A trimmer head for use with either clockwise or counterclockwise trimmer heads, including the use of a bidirectionally dispensing spool. Various locations of passages straight through the trimmer head and spool are shown along with various locations of components of the ratcheting mechanism to allow for winding of the trimmer line on the trimmer head and for limiting the amount of line dispensed during “bumping” of the trimmer head knob on the ground. Because of the careful arrangement of the components, the trimmer head can have line wound in a single direction on the spool and still dispense line regardless of the direction that the trimmer head rotates by speeding up or slowing down the spool relative to the trimmer head housing to allow line to dispense independent of the direction of the rotation of the trimmer machine drive shaft rotating the trimmer head.
