Troubleshooting an Installation FAQs

 

Here are the answers to some of the most frequent installation questions or mistakes.

The hex shaped hole on the GrassGator head is too big or too small to accomodate the hex nut on top of the shaft of my trimmer.

If you are having this problem then flip the GrassGator head the other way as you are trying to install it upside down. The side with the hex shaped hole should be facing the ground not your trimmer. The hex shaped recessed hole is for the nut or bolt from the kit that fits the shaft of your trimmer not for the hex nut on top of the shaft.

The original head probably has a hex shaped hole that plugs into that nut and logic says that the new replacement head should install the same way as the original. We can't quite do that. For our heads to be universal, we had to find a way to make the size of that hex nut irrelevant otherwise we would have to make hundreds of different heads that are brand specific because the size of that nut changes based on the brand and model. How it works? Just like the original: when the shaft turns, the nut turns and because the nut is encased in that hex shaped hole, when the nut turns then the GrassGator head turns with it. Same concept as the original head but upside down so we can control the size of the hex.

The nut or bolt I have doesn't fit in the hex shaped hole of the GrassGator.

Because of the reason explained above, make sure that you are using one of the nuts or bolts that came in the GrassGator kit. DO NOT use the nut or bolt that came with your trimmer. The nut / head of the bolt should fit perfectly in the hex shaped recessed hole. Anything bigger will not allow the GrassGator head to turn. Anything smaller will round up the center of the GrassGator and render it useless.

The shaft of my trimmer is too long to install the GrassGator head. There is too much space.

This usually happens when:

• The original head on your trimmer is a fixed line head.
• Your trimmer is a straight shaft and you took the original head apart in pieces.
• Your trimmer is one of the rare exceptions were a straight shaft follows the curved shaft instructions.
• You followed the straight shaft instructions when your trimmer is a curved shaft.

If the original head of your trimmer is a fixed (pre-cut) line style then you'll need an adapter kit to take care of the extra space. More information about the kit and how to request it here .

 

If your trimmer is a straight shaft, make sure you unscrew the original head off instead of taking it apart in pieces. More often than not, there is a "shaft extender" or "spool shaft" inside the head. This is a hollow cylinder that screws onto the male portion of the shaft to make it longer for the bolt on the bottom of the spool to thread into. Two big giveaways that this is the case are: the bolts in the kit are too small for the shaft and you can see a second hex "nut" above the one on the top of the shaft extender. If that's the case then put the original head back together, lock the shaft and unscrew the whole original head as a complete unit as explained on step 1 of the straight shaft instructions, the spool shaft should come off with it and you will end up with a short shaft (about 1" long) threaded on the outside.

If your trimmer is a straight shaft, you already removed the original head as a complete unit but the shaft is still about 3" long then you have one of the "exceptions" to the straight / curved shaft installation standards. Follow the curved shaft installation instructions to solve your problem.

If your trimmer is a curved shaft then make sure you leave the original spool housing on and use the cup provided in the kit. Here are the curved shaft installation instructions that you should follow.

None of the nuts in the kit fit the shaft of my trimmer.

We include a bag with 7 nuts and 2 bolts in the GrassGator kit. These nuts / bolts should fit 90% of the brands and models in the market but there are always some exceptions.

Always double check that:

• You got all 7 nuts and 2 bolts
• The brass colored nuts are left hand threaded while the silver are right hand. Most straight shaft trimmers are on a reverse thread. When trying the brass colored nuts try screwing them to the left not the typical "lefty-loosey / righty-tighty".
• Make sure you try all the nuts and bolts. They are all different sizes

 

If you double checked all the nuts / bolts and none of them fit then go to the Brands section to see which size your model requires and for instructions on how to request one.