What's a good trimmer for a hard use homeowner on a budget?

[Backyard Lumberjack]

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I've only put a few tanks through my cs590, but I have no questions about its quality if I do my part maintenance wise. I liken it to my Toyota Camry and my Nissan hard body. They may not be the fanciest or the most powerful or whatever way you want a rate a car, but they is no question about reliability. Anything Japanese I have ever bought (older Nissan, newer Toyota, or Honda, small Kawasaki engines) I have never been disappointed with. Don't think that will start with echo. If people that use them everyday to earn their living with use either echo or stihl, then a homeowner should have no trouble getting 10+ years with proper maintenance.

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I like to buy comml level equipment... like my echo 266 trimmer... engine components inside heavier duty for all day reliable performance... caged bearing, beefier rod, etc... and a bit more powerful, too... same thing for my rural mower... XMark Laser Z 60" deck...

 

[ANewSawyer]

I was told that a flexible drive shaft doesn't play nice with blades. I guess you could use one of those sling blade types, I am not a fan. You need this: . Credit goes to member catbuster. He is using an Airecut blade. I personally vouch for this blades effectiveness! http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...0.Xairecut+250.TRS0&_nkw=airecut+250&_sacat=0

 

[tpence2177]

I was told that a flexible drive shaft doesn't play nice with blades. I guess you could use one of those sling blade types, I am not a fan. You need this: . Credit goes to member catbuster. He is using an Airecut blade. I personally vouch for this blades effectiveness! http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...0.Xairecut+250.TRS0&_nkw=airecut+250&_sacat=0

I don't think it's the best for constant use. Early in my fs80s life my granddad used it to cut brush a lot and the clutch does have some sound at idle now. Doesn't bother me though I'll just replace the clutch when it goes out. At 20 years old we have definitely gotten our money out of it.

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[13TreeWorks]

I don't think it's the best for constant use. Early in my fs80s life my granddad used it to cut brush a lot and the clutch does have some sound at idle now. Doesn't bother me though I'll just replace the clutch when it goes out. At 20 years old we have definitely gotten our money out of it.

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Are you referring to the tinkle sound at idle ?? I've run a couple different hard used fs80's they all do it .... I took the spring shaft out of mine and replaced it with the solid shaft last summer totally different machine in the tall nasty stuff or with a pole saw head on it ...... When I was younger I ran a fs80 trimming cemeteries for my uncle it would take around 16hrs + 4 more easier hours for the ball fields and town hall/square/barn and such. That trimmer ran full throttle tank after tank I never let off in the cemeteries untill I had to re-spool or it run out of gas it was well used when i started and i ran it 4 years with no issues we mowed every 1-2 weeks depending on growth .... Also interestingly he licked up some mushy boxes of JD trimmer line one time real cheep it was thinner black and round but it seemed like you could from all day on one spool ..... That was all just grass no big nasty stuff
... Maybe I was just in trimmer Jedi mode and not hitting any tomb stones that month [emoji12] yeah right

 

[tpence2177]

Are you referring to the tinkle sound at idle ?? I've run a couple different hard used fs80's they all do it .... I took the spring shaft out of mine and replaced it with the solid shaft last summer totally different machine in the tall nasty stuff or with a pole saw head on it ...... When I was younger I ran a fs80 trimming cemeteries for my uncle it would take around 16hrs + 4 more easier hours for the ball fields and town hall/square/barn and such. That trimmer ran full throttle tank after tank I never let off in the cemeteries untill I had to re-spool or it run out of gas it was well used when i started and i ran it 4 years with no issues we mowed every 1-2 weeks depending on growth .... Also interestingly he licked up some mushy boxes of JD trimmer line one time real cheep it was thinner black and round but it seemed like you could from all day on one spool ..... That was all just grass no big nasty stuff
... Maybe I was just in trimmer Jedi mode and not hitting any tomb stones that month [emoji12] yeah right

That's exactly what I'm talking about. This is the only 80 we have ever had so we figured the clutch was worn a little more on it due to the brush cutting. Do you have the part number for the solid shaft?

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[13TreeWorks]

Sry I found the entire shaft assembly on eBay I'm sure someone will come along with a part number for you shortly

 

[tpence2177]

Sry I found the entire shaft assembly on eBay I'm sure someone will come along with a part number for you shortly

No problem at all. I think it's the fs 85 assembly?

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[13TreeWorks]

Something like there used to be a trimmer and a brush cutter only difference was the solid shaft and handle ..... But that's all foggy info don't Lynch me if it's wrong my not so local stihl dealer did find me the part number and could order it for me but it was pricy and I'm cheep so I scoured eBay untill I found one took a few months ..... Basically if you find a solid shaft and swap it you go from the drive line going boingy boing when tall stuff starts wraping up to with the solid shaft a more linear bog and feels like theres less shock loading on the drive line.

 

[tpence2177]

Something like there used to be a trimmer and a brush cutter only difference was the solid shaft and handle ..... But that's all foggy info don't Lynch me if it's wrong my not so local stihl dealer did find me the part number and could order it for me but it was pricy and I'm cheep so I scoured eBay untill I found one took a few months ..... Basically if you find a solid shaft and swap it you go from the drive line going boingy boing when tall stuff starts wraping up to with the solid shaft a more linear bog and feels like theres less shock loading on the drive line.

Awesome. Thanks! May definitely look into that cause there is still plenty of life left in my fs80 and it would be cheaper than buying a whole new driveshaft model. For now my plan is to get that fs130 running and use it as weedeater then keep an eye out for one of those for my fs80. It revs higher, so I feel like that would be better served brush cutting then the torque one for weed eating.
If memory serves me last time I used that fs130 it would handle regularly weedeater grass with just blips of the throttle while my fs80 is definitely likes to rev. So I feel like the 80 would be better with a solid drive shaft and bicycle handles brush cutting than a lower end torquey weedeater. Both would probably be wonderful, I just have the advantage of have 2 different engine designs and choosing what serves best for what.

People who cut brush more though I'm open to suggestions, I've always just used my weedeater for weedeating and my dad's exmark mower for bush hogging lol.

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[rynosawr]

Ok, my $.02 after working on and owning a bunch of different brush cutters and weed eaters.....

The Stihl FS250R is the most impressive of all the trimmers/brushcutters I have fixed and run.... talk about POWER!!! That thing revs



I personally own a Honda like this one: http://powerequipment.honda.com/trimmers/models/hht35sukat

It is the 35cc true 4 stroke that I got on sale for $300 out the door!! It is really torquey and quiet and I can use it all day long if I want... It easily pulls the 10 inch blade or a whole host of accessories. I bought it before I started working on equipment, and if I didn't already own it, I would have kept the Stihl FS250R..... the most tempting piece of equipment I have sold so far.




I have fixed a few of the Stihl FS55RC trimmers and they are medium usage at best. Not enough torque to run a blade and lots of little stupid issues with vibration and clutch drum runout.....


Basically, all of the newer stuff that Stihl sells for less than $500 is mediocre at best for brushcutting or heavy weed eating.





I work on a bunch of different equipment and I will say this....

Buy a good used STIHL FS250R as my number one choice for you....

I just sold one to a guy I have fixed several pieces of equipment for.... sold it for $300 all fixed up and screaming!!!



Please stay away from the 4 mix engines on the newer Stihl trimmers, they are not maintenance-free, and can be very finicky (and they are much more complicated than just a regular 2 stroke).... I see a ton of the super-expensive 4 mix equipment tossed on the junk heap at my local Stihl dealer because the owners of the equipment don't want to pay the shop for the expensive labor to fix the 4 mix engines.... Not to say they are bad overall, but they have a lot more parts than a 2 stroke engine.


I have had much better luck with buying the commercial grade equipment in really good condition from a landscaping service that was going out of business or from a homeowner who was moving to town.....


The big CC Echo, Redmax, and Shindaiwa trimmers will also do very well if you do your part and keep fresh mix in them.... they are all good... just look for 35cc+ trimmers

Also, the ugly line (made by Shakespeare) in .095 yellow is really great stuff..... I buy it in rolls, and my Honda uses the pre-cut pieces, so I cut a bunch to length so I am ready to go....

The crap that Stihl sells for their duro-cut(?) heads (black and grey) is so weak that I went through 10 sets to do my yard. I used 2 sets of the ugly line for the entire yard and edging the driveway and bricks..... The Stihl heads will use the ugly line just fine also, don't believe your greedy local Steal dealer.... haha

 

[tpence2177]

Ok, my $.02 after working on and owning a bunch of different brush cutters and weed eaters.....

The Stihl FS250R is the most impressive of all the trimmers/brushcutters I have fixed and run.... talk about POWER!!! That thing revs



I personally own a Honda like this one: http://powerequipment.honda.com/trimmers/models/hht35sukat

It is the 35cc true 4 stroke that I got on sale for $300 out the door!! It is really torquey and quiet and I can use it all day long if I want... It easily pulls the 10 inch blade or a whole host of accessories. I bought it before I started working on equipment, and if I didn't already own it, I would have kept the Stihl FS250R..... the most tempting piece of equipment I have sold so far.




I have fixed a few of the Stihl FS55RC trimmers and they are medium usage at best. Not enough torque to run a blade and lots of little stupid issues with vibration and clutch drum runout.....


Basically, all of the newer stuff that Stihl sells for less than $500 is mediocre at best for brushcutting or heavy weed eating.





I work on a bunch of different equipment and I will say this....

Buy a good used STIHL FS250R as my number one choice for you....

I just sold one to a guy I have fixed several pieces of equipment for.... sold it for $300 all fixed up and screaming!!!



Please stay away from the 4 mix engines on the newer Stihl trimmers, they are not maintenance-free, and can be very finicky (and they are much more complicated than just a regular 2 stroke).... I see a ton of the super-expensive 4 mix equipment tossed on the junk heap at my local Stihl dealer because the owners of the equipment don't want to pay the shop for the expensive labor to fix the 4 mix engines.... Not to say they are bad overall, but they have a lot more parts than a 2 stroke engine.


I have had much better luck with buying the commercial grade equipment in really good condition from a landscaping service that was going out of business or from a homeowner who was moving to town.....


The big CC Echo, Redmax, and Shindaiwa trimmers will also do very well if you do your part and keep fresh mix in them.... they are all good... just look for 35cc+ trimmers

Also, the ugly line (made by Shakespeare) in .095 yellow is really great stuff..... I buy it in rolls, and my Honda uses the pre-cut pieces, so I cut a bunch to length so I am ready to go....

The crap that Stihl sells for their duro-cut(?) heads (black and grey) is so weak that I went through 10 sets to do my yard. I used 2 sets of the ugly line for the entire yard and edging the driveway and bricks..... The Stihl heads will use the ugly line just fine also, don't believe your greedy local Steal dealer.... haha

We have been using the Shakespeare green line for as long as I can remember. I probably have a 10 year old roll in my garage that I cant use up lol.

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[LittleLebowski]

I appreciate the advice about the Stihl FS250R but every single time I'm told "you can get this used, great piece of equipment for X amount used," I can't find it. I'll keep my eyes open for one but I doubt I'll find one.

 

[tpence2177]

I appreciate the advice about the Stihl FS250R but every single time I'm told "you can get this used, great piece of equipment for X amount used," I can't find it. I'll keep my eyes open for one but I doubt I'll find one.

Look on govdeals I think? Cities and municipalities get rid of their older lawn equipment on there all the time. We just had the world's longest yardsale through here and even though I was on call all weekend I did find a few things I can tinker with. Yard sales, govdeals, and lane equipment companies, also one of my pawn shops that I have bought a lot of guns from gets stuff in all the time I am working on the guy that runs that part of the store to give me a call on the good non running stuff lol.

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[rynosawr]

I appreciate the advice about the Stihl FS250R but every single time I'm told "you can get this used, great piece of equipment for X amount used," I can't find it. I'll keep my eyes open for one but I doubt I'll find one.

I will admit that the FS250R model isn't common around Denver.

I got one that came from a repair shop stashed in a huge pile of broken equipment I bought....

It had a tag on it that said "do not repair, customer doesn't want it back".....

I think the only thing it really "needed" was a carb kit and fuel filter. I took it all the way down, just short of splitting the crankcase, and cleaned it out and cleaned the carbon from the rings/grooves.

It had great compression after that and like I said, ran very awesome!

The parts all looked great inside, and I believe the carb had old gas in it and was left to sit, and the rings may have been partially stuck from crappy fuel mix...

 

[ANewSawyer]

I appreciate the advice about the Stihl FS250R but every single time I'm told "you can get this used, great piece of equipment for X amount used," I can't find it. I'll keep my eyes open for one but I doubt I'll find one.

I understand what you are saying but have patience. I heard the same thing and could not find anything. Then early this spring I found a practically new KM-130R with brushcutter attachment for cheap. If it had Not been for just how cheap it was, I probably would not have gotten it. I really don't like the four cycle engine because of how complicated it is. I don't recommend a four mix because of how much more there is to go bad inside one. 30+ parts iirc vs like 4 in just the engine. I will catch flak for this post but if you want to do your own maintaince, buy a two cycle.

 

[RBudd]

I didn't really realise the difference between the UK and US Stihl prices until reading this thread, it sounds like new machines are considerably cheaper over in the US, but having a quick look on eBay.com there doesn't look to be much in the way of used machines! Over here there is almost always a few hundred used Stihl strimmers of varying ages for sale on eBay, a lot of which would be serviceable machines! I picked up an FS55 the other day for the equivalent of about $30 that just needs a carb kit and filter and it'll be good to go.

I'll second what rynosawr was saying- if you've got serious weeds or brush that needs eating then some of the homeowner Stihl engines won't cut the mustard.

Whilst I gather the fs250 is great, most of the other Stihl clearing saws will do a great job too, if a little more thirsty on gas, but if you're just planning on doing your own yard you won't be getting through tanks and tanks anyway so who cares!
FS300/350/400/450 are all good machines from that generation
The newer 240/310/360/410/460 are all two stroke engines IIRC.

FS400 seem the most common here and you can easily find them in GWO for about $350, tend to get a harness chucked in that way too

Whilst I haven't had much experience with other brands, I'm sure the 35+ cc units from Husky Echo Shindaiwa would serve equally well if you got one at the right price!

 

[Brushpile]

 

[ANewSawyer]

I have learned that big engine brushcutters don't show up for sale very much. I did see a FS250R at a pawn shop a few months ago but it looked old and well used. And they still wanted $400-500, granted I could have asked for a break in price but wasn't interested in another loop handle. I haven't seen a bike handle unit for sale in the wild except for a cheap homeowner unit, nothing Stihl, Husky, Shindaiwa or Echo. I did find out that Maruyama has a 41.5CC unit called the B42 and it retails for $629.99 at my local dealer. But vibration ratings for it is like 6.9 to 7.0!!! My hands hurt enough when I use my 525LS at WOT for an hour or so and it is just rated around 2 to 2.3!!!

Rbudd, I believe the FS310 is a 4-mix. If it is what I am thinking of, it is an FS130 engine with a fancier anti-vib.

 

[RBudd]

My apologies, it may well be, now I take a closer look they don't actually sell the 310 here!

Out of curiousity, how much does a Stihl clearing saw such as a 410 or 460 set you back in the states? They're about $1300 new here, yet you can easily find a used one in good nick for under $500, or one of the previous generation for under $350.

I actually passed up a 550 that needed some work for about $80 the other day, kind of wish I'd bought it now, but I've got enough projects haha!

 

[LittleLebowski]

Gents, I'm at a roughly $250 budget, sorry.