Oregon Magnum Square Gatorline .095-Inch
String trimmers frustrate more homeowners than probably any other tool they own. The reason? Most are using cheap, inferior trimmer line that delivers substandard results and breaks constantly, requiring frequent re-stringing of the spool. You will be amazed at how infrequently you will have to re-load this line.
I used Oregon’s Magnum Square Gatorline exclusively in my landscaping business for almost a decade. Maintaining a sharply defined line between two different surfaces, such as a sidewalk and the lawn, provides contrast and tells passersby that the homeowner values attention to detail. This line gave me the cutting power and control to give my customers the well-maintained borders they desired in very little time so that I could move on to my next job. While I am no longer in the business, I continue to use the same trimmer line on my own property.
You don’t need to buy a sidewalk edger if you use this line because of how well it cuts through the turf that grows out onto the sidewalk over time. Just turn your trimmer on edge and maintain the correct depth as you walk with the trimmer. It takes a little practice, but soon you will be edging your sidewalks in no time at all. Literally every landscaping company does it this way because it’s efficient and it works.
The manufacturer produces Gatorline in several different styles: round, square, and twisted. The round lines is more for use on smaller properties with few weeds and will be just fine for the typical homeowner. I recommend the square or twisted line for those who have larger properties with tougher weeds or long fence lines, as well as professionals, as the significant improvement in performance outweighs the negligible increase in cost many times over.
The square line minimizes resistance, which keeps up the RPM of your trimmer head. The banks of our lake, which is just under two acres in surface area, would be pretty formidable to maintain if I had to use the cheap plastic line that most people buy at their local home centers. The Gatorline slices right through aquatic leaves and thick grass without bogging down the engine.
You want to run the thickest diameter line that a.) your spool will accommodate, and b.) your engine can handle in order to get maximum cutting power. Most gas-powered trimmers will be able to run .095-inch line with no problem. I have several Husqvarna (223L and 326L) and Stihl (FS80) trimmers that are considered homeowner models – they handle this commercial-grade line with ease. My Stihl FS131R, one of the most powerful commercial trimmers available, makes tall brush clearing with this line a breeze.
This line is made from reinforced nylon and features an armored exterior and a flexible core to resist breakage. Gatorline avoids a common problem with cheaper plastic lines known as “welding”, in which the line fuses to itself inside the spool due to high temperatures caused by the high RPMs of the trimmer head.
A 685-foot spool of this line lasted me for about a season and a half when I had my mowing route. That was with cutting eight customer lawns per week as well as maintaining our own 18-acre property which requires extensive trimming around the lake, the trails, and our market garden. A homeowner with a standard suburban lot could easily get the better part of a decade out of one of these spools.