"George Ballas invented the week whacker out of frustration while doing yardwork at his Houston home in 1971. He was annoyed of handcutting grass in unmowable places, especially between the gnarled roots of trees. With an idea in mind, he dashed to the trash can, retrieved a tin popcorn can, and threaded nylon fishing line through some punched holes. Then, he grabbed his lawn edger, removed the metal blade, and fastened the popcorn can device to the edger's handle. Ballas and a machinist friend refined the device.
In 1974, the first Weed Eater trimmer imitators appeared on the market. In 1976, the Weed Eater became the first trimmer to be featured on national television as Weed Eater Inc. aired a commercial during the Super Bowl. The Weed Eater soon became a household name. "