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Favorite/Best Stihl Weed Eater?

Started by GaTrapper, February 10, 2016, 02:55:26 PM

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GaTrapper

Hey Y'all,

My fiance and I live on 30 acres of family land that we share with her parents and grandparents. I do most of the yard work on the place and I am in need of a great weed eater. I have to weed eat around two large ponds, woods, and pasture fences.

I'm pretty sure I have been using a Stihl FS 80 and it just doesn't seem to have enough horse power to really tear through some thicker stuff around our property.

What Stihl weed eater would y'all recommend?

beenthere

I've been happy with the FS120 brush cutter for around 20 years of use. Weed whip as well as use a brush cutting saw blade on it. Could go bigger, but see no real reason to do that.

A "weed eater" is a brand name, and what you prolly want is a brush cutter
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

elk42

 Cleaning my pond and road ditch I use a  4 hp mower on front of tractor.
   1st side before


 
  1st side after
 

 
  2nd side before 


 
   2nd side after
 

  
Machinist Retired, Lt15 WM 25 HP, Stihl 044, Stihl 311, Kubota M2900w/FEL, KUBOTA L4800 w/FEL,
Lincoln Ranger 10,000, stihl 034,

GaTrapper

That is awesome Elk!! :o :o :o

I have an old push mower, but I would need a tractor for that setup lol.


Kbeitz

I dont have any good pictures but I'm building a pond bank mower right now.
Picture is with it folded up.



 



 



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

thecfarm

Great ideas!!!
I use to have a big trimmer. That thing would chew up grass 3 feet high and never miss a beat. Nothing would stop that thing. BUT after a few hours of using it ,I was done. Just too big. I have a smaller one that does not like grass 3 feet tall,but I can use it for hours. So bear the weight in mind as you are looking. Yes,most has a harness,but I was cutting grass with it,not a small tree here and there.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

sawguy21

Elk, that is creative to say the least but OSHA wouldn't like it. :D Most of the new Stihl brush cutters are 4-mix, a two stroke/4 stroke hybrid, which offer considerable torque for the heavier stuff. The FS110 probably offers the most bang for the buck for a rural home owner and is available with a loop handle for close in trimming or a bike handle and harness for bigger jobs with a blade. There are more powerful models but they add weight and dollars.
If I was buying new, which I don't, my choice would be the FS94 (I'm a hard core two stroke fan). I don't need to clear brush so it would be plenty. I use an older Echo which has an adjustable carburetor and none of that emission control stuff.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

elk42

sawguy21 OSHA does not have jurisdiction over homeowners
Machinist Retired, Lt15 WM 25 HP, Stihl 044, Stihl 311, Kubota M2900w/FEL, KUBOTA L4800 w/FEL,
Lincoln Ranger 10,000, stihl 034,

Don_Papenburg

we got the stihl battery hedge trimmer on the pole  HLA 65 . It has about a 24" bar . You could also get the scythe attachment for the combo system but it is shorter .  The pros ; it cuts very good , no strings to wind , it is quieter. easier to trim around a tree without bark damage.  Cons ; my wife cuts airconditioner control wire, 
the little trees I transplanted,copper tube and attempts steel fence post.
It has a run time of about one and a half hour per charge. 
I no longer use the string trimmer on my combi since I got the HLA65  well unless my wife is hogging it.

I guess that should be a pro also ; My wife likes to use the battery powered trimmer.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

sawguy21

Quote from: elk42 on February 10, 2016, 07:29:13 PM
sawguy21 OSHA does not have jurisdiction over homeowners
I know that, just giving you a hard time. :D
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

streem26

I have been running echo for 18 years. Never had much trouble ,my trimmers r 8 years old and stick edgers with 1 sting trimmer. 2009 bought new string trimmers and had trouble with them after the warranty ran out. 10 months ago

sawguy21

How old was the unit when you started having problems? Most manufacturers won't cover carb issues on anything more than a month or two old, they claim fuel is not their responsibility. It is an easy out but modern gasoline is such a headache. FWIW, 89 octane is not ethanol free here, we have to go to 91.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Magicman

I have generally had good luck with gasoline string Weedeaters, but last year I bought one of These at the discount Tool Store for ~$100.  It is wonderful.  In the "Don't Cut the Cord" thread I described buying the companion Hedge Trimmer.  The battery run time is very satisfactory and I may even get the 40 volt blower and chainsaw.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Chuck White

We have a Stihl FS45.

It works pretty good, we replaced the string head with a nylon cutter head.

Takes 3 nylon blades, really works well, just stay of the rocks and concrete with it!

I don't run it, since carpal tunnel surgery several years ago, wife likes it.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Tom King

I don't know how many hundreds of hours our FS110 has on it, but it's more than a few, and still runs like a new one.  I'll buy another one when this one dies.  So far, I've never done a thing to it but put mix in it, and it's worn out a few string heads over the years since I bought it.

21incher

I had a FS85 for several years and would not recomend one. I switched to Echo a couple of years ago and have been quite happy. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

sawguy21

What did you not like about the FS85? I sold more than a few and never had a complaint.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

21incher

Quote from: sawguy21 on June 17, 2016, 11:39:26 PM
What did you not like about the FS85? I sold more than a few and never had a complaint.
It was hard to start. Burned through a tank of gas in 1/2 hour. The vibration from it would make my hands get numb. The coil died which was a very expensive part to have replaced and after checking online it seems like it was a common problem with the 85 and all their machines that had early Chinese built coils.  The good thing was I sold it on craigslist for parts and it sold in 1/2 hour. I originally t hought it was a good machine untill I purchased the Echo that always starts on less then 3 pulls, has hardly any vibration,  runs a hour on a tankfull, easy to reload head, and has a much more ballanced feel to me. The Stihl was easier to switch between trimmer and blade functions.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: 21incher on June 18, 2016, 07:23:18 AM
Quote from: sawguy21 on June 17, 2016, 11:39:26 PM
What did you not like about the FS85? I sold more than a few and never had a complaint.
It was hard to start. Burned through a tank of gas in 1/2 hour. The vibration from it would make my hands get numb. The coil died which was a very expensive part to have replaced and after checking online it seems like it was a common problem with the 85 and all their machines that had early Chinese built coils.  The good thing was I sold it on craigslist for parts and it sold in 1/2 hour. I originally t hought it was a good machine untill I purchased the Echo that always starts on less then 3 pulls, has hardly any vibration,  runs a hour on a tankfull, easy to reload head, and has a much more ballanced feel to me. The Stihl was easier to switch between trimmer and blade functions.
I've had an FS85 for years and like it. The vibration and fuel usage cited by Sawguy seems in line with my experiences but I assumed that was normal. Mine cranks and runs good even after setting up all winter and seems to have good power. I have not had any mechanical problems other than wearing parts like replacing the throttle cable and such.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

aigheadish

Bringing back this ol' thread... I have a reasonable amount of trimming to do. When we bought our house and property I went and got a "big" Husqvarna trimmer (comparatively, I went from a tiny trimmer for a less than tenth acre property to 6 acres with a pond to work around) and it was so much better than the little trimmers I'd used that I thought it was great. Then I used it for a while. It had a strap to hang it from me, and a handle out yonder to help control things, but man, after 30 minutes or so hacking through thick pond bank stuff I'd be exhausted. Over the few years I'd been running it I found it fine but probably not strong enough for the work I've got. I don't remember which model I had but it was probably in the 25cc range. 

Over the weekend I'd done my normal trimming with the Husqvarna and decided I'd had enough, the strap wasn't comfy, the machine was too weak, and the trimming was a drag, brush cutting was even worse. It was time for me to step it up a bit. 

I found a 4-cycle Honda trimmer on the internet that looked good and a local place to go check it out. Turns out they didn't sell well locally so they didn't have any available. I used to work with the salesman there and I trusted his input. I said "If you had infinite dollars which trimmer would you buy?" He said a Stihl FS 95 or better. He didn't have any of those with the bicycle grip in stock but did have an FS131. He assembled all the pieces and handed it over. It felt nice and I like the handles a lot but the killer is the full harness. "OK, I'll take it." 

I get it home Monday evening and decide to try it out on the pond bank, full of tall grasses and some thicker weeds and junk maybe pencil sized to jumbo pencil sized... I put the harness on, readjusted where the grips were a bit, found a comfy hanging spot for the trimmer and off we go. 

I went out and trimmed for about an hour before it was getting too late. The power didn't seem as beefy as what I expected but it did fine ripping through everything (I also had good hearing protection on so I couldn't tell how loud and beefy it sounded), and I got way more done in the hour, at significantly less effort, than with the lower powered Husq. 

That dang harness, I think, is really where it's at. After the hour I felt great. I wasn't tired at all from swinging this thing around and it felt, after thinking about the experience, like I was just standing there. 

While I cringed a bit at spending about 600 bucks for a trimmer and the kit for it, more trimming line, a blade, etc. I've got to say, at least after my first go with it it is 600 bucks very well spent. I expect I'll get many years out of it and if it proves this friendly I'll be pleased as punch. 
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

WV Sawmiller

   I bought a 24 tooth blade last year for use with mine when trimming stickweeds (Fall asters) and such in the pasture and I like that. I don't have a harness and just free hand it. I sharpen the teeth which are like chain saw teeth using my 12V Oregon chainsaw sharpener with the same stone I use on my chainsaw. I don't like the blade on grass and use the string head for that and around fences but the blade is great on brush. I'm using it on the Sthil FS85. It will eat right through a 3/4" Autumn olive or multiflora rose.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

gspren

If I am correct the engine on your new Stihl is the same as my Combi 131 it's a 4 stroke that uses a mix, Stihl calls it a 4mix engine, they don't sound the same as the pure 2 strokers but mine has been good. I still use the combi with the blower and chainsaw head but for normal string work I've since switched to a Milwaukee M18 string trimmer.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Tom King

I see that I posted in this thread in 2016.  That 1999 to 2001 ( don't remember which year it was but remember the truck I was driving the day I bought it) Stihl FS110 is still running fine.  Bike handles are a lot easier on my back, and the guy I used to have running it full time in season liked them too.

dougtrr2

I do a lot of weed eating in and around my forest.  I hated the strap, but hesitated on the price of a harness.  I finally broke down and bought one.  I really wish I would have done that years ago.  A well fitting and adjusted harness is a game changer.  

Doug in SW IA

aigheadish

Hmm, I'll have to look into that @gspren I assumed 2 cycle because of the mix but it did sound different.

@wv sawmiller I had a chainsaw type blade for my other trimmer, I don't think it had enough juice to spin it well. I got a circular saw looking blade for this one. I haven't tried it out yet. 

The harness is incredible. Completely changes the work. 
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

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