Strimmer head question.

gooner99

Hi. I have a stihl fs80 strimmer and I replaced the standard head with a desert hawk head. It sits further up the shaft and the cover is lose. A friend said it was not a good idea/setup. I don't see any other options to fit this head another way. Should I dump it and get a different head?

What I liked about it is that you cut the line in pieces and just swapped them out,. Whereas you would wind the line onto the old one, it got stuck regular and didn't feed out as it should have. I think this is an issue with these spool heads in general?

Picture attached.

my3cents

Seems obvious that the desert hawk (funny name nothing much grows you'd want to strim in the desert?) doesn't fit.

The extra leverage on the bearings and bevel box might just wear them out more quickly.

gooner99

my3cents wrote: »

Seems obvious that the desert hawk (funny name nothing much grows you'd want to strim in the desert?) doesn't fit.

The extra leverage on the bearings and bevel box might just wear them out more quickly.

What would you recommend to replace it with?

my3cents

I'm happy enough with the standard 2 line heads, but I have been using them for 40 years (actually 4 line weed eater from back in the late 70's was a favourite) and its just a matter of being able to judge how long you can leave it before stopping and letting a bit more line out. Never liked the automatic feed ones too much to go wrong.

The FS80 should take almost any head you try on it so can't see why that went so wrong with the desert hawk.

If you are cutting anything thicker than grass and not going to hit and stones, walls etc then the thin 4 bladed metal blades are good and your FS80 has more than enough power, I used to use a FS75 with the 3 bladed brush knife.

Stihl used to make a perfectly good strimmer head probably the same as this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oregon-108461A-Standard-Manual-Nylon/dp/B00L47728Q/ but don't think the newer ones are quite as good.

I'm just wondering from your picture if you are using an unnecessary adapter bolt? Can you remove the long metal bit you can see in the picture so its separate from the strimmer bevel box and the plastic cutter head?

monkeynuz

my3cents wrote: »

I'm happy enough with the standard 2 line heads, but I have been using them for 40 years (actually 4 line weed eater from back in the late 70's was a favourite) and its just a matter of being able to judge how long you can leave it before stopping and letting a bit more line out. Never liked the automatic feed ones too much to go wrong.

The FS80 should take almost any head you try on it so can't see why that went so wrong with the desert hawk.

If you are cutting anything thicker than grass and not going to hit and stones, walls etc then the thin 4 bladed metal blades are good and your FS80 has more than enough power, I used to use a FS75 with the 3 bladed brush knife.

Stihl used to make a perfectly good strimmer head probably the same as this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oregon-108461A-Standard-Manual-Nylon/dp/B00L47728Q/ but don't think the newer ones are quite as good.

I'm just wondering from your picture if you are using an unnecessary adapter bolt? Can you remove the long metal bit you can see in the picture so its separate from the strimmer bevel box and the plastic cutter head?

I would agree with everything my3cents has said, there is definitely something wrong with the way you've mounted the head.

Also the duracut heads for stihl are very good.

Also when using a regular stihl bump feed head make sure you're using the correct diameter string.

What size of string have you been using on the old stihl head?

gooner99

I must take a look again. There doesn't seem to be a way of removing that long stem?

I'd say the line size varied when I was using the old head.

Discodog

I used to do hours of strimming - verge cutting contracts in the UK. I use a Stihl Bump auto head & it never gives any problem. The key is to fill it properly. Take around 6 metres of line & push the two ends into the holes. Then wind it tightly, keeping a finger between the two lines to ensure that both spools fill evenly. It never tangles & feeds perfectly.

monkeynuz

gooner99 wrote: »

I must take a look again. There doesn't seem to be a way of removing that long stem?

I'd say the line size varied when I was using the old head.

I'll hazard a guess but you shouldn't be running anything more than 2.7mm line in an fs80

The stem shouldn't be that long at all, take it to the stihl dealer you bought it from and get them to check.

Discodog

I use 2.4 mm in my Stihl Combi. Thick line doesn't work & just reduces the head speed. It's like using a blunt knife.

monkeynuz

Discodog wrote: »

I use 2.4 mm in my Stihl Combi. Thick line doesn't work & just reduces the head speed. It's like using a blunt knife.

And can also cause sticking/jamming of line.

In my km94 and km130 I can get away with using 2.7mm line but in my small Tanaka machine its 2.4 only, obviously my fs460 can cope with 4mm and my husqvarna strimmer is again 2.7.

gooner99

Thanks guys for the replies. Must look into that head.

The strimmer is about twenty years old, maybe more. The stem is original. The original head would have sat on the same way, but the body of it came down over it. Whereas this one sits proud.

monkeynuz

gooner99 wrote: »

Thanks guys for the replies. Must look into that head.

The strimmer is about twenty years old, maybe more. The stem is original. The original head would have sat on the same way, but the body of it came down over it. Whereas this one sits proud.

Maybe it's the way you've mounted the new head then because the stem looks way too long anyway.

monkeynuz

gooner99 wrote: »

Thanks guys for the replies. Must look into that head.

The strimmer is about twenty years old, maybe more. The stem is original. The original head would have sat on the same way, but the body of it came down over it. Whereas this one sits proud.

I've just remembered, I think the middle washer in the head is changeable to allow it over the shaft of your strimmer.

gooner99

monkeynuz wrote: »

I've just remembered, I think the middle washer in the head is changeable to allow it over the shaft of your strimmer.

Had a look Yesterday and it seemed there was no other way to mount it. But will double check that.

Maybe the is an adaptor on the stem that's making it longer than needed.

Discodog

gooner99 wrote: »

Thanks guys for the replies. Must look into that head.

The strimmer is about twenty years old, maybe more. The stem is original. The original head would have sat on the same way, but the body of it came down over it. Whereas this one sits proud.

He winds them one at a time but I do both together.

gooner99

gooner99 wrote: »

I must take a look again. There doesn't seem to be a way of removing that long stem?

I'd say the line size varied when I was using the old head.

I use the desert hawk heads. Take out the string and take off the black plastic bit with a flat head screwdriverat the top of your picture. The long stem will go right through the desert hawk. Secure with a washer and bolt. Put the black plastic bit back on.