new trimmer serves as a reminder

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Danno77

Minister of Fire
Oct 27, 2008
5,008
Hamilton, IL
my trusty old Weed Eater trimmer started having issues, so I used it (and my wife's new Coach purse) as an excuse to buy something a little nicer.

I went out to the Stihl dealership and bought the cheapest trimmer they have, the FS45. they also had a sale going so it was a teensy bit cheaper than normal (like $10 or 10%, i don't remember)

Got it home fired it up and WOAH, not as fancy as my dad's heavier Stihls, but it just serves as a VERY strong reminder of the difference between a nice trimmer you can buy at wal-mart and the lowest end model you can get from a company like Stihl.

If you have a cheap saw and have been teetering on the fence about buying something a little pricier, then perhaps this summer you can experience a taste of how different a NICE product like this can be. I spent maybe 70-80 bucks more to get a Stihl trimmer over the cheap one at wal-mart, so it was easier to make the decision than spending a couple hundred more on a saw. BUT it's proof (not that I need it) that there IS a difference.

I guess I don't know my point, other than to post that I got a new Stihl trimmer and that i like it...whatever....
 
Danno77, I hear you. My Weed Eater died awhile back, and the Wife said-"Get a good one." Stihl FS90R. Makes you wonder- "What was I thinking?", about not doing this sooner. :coolsmile:
 
I bought the smallest Stihl weed eater about 25 years ago and it was a piece of crap(cant remember the number on it) never wanted to start easily so it finally gave up the ghost and got what you must have, what a difference in trimmers as I love the new one. I guess it goes to show you even stihl can make a bummer once in a while.
 
I've had multiple weedeaters, but kept on finding myself renting a decent Stihl every spring when the weeds and grass grow fast as kudzu. I finally got a Stihl of my own and will never look back. Most everything else is just a toy that will need constant fixing if asked to really do some hard work. The Stihl starts right up and says, "Where's the weeds?"
 
How'd you guys get your weedeaters to die? I can't just flat out sabotage them, but the wife says use what we have until they die. I made the mistake of buying the carb screwdriver. Richened both the trimmer and blower up just a little bit and they run perfect now.
 
HittinSteel said:
How'd you guys get your weedeaters to die?
LOL

I have the same problem. That green thing takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n. Same problem with my chainsaw. As much as I'd like to buy some new Stihl short of sabotaging what I have now, it just ain't happening.
 
On my Ryobi, it was the clutch assembly that failed annually. The motor ran ok, but every year I was spending more time and parts fixing the damn thing. The WeedEater ran ok, but it was just too wimpy for our weeds and would bog down constantly. Another thing that I didn't notice till I got the Stihl was that the old unit vibrated so much that after a couple hours my hands and forearms started going numb. It also went through string like it was candy. But this is probably because it was small gauge. .065 if I remember right.

Fortunately I didn't need anyone's approval. My wife knows I try to buy tools that last. I bring home the bacon, so I get to pick the pan I fry it in. And I am the one that keeps her gardens clear, so she is happy that I have a tool that does it quickly. I got the Stihl, which looked like new, over eBay for half-price, so it was a no brainer. I suspect it was a demo model. The Stihl cuts through most anything, but where it gets really impressive is in the heavy stuff. It never bogs down. With a full harness, I can cut for 8 hrs without my hands getting numb. It is that much smoother than the old tools. Rent one and see how it compares.
 
stihl, shindaiwa, redmax, robin have been my favorites youll save a lot of headache to spend a little extra dough and get a quality trimmer butt as with all of them drain out the gas and run it until the carb is out of gas before putting it up for the winter. Im thinking about trying a Maruyama trimmer they have a 5 day buy back and a 5 year commercial warranty.
 
HittinSteel said:
How'd you guys get your weedeaters to die?

1. Cheap electric Weed Eater, no real power but very light weight and easy to maintain - lasted 15 years until wifey left it in the rain for a week then tried to run it wet with two 100' 16 ga. extension cords plugged together.

2. Ryobi gas powered - lasted one season, then primer pump rotted, things broke, nobody could fix it. Into the scrap steel dumpster at the recycle center.

3. Back to a cheap electric. I forget the brand, but it lasted about two weeks. Had to "send it in" for the warranty, shipping cost as much as a new one. Into the trash.

4. Cub Cadet gas trimmer. Spent $130. Worked great for one season, loved it. Put it to sleep for the winter - gas drained, unit all cleaned, spark plug removed and a squirt of oil in the plug hole. Next spring, no start. Only Cub Cadet repair center in my area said it would be a $75 minimum" bench charge" to "overhaul" it. It sits in the corner of the new shed waiting for me to pull it apart.

5. B&D Grass Hog electric for $69. Two year warranty. Died exactly one day after the two year warranty expired. Must be a "planned obsolescence" chip the Chinese install in these things.



So-o-o... I'm in the market for a good gas trimmer again. Checked out reviews about the Stihl FS 45 the OP referred to. Terrible reviews, at least on the newer ones. Don't want to spend $300+ for a heavy "Pro" unit. Borrowing my daughter's old Weed Eater electric at the moment since I have only two weeks to finish up the yard work before my eldest son's wedding. It still works fine but doesn't touch the heavy stuff.

Overheard a discussion between Lady BK and a friend about the perennials she's planting all over the place. She mentioned that a certain flower was actually a weed, and the friend responded that plants are only weeds when they grow where you don't want them to grow. I'm considering just giving up on weed whacking altogether and calling the junk stuff "ornamentals". Goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, lamb's quarter, even thistle and stinging nettles all have their own beauty in a field. Why are we killing them when they grow in our lawns? :coolhmm:

BTW, anyone know about Shindaiwa trimmers? The T222 has some pretty impressive features, lightweight, good power and seems to hold up better than the Pro-sumer Stihls, at least in the reviews I've looked at. Husqvarna gets some pretty good reviews as well.
 
Shindawa is pretty popular out here. So are Echo trimmers.
 
My Still trimmer has been working fine but I can't say I'm crazy about the concept of a cammed engine running on two stroke mix.
When I thought it didn't want to rev, the shop told me there's a rev limiter on it-I bet 'cause of the valves.
 
i kinda likr the stihl 4mix my br600 backpack blower is 4mix they use significant less fuel than a 2 stroke in my experiance. I have a fs50 thats pretty good trimmer under 200 bucks i think
 
I have both a FS 45 - somehow the previous owner broke the muffler bolt off in the top end. Tried to get it out to replace it, no luck, new block is almost as much as a FS 45. Welded the bolt in place and tightened up the other one, still running fine. This is now my 11 YO's weed trimmer. Runs well and has a nice "piped" sound to it. Do not expect it to last. I have no cash into it, so whatever. Hand me down from FIL.

Also have a FS 200 - this is a real machine when it is running well. This carb does not have the standard adjustment screws that most Stihl products do. Most of the time it runs well for the first tank of fuel, but after that you need to take 2 beer break to let it cool if you want it to start again. I have had it in the shop 3 times (I thought it was worn rings) but they say it's fine. So each time i pick up my FS 200 from the shop I grab a 24 of beer and call it good.

Just bad luck on my part, because I love my other Stihl products (3 saws, BR600 blower)

'bert
 
BeGreen said:
On my Ryobi, it was the clutch assembly that failed annually. The motor ran ok, but every year I was spending more time and parts fixing the damn thing. The WeedEater ran ok, but it was just too wimpy for our weeds and would bog down constantly. Another thing that I didn't notice till I got the Stihl was that the old unit vibrated so much that after a couple hours my hands and forearms started going numb. It also went through string like it was candy. But this is probably because it was small gauge. .065 if I remember right.

Fortunately I didn't need anyone's approval. My wife knows I try to buy tools that last. I bring home the bacon, so I get to pick the pan I fry it in. And I am the one that keeps her gardens clear, so she is happy that I have a tool that does it quickly. I got the Stihl, which looked like new, over eBay for half-price, so it was a no brainer. I suspect it was a demo model. The Stihl cuts through most anything, but where it gets really impressive is in the heavy stuff. It never bogs down. With a full harness, I can cut for 8 hrs without my hands getting numb. It is that much smoother than the old tools. Rent one and see how it compares.


I have such minimal use for a trimmer and only need a large blower in the fall for leaves. I'm lucky to have a buddy that lets me borrow his stihl 600 backpack blower for a couple days in the fall.

Chainsaws are another story. I cut a lot of firewood which keeps the wife warm and toasty in the winter, so she's all for chainsaws that make the job easier. She does say 4 saws is enough though and she is probably right!
 
4 yrs ago I picked up a Toro 4-stroke that has run like a champ. It's got the interchangeable heads and I use the tilller head to weed between the rows in my garden. I use it quite a bit and it fires right up every time. The only thing that rots is that it is a 4-stroke which makes it heavier than most trimmers, but I'm hoping that it will last longer. Like others here, I seemed to roll through cheap trimmers and equipment.
 
I just bought a new echo and love it. As usual, you can argue Husq, Stihl, Echo or whatever you want but you do know those 3 make quality products.
 
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