Stihl and Husqvarna WEED WACKERS! And a new job

[ndlawrence]

Hey guys! Before I get 500 replies saying this is the chainsaw forum, I know but seeing as we don't have a weed eater forum I'll post here. I just started my new lawn care job and have spent some dreaded time weed eating. At my work we have a couple stihl 90's 100's & 110's that being said the all work great BUT being the husky guy I am I want to pick up a commercial husqvarna weedeater. I spent some time on the 90 clearing a bank and ran out of line so my buddy hands me the 100 while he changes line and WOW I can immediately tell a difference in weight. So when I got home I started looking at the spec on these and then at huskys specs and not sure which route I need to go, so if some of you that have some experience will, recommend a husqvarna model. It will be used all day 6days a week.

 

[fearofpavement]

While Husky saws are popular around here I rarely see a Husky weed eater in use. Stihl and Echo seems to be what all the lawn service guys use. I have a Stihl FS80 that I like a lot. Owned it about 10 years or so and it never misses a beat. Easy to put line on, feeds the line well and runs as intended. It is basically all the things my previous ones weren't. It was expensive at the time but looking back I would redo.

 

[bryanr2]

I have the Stihl fs250r. It is a monster in stock form. Have it in the works to have it ported by Mastermind towards summer. I like the Echo weedeaters too. I have a John Deere 260G which is the same as the Echo srm2400. Had it since I was thirteen (17 yrs now) and I have never done a thing to it. Im not sure that I have ever replaced the spark plug even. If I were buying today, I would go in order- Shindaiwa, Red Max, Echo. Get a true 2 cycle weedater (simple, trusted technology).

 

[Morganism]

I have an FS80r. It has a tried and true 2 stroke motor and a cable drive. I don't know much about the husky line of trimmers, but any commercial trimmer should have a solid drive shaft and in my opinion, be a 2 stroke. Spend the extra money and purchase a FS250.

 

[bryanr2]

I have an FS80r. It has a tried and true 2 stroke motor and a cable drive. I don't know much about the husky line of trimmers, but any commercial trimmer should have a solid drive shaft and in my opinion, be a 2 stroke. Spend the extra money and purchase a FS250.

I agree with the solid drive shaft and 2 stroke suggestion. As much as I like my fs250 I wouldnt want to use it all day- six days a week like the OP said he would be doing. I would do a price vs power vs weight comparison and get what fits.

sb

 

[Walt41]

For all day use, I'll take a ported lightweight over any heavy beast, especially if you are trimming lawns.

 

[ndlawrence]

For all day use, I'll take a ported lightweight over any heavy beast, especially if you are trimming lawns.

Yep it's lawns, husqvarna has a model with 25cc's that only weighs 9lbs! That's almost 2.5lbs lighter than the stihls I've been using, but I'm thinking 25cc's is too small?

 

[KenJax Tree]

I have a Husqvarna 326L and i like it it about 9lbs i bought it last year for $299 and you can buy a blade kit for it.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Yep it's lawns, husqvarna has a model with 25cc's that only weighs 9lbs! That's almost 2.5lbs lighter than the stihls I've been using, but I'm thinking 25cc's is too small?

Idk my 326L has some torque i was suprised at what i have cut through without it bogging down. However i dont do landscaping work so from that aspect i cant answer but it rips pretty good.

 

[sawfun9]

Bryanr2, let me know how the porting works out. I have an fs250r and just bought an ht250 polesaw and would like to know how they respond to modding. I agree that the fs250 is heavy, but I haven't found any grass that will slow it down. I used the 3 sided brush blade and was able to cut several 1" maple and elderberry saplings as well as a couple 2" and I took my time and was actually able to cut a 3" one. If I'd had the bike handle a saw blade would have no doubt been much faster. The ht250 performed much better than my ht100 on 4+ inch apple and cherry limbs last weekend, though it is a noticeable pound heavier.

 

[lex66]

best of both worlds FS480 husqvarna balance XT harness

 

[lightj12]

Husky 335Rx

I have a Husqvarna 335Rx brush cutter/trimmer that has served me pretty well. I believe it has a 34.5 cc powerplant & weighs ~15.4 lbs. I have cut brush & trimmed with this unit & the weight & size make it a versital piece of equipment -the x-torque engine kicks butt! For trimming & light brush cutting this will fill the bill. If you are doing heavier clearing, I would recommend the Stihl FS250 as others have mentioned. The Stihl was suggested to me by my dealer but it was a little overkill for my needs. On the downside, the coil went out (@~1.5 yrs) but was still covered under the two-year warranty. I believe the current model of this trimmer is the 336FR

 

[ndlawrence]

I just went and looked at the 323 and really liked it and it only weighs 9lbs!

 

[GlynnC]

Idk my 326L has some torque i was suprised at what i have cut through without it bogging down. However i dont do landscaping work so from that aspect i cant answer but it rips pretty good.

You can do a google search--there's a forum for trimmers, mowers, etc.--starts with commercial lawn.

You'll find that the above Husky ia highly recommended. The 323 is also a good trimmer.

 

[TK]

Husky trimmers are an excellent value. If you want beefy power with a little added weight look at the 535LS. But the 326ls at 300 bucks is just an awesome deal.

 

[ndlawrence]

Husky trimmers are an excellent value. If you want beefy power with a little added weight look at the 535LS. But the 326ls at 300 bucks is just an awesome deal.

The extra power would be nice but I don't think the extra 4lbs would be worth it for all day use with just normal trimming

 

[TK]

The extra power would be nice but I don't think the extra 4lbs would be worth it for all day use with just normal trimming

Exactly. She's hefty but built awesome. The 326 is an awesome deal. For an upgrade in AV the 327 is the cats patootie.

Husky has a complete line of strato trimmers comin out this year, nice stuff. Better than the redmax offering for sure. Those were plain heavy to begin with.

 

[ndlawrence]

Exactly. She's hefty but built awesome. The 326 is an awesome deal. For an upgrade in AV the 327 is the cats patootie.

Husky has a complete line of strato trimmers comin out this year, nice stuff. Better than the redmax offering for sure. Those were plain heavy to begin with.

How do you feel about the 323? My dealer doesn't have the 326...

 

[fred1970]

Hey guys! Before I get 500 replies saying this is the chainsaw forum, I know but seeing as we don't have a weed eater forum I'll post here. I just started my new lawn care job and have spent some dreaded time weed eating. At my work we have a couple stihl 90's 100's & 110's that being said the all work great BUT being the husky guy I am I want to pick up a commercial husqvarna weedeater. I spent some time on the 90 clearing a bank and ran out of line so my buddy hands me the 100 while he changes line and WOW I can immediately tell a difference in weight. So when I got home I started looking at the spec on these and then at huskys specs and not sure which route I need to go, so if some of you that have some experience will, recommend a husqvarna model. It will be used all day 6days a week.

Well I'm not sure about the dealers in your area but around here Husky dealers are hard to find. We do have a couple of local hardware stores that carry Husky but they don't carry any parts. So that is something I would take into consideration.

 

[TK]

323 is the same powerhead minus a guard and a different trimmerhead. 326 comes with a ball bearing bump, t35x head whereas the 323 is a non bearing t35. Don't worry, hardly any other trimmer on the market has bearings in the head. It helps extend its life, nice design. The difference in price is like $20-30 and worth it but if it's not available then don't worry, the 323 is perfectly fine.