New String Trimmer Husqvarna 525LS

[oologahan]

I thought I had made a good deal buying a used Stihl FS70R string trimmer from craigslist, I've done really well buying on this forum in the past, but in my desperation of needing a a string trimmer I broke my cardinal rule of "Don't buy any 2 cycle hand held equipment that doesn't run perfectly". It turns out the previous owner had not only used ethanol flavored gas in it, but had used straight gas without any oil (scored/overheated piston, bad carb, lines, etc. I fell for the deal because the trimmer looked as if it had only been used once, maybe twice. Maybe it had, it just didn't take this buffoon long to damage it. That was a 125.00 dollar mistake, as it was only able to perform about six trimmings before it completely died and needed a full rebuild. I went into research mode knowing that there were many good trimmers out there, but I was going to have to shell out some serious dead presidents to get a good commercial grade trimmer that could handle trimming a 3 acre lot, 400 foot driveway and fences around 20 acres. I almost fell for the box store Husqvarna 525L until research showed that these models made for stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes home improvement stores were not of the same quality as the 525LS models sold at Lawn and Garden outlets. The 20-30 dollars less would translate to 20-30 percent less machine, so I bought the 525LS at our local Husqvarna dealer, and I bought this model for several reasons, mainly the 1.34 hp 25.4cc engine capable of over 7,000 rpm and the anti-vibration design, but also because it was commercial grade, had a stand alone starte, and many new features not previously found on string trimmers. In my research I also found an oil (Amsoil Saber) that will lengthen the life of the engine while preventing the muffler/spark arrestor from getting clogged with oil. It is a high quality oil that mixes 80:1 with real no ethanol gas. I'm 329.00 lighter in the wallet, but I cant really tell after using such a great trimmer, yes I did remove the guard.

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/trimmers/525ls/966781601/

 

[1Alpha1]

Congrats on the new trimmer. Looks like a very nice one.

And yes, if you want quality, you have to pay for it. I have a Stihl FS-250R. It's a beast and I like it very much. Even with 10% off MSRP, I still feel it cost too much.

 

[oologahan]

Congrats on the new trimmer. Looks like a very nice one.

And yes, if you want quality, you have to pay for it. I have a Stihl FS-250R. It's a beast and I like it very much. Even with 10% off MSRP, I still feel it cost too much.

The dealer I bought my Husqvarna 525LS from also sold Stihl, but my searches produced better information on high end commercial Husqvarna trimmers than Stihl trimmers. I will admit after buying a bad Stihl even when I know someone abused it, did effect my decision a little, but the anti-vibration feature of the Husqvarna was the deal maker.

 

[Chris Hatley]

I bought a 525ls last winter after years of buying cheap box store trimmers. I love this thing! Lite and powerful! I'm sure you will love yours.

 

[oologahan]

I bought a 525ls last winter after years of buying cheap box store trimmers. I love this thing! Lite and powerful! I'm sure you will love yours.

Thanks Chris. I've decided to use Amsoil Saber at 80:1 as advised to reduce clogging of the muffler. Supposedly the better oil and a higher ratio will make my engine run better and longer without issues.

 

[Chris Hatley]

80:1 is not alot of oil at all. I run castor 927 oil at 50:1 in every 2 stroke I have. Some people think that is still too lean. I hope you don't melt your top end. I haven't done any reading on the oil you are using either though.

 

[oologahan]

80:1 is not alot of oil at all. I run castor 927 oil at 50:1 in every 2 stroke I have. Some people think that is still too lean. I hope you don't melt your top end. I haven't done any reading on the oil you are using either though.

Neither have I, but I intend research it more before doing so, if I find any negatives at all, I will just use high grade 2 cycle oil at 50:1, but the Amsoil at 80:1 was a recommendation by people on this site.

 

[Chris Hatley]

Wow, ok. I haven't seen that yet. It may be fine, but I've never heard of folks running that lean. You probably should run it a little rich until it's broken in at least. I would hate to see your new trimmer messed up. Oil is cheap!

 

[oologahan]

Wow, ok. I haven't seen that yet. It may be fine, but I've never heard of folks running that lean. You probably should run it a little rich until it's broken in at least. I would hate to see your new trimmer messed up. Oil is cheap!

It said to run 8-10 tanks through it at the pig rich factory setting, then have it dialed in by the dealer/service center. That's what I will do. I already bough the Amsoil, so I may just use it at 50:1 or little leaner if I don't feel right about 80:1, which I'm not sold on yet by any means, but at least I have a high quality oil.

 

[Chris Hatley]

Sounds like a good plan, you're gonna love that thing one it's run in. Very strong unit power wise. I rarely need full throttle, even in the hay.