I kept the wheel on, but took off the flat guide blade -- it also has an arm perpendicular to the cut that would get stuck when pushing forward. If you have an older model with a solid blade rectangular, go buy a new replacement with the scalloped edges - it spins better and cutters faster! I kept the wheel on, and replaced the plastic head screw that sets the wheel height with something more solid and a better lock washer - the vibrations would loosen the screw often otherwise.I'll try the 'backwards' suggestion from another poster this weekend - there is definately an art to this item, but it works GREAT when you master it. I have a 2 cycle trimmer, plenty of power for the task (it will encourage you to edge more frequently, which makes the job even easier)