Stihl is like festool. Top of the line, will work for ever and worth your money. Go for it.

I have a STHIL trimmer model FS45 and a STIHL BLOWER model BG55 and use them quite a bit.

Have used other brands and prefer STIHL - if it's any help.

If your going to use them for a long time - go for the good stuff which is STIHL.

Dave,

I have a friend that is a fruit farmer and has to trim thousands of trees each year.   I can't remember the exact numbers but I remember him saying once (years ago) that his Stihl chainsaws outlasted McCullogh saws something like 8 to 1.  Great equipment.  You won't be sorry once you get over the pain of writing the check.

Fred

Dave,

I really like the BG 55 -  and it's very easy to use.

I've had it for almost 3 years and except for changing the spark plug and draining the gas each fall it has really been great.

Steve

I have owned a number of Stihl 2 cycle machines.  Some for as long as 17 years and ticking.  They last with minimal service and perform well.  I won't buy any other brand if Stihl makes it. 

What do you suggest I get?

First of all, I realized that I didn't congratulate you on your new home.  I moved into my first home 16 years ago and am still there.

Gas hedge trimmers are in my opinion one of the most overused tools and incorrectly used tools.  They are designed for sheering hedges.  They get used for sheering shrubs that don't like to be sheared.  The result is unhappy and unhealthy plants.  Don't know what situation you will have and type / quantity of plants you will have, but you may want to hold off on this until you get moved in and settled.  Just my advice.  I have a manual set of hedge clippers for the little bit of shearing I need to do and have hand pruners for the rest.  I bought my gas trimmer ( Echo) years ago to deal with large quantities of decorative grass (6' tall) to clean up at the end of winter.  Now I use my chainsaw for that.

Peter

Peter,

Regarding yor comment above.  Can you take a look at the pictures below and tell me if a hedge trimmer would be suitable for these bushes?  I have the same ones in the back of the house.  Can you also point me in theright direction for resources on how to know which bushes I can take a hedge trimmer to and how to use it correctly?

Congrats on the new house.

I guess I'll be the only one to not recommend Stihl. They are fine products though.

I prefer Echo and have never had to replace either a string-trimmer, stick-edger, or blower. I originally bought a Stihl blower, but it failed after two years. ALL of the lawn crews in my area use Echo, as did the crews back in Oklahoma. My cousin runs lawn service, and has used Echo for two decades without complaints.

Good luck with the new property!

Thanks for the tips.  You still didn't answer my question.  Is a hedge trimmer even recommended on those types of bushes and shrubs in the pictures?

Sorry,

It appears that the shrubs in the front have been sheared and if you want to maintain that shape you could use a hedge trimmer - gas or otherwise.  The rear shrubs look like they have been allowed to grow to larger specimens and would benefit from pruning at the correct time.  It looks like you have a crepe myrtle in the rear (pink flowers) that is planted fairly close to the house.  Allowed to grow that will be a tree.

Maybe Tinker will chime in here.  He does this for a living now.

Peter

I have had a Stihl weed whacker for 9 years and only one trip to the shop to clean out the engine is all it ever needed. Still (no pun intended) the old mechanism for loading the line is awful and new models are so much better. This has reminded me I need to go by a new spool or whatever it is called. Anyone have a suggestion?

For me Prefer

Back pack Blower=Stihl........Lighter nice bursting with relatively lower noise.  BR600 compare to an Echo PB400

Trimmer=Echo.....Less fatigue due to vibration over a prolonged use.

Hedge Trimmer no experience.
 

 

I've got the Stihl garden vac/blower. Excellent product. The vac does not work so well though as the leaves have to be really bone dry for them (a) to be picked up, and (b) to be shredded for collection in the shoulder bag. I tend to use only the blower and it works very well indeed. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac so we tend to be the final resting place for leaves blown along the path to our house. The blower soon punts them back.

Offhand don't have model numbers but I own 18" chainsaw, commercial trimmer, and backpack blower, and they outperform the others . echo and huskvarna  I actually use my blower for leaves, gutters and blowing snow off my long hillside driveway.  Works great and would buy them again.

I have a 4 Stihl chainsaws and the KM90R combi system with the blower, edger, and weed whip, and will add a pole saw in the future. All are great machines Want to buy a 066 or MS660 someday.

I'm sure Husqvarna's are great, but it's just my personal preference. 
 

Hi,

I have the KM110 comination unit. About 6 years old now. It has been great. Has the 4mix engine which has loads of torque the 130 will be great!. I have shafts set up with line trimmer, plastic blade trimmer, the saw blade with limit stop for cutting heavy brush and up to 2" saplings (works great), and the chain/pole/pruning saw.

Even with minimal care starts every season with five pulls, and afterwards for the duration  of the season with 2- 3 pulls. I change the fuel filter, air filter , spark plug every year, and use fresh gas.

Seth

Hey Tom wants the 660.  What a brute that is.  I think that it might have more power that the Chevette my Mom drove.  Just kidding.  That is one huge saw!

I have 2 Dolmars also, a 143 and a makita(re badged dolmar) 6401 that I put a BB kit on it(85cc)
So between those 2 is around 181cc  its another hobby

Cutting firewood was a necessity growing up as my parents only heated with wood.

I got all sizes including one that I swear makes 4 cuts per tank of gas.

No, I have the 192. I've used the 200, it has more goose if you need to let something go real fast. I think the 026 might be my next one. I don't really need it of course. I usually perv on the post hole auger when I go into the dealer nowadays......

Ah yes, the Stihl stuff.  I have a KM-90 with the blower, edger, and hedge trimmer attachments.  My string trimmer is the FS-55.  Excellent equipment which makes the yard look beautiful.  My dad has the back pack leaf blower and he just bought one of the professional string trimmer-brush cutter models.   

Just came across this conversation.
i used to use Husky, but no longer need that good a saw.  Now use a small Echo with only a 12" blade.  Its best feature is it starts every time. 

Way back at the beginning of this thread, the man who started it was asking about pruning.  Many moons ago, I came across a paperback handbook at one of the landscaping supply stores.  That was back in 1981 when i first got into serious landscaping. 

Look for Sunset Pruning Handbook. It tells you how to prune in general, how to prune specific plants,  when best time to prune, it shows pics of how to prune and just about anything you want to know about pruning.  I often run into situations where a customer decides he/she is going to save money by doing their own pruning.  For some, i take the time to show them how and explain the damage they are doing to their shrubs and trees with improper proceedures or poor timing.  The smart ones listen and ask questions.  I will go to my supply store (even HD and Lowes still carries the booklet) and pick up a copy of the Sunset Pruning Handbook and give it to them.  Others just don't pay attention.  they think that any dummy can prune.  That is true if you include hacking as "pruning".  Sooner or later, they will end up replacing their shrubs or even trees.  Of course, if I was the one who tried to stear them in the right direction, they live by the old adage of "shoot the messenger." 

I am sure the OP has long since learned how and when to prune.  for any newbie who has the same questions, that Sunset book can answer a whole library full of questions.
Tinker

I have the Stihl "Magnum" backpack blower - the big one.  We have a cottage with 3-1/2 acres and in the fall we get so many leaves it is not funny.  It takes about 4 hours to blow the property once, and the next day it will be carpeted again.

 It is a powerful machine but there are a few things I dislike about it.  It badly needs a sternum strap to help distribute the weight, and I find the shoulder straps to be uncomfortable.  Also, the filler cap is very finicky to close for some reason.  This weekend I had to sit down and fiddle with it for 5 minutes to get it to seal properly.  I can't imagine emptying the gas tank each time on this machine without getting gas everywhere.

Bought a Stihl power equipment chainsaw over 20 years ago. I bought the Stihl to replace a piece of c??p from old time retail store.

tjbier and awdriven - Great to know I wasn't the only one who was struggling with that cap ! I don't recall getting a notice, but I will definitely call my dealer.   It's really easy to flip the cap thinking it's sealed, only to find that now it really isn't, and spill fuel.

Stihl is great.  Always buy where you can get service.  Stay out of the big box stores.  All small gas lawn and yard equipment needs occasionally service and parts

Can you guys describe or show a picture of this "flippy cap"?  I just bought a KM unit and have had no problems with the cap, but it could be described as a "flippy cap".  I'm wondering if the replacement is different or just improved.  If its the later I may already have the improved cap.  Thanks.

I was at a Stihl dealer buying a chainsaw and asked about a recall on the filler cap for my BR600 Magnum blower.

They told me they thought it was a US-only recall.

Hi,


I had the filler cap on mine changed out today  took my dealer about two minutes.


I have been wondering about that rototiller attachment.

Seth

If you have any questions let me know.  I'm in Colorado so I was using it on soil with a bunch of clay, no issue there.  Ran into some challenge in a part of the yard that had a lot of rocks, not surprisingly the tines did not like them.  Stihl offers optional tines for rocky soil, I've not tried them.