Echo speed-feed trimmer (weed eater) head not feeding, my dumb mistake (so mad) 

Add me to the list of people that really, really needed this video! A friend used my Echo trimmer and when he returned it, it wouldn't feed. Apparently he took the head apart, and put the spool in upside down. I've had trouble ever since. Well, thanks to your video, my Echo trimmer is working perfectly once again. Thanks!!

If only the manual could have mentioned this tiny, little, essential piece of information. Of and on for years I've had this problem and was about to buy a replacement. Echo should thank you. I thank you.

This is the video I needed. I was so frustrated with my trimmers performance, but this solved it! Thank you

@Seahorse Workshop You might have literally saved my life. I was about to swing this trimmer so hard into a brick wall, my heart was pounding with rage lol. Thank you.

I had a model older than this one that I love. My sister has difficulty with tools that are too heavy and she actually loved mine and found it easy to use ru-vid.comUgkx_rBCFuDW1zD6blTGhLkvAkxU657uR_lG . This is a newer model but was even lighter which she really appreciates. She enjoys it and I no longer have to go to her house to trim as she can handle it fine. Haven't used it enough to comment on the battery life but lithium batteries last longer than the old style. Being cordless makes it easy to trim the far edges of the property. The entire yard can be trimmed with one charged battery.

The original head became worn after a few years, so bought a new Echo head that wouldn’t feed line. I was almost ready to buy another head until I discovered your video. After taking the head apart, I discovered the spool was originally installed upside down. Thank you for your video.

Brilliant- I changed the head on my Echo SRM225- could not figure this one out! I too had the head reversed! Spitting out string, then string retracting and making me crazy! Spent more time doing it wrong than weed whacking. Did not see this in all the ECHO vids.

Thanks for the video. Originally I had this on a Stihl and switched it to an Echo. Then the problems started. It took you to figure this out. This will help a lot of people !!!

I have called my Echo everything under and over the book, I have wanted to send it back and demand a refund. Now. I may have to rethink this. Thank you. Now if I could only find a way to keep it cool while running. Everyone has complained on how Echo's run hotter than other weed eaters.

I've had my Echo for several trouble free years. Recently started jamming and tangling the line after I had taken the spool off to clear a small piece of stuck line. I had no idea matching the notches in the head with the ones on the spool. Went right out after watching this video and confirmed that mine was backwards. Fixed and works great again - thank you!

Brilliant brilliant. String got stuck in my Echo. When I removed the head it fell to the ground, I picked it up and installed it backwards not being aware there was a difference. After 15 min of installing sting and no feed I gave up and got a beer. 3 days latter youtubed the issue and your video popped up. Love YOU love RU-vid!!!!! Well done SEAHORSE !!!!!!

I bought the trimmer and I was ready to break it until I saw your video. So nice of them to mention this in the manual...of course, why will they? We got your money, you're on your own.

All the other videos were missing this info and my trimmer wasn't feeding. Thank you.

Had my echo for 6 years and had this problem off and on and I never knew. Last few weeks it has been giving me fits. I nearly launched it across the yard yesterday. Thank you for the information. I was lucky half I got it right half the time.

Thank you! You’ve saved me hours of frustration. What’s funny is that I even stopped to look at the spool to see if the orientation made a difference - I was three hours into weeding the property On a hill, frustrated - and just didn’t notice the L on one side and the R on the other.

THANK YOU.... I've been having problems and u just help me a TON !!!!! Great video and thank u again

Oh my goodness, I also had avoided my echo because of the same frustration 😭 and you figured it out. I was about to replace it when I came across your video , I FIX IT RIGHT AWAY. THANK YOU ❣️

Man, this helped me tremendously. I thought I was going crazy. Lol

I have had this issue for so long, and even today when cutting the grass. And I’m glad I decided to look this up and can’t wait to see if this works

Excellent video, this solved my problem of the line getting jammed. Thank you

Nailed it! After hours of frustration, you helped me. Thanks!

Thanks for this, I love that you take us through the detail of how it all fits together.

I was always confused and everytime it works fine I never knew why, now I wrote it on my notes on my phone so I don't forget. Thank you so much.

Thanks! I've been fighting with mine for a few weeks. Just went out to the shed and sure enough, I had mine installed backwards. Installed it correctly and now it works fine.

Thank You! I love my Echo, but an issue forced me to remove the cap. Since then, it has never worked. YOU NAILED IT....that is exactly what was wrong. Thank you again...your efforts have saved me from getting angry again!

Hey this is a terrific piece of advice! You saved me a LOT of frustration I was having with my Echo SRM-230, which was not spitting out line. Following your instructions it now takes just a light bump on the ground to get the line to feed! --I put bright stickers on the outside of the line spool holder to tell which side is OUT and which side is IN so if I have to take it apart in the evening sometime (say it got wound up in wire or nylon string for example), I can put the device back together properly in the semi-dark twilight so it operates correctly! Thanks to you, Mr. Seahorse!

Just wanted to say thank you was having hell of a time with line! Makes sense!

bro my weeder was driving me nuts cuz i had to manually turn the head to get more line. I couldnt figure it out but now it works great after watching your video. Thanks so much bro i appreciate ur time making this video.

I’m having problems… wish me luck that you have solved my trimmer issue!!! Excited!! Thaaaank You!!!

I too was having nothing but problems with my speed feed on my Echo SRM-230. I swapped string brands several times and was ready to get rid of the Speed Feed head. Thank you for explaining this simple fix.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I was fighting my weed eater forever and could not figure out what i had done!

Thank you my friend I had same issue with my echo. I was ready to put it in the scrap pile. But thanks to you it is working fine today.

OMG ... I feel like an idiot. I bought an Echo gas trimmer, because I heard they were great value. I have been fighting with the string head ever since I got it. I stumbled across your video because I was searching for a new trimmer head solution. You can take this video down now since I'm probably THE LAST GUY ON PLANET EARTH THAT DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY LOAD HIS STRING TRIMMER. Seriously though, thanks so much for putting this video together.

I’m more confused then ever😅😂 Kidding thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for because mine was not feeding after adding the line.

Wow! I have been making the same mistake and I bought this Echo just two years ago. I was getting frustrated and I have been thinking that i need to replace this part. Thank you sharing this video.

Thank you kind sir. This is the only video that addressed my problem, which was yours first. Good Job!

You are not alone! I just did this! Thank you for your video!

Thank you!! The other YT videos I watched said you had to put the white core on the Echo trimmers, not the black one. I watched your video, made the changes to mine, and now it works as intended.

You just saved my sanity. My mistake was the L and R. I know now that I have to be facing the L. Thank you. 🎉🎉🎉. You are my hero today.

Thanks man! I did the exact same thing somehow. Flipped over that cartridge and she works like a dream now.

You are the man!!! Fixed my problem.

Excellent video. I have both gas and 58V battery Echos and never noticed the notch arrangement for the line spool. Thank you.

Omg!!! 😆 I guess I've been dumb too!!! I was about to buy a whole new head til I watched this video. Thank you.

MY HERO!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Your video FINALLY helped me where nothing else would! YOU are awesome!!!

I just installed the speed feed 400 on my Shindaiwa C282 and the line was need feeding out thanks to your video it is now working properly.

Thank you for explaining those 45° angle notches. I had mine wrong at first also. The instructions that come with the echo are not very good. Your video was helpful thank you

Thank you for mentioning this. It seems no one else has.

You just solved a huge mystery for me! Thank you so much!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

Thank you sooo much for this video. Finally fixed the problem with the bump feed. Left side out!!! Or Left should face the ground when it’s running

I got so mad, I launched my trimmer about 30 feet across my lawn! I had no idea! I've also been taking the spool out and winding it by hand! What an idiot I am. THANK YOU!

Thank You !!! Fixed the problem that I had with my Stihl FS 83 !! Good JOB. 😁

Oh my! I just stopped edging because of this nonsense. Thank you so much!

How wonderful to have seen this! Absolutely correct - it’s a pain in the butt to open it up for more line. Thank you.

Also noticed after a year or so my speed-feed head , the bump advance got harder to make happen so I shot a little lithium grease on the spool catches, and put it back together, made the bump advance work a lot better ! It doesnt take much grease, just a small shot.

Just got this head and was going to call it junk, figured i HAD to be doing something wrong, now it fed as I went no problem till it was out. Thanks!

This solved my problem! Thank you!

Seahorse, thanks for the information. I wrote UP on my line reel in silver Sharpie. Good luck!

Don't worry, I did the same thing! ;) Thanks for posting something to help folks.

Exactly my problem! Thank you for sharing.

Thanks my friend, I was just wondering wich side to choose to reassemble the head

Thanks very much for the reminder on the direction. She's spinning like a tilt a whirl again. 👍🏾

I couldn't figure out what side should be outward. Thank you very much.

Thanks!!! Very usefull tutorial and well explaing.

This small tip really solved my issue. Thank you!

I had the same issue. Because I had the spool of string inserted upside down, every time I "bumped" to deploy string, it would suck the string in. I, too, was frustrated until I realized I needed to flip the spool. It has worked great ever since.

Thank You! Mine was feeding too much line but I noticed in your video there's supposed to be a spring and cap in there. Mine does not have these parts and I bet this is my problem.

Yes. This helped me. Thank you.

Thank you SO much! Was this valuable detail included with my Shindaiwa Speed-Feed 400 Universal Trimmer Head? Can't say... never read them.🙄

Hey great video, I might add which way you turn it in the future. I use about 5 feet of line, load it - and then push/turn to the left until it's short. I'm having an issue where it's retracting line instead of dispensing it. My stepfather used it and turned it around I believe, and with your good video - I made sure the L is outward..... but I'm still having it retract line instead of feeding it? With the spool the correct way ( L = outwards) - does it matter which way you crank it to suck up string?

It worked. Thank you!

Will try this tomorrow because I cannot get the new string to come out on mine.

this was a huge help. thank you.

Good video! I've been fighting with my Stihl, changed to speed feed head and had same problems... so it must be related to the way I'm loading it. But, I'll check the rotation arrows next, you showed something that I've not seen in all other videos! Thanks!

Thank you!!! Solved my issue.

Your is about the only video that explains why the line does not come out as you tap the tip,

I've been having intermediate issues, i dont have the speed feed head but the original head has the same markings&knotches. Im out of line, but tomorrow I'll refill and see if this fixes my issue. I believe it will. Thank you.

Great advice from a great man!!

Thank you for taking the time to post. Alright, just need to remember L is for LOW to the Ground. They could definitely design this a little better for those of us with less-than-mechanical minds!

Great information. Thanks.

Thank you very much, 👍👍👍you saved me a lot of time

Very useful video. Thank you for posting.

Thanks, buddy. Saved me some pain

haha good show brother! thank you for sharing about to go take a look at mine and ill bet its the exact same issue

Thank you so much for taking your time to share this helpful information. Echo should have made this info clear in the manual. You have been very helpful!!!

Thank you, solved my problem

Thank you!

When winding the line onto the spool do you rotate the head clockwise or counterclockwise?

thank you for taking time

Thank you so much

Thank you !! I made the same dumb mistake. You solved the mystery!!

Thank you.

Thanks for the great video I have two of them one was working just fine then the other one was not until I watched your video

Thank You so much.

Nailed it !! Watched your video then went outside and opend it up sure enough had it upside down. Flipped it restrung it . Works fine. Thanks for the help.

Thank You so much. I’ve been looking all over the place to find out which way to reinstall that.

My uncle Pat always said when all else fails RTFM. Specifically the last paragraph of section 3 notes.

Thank you!!! 🙏❤️

Thank you!!!

Thanks, buddy. I had the same issue .