WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE CLEARING SAW NYLON

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kirko

kirko

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Hi Folks,,
I would like to start a discussion on what is the ultimate nylon/polymer for top end clearing saws eg stihls fs 480 and fs 550 or their equivalent in other makes.Please take into consideration i am talking about a great allrounder ie something that works well in heavy weeds and thick grasses etc.
This is not a discussion on the best clearing saw so play nice .:buttkick:
I have been a professional Brushcutter/clearing saw operator for as long as I can remember and to date I would have to list as my ultimate nylon the .155/ 3.9mm diamond edge Desert Extrusion.
Obviously There are 3 main factors to take into consideration before you list your ultimate nylon.
NO.1 How well does it cut ?
NO.2 How quick does it wear ?
NO.3 How prone is it to splitting ?
Im listing the "Desert extrusion" as my all time ultimate because it is tough ,real tough.Being square it does produce a lot more drag compared to it's round counter parts but I think its having this square edge that gives it its advantage in cutting the nasty stuff.There is no debate that round nylon is far superior in soft grasses but you would not be using a top end clearing saw in this situation.Prior to the desert extrusion I used the round 3.9mm Trail Blazer which is awesome in thick soft grass but fails in the course dry stuff .It certainly does not cut nearly as well as the desert extrusion in this situation and is extremely prone to splitting, usually the entire length of nylon making it expensive to use due to wastage.Dont get me wrong the desert extrusion does split but when it does it its usually minimal in length,and certainly never the length of the entire nylon released and this is certainly always due to hitting something hard like a sapling or steel picket.Even then I have been surprised to find sometimes in these situations their is no damage to the nylon whatsoever even though the trailblazer would have been blown apart.
I even use desert extrusion on wild raspberry ,although this pushes it to its limits it still beats a blade hands down for ease and end results.
p.s I am considering trialing http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PRO-CORE...49?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item4170fe28e9
and would love to hear some feedback from anyone currently using it as the $$$ seem to make sense.
also I would love to hear some feedback on anyone using the 350mm version of these tri blades as I have 2 on order and am just a little bit excited !:givebeer:http://www.airecut.com/
as always thanks gentlemen and I look forward to hearing from you,,,Kirko
 
If I would be using a "clearing saw" of say ~ 50ccc's I certainly wouldn't be using nylon string.

Your lower back must be much younger than mine...to me that's only 'blade' operation and get it done quickly.

30cc's and .105 ga. is tops for me for string...over that...it's bring out one of the blades and lay down some weed ass..!!
( that's just my 2¢ worth...hopefully someone else can give you better help than me)

cheers :)
J2F
 
Cheers for ya input J2F
Ha Ha yeah my back was young once,,
Hard to beat the good old "'chop and drop'" the problem for me is that I usually get lost in the mounds of weed and cant tell if im coming or going and the end result is usually not that pretty.
Generally the majority of my clients are on acreage and have let a once mown area go for several years and so in move the weeds saplings and other nasties like wild raspberry and lantana.
My role generally is to bring it back to a mowable state so "chop and drop" is not an option.I usually go in first with a fs 480 packing the 3.9mm diamond edge desert extrusion and tackle everything in its
range being sure to mulch everything down to something resembling mower clippings.once this is done I put the finishing touch on with the fs 550 and 320mm shredder blade taking out all the woody
growth that was well out of the nylons league also making sure to mulch down thoroughly.once finished and the sun dries things up something that was once 5ft+ becomes 10cm of mulch ready for a
ride on or zero turn to ride over.
ps how is that fs 250? power to weight ratio must be awesome 40 cc ? http://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...ofessional-Brushcutters/2659-1621/FS-250.aspx
 
kirko said:
Cheers for ya input J2F
Ha Ha yeah my back was young once,,
Hard to beat the good old "'chop and drop'" the problem for me is that I usually get lost in the mounds of weed and cant tell if im coming or going and the end result is usually not that pretty.
Generally the majority of my clients are on acreage and have let a once mown area go for several years and so in move the weeds saplings and other nasties like wild raspberry and lantana.
My role generally is to bring it back to a mowable state so "chop and drop" is not an option.I usually go in first with a fs 480 packing the 3.9mm diamond edge desert extrusion and tackle everything in its
range being sure to mulch everything down to something resembling mower clippings.once this is done I put the finishing touch on with the fs 550 and 320mm shredder blade taking out all the woody
growth that was well out of the nylons league also making sure to mulch down thoroughly.once finished and the sun dries things up something that was once 5ft+ becomes 10cm of mulch ready for a
ride on or zero turn to ride over.
ps how is that fs 250? power to weight ratio must be awesome 40 cc ? http://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...ofessional-Brushcutters/2659-1621/FS-250.aspx
Click to expand...
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ps how is that fs 250? power to weight ratio must be awesome 40 cc ?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well..I think it is very good...2.2 hp @ 13.9 lbs- I bought the last one in my area last summer for 600 $USD as Stihl doesn't make them anymore...
They now make the FS-240 which is a 'strato' motor to meet EPA regulations. It is still the largest 'trimmer' that is a TRUE 2-stroke ( NO 4-Mix here)
but it is ( as with other strato's ) wider...bulkier...and more weight...in this case about 2 lbs. No thanks on that as I am 67 years OLD...w/ bad lower back.
( I do envy you at being only 41 yrs. old in some ways...but you did miss the '50's and 60's...what a time that was...ask your parents..!!..;) )

You mentioned 'shredder blade' and I bought 3 off of a dude on AS last year but I haven't used them yet. Really different kind of blade...has these
2 vertical blade things and you work the blade up and down rather than side to side like a regular blade. He has a video on youtube and man...he turns
these really high green brush vines into mulch..pronto quick..!! I think he had them custom made..had to buy a certain quantity..no longer available.

I would really like to get a FS-560...not that I need it...just for 'bragging rights'...LOL
It has 75% more power than my FS 250 - but comes with 62% more weight - and 125% more cost..:cry:

cheers..:)
J2F
 
Hey J2F
The shredder blade is totally awesome,
A mate of mine turned up with one of these things a few years back and I thought what a wank,,how is that gunna cut anything ,,wow wasn't I wrong.
You put the 320mm version manufactured by stihl on an fs 550 and stand back.They work best in woody areas and working up and down
the wing tips enable you to grab what ever you are cutting and totally shred it to nearly nothing.(as opposed to a brush knife that tends to push non grounded growth away)
If your a perfectionist like me on the job then you can also run over the finished job again breaking the mulch down even finer.The main thing is to set your harness correctly.If this
is done right the clearing saw will just swing like a see saw as it pivots on the hook saving a lot of pain .The shredder balde also works fine in the standard
side to side motion and can bash its way through small trees with a couple of good high rev thumps.It is definitely by far the best allround blade
I have ever used and stays permanent on one of my 550s.Its down fall is around the base of thick grass clumps as it is prone to serious kick back quite
often ripping the handle bars out of your hands, so definitely best to trim grasses down with nylon or shredder then slice the clumps with the brush knife.
Stihl manufactures 2 sizes, a smaller one , not sure what size exactly but I used to use these when the fs 480 was my largest machine.Definitely a great introduction to the dynamics of this blade
and then there is the big daddy, 320mm of fs 550 destruction, full safety gear including knee pads a must as these things even dent rocks.
I did read a thread somewhere here on A.S mentioning that shredder blades were prohibited in the US but I do not know if this is correct.
My advice would be tread carefully if you are going to trial one on your fs 250 as you would definately have the power to spin a smaller one but the concern is the shaft,these blades tend to go
from full revs to no revs each see saw motion and the fs 250 s awesome power to weight ratio maybe its very destruction with a shredder attached.
Cheers Kirko :rock:
 
kirko said:
Hey J2F
The shredder blade is totally awesome,
A mate of mine turned up with one of these things a few years back and I thought what a wank,,how is that gunna cut anything ,,wow wasn't I wrong.
You put the 320mm version manufactured by stihl on an fs 550 and stand back.They work best in woody areas and working up and down
the wing tips enable you to grab what ever you are cutting and totally shred it to nearly nothing.(as opposed to a brush knife that tends to push non grounded growth away)
If your a perfectionist like me on the job then you can also run over the finished job again breaking the mulch down even finer.The main thing is to set your harness correctly.If this
is done right the clearing saw will just swing like a see saw as it pivots on the hook saving a lot of pain .The shredder balde also works fine in the standard
side to side motion and can bash its way through small trees with a couple of good high rev thumps.It is definitely by far the best allround blade
I have ever used and stays permanent on one of my 550s.Its down fall is around the base of thick grass clumps as it is prone to serious kick back quite
often ripping the handle bars out of your hands, so definitely best to trim grasses down with nylon or shredder then slice the clumps with the brush knife.
Stihl manufactures 2 sizes, a smaller one , not sure what size exactly but I used to use these when the fs 480 was my largest machine.Definitely a great introduction to the dynamics of this blade
and then there is the big daddy, 320mm of fs 550 destruction, full safety gear including knee pads a must as these things even dent rocks.
I did read a thread somewhere here on A.S mentioning that shredder blades were prohibited in the US but I do not know if this is correct.
My advice would be tread carefully if you are going to trial one on your fs 250 as you would definately have the power to spin a smaller one but the concern is the shaft,these blades tend to go
from full revs to no revs each see saw motion and the fs 250 s awesome power to weight ratio maybe its very destruction with a shredder attached.
Cheers Kirko :rock:
Click to expand...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did read a thread somewhere here on A.S mentioning that shredder blades were prohibited in the US but I do not know if this is correct.

I suspect that is correct as Stihl doesn't sell them here in the U.S. - That would be why the dude had to have them custom made.
Mine measures 12" which is right at ~ 300mm - I just don't think I will use it on the FS-250 as the dealer I bought it from said to be
easy with it when using the steel blade in bushes because the the FS-250 uses the same drive head as the FS-90..He's a nice guy..
but he ain't gonna screw himself...he would likely replace one gear head under warranty but I doubt he would any more after that.
He even told me that he could get one with the string trimmer head for just under $100..I think he was making his position very clear to me.

Sooo...I'll just save them until I get the FS-560. I'd like a MS 261 c-m and a HT 130 too...time will tell what I buy by my needs this summer.
I have the German made 026 (runs great) and a Poulan tree pruner with 2 new 31cc powerheads...but something will come up...it always does..!!

You take care and I must say it's been a real pleasure talking with you..!! - Feel free to contact me anytime

Cheers..:)
J2F
 
Hey J2F
Im sure your fs250 would be just fine with all the standard blades eg brush knife,scratcher tooth,weed wacker etc.I have used the lot religously on my fs 85's and 120's with never a problem and im pretty
sure the gear heads are the same or very similar.
The only issue would be getting lured into running clearing saw blades due to your fs 250 s power.
http://www.stihlusa.com/products/pole-pruners/professional-pole-pruners/ht130/
The ht 130 looks nice. I run the poor mans version,,a fs 120r with ht 75 gear head.Tons of power will cut the full length of bar no probs provided you keep that chain sharp which is kind of a no brainer.
http://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...nal-Clearing-Saws/22022-1585/FS-560-C-EM.aspx
Now the 560 really is just showing off ,,kinda the ''Bently " of brushcutters I would definitely love to have a blast on one of these but all my machines come to me second hand so it may be a few years yet.
although I must say im not a huge fan of the 2 mix engines , they seem a little emotional and most stihl mechanics I speak with much prefer to work on the standard 2 stroke which may translate to more $$ in matainance
for the average consumer, only my 2 bobs worth though,but they do pack a lot of power.
The pleasures been all mine J2F glad to chatt ,, I know the mrs gets pretty bored when I talk brushcutters LOL
If ya ever need a couple of 320mm stihl shredder blades for ya future 560 drop me a message,,well worth posting :clap:
 
I'm sorry, I got it the wrong way round. The FS 85 takes a 25 mm hole blade, and the FS 450 takes a 20 mm hole blade. I'd like to find a 300mm shredder blade that'd fit my 85 or 130...
 
Hi XSKIER,,
I have seen quite regularly a 300mm shredder blade on ebay.com.au but it is from the united kingdom and is not a stihl make,, I did a quick search tonight but could not find one.(I will find it eventually and put up the link). I think you will find that they all have a 20mm arbor (middle hole) as they are specifically designed for clearing saws only. I guess this is a deterant to stop them being run on standard brush cutters with smaller shafts and gear heads. I would definitely not recommend a 300mm shredder blade for your fs 85 or 130.There is a 270mm stihl shredder which I used to run on my fs 480, 48cc which is great but still has the 20mm arbor, this would be the better option for your 130 , 36cc although you still have the issue of arbor size ,shaft size( ie the abilty to go from full revs to know revs in a split second over and over again without breaking the drive shaft) and possibly overall engine power.I say engine power not because the blade is hard to spin but once under load it certainly bights into whatever you are clearing and revs drop real quick. I know my fs 350 which is a clearing saw, runs a 36cc motor like the fs 130 but I have never run a shredder on it as I have always had more powerful options so sorry I can not give any advice there.Here is a link to the stihl 270mm shredder http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stihl-Ge...?pt=AU_Building_Materials&hash=item35d468161a but on closer inspection it is not shipped to the states which brings back the topic of legality in the u.s .
All things aside I believe you possibly could run a 270mm shredder on your 130 , if you are not concerned about your warranty being voided and are prepared to take a chance you might just pull it off, will cut side to side no probs , the real test will be in the up down shredding motion.your best option would be a sneaky import with a re-bore else a custom job ,, but well worth it , the shredder is one of brushcutting best kept secrets.
Hope this has been some kinda help.
 
IMG_0084.JPG Thought I'd put a photo up to help clarify the usefulness of the shredder blade.
What I am clearing here is Lantana and it is probably 6 -7 foot high.
In the days before I used a shredder blade this would be impossible.I would have to use a brush knife or something similar and know matter how many times I bashed at this mess it would still just stand up and mock me.
With the shredder blade I just swing the clearing saw up and down on my harness and the rest is history.If you feel like showing off you can run over the off cuts again mulching them down even further almost making them disappear.
 
On 4 - 5 foot high grass, the fs250 is working very hard (engine slowed to almost a stop) with .95 Stihl X string or the brush blade. The same grass using an fs550 was too easy (engine never slowed down, even at part throttle) using the four string head with .105 X string. The 550 doesnt vibrate like the 250 but its drawbacks are initial costs (ouch) and bad fuel economy with way too small a tank.
 
Hi Gents ,
Finally racked up a few good hours using the '"Pro core .155/4.0mm"" on a fs 480 and the"" airecut 350mm tri blade"" on a fs 550.
Firstly the Pro Core is anything but Pro, Fine in the soft fluffy stuff but once it gets even slightly nasty it just breaks apart, no splitting
just clean breaks of varying lengths ,very disappointing.I give it 3 out of 10 compared to a 9 out of 10 for the desert extrusion.
As for the Airecut Blade , I gotta say this thing really is a weapon literally, lots of pain involved and I highly suggest using those metal
cups under the blade to help keep it above the ground else you are gunna wear high speed schrapnel.Other than that make sure you are
wearing all the safety gear you can, I would even suggest goggles of some sort and a face mask for breathing( OH and some nipple protectors, i
Have taken some huge nipple hits, so bad you nearly wee your pants on the spot.:eek:) as this is about as nasty as brushcutting can get.
The Airecut is perfect for thick nasty grasses slicing through the thickest clumps with ease, and used in a up/down motion does a great job of
mulching down off cuts.The draw back of this blade is that it is fairly fragile compared with most blades and clearing in rocky areas is definitely
not advised as you and the blade will most likely go home broken.:givebeer:
 
I hear you there sawfun.
My entire business depends on ""Shredder Blades"", I found that out when Stihl Australia sold out of them for 3 months.
Since then I always have 2 new spare shredders on top of what I need, better safe than sorry.:rock:
 
I sure understand that. I did a dense blackberry patch 15 × 200 feet in 45 minutes. And that was 6' + high down to the dirt with nothing but chewed up dirt left. I had only used a brush knife till then. I stood there dumbfounded, wow! My fs250 sure liked that better. I may try it on my fs550 next year. Brushcutting is now done for the year so it will have to wait.
 
Hey sawfun,

Start your next season with a couple of 320mm shredders for your fs 550 a stack of spare airfilters , hydration pack and I pod
you'll never look back ! least that's what I do and sometimes I cant believe people actually pay me to do it. LOL
Once you put that 320mm shredder on your fs 550 your brushcutting will change forever, Truly a nasty weapon in woody growth
capable of bashing its way through nearly anything that comes its way . With extra blade diameter also comes faster clearing.:laugh:
 

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