Anyone think those plastic bladed brush cutters are dangerous?

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RED-85-Z51

RED-85-Z51

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I know a guy that made the statement to me, after I told him they were dangerous.."Dude, the blades are just plastic, its not like they are dangerous"

I personally dont use them, dont like them, Ive seen far too many come in with 1 totally missing, customers saying they arent sure where it went, but they want the thing replaced with a steel blade and guard.

My argument is that the plastic blade has considerable mass, and is spinning at speeds approaching 10K rpms, Meaning it weighs alot more than it does just sitting on a table. I beleive that if a cutter broke off and hit a bystander 50 feet away, it could do them considerable harm.

Agree or disagree?

WWliteduty3bladehead219.jpg
 
They break off too easily. I toyed with them back in the late 90's and gave up on them. Real pain.
 
I had one with metal blades I bought in the mid-90's--worked great. Wished I had taken it off the trimmer when I sold it, because I've never seen one built as well as that. It did a lot of weed whacking--including rocks and concrete foundations.

But I guess if a blade broke, it could be a dangerous thing......



Casey
 
I got a nice little scar from the metal type in my shin. I felt a sting, didn't pay it no mind. The next thing I felt my pant leg was wet. It was, and it wasn't sweat. I bled like a stuck hog. Of course I had removed the guard, doesn't everybody??
 
Anything that spins is dangerous... the "plastic" blades are no more so than anything else. Bump feed nylon heads spit line chunks all over the place, and propelled rocks are even more of an issue.


Not all of the plastic blades are created equal. I sell a lot of stihl "plastic" (nylon) and they seem to degrade somewhat gracefully. Many of the aftermarket or no-name brands I see are shattered. The replacement blades are supposed to be stored in a damp/wet bad until mounted. Stihl's are shipped with water in the bags. If they have not been used for some time or are very dry, they are supposed to be soaked to reduce cracking.


Don't use metal or nylon blades on rocks or fences... If anything, the nylon is more forgiving as they are hinged; metal bladed dig in and either dislodge or deflect the head.
 
Lakeside53 said:
Anything that spins is dangerous... the "plastic" blades are no more so than anything else. Bump feed nylon heads spit line chunks all over the place, and propelled rocks are even more of an issue.


Not all of the plastic blades are created equal. I sell a lot of stihl "plastic" (nylon) and they seem to degrade somewhat gracefully. Many of the aftermarket or no-name brands I see are shattered. The replacement blades are supposed to be stored in a damp/wet bad until mounted. Stihl's are shipped with water in the bags. If they have not been used for some time or are very dry, they are supposed to be soaked to reduce cracking.


Don't use metal or nylon blades on rocks or fences... If anything, the nylon is more forgiving as they are hinged; metal bladed dig in and either dislodge or deflect the head.
Click to expand...

:agree2: I haven't had a problem with good quality blades as long as you are using for their intended purpose. They fill in nicely between string trimming and brush clearing.

As far as airborne "shrapnel", reminds me of a class I attended where the instructor held up an iron pipe bomb and a pvc pipe bomb and asked, "Which one of these is more dangerous?". He paused as people were pointing at the iron one. He then pointed at the pvc unit and said, "So this one will kill you LESS?"

Be safe,

Fred
 
I agree with Lake as to the difference in Stihl nylon cutter blades and aftermarket. You can feel the difference in the two products if you compare them side to side. The Stihl blades are much more flexible. I have been using them on a FS-65 since 1985 and have never had one break or shatter. I have worn out a pickup truck load of them and never had a problem.
 
Lakeside53 said:
Anything that spins is dangerous... the "plastic" blades are no more so than anything else. Bump feed nylon heads spit line chunks all over the place, and propelled rocks are even more of an issue.


Not all of the plastic blades are created equal. I sell a lot of stihl "plastic" (nylon) and they seem to degrade somewhat gracefully. Many of the aftermarket or no-name brands I see are shattered. The replacement blades are supposed to be stored in a damp/wet bad until mounted. Stihl's are shipped with water in the bags. If they have not been used for some time or are very dry, they are supposed to be soaked to reduce cracking.


Don't use metal or nylon blades on rocks or fences... If anything, the nylon is more forgiving as they are hinged; metal bladed dig in and either dislodge or deflect the head.
Click to expand...


I agree with this. I have used the Stihl polycut for years and I have never had a blade totally fail. I keep my blades in a plastic container filled with water. They work very well when you have to mow a large area.

Like anything else, power equipment has hazards, and being stupid will get you or someone else hurt.
 
blackoak said:
I got a nice little scar from the metal type in my shin. I felt a sting, didn't pay it no mind. The next thing I felt my pant leg was wet. It was, and it wasn't sweat. I bled like a stuck hog. Of course I had removed the guard, doesn't everybody??
Click to expand...
Uh no, only idiots remove the safety guards--you sound like a candidate for the Darwin awards.
 
Lakeside53 said:
....snip...
The replacement blades are supposed to be stored in a damp/wet bad until mounted. Stihl's are shipped with water in the bags. If they have not been used for some time or are very dry, they are supposed to be soaked to reduce cracking.
...end snip...
Click to expand...

i doubt most people realize this.

your point about spinning object being dangerous is a good one, just as a reference point, the formula for radial acceleration related to gforce is:
f=mass*(4pi^2radius/rps)=mass*acceleration
 
I suppose the plastic blades has their place, I have not found any weeds or knee high grass that the FS250 will not cut down with string line. Except for bamboo, It will not take down bamboo. It will if i put the beaver blade on though.
 
spacemule said:
Uh no, only idiots remove the safety guards--you sound like a candidate for the Darwin awards.
Click to expand...
When is the date for this years Darwin awards? I can hardly wait and pray that I stay healthy. I couldn't make last years due to injuries. My personal injury lawyer advised against it . I thought dog was mans best friend.
 
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I used one of those late-nite TV "Weed Wizards" for all of 30 seconds before I hit a rock and one of the plastic blades shattered. I will stick with .095 line, does what I need it to do.
 
scotclayshooter said:
I must be ok as i never bother to fit them from new!:sword:
I dont strim in one of these either :kilt:
Click to expand...
So your one of my opponents for the Darwin award. Well I hit myself in the head with a hammer yesterday, on purpose, top that one!!! I don't wear any clothes while trimming. A blade may disintegrate and tear a hole in my jeans. Chaps make my a$$ look big. :hmm3grin2orange:
 
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Lakeside53 said:
Nope.. he survived to continue breeding.. that is.. unless the impact zone was a little higher:greenchainsaw:
Click to expand...
I am still breeding whenever the wife lets me. She and I both were thankful it was a little chilly that day and things were not normal. Thanks for your concern Lake, I do appreciate it.:cheers:
 

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