Reloading nylon line into a bump-feed trimmer head

How to Reload a Bump-Feed Trimmer Head

ByKen

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This guide explains how to reload a bump feed trimmer head. Remove the battery first, feed the new line through the eyelet, pull both ends until they are even, and wind the spool in the direction the arrows on your head show. The manufacturer pages we opened agree on these core steps.

Line length, line size and winding direction differ by model and head design. Where the sources do not agree, this guide shows each figure with its source. Your owner’s manual has the final word for your trimmer.

Quick answer

  • Turn the trimmer off and remove the battery before you touch the head.
  • Feed the line through one eyelet and out the opposite side, then pull until both sides are equal.
  • Wind the spool in the direction the arrows on your head show, and stop at the length your manual gives.
  • Trim any extra line to the line limiter, then advance a short length by hand to check the feed.

Safety before you reload

Start with the battery. The STIHL guide for its AutoCut C 6-2 head says: “Ensure the unit is in the off position. If electric, unplug the trimmer from the power supply. If battery-powered, remove the battery.” Husqvarna’s pre-start list says to “Disconnect power (battery, or spark plug)” and to “Wear gloves” and to work on a stable surface. ECHO’s Speed-Feed reload guide, which covers a different head, says: “Turn off the engine or remove the battery.”

EGO’s UK guide adds two warnings. The first is: “Excessive line length will cause the motor to overheat and may result in serious personal injury.” Follow the line length in your manual for this reason. The second is: “Don’t remove or alter the line-cutting blade assembly.” Leave the blade assembly as it is while you reload.

What you need

You need replacement trimmer line in the diameter your head takes. The STIHL guide says: “Feed .080” or .095” diameter trimmer line in one eyelet and out the opposite side of the head.” Husqvarna warns that “Using the wrong line size can cause feeding problems or breakage.” Use the diameter in your manual, because the sources we opened do not give one size for every bump head.

If you own a Ryobi ONE+ trimmer and are deciding on a replacement tool, the Ryobi ONE+ string trimmer buying guide covers what to compare before you buy.

Line length, line size and winding by source

The sources describe different head designs, so their figures are not interchangeable. The table shows each figure as the source states it.

Head or source Battery or power step Line size or length stated Winding step stated Source
STIHL AutoCut C 6-2 (rewind guide) If battery-powered, remove the battery. .080 or .095 inch diameter line Turn counterclockwise until the remaining line is as close to the line limiter as possible. STIHL USA guide
EGO bump head, cordless (UK guide) Remove the power plug from the grass trimmer. A battery is not mentioned in the reload steps. Cut 8m of line; about 14cm showing on each side Wind in the arrow direction until about 14cm shows on each side EGO Power+ UK guide
Husqvarna standard spool (generic article) Disconnect power (battery, or spark plug) Correct thickness for your model; no figure stated Follow the arrows on the spool Husqvarna US article
DEWALT QuickLoad spool head (not a bump knob) Not stated Cut up to 25 feet; stop at about 5 inches per side Turn the spool head counterclockwise DEWALT support article
ECHO Speed-Feed head (not a bump head) Turn off the engine or remove the battery. Cut about 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6 m) maximum Keep twisting until about 5 in. (130 mm) of line extends from each side ECHO reload guide

Worked calculation from the EGO figures. The guide shows about 14cm of line on each side, so the visible line is 14 cm + 14 cm = 28 cm. Divide by 2.54 cm per inch: 28 ÷ 2.54 = 11.0, so about 11 inches is visible. The same guide cuts 8m of line. Using 3.28 feet per meter, 8 × 3.28 = 26.2, so that is about 26 feet of line to cut. None of the six sources we opened gives a spool capacity for a bump head, so check the spool capacity in your manual before you wind.

Steps to reload the line

These steps combine the sources for a bump head. Where a step differs between sources, the step names the source. STIHL recommends one practical habit: “For effortless and convenient rewinding, STIHL Inc. recommends rewinding the AutoCut® C 6-2 spool with the head attached to the trimmer.” Its guide is for that head, so check that your own head fits the same pattern.

  1. Turn the trimmer off and remove the battery. STIHL’s rewind steps begin with “Ensure the unit is in the off position.” For a battery tool, the same guide adds: “If battery-powered, remove the battery.” Husqvarna’s pre-start list says “Disconnect power (battery, or spark plug).”
  2. Clear any old line. EGO’s UK guide says: “Remove the remaining cutting line, if necessary.”
  3. Cut the new line to the length your manual gives. The EGO guide says “Cut 8m long cutting line” for its bump head. DEWALT’s QuickLoad article says “Cut up to 25 feet of trimmer line.” ECHO’s Speed-Feed guide says “Cut about 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6 m) maximum of trimmer line.” These are different heads, so none of these figures replaces the one in your manual.
  4. Feed the line through the eyelet. On the STIHL head, feed the line in one eyelet and out the opposite side. EGO says to “insert the line into the mounting hole inside the eyelet.”
  5. Make both sides equal. STIHL says: “An equal amount of line should extend from each eyelet.” EGO says to “Push and pull the line from the other side until equal amounts of line appear on both sides of the spool.”
  6. Wind in the direction the arrows show. STIHL says to “align the arrows on the black outer side with the arrows on the white inner rim,” and to turn counterclockwise. EGO turns the lower cover “in the arrow direction” until about 14cm shows on each side. Husqvarna says “Follow the arrows on the spool.” DEWALT’s QuickLoad steps also turn counterclockwise, but that is a different head.
  7. Trim the extra line. STIHL says: “Trim any excess line that extends beyond the line limiter.” DEWALT’s QuickLoad steps stop winding when about 5 inches of line sticks out on each side.
  8. Check the assembly. EGO’s guide says: “Push the lower cover assembly down while pulling on the lines to manually advance the line and to check for proper assembly of the grass trimmer head.”

Confirm you have a bump head

A bump head releases more line when you tap it on the ground. EGO describes it this way: “It’s spring loaded and, when touched, releases line from the spool.” Toro’s product page lists “Bump Feed Line Advance – allows you to advance line as you go” for its 8 in. trimmer. ECHO contrasts its design with the older type: “Unlike traditional bump-feed heads, you simply thread the new line through the head and twist to wind.” DEWALT’s support article makes the same point about its own spool: “As you see, the Quick Load has a flat bottom while the traditional bump has a traditional bump knob.”

If your head has a bump knob, the bump-head steps in this guide apply. If your head is a different design, such as a QuickLoad or Speed-Feed head, follow the steps for that design in your manual. For help choosing a trimmer in the first place, see the electric string trimmer guide.

Mistakes that stop the line from feeding

  • Wrong line size. Husqvarna says that “Using the wrong line size can cause feeding problems or breakage.”
  • Winding the wrong way. Husqvarna calls it “the most common mistake,” and warns: “Winding in the wrong direction is the most common mistake.” Check the arrows on your head before you start to wind.
  • Uneven ends. Keep both ends matched. STIHL’s guide asks for “An equal amount of line should extend from each eyelet.”
  • Too much line. EGO warns that “Excessive line length will cause the motor to overheat and may result in serious personal injury.”

If the line does not feed after reloading

EGO’s UK guide lists two common causes. The first is: “Occasionally, the cutting line breaks from the line outlet or the cutting line is not released when the trimmer head is tapped.” The second is: “Line release will become more difficult if the cutting line becomes too short.” If line still does not release after you check the length and the winding direction, stop and use your manual. EGO’s guide says: “Please refer to your cordless grass trimmer manual before attempting any maintenance or troubleshooting.”

How we chose

We opened six pages from manufacturers, all on 2026-10-22: STIHL USA, Husqvarna US, EGO Power+ UK, Toro, DEWALT support and ECHO. Every source is a manufacturer page. We left out retailer listings and forum threads that the search returned. The US pages we opened did not give a bump-head reload procedure for a cordless trimmer, so the EGO steps come from the UK site, and that is the only non-US page in the list. ECHO and DEWALT describe different head designs, so this guide uses their figures for comparison only and not as bump-head steps. We did not rank the sources.

What we could not verify

We could not verify the reload steps for any single model. The STIHL guide covers the AutoCut C 6-2 head, the EGO steps come from a UK guide for a cordless grass trimmer, and the Husqvarna article is generic across head types. The EGO UK reload steps say “Remove the power plug from the grass trimmer,” and they do not mention a battery. The battery step in this guide therefore comes from the STIHL, Husqvarna and ECHO pages.

We also could not verify one winding direction for every head. STIHL says to turn counterclockwise. DEWALT says to turn the spool head counterclockwise on its QuickLoad head. EGO says to turn in the arrow direction. These are different heads, so the arrows on your head and your manual decide.

What the sources do not say

  • None of the six sources gives a reload time for a bump head.
  • None of them gives a spool capacity for a bump head. The DEWALT and ECHO figures are limits on how much line to cut, not spool capacity.
  • The Toro product page describes the bump feed and the no-tool spool replacement. It does not describe how to reload the line.
  • The sources do not say whether the battery must go back in before you tap the head to check the feed.

FAQ

Do I need to remove the battery before I reload the line?

For a battery tool, yes. The STIHL guide says “If battery-powered, remove the battery.” Husqvarna lists “Disconnect power (battery, or spark plug)” as a step before you start, and ECHO says “Turn off the engine or remove the battery.” The EGO UK reload steps say to remove the power plug, not a battery, so check your own manual for the battery step.

How much line should I load on the head?

It depends on the head. The EGO UK guide says “Cut 8m long cutting line” for its bump head. DEWALT’s QuickLoad article says “Cut up to 25 feet of trimmer line.” ECHO’s Speed-Feed guide says “Cut about 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6 m) maximum of trimmer line.” These figures are for different heads and they do not agree, so this guide does not pick one. Use the length in your manual, and do not cut more than it allows.

Which way should I wind the line?

Follow the arrows on your head. Husqvarna says “Follow the arrows on the spool,” and it treats winding in the wrong direction as the most common mistake. The STIHL guide turns counterclockwise and the EGO guide turns in the arrow direction, so the sources do not give one direction for every head.

Why does my bump head stop releasing line after I reload it?

EGO’s UK guide names two likely causes. One is a line that breaks at the outlet or is not released when the head is tapped. The other is line that has become too short, which makes release harder. Check the length and the winding direction first, then follow your manual, because EGO says: “Please refer to your cordless grass trimmer manual before attempting any maintenance or troubleshooting.”

Can I use any brand of trimmer line?

ECHO answers this for its Speed-Feed head: “Yes, but for best performance, use the line recommended in your trimmer’s manual.” Husqvarna adds that the wrong line size can cause feeding problems or breakage. If you own a Ryobi 40V trimmer, the Ryobi 40V trimmer options compared post sets out the options side by side.

Is a Speed-Feed head the same as a bump-feed head?

No. ECHO says that, unlike traditional bump-feed heads, a Speed-Feed head lets you “simply thread the new line through the head and twist to wind.” That makes its reload a different procedure from the bump-head steps in this guide. Follow the Speed-Feed steps only for a Speed-Feed head.

Bottom line

Before you load any line, remove the battery, then follow the arrows on your head and the line length in your owner’s manual. If the manual and this guide disagree, the manual wins.

Sources

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