Stihl trimmers

[B R Shooter]

I'm going to step outside the box here. I ran an Echo string trimmer for 14 years, and it finally wore out. Went shopping, looked at Stihl and Echo, and the salesman showed me a Shindaiwa. Doesn't have all the plastic shrouds and coverings, more of a simplistic design. Salesman said if I don't like it to bring it back and he would refund every dime. Cost was about the same (straight shaft by the way), and it has been great now for 5 years.

I use an Echo chainsaw CS400, and an Echo leaf blower. Chainsaw is now 5 years old, never failed to start and has done all I ask for. Blower is new.

There are good alternatives to the high priced Stihls. I don't like having to buy from only dedicated dealers.

[brass410]

back in the late eighties I bought a sthil straight shaft for my lawn enterprise, that thing was worked like a rented mule by myself and all my hires. Sometimes it even got raw gas in it, but it has never skipped a beat, have replaced the drive shaft/cable once and rebuilt the gear box at the ground end, but its seen use 7hrs a day from spring till fall for almost ten years straight. Now its still used, but only once in a while but it has been bullet proof, I always have run leaded fuel (premium when I could get it) and now I just go to one of the small airports and get a can ( 45 gal drum) of low lead AV gas for all my two strokes, chainsaw, outboards, lawn mower, string trimmer, they run cooler on it and start like a dream with no carb issues ( air craft fuel is super clean and has a high resistence to detonation due to the addition of lead ) this also acts as a cylinder lube (good for engine life).

[photomicftn]

I use the Stihl FS94 straight shaft with a Shindaiwa Speed Feed 400 bump head. You can reload it with 4 outstretched arm lengths of .095" line in about 1 min. Don't run fuel with ethanol in it and it'll last a long time before the carb gives you any problems. 2-stroke is the way to go, the whole unit weighs 10lbs and handles very nicely.

[Three44s]

back in the late eighties I bought a sthil straight shaft for my lawn enterprise, that thing was worked like a rented mule by myself and all my hires. Sometimes it even got raw gas in it, but it has never skipped a beat, have replaced the drive shaft/cable once and rebuilt the gear box at the ground end, but its seen use 7hrs a day from spring till fall for almost ten years straight. Now its still used, but only once in a while but it has been bullet proof, I always have run leaded fuel (premium when I could get it) and now I just go to one of the small airports and get a can ( 45 gal drum) of low lead AV gas for all my two strokes, chainsaw, outboards, lawn mower, string trimmer, they run cooler on it and start like a dream with no carb issues ( air craft fuel is super clean and has a high resistence to detonation due to the addition of lead ) this also acts as a cylinder lube (good for engine life).

Ag gas is expensive stuff but it is good! The lead is reduced from the good old days however being called “100 octane Low Lead”. I am told that as the quality is much better it also keeps much better as it does not break down as fast.

Another trick is to mix a small amount of Mystery oil in your fuel along with the pre-mix oil.

Three44s

[blackthorn]

How much is a "small amount" of Mystery oil? I.e. amount per gallon.

[Omega]

For some reason, trimming the grass aggravates my lower back injury, so even the lightest trimmer puts me down for a day or two. My Stihl FS-90 does a great job, but I finally purchased a DR Trimmer Mower and I have to say, best thing since sliced bread. When I got it, for my house, it at first sounded like it didn't have enough power, until I put it to work I thought I had made a mistake ordering one. But I must say, it worked so well that I decided to take it to my hunting spot, and well, just look at these results.




I do have a tractor with a bushhog, but even that has issues with some of the terrain, and I won't even try to clean up the entrance with it as the gravel would be flying everywhere. The DR Trimmer Mower does great in rough terrain, and you can easily trim weeds out of the gravel, though it will still fling a rock now and then if you dip the line down. The only down side is that it is powerful, and if you hit a cable on the side of the house it may wrap around the hub and or cut the cable, and barbed wire will also wrap around the hub if the line gets it, ask me how I know.