Help with a blade for my trimmers

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200mm, 225mm, 250mm brush blades to put on a Stihl trimmer?

  • 200mm

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 225mm

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 250mm

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Curved shaft trimmers or straight ones

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Total voters
    1
  • Poll closed .

PhilKawasakiuser

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I have a FS70 and several good fs75, fs74 powerheads attached to the parts off some FS130s as well as a FS90. Got the mounting kits for stihl trimmers but don't know if I can find one for the McCulloch anymore or know if a carb kit will solve the minor cold starting issue it has now. With stihl's there seems to be 3 size blades 200-250mm and no infor which is preferable. Its use will cutting heavy brush only. The options has me stuck right now and would like help from someone who knows more first. Heard never put a blade on curved shaft trimmer but IDK for sure and do have a FS36 and FS40 trimmer and not the newer ones but the boxy model they no longer make. Last is hardware available for my McCulloch now and should I bother with it. All these trimmer work wonderful once warmed up but I can't figure which blade I should go with but kinda prefer the idea of getting one by stihl if its going on a stihl and can't afford to spend alot trying multiple blades. Looking to get going asap and with the best heavy-brush blade too. I can swap the shaft on my FS70 with one intended for a FS130 still too if that matters much. I really can't decide right now with all these choices what to go with.
 
I've never run a blade or saw on a curved shaft and honestly I don't like those shafts. They are surely great for well manicured gardens but don't exactly fill me with confidence for heavy duty.

Personally for all heavy duty applications I prefer Widia (carbide) tipped circular saws. Prices have come down a long way in the last few years but be sure to get a Japanese-made one (they are stamped JIS and JQA and made by a variety of manufactures including Tsumura). Chinese ones are not so much cheaper as justifying the risks of poor quality control and dubious materials.
 
Carbide is fine till you bounce off a rock or metal and then have shrapnel flying. You can kinda judge what blade dia by what you are trying to cut through. A 250mm blade is going to give apx 3" depth of cut . Not of fan of the blades with riveted on chainsaw style teeth seen too many of those come off as well. If there is a lot of fine stuff say under and 1" in dia. The fine toothed blades might be a better approach. Less grabby. Heavy brush calls for a shoulder sling and bicycle style handlebars for control ( I am not familiar with model #'s I only work on the business end- blades) Just had a set of courser tooth ones in here - don't know what they were clearing but the blades were cracked in every single gullet.
 
You'll eat shafts up pretty bad trying to run one on a curved shaft. The spring shafts can't handle the abuse, solid straight shafts fare better if the gear box is up to the task. Bike bars are a must if your cutting more than woody stem weeds, you get a lot of kick when a blade bites into something substantial and the bike bars keeps that blade from coming back at your legs and gives you much more control.
 
I run 9" carbide blade on my Husqy 345rx and have slayed many acres over the years. I might suggest going middle size for you just because the machine can run larger doesn't mean it likes running the biggest blade.
 
General rule of thumb is not to run a blade or a saw on anything smaller than 30cc but lately I've seen both smaller Stihl's (example: FS56R) and Echo's (some SRM222 versions) running blades out of the factory. I guess with 52cc Made in China specials going for less than €150 (including a couple of blades and/or a saw) they have to do something to keep the average "private" customer.
Presently I run a circular saw on a Shindaiwa T450 and before it was stolen I ran blades on a 33cc Zenoah. I tried for laughters to run a blade on a 26cc Alpina and it was one of my usual Kowalski moments. :laugh:
 
I have a Tanaka/Hitachi 22cc split straight shaft trimmer that I have used a saw blade occaisionally. This is really seldom use but works fine when not in a hurry. I also have an extension for it and have use it to cut down some smaller branches.

Although I will add that I have two ~40cc forest brushcutters that get the real work.

7
 
Don't run a brush blade on a curved shaft at all. None of the components are heavy enough, and you'll end up sending a blade flying somewhere like a frisbee. Not that it really matters, cause your fs 70 won't spin it. Seriously, this is a dumb project. Buy a brush cutter.
FS70 I believe is a flex drive shaft with the straight shaft housing. Shaft is a sheep pretending to be a wolf. 27.2cc tho isn't to bad but very much either. If the drive shaft was like the FS130 it would be a real contender in my opinion. FS36 and FS40 curved shaft I wouldn't ever put a blade on unless it was a bitter enemies if that.
 

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