Leifheit Screw-in Rotary Washing Line Ground Spike, Washing Line Socket, 5 cm/50 mm Ground Screw for Linomatic clothesline, for Easy Installation of Rotary Clothes Line, Ground Socket

I bought this to accompany my Leifheit Linomatic Deluxe Rotary Clothes Line with Retractable Lines - 50 mtr (162 ft ) # 82001 and I'm glad I did. When it came, it was bigger than I expected; the screw at the 'ground' end looks like an engine of war. It is carefully machined, no sharp (other than the edge screw thread) or rough bits and it is a reassuring size. It is supplied with instructions, a hole cover, three lock together plates that prevent grass growing next to the post for easier lawn mowing and a sturdy bar to facilitate screwing it into the ground.Following the instructions, I watered the ground first. This made the ground softer and the screw had no problems entering the ground. It became more difficult as I progressed and needed a good bit of muscle to screw it to the recommended depth. It sits level and solid once in place. There is a setting up process to centre the drier that involves twisting the drier in the socket then locking the socket once the pole is vertical. This only need to be done once but can be re-adjusted at any time. The drier slots into the socket without any preamble. There is a very slight shifting from the vertical as the drier rotates but that doesn't bother me at all. Indeed, it is to be expected, I suppose.If you get the drier, get this socket. It will save you time and tears. I'm pleased I bought it.

The large rectangular box arrived today and this weighty beast was already bursting through the side wall. For sure, it's a substantial item; as I held it, I received the impression of a precision made shell that I was about to slot in that awesome long 75 of the barrel of a Panther tank; but mercifully this piece of kit comes in peace!Being a weedy sort of chap ( my wife has other words! ) I knew that the tommy bar, which is something like Hornblower would use to subdue an enemy on a moonless night, is essential. Unfortunately my muscles ran out of puff with quite a distance to go. Also getting the thing vertical was a little tricky but then I sat a small spirit level on top of the socket having opened the little red cap and in best submariner tradition used the bubble to keep it level while I turned.My next piece of inspiration, as I realised that I was heaving but it was not moving, was to use a long hollow tube from an old clothes rail, to slip over the end of the tommy bar in order to apply more turning force and round I went until I became dizzy. I stopped just short of the depth one would need to start fracking, but I can tell you that the whole thing is vertical and stable.As the person who also cuts the grass - it still stands proud of the lawn but the need to locate the tommy bar means it will never go deep enough to be flush anyway, so I stopped with about 2 inches to spare.All in all this, as we might expect, is sturdy robust and beautifully engineered. My weedy muscles meant I had to employ one or two tricks to insert it correctly but it fits the 50mm diameter German rotary clothes lines perfectly and would also allow one to move it should the need arise, which is what I suspect most owners would prefer rather than fixing thee whole thing in concrete. I would say that if you have a compatible rotary drier ( can also be used for umbrellas as well ) , then it's essential.

I purchased this as an alternative to cementing in the base that came with line, and it has turned out to be easier, with the added advantage of being movable.I followed the installation instructions and it was not that difficult, I cut an inch diameter pilot hole in the soil with a long bread knife, being mindful of keeping the hole perpendicular. I then poured a couple of pints of water into the whole and left it a minute or two to soak in and soften the soil. You need a small spirit level, as you screw the base into the ground, every couple of turns check level on two sides and make adjustments as you turn the bar, Make sure you go deep enough that the cap is equal or below ground level. As the holes for the turning bar are now slightly below ground level the bar will mash up a little of the grass around the hole, not a problem as it will soon recover. However if you wanted to avoid this before screwing in the socket, slip the knife an inch under the surface and peel back five inches of grass using four equal cuts out from the whole.

With a new Leifheit rotary drier, I mistakenly thought it would fit in our existing ground socket that, albeit a Brabantia socket, was theoretically the same diameter as the Leifheit. Wrong...the Leifheit drier post was fractionally wider. Much wailing and grinding of teeth followed so we ordered this, the recommended Leifheit model.Relatively easy to install in our lawn if you have available brute force ( you literally screw it slowly into the ground with the socket having holes that you pass a small supplied rod through to give a temporary handle to turn), the main negative for us is that it protrudes significantly above the lawn. The protective cap fits over and partly down the side over the exposed socket for a height of a few cm. Creates something to have to mow around/ strip and avoid tripping on, a bit of a pain in other words.One solution is to continue driving it into the ground until it is not exposed , cut off the cap and use another means of protecting the exposed socket, if you so wish. Using the handle to do this means temporarily removing some grass etc to a depth a a few inches to allow you to use the handle to screw the socket down another inch or so but it was the only way we could find to getting the socket to finish flush with the lawn.Was relatively easy to keep the socket going down straight, you can always adjust by ' unscrewing' as required.Recommended as needed for a Leifheit but with the significant caveat re the potential issue of it protruding above the lawn surface.