Stihl Brushcutter

hitman79

Looking to get a Stihl brushcutter for the father. Anyone know where i could get one and would it be worth my while heading up north to get one?

CJhaughey

Stihl Trimmers aren't great, honestly.
What CC are you thinking of?

fodda

I Have had a stihl bush cutter for years, the biggest one they did at the time with the large handles and the 3 star blade, done masses of work with it. So mine has been ok, but when fitting the strimmer attachment it always unwraps itself when snagged so i keep the blade on.

Tell your dad to watch out for fresh dog muck...say no more! :eek::eek::eek:

Discodog

Blimey CJ !. Twenty years in the business & I would not use anything else !.

Get him a Stihl Kombi engine unit & a strimmer attachment. That way he can add a hedgecutter, pole saw etc at a later date. I buy online & usually on ebay.

My Kombi is used every day & is about 9 years old. I haven't even changed the spark plug & it starts/runs superbly. I have never had a head unwind or heard of one doing it. You do not need a big engine. The key is head speed & using the right line.

I prefer a loop handle as it is more flexible when using attachments. The hedgecutter attachment is superb & you can get additional extension poles. If you do a search it can be spelt as Combi or Kombi.

There is a new KM55R engine unit on ebay for £200.

Owenw

Can't go wrong with Stihl tools - our strimmer is at least 12 years old and gets absolute dogs abuse.
Still using the plug and air filter it came with. Dropped it in for its first service last week - engine starts no problem, just wont shut off!

Agree with discodog - go and look at the Kombi-tool range. 3-4 different size engines and about 12 attachments to select from.
I'll be getting one when if my strimmer ever dies.

CJhaughey

Stihl have a marketing budget that is bigger than most other tool brands so they are more well known.
That doesn't mean they are a better product just bigger.
Personally for 40cc and less I like Tanaka,Maruyama or Kawasaki.
Bigger than that you can take your pick.
Have a look at what the local council is using or the local landscaper I bet it won't be a stihl trimmer.
I think Stihl is a legacy brand here in Ireland, just like people buy Ford or Toyota because they know the brand, not because the product is better.

Lasereye

pro's use shindaiwa, cheaper and better than stihl, try chainsaw services in the kcr ind est, they do both stihl and shindaiwa

mossfort

you rarely see stihl or viking lawnmowers in use as they are overpriced.
i have a 38cc echo (japanese) brushcutter and it has never missed a beat and found it to be far superior to the stihl equivalent.
as cj haughey said what the landscapers are using is a good guide as to what is good or not.

Vtwin

in a similar situation looking to buy a good hedgecutter, mainly whitetorn black torn and briars, my LiDLE clippers is knackered...

hitman79

Cheers for all the feedback lads. The one he's looking is the cs 250 model(i think) and is about €750 euro. He's used it before and thinks its the business. Would i save much by heading up north to get one?

Discodog

Can't see anything on Stihl website resembling that model number. The cost seems astronomic !. Get a proper model number then search online. Is he a contractor ?.

hitman79

Sorry its the FS 250 and its in the Stilh brochure i have. Power output 1.6/2.2 with grass cutting blade 230-2(means nothing to me). He's not a contractor. Has a good bit land tho and used to always borrow one of these so thats why were getting him one. Was shocked at the price myself

Discodog

You have an old catalogue. I think the FS250 is quite an old machine & may be American spec.

The new version is probably the FS130 which is currently the most powerful Stihl brushcutter. But the KM130 gives you the same power but with the advantage of adding attachments including the new & rather good blower.

The KM130 is very much a contractor machine. I am surprised that he would want something so powerful & top of the range. I have never needed such a machine. It might be hard to find a good online deal as many places won't stock it. It would normally be bought by someone who is verge cutting 12 hours & seven days !

hitman79

Cheers for your advice Discodog. Its the 2009 brochure and the price he has for the FS130 is €699. Still pretty expensive but its his 60th so may aswell get him the one he wants.

CJhaughey

Discodog wrote: »

The cost seems astronomic !. .

Hey it's a Stihl, someone has to pay for the marketing!!:p
Seriously, I think thats a mad price for a 36cc Fourstroke trimmer, that you stihl have to use synthetic 2T oil mix in.
Those 4-mix machines are a halfway house IMO. Either have a proper 4 Stroke machine like Honda GX35 or a proper 2T machine, not one that has to use both.

Discodog

I agree CJ but I bet that I could get a Stihl for a lot less !. But I totally agree about 4 mix & 4 strokes in general. I know of a few contractors who have bought the little Stihl just to stay with 2 stroke.

I have never understood this big engine strimmer thing. I have never come across a job that my little combi could not cope with including cutting 6 inch branches on the end of a extension pole.

I have done verge cutting in the past (a contract that we did not expect to win !) & I much preferred a small Stihl with a loop handle to a big heavy cowhorn machine. A lot of people don't realise that it's about technique not power.

CJhaughey

Well I guess 40cc is around the point where the line between clearing saw and trimmer gets blurred.
I have a 23cc and a Tanaka 40cc, Different animals for different jobs, I use steel blades on the 40cc and line on the smaller machine.
I agree its how you use the machine but there are some things that small machines won't do.
A serrated grass blade will chop big tufts of reeds off at the base, I can't do that with my line trimmer. I can't wade into 3ft heavy brambles and cut them back with the small machine and the loop handle doesn't have enough control with the steel blades.

Discodog

I use my combi with a shrub cutter for brambles. Lot of rock here & hitting a rock with a steel blade is not nice whereas the cutter can touch rock without damage.

cavanman3000

everywhere i go i see council workers using stihl, our local school uses a viking tractor mower cuts nearly 4 acres each time. the 4 mix engine is far better than honda,they are very heavy, and can seize if held on its side. stihl are the only brand worth spending money on, you definitely get what you pay for.husq used to be good but now its no better than some of the aldi stuff.

CJhaughey

cavanman3000 wrote: »

the 4 mix engine is far better than honda,they are very heavy, and can seize if held on its side.

How do you work that out? The only way the Honda GX25 and 35 sieze is if they are overfilled, they only hold 80 or 100ml of oil and if overfilled the oil doesn't mist properly.
Properly filled and serviced they are 360º rotatable.
There is 500g of difference between the Honda and the Stihl and the Honda makes .2 hp more than the Stihl FS130.
I trust Honda as a mini 4 stroke manufacturer more than Stihl, they have a bit more experience in that field.;)

cavanman3000

CJhaughey wrote: »

How do you work that out? The only way the Honda GX25 and 35 sieze is if they are overfilled, they only hold 80 or 100ml of oil and if overfilled the oil doesn't mist properly.
Properly filled and serviced they are 360º rotatable.
There is 500g of difference between the Honda and the Stihl and the Honda makes .2 hp more than the Stihl FS130.
I trust Honda as a mini 4 stroke manufacturer more than Stihl, they have a bit more experience in that field.;)

sounds like some one is a honda dealer!!

ive seen stihl strimmers eat other machines with the same cc and hp for breakfast. their spare parts are a complete rip off too.

CJhaughey

cavanman3000 wrote: »

sounds like some one is a honda dealer!!

Where do you get that accusation from? I stated that I would rather have a proper 4 stroke or a 2 stroke not a halfway house like the 4-mix which seems to be the worst of both worlds, needing to use good quality synthetic 2T oil in a 4T engine.
The only 4T engine in a strimmer I would consider is a Honda because they have been making small 4T engines since the dawn of time and are pretty good at it.
FYI I am not a dealer of anything least of all Honda.

cavanman3000

never had a days bother with any of my stihl machines. i trust them, and i'l stick with them. the accusation was just you seem to know a lot of the technical details e.g 500g lighter etc.

Discodog

CJhaughey wrote: »

FYI I am not a dealer of anything least of all Honda.

Bugger - I need some Honda bits !

I think the trade are still a bit wary of Honda 4 strokes because the early ones were a disaster. Dealers in the UK would not sell them to contractors.

I love the fact that Stihl have a wide range of accessories & I only have to buy & carry one engine. The smaller, lighter weight, hedgecutter on the new carbon extension pole is brilliant. I can cut a wide expanse of hedge top before having to come down & move the ladder.

Also parts are so easy to access, including loads of used parts on ebay.

Husky were great until Electrolux came along. In fact they had a combi system years before Stihl.

Vtwin

Hi
Bought a second hand (2007) KM90r today, and am a bit confused (doesnt take too much).
Didnt get a manual, so fishing in the dark, basically it has hedge cutter that can be angled, and it came with a chainsaw head.
Yer man who sold it said that said that I would have to undo a number of screws to put on the chainsaw, but I thought that it just snaps on ?
Or was the 2007 model a different set-up than the current quick release system ?

Also the front handle seems to be above where the Tommy nut is, so If I get another attachment, I presume the handle will come off...not sure.

I think there is a further extension available to buy as a seperate attachment, which is what I need, but dunno will it work with what I have.

Was also wondering if they need much maintenance ?

Used it this evening, and its a serious bit of kit, so lidle clippers have been binned.

Discodog

The attachments can quick fit but you need a shaft for each one. But it's easy to loosen the two Torx screws either side of the shaft socket to remove the attachment. You should have a plug spanner with a Torx on the other end - if not you can get one from any dealer.

You can get a nice carbon extension shaft from stihl dealers or on ebay. The combi system has not changed so any attachments will fit. I don't understand what you mean regarding the handle - maybe you could post a pic.

I would give it a good lubricate & change the air filter & plug. You can get manuals online.

Vtwin

Thanks DiscoDog, yea I got a plug spanner, may the shaft for the chainsaw was broken.

The top handle seems to be attached to the top shaft, i.e out past the tommy nut, instead of the engine side of the tommy nut.

Pic attached (from done deal).

I will check out the extension shaft, saw them on the Stihl UK website, but will check them out on ebay.

Discodog

A lot of people didn't bother getting extra shafts so it may never of had one Its just as easy to undo the two screws & you avoid the storage & cost of a shaft. Undo the thumb screw & you will see how the shaft slides out. The handle won't get in the way.

I would look out for a strimmer attachment. Be wary of postage costs online. For some odd reason long thin packages can be expensive.

With hedge cutting you will soon get used to it. Use a shoulder harness & move the attachment ring on the strimmer so that it balances. Then you can cut the sides of a hedge effortlessly.

Vtwin

Thanks Discodog.

Dont think the machine has done much work, but will get a filter and plug.

Used it for around 30 mins yesterday, and it made light work of the hedge.

Yer man couldnt find the sholder strap, but promised to send it on.

Do you think the shaft extension can be added to the top of the existing shaft? Think the extension is 1 metre, so I was thinking of adding it to the existing shaft, making 2 meter shaft, as I have whitetorn bushes all over the place.

Discodog

Just clean them if they are ok.

There are two types of shaft. One links the machine directly to an accessory so it has two male ends. The other is an extension shaft that has a male on one end & female on the other. You can add as many extensions as you wish but that hedgecutter is a bit heavy to be on too long a pole.

Oh & be careful not to overtighten the bar nut on the chainsaw as it is easy to strip the thread where the stud screws into the aluminium housing.

Vtwin

Thanks Discodog!