male’ bolt end, which is the end that the strimmer head will attach to. You need to know which type your strimmer has, to make sure you’re buying a strimmer head that will fit.
If the strimmer has a ‘female’ bolt end, there will be a threaded bolt shaft on the end of the strimmer (the threads will be on the inside of the bolt shaft). Compatible strimmer heads will have hole in the centre, which a bolt will be fitted into. When the strimmer head and the bolt are fitted over the strimmer’s bolt shaft, the strimmer can be twisted into place. The bolt will connect in to the threaded bolt shaft.
If the strimmer has a ‘male’ bolt end, there will be a bolt shaft on the end of the strimmer with exposed threads (the threads will be on the outside of the bolt shaft). Compatible heads will screw onto the bolt shaft without requiring an additional bolt.
Naturally, if you buy the wrong type, you won’t be able to fit the head onto your strimmer. Most petrol strimmers have a ‘male’ bolt end, but this isn’t always the case.
Compatibility with Different Line
You might need to buy a new line head if you want to use line that is incompatible with your current strimmer head. Line may be incompatible if it is 1) the wrong shape for your strimmer head or 2) the wrong thickness for your strimmer head.
When buying a strimmer, most strimmers come with heads that are suitable for traditional round wire. However, many gardeners like to use square strimming line to tackle tougher vegetation.
In order to use square line, you may need a new, compatible strimmer head.
But why might you change to square line in the first place? Square strimming wire is often better at working through tougher undergrowth. This is because it has four sharp edges that slice into thick vegetation. If you are faced with a very overgrown garden, square line may be the way to go.
The downside of square line is that it wears down quickly because the sharp edges get blunt through use. It also tends to break off/snap more frequently than round line. This is particularly likely if the square line accidentally comes into contact with a hard surface.
Round line, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same clean cutting ability or power as square line. However, it’s useful for cutting grass, especially because it is generally less prone to breaking if it accidentally comes into contact with solid surfaces like pathways or walls.
Some strimmer heads are compatible with both round and square line, whilst others are specific to one type.
Using thicker line is often beneficial when tackling very dense undergrowth and larger plants like brambles. However, not all strimmer heads can be loaded with thick line, so this is something else to check.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the strimmer head and line can only be as powerful as the machine they are attached to.
Line Feed Mechanism
There are three options when it comes to the line-feeding mechanism of strimmer heads: ‘automatic feed’, ‘bump feed’ and ‘manual feed’.
As the cutting line is used, it wears down. New cutting line needs to be fed into the head from the spool, and there are a few different ways strimmer heads can do this.
Strimmers with a ‘bump feed’ system require you to ‘bump’ the end of the strimmer onto the ground to release more line into the head. You can release more line as and when it’s needed, controlling how quickly it is used.
Automatic feed strimmers release more line automatically. Each time the machine is turned on. This will ensure you’re never using weak and blunt line, but the downside is that you can get through the line a lot quicker than you need to, which will cost more over time.
Automatic mechanisms can be particularly inconvenient if you are using a cordless strimmer because you will likely turn the unit off while you move around the garden to conserve battery. This is problematic if more line is released each time it’s turned on.
Manual feed strimmers require you to pull new line through by hand. Naturally, there are advantages and disadvantages to this. You need to make sure that the strimmer is completely off, and uplugged/not able to turn on before manually adjusting the line. It’s also a messier process than other line-feed options. However, you can have total control over how much line is used, and you don’t have to rely on a sometimes-unresponsive bump-feed system.
Strimmer Head FAQs
How can I know if a new strimmer head will fit my old strimmer?
Some strimmer heads describe themselves as ‘universal’. In these instances, you can be fairly reassured that the strimmer head will fit your strimmer; however, there are other things to look at too.
Firstly, check to see if the manufacturer mentions any brands that are compatible with the strimmer head. Often, manufacturers will want to make this obvious, so they’ll strongly advertise compatibility.
Secondly, make sure that the strimmer head has the right fittings for your strimmer. You’ll need to know if your strimmer has ‘male’ or ‘female’ bolt fittings, and check if the strimmer head is compatible.
Do I need to buy a new strimmer head to use square line?
This depends on the strimmer head you already have. Some are compatible with both round and square line, whilst others aren’t. If you no longer have the instructions for your strimmer head, search for the make and model online to find out what type of line it will be compatible with.
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