I just got (2 days ago) the ego power load string trimmer with line IQ. HOLY CRAP, this thing tears through it all! My last one was from Walmart and was pretty comparable to others id used. Had a hard time with very thick Canadian thistles and other hard stemmed weeds. And broke line a lot for that reason. This one is a BEAST. I love my ego tools and this one is no different. Tears through all of those with its standard string like nothing. And I absolutely love that as I'm working . Tearing through which patches of very overgrown, thick very green and wet clumps of grass, I'll occasionally hear it suddenly kicking with freshly extended line. It's doing absolutely great, even just filed with grass, in auto feeding the line as it's needed. No bumping! I tore through quite abit before my back started hurting badly and it still had 2 lights left on the included 4ah battery. I can't say enough about this thing!