1st, all of my tools and equipment are religiously cleaned. 2nd, I bought this unit thinking it was a 'real' Troy-Bilt (having no idea it was a *#!!* MTD product). Before 1st oil change, it started dispensing line at will!! Being Old School, I disassembled, cleaned the inner spool and misc. parts each time and this was the 5th 'refill'. I tried a 'cartridge kit' which started malfunctioning after about 15-20 minutes! It appears to be less than 1/4" engagement between the single drive tooth and the 4 correspondent contact points inside the spool. Buying a 'head & gear box combo' is assinine, I'd rather get a Ryobi 1079r boom assy .... at least replacement 'heads' are available. Is THIS a common problem with the SpeedSpool? ANY after-market 'heads' available? When MTD bought Troy-Bilt, the quality and warranty should have been mandatory. As far as I'm concerned, it's downright fraud!

Jim K. 65/disabled Central Alabama, July 2008

I agree the trimmer head is a piece of shit, when my first one acted up I bought a new one and put the old one back in the box and took it back to Lowes.
Now the second one is doing the same thing.
It kept me from buying a Z turn mower from them,
I went with a GRAVELY.
Troy Bulit can kiss my Butt

D Kitchen, August 2010

I have a Ryobi trimmer that is 10 years old and still working. The Troy-Bilt is two years old and I have experienced the same problem as described above. I cannot keep the spool from discharging line. The unit has been cleaned, different line used, etc., all to no avail. Incidentally, the two triangles are always lined up during reassembly. It does not help. The trimmer is useless.

Richard, Germantown, TN, April 2010

You have to line up the arrow on the spool and the head when inserting the spool. That will stop the random discharges.

j 3rd eye, June 2009

the same exact thing has happened to me! I can keep the darn thing from releasing line and there appears to be no resolution; cant replace the string head as it is all one part (half-way up the shaft) and there is no way (apparently) to replace the head with an after-market (good) head... despite the fact that many after-markets bill on the package that they are Troy-Bilt parts... I thought i was buying a real troy-bilt product and had no clue that MTD was the manufacturer. I will never buy Troy-Bilt EVER AGAIN and i am so furious about this that i have sold all of my other Troy-Bilt machinery to get it out of my shop.... This is fraud for sure..... Troy-Bilt, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED! you have lost $thousands from screwing me on this and i will do everything i can to keep your name from entering any of my friends, family's or colleague's shops...
-Jerry, Austin, Texas

Jerry, Austin, Texas, May 2009