Handle choice for Stihl FS 250 trimmer (FS 250 vs. FS 250R)

[RalphE]

Howdy,

I have the chance to get a BNIB / no warranty FS 250 with bike handles for around $450. Scanning thru posts here has some folks preferring the loop-style handle and I'd like some feedback. I have a sloping one-acre home lot and the word is to mow the grass twice a year for fire mitigation. Wondering if bike handles lend themselves better to flat earth and if I'll regret not getting a more maneuverable loop handle.

Thinking to run those Windsor 300mm Shredder Blades, as I don't care much to mess with string and might like the mulching feature. I certainly could get a little smaller trimmer... but recon the 2-cycle motor might give less trouble, and going bigger can be hard to regret.

Thanks, Ralph

 

[mtrees]

I bought a new bike handle last summer. I wish I had gotten the loop handle.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

For your layout bike handle would cover more ground quicker, but they don't work well for around landscaping or trees as the
loop handle.

 

[T0RN4D0]

You have bike handle terrain there on the pics if you ask me.

 

[RalphE]

I bought a new bike handle last summer. I wish I had gotten the loop handle.

Might seem obvious, but would like to hear why ^^


The first pictures might be deceptive... the house site is terraced so while there's several relatively flat areas, there's embankments between those areas where it's steep enough that it's hard to stand. And then there's the grass at the edge of the woods, photo right background.

 

[computeruser]

I've run both and owned both. Blades - grass, brush, and saw blades - seem to work best for me with bike handles and a GOOD harness. Trimmer line works best with a loop handle, since the results I am aiming for with trimmer line are usually different than my goals when running a blade. For periodic brush work, I'd run the bike handles unless you are going to be clearing out ditches or stuff like that as your primary task.

 

[mikefunaro]

If you're doing large areas then get bike handles. If you're using metal saw blades or a shredder blade like that get bike handles.

Bike handles and a harness do two things: they keep the cutting head further away from you and make it a bit safer with blades, and also reduce the weight which you must carry with your arms.

At the same time they fix your position with regard to the machine. This is a disadvantage versus a loop in that you cant move the trimmer around you as well and you cant weedwhack around objects like a light post easily. You'd have to sidestep most of the way around it versus just moving your arms a bit.

For your use it sounds like bike handles are the way to go.

 

[mikefunaro]

Sorry just saw the photos

nice land

I'd still probably get the bike handles

 

[Nonprophet]

I agree with what others have said--if you're planning on cutting larger areas, and, are planning to use a metal cutting blade at all (ESPECIALLY the shredder-type metal blades) then I think bicycle bars AND a really good harness are the only way to go. I personally would not want to run a metal brush blade on a loop handle rig because you really would not have enough leverage/control to prevent a nasty kickback situation......

I just went from a loop handle FS-55 to a bicycle handle FS-130 with Stihl's premium harness, and I'd never go back to a loop handle now, I like the bicycle bars much, much better!

 

[T0RN4D0]

Steep grounds aren't really a problem for the bike handles and (properly set up) harness, as long as you can stand and the ground is relatively uniform. Becomes problematic if you want to above your head or way below feet level, or put the trimmer in any other awkward positions. But its _much_ easier on your body when you run that thing for a few hrs then any other type.

You can man handle the bike handle trimmers and tilt them where you want but its a bit awkward and hard on the wrists.

 

[mtrees]

Might seem obvious, but would like to hear why ^^


The first pictures might be deceptive... the house site is terraced so while there's several relatively flat areas, there's embankments between those areas where it's steep enough that it's hard to stand. And then there's the grass at the edge of the woods, photo right background.

I have a really steep bank behind my house that I cut. It is only grass no heavy brush, but I can't keep my footing and balance the bike handle as well as a loop. I love the bike handle on my less severe inclines.

 

[Saw Dr.]

I have the chance to get a BNIB / no warranty FS 250 with bike handles for around $450.

At first glance, I was thinking "why is he not on his way to go get that trimmer right now?" I went to get a burger for dinner, and having thought about for a few minutes I will say this:

BE VERY CAREFUL

There is absolutely no reason for there to be a 250 for sale new in box. A dealer CANNOT sell them that way. If it is leftover stock from a closed dealer, it can still be registered by you and carry the appropriate warranty. So the "no warranty" story does not add up. Anyway, there is no such thing as ONE FS-250 in a box. They come in boxes of two. I put several together last week. While a pair of new 250's in the box for $450 would be the screaming deal of the century, if they are stolen it would not. Good luck. The theft ring that hit all of the Stihl dealers in this area last spring is back to it, and there is plenty of stolen stuff floating around.

If you can prove that the trimmer is not stolen and you do not like the bike handles, I might swap you the loop stuff from my personal 250. I will not make that offer, however, if the serial number comes up bad.

 

[7sleeper]

I have both types. The d loop is to me more of a surgical scalpel, the bike handle is more for open ground / large areas. Since you can see where I'm from, I can tell you that I prefer the bike handles on any slop all day long! And when it gets real steep I strap crampons to my climbing boots.

That doesn't mean that you can't do either work with either setup. I also have an excellent harness for my d loop because it makes working so much nicer.

To give you an idea. My wife loves the D loop when working around the garden, but I cut the perimetre (3/4 acre at her parents, 3/4 acre at my grandparents house and 4 acres forest at my grandparents house) of the house in the same time with the bike handle as she is playing around(did I just say play...ssshhhhh.... let's hope she doesn't come here! ) in the garden. Well she sometimes likes to clean the stones and the outside vases around the house with the string! Really whips them clean if you don't have high power water pressure close by! :cool2:

7

edit: I forgot to mention that the d loop is really the toy.... aaaahhh tool that she loves. It's a Stihl KM85 with many attachments.

 

[jus2fat]

Guess I'm just old and "old school"..but I prefer the "D" or loop handle especially on inclines.

The "bike handles" are OK on large flat surfaces..but just feel awkward to me on an incline.

Honda 4-stroke with bike handle just seems awkward to get into the tight places..??

Buying a FS250 this summer..will most likely get the bike handle and then convert to loop handle.
(cheap conversion..and can still hopefully use the longer cables on the 'loop" conversion)

J2F

 

[stihlrookie]

I have run both extensively, FS110R and FS85. For flat areas and slight incline, bike handle. For steep hillsides and lots of obstacles, D-loop. The D-loop can do pretty much the same duties as the bike handle, vice-versa, not so much. For a saw blade application you can't beat bike handle though. I bought the D-loop version of the 110, for giggles I had them price me out the parts to convert it to bike handle, for about $80 more I could buy a whole bike handled 110.

 

[stihlrookie]

Guess I'm just old and "old school"..but I prefer the "D" or loop handle especially on inclines.

The "bike handles" are OK on large flat surfaces..but just feel awkward to me on an incline.

Honda 4-stroke with bike handle just seems awkward to get into the tight places..??

Buying a FS250 this summer..will most likely get the bike handle and then convert to loop handle.
(cheap conversion..and can still hopefully use the longer cables on the 'loop" conversion)

J2F

Sorry fat, I doubt it will be a "cheap" conversion. You will need the complete throttle control and cable to convert to a D-loop, not to mention the handle. I tried to convert mine the other way and it was near $300 for the parts. Good luck.

 

[jus2fat]

I have run both extensively, FS110R and FS85. For flat areas and slight incline, bike handle. For steep hillsides and lots of obstacles, D-loop. The D-loop can do pretty much the same duties as the bike handle, vice-versa, not so much. For a saw blade application you can't beat bike handle though. I bought the D-loop version of the 110, for giggles I had them price me out the parts to convert it to bike handle, for about $80 more I could buy a whole bike handled 110.

Yelp..that's the 'situation'..best buy the bike handle and convert down to "D-loop" rather than go up to bike handle.

Bike handle is only $30 more on initial purchase..so..convert down rather than up..and save a bunch of bucks..!!

J2F

 

[Austin26]

all great replies (all things considered) the two loop vs bike bar are different animals

Buy the bike handle if you honestly believe the unit is not stolen you won't regret it.

as for blades a shredder is an amazing blade however you use a shredder differently than you would a grass or tri blade

You Tube both you see what I mean


good luck you'll love either machine

 

[RalphE]

I agree - great replies. As DIY'er, I like getting a nice tool that can last for 20 years, and y'all have steered me well in the past year, with saw that hums and some saw pants. I've also bought at my local dealer and like balancing bargain hunting with the mutual support with the dealer.

I always planned on a double harness to go with any new trimmer.

I was able to stop by the dealer last night to size up the two handles. Told him that I liked the idea of a metal mulching blade, tried to show him the phone pic of my lot, and he said the lot won't matter because if I wanted a metal blade the standard answer they are trained to give is go with bike handles. Then we both messed around with the harness, he looked at the lot photo and in the end we went full circle.... for the steep embankments I have the D-loop is probably better and I can just get by with the line trimmer. We concurred that the auto-feeding SuperCut head is better for me than the tap head because I won't have a good place to tap or want to make a bald spot in the grass while trimming. What it seemed is that for steep embankments a good body position is sideways to your cut, and tilt the trimmer to the angle of the slope as you walk across. Given that, there is no restriction to tilting the loop handle, and the bike handles really only work to tilt until one arm goes straight. Not that either can work... just plotting for happiness over the long run.

I did Youtube the shredder blade and saw a Husky video brushcutting. Reminds me of the Pacific NW, but it's dry here and I'll be cutting tall mountain grass with the odd sucker. Besides the negative refill factor of string line trimming, I've got the notion that a sharp blade will cut grass cleaner than line... like a sharp lawnmower blade vs. dull and the shredder blade would help mulch the cuttings. Maybe nothing worth fretting over?

While there's some nice flat terraces on my lot and gentle slopes, there's also wicked steep embankments between. The whole reason to cut the grass is fire mitigation, so it's doubly important on slopes but at the same time the grass is what is keeping erosion in check - and the steepest shady slopes already sport some bald spots. The notion that the D-loop is more a surgical scalpel is a selling point for getting the cut at a nice purty 6".

The bargain trimmer was #181095271689 on eBay, and the seller has been responsive to questions, and his story is that it came from a storage auction from a retailer. (?) I emailed him this morning to ask about the trim head (tap) and politely ask about the serial number (intact). It didn't sell at his $500 price, so I suggested around $400 and he countered with $450 to be done thru eBay. If you're super keen for it, just say ralpheburns sent ya and I won't cry when it's gone. He's a pretty light eBayer tho. Retail on a FS 250R is $615 including tax, FS 250 is $650... and I could try offering him $425. Or I could consider a FS 130. I think buying one and swapping parts is a bit dubious and source of unnecessary brain damage. That's the scoop, summer is a ways off, meanwhile it's my Honda 828 snowblower (bought 1 year used off a local moving to Australia). I just moved to these hills a few months ago, so getting geared up for the M.O. around here.

Cheerio - RalphE