Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Weed Whackers

I have a Stihl gas powered trimmer that I use for heavy duty trimming jobs. It’s 12 years old and still works great. I bought an Echo 58 volt battery powered trimmer that uses the same batteries as my chainsaw. We use it for trimming after mowing the grass. It also works great. I could trim my whole yard 4 or 5 times after mowing on one battery charge. The battery trimmer is nice because you don’t have to worry about pouring 2 cycle gas, and starting. Put a battery in it and away you go.

Ron

I run a stihl now on the farm , but working golf courses in the past I used em all. Cheap gas and not keeping the carbs and filters clean can cause any of them to run poorly.

As long as someone makes roundup and crossbow I ain't never buying on of those things again!!

The 80v Kobalt is great. The gas powered Echo is hard to beat.

My husky seemed great until some lowlife piece of garbage walked off with it.

Haven't replaced it.

Couple of years ago I went all Stihl battery powered lawnmower, weed wacker and hedge trimmer. For anything other than heavy duty commercial or agricultural use I would never go back to gas. 99% of all the problems experienced with those pieces of equipment are internal combustion engine problems. I’m going out in a few to mow the lawn and trim. That work is almost a pleasure now. No gas to buy, no gas to mix, no jugs of gas around, no oil to change, no ear protection needed. When I’m done I’ll just hang the mower back up in the shed, out of the way.

I run a big Stihl for brush and trees up to 3.5"... and an FS 85 for marsh grass/etc.

Stihl is simple in my mind... Full throttle, full choke... 2 or 3 pulls until she barks... then Full throttle, NO choke... and she lights every single time.

I use Echo Red Armor oil and 93 octane pure gas so I NEVER have fuel drama. NEVER!

Stihl is a fine product if you learn how to not flood them.

Echo and Shindaiwa oil is the exact same product... so I assume the machine share much as well. I have heard their big blower is the best. I do not know.

I rebuild blown up Stihls that I buy cheap... parts are super inexpensive and I have a stash. I will stick with Stihls.

Old Stihl AV saws will run on goat piss...

Bad fuel is 95% of the problem with anything small engine.

------------------------

I did an overhaul on a Deere 280 mower 2-3 months ago... ran 87 ethanol fuel in it (in season). She started to sputter after an hour or two. Pulled down the fuel system AGAIN... she had 12 ounce of water in her... No idea how. I blame 7-11 fuel.

FACT!

I thought avgas would be the tits having no corn in it, but when I queried Stihl, got this response from Wayne Lemmond, one of their reps.

"That statement is incorrect. STIHL gasoline powered machines are authorized for use with fuels with an ethanol content of up to 10%. We recommend 89 octane or higher to be used in our machines. However, we also recommend steering clear of any fuel with an octane level in the triple digits. A fuel with this octane level is much purer, since it represents a purer refining process. However, that purer refining process also translates to a lower compression flash point, meaning that the fuel ignites at a lower temperature under compression. Given that fact, the engine tends to build heat at an accelerated rate. So much so that the fuel flow transitioning the combustion chamber combined with the cooling fins designed for radiating heat away from that area can be overwhelmed, especially in an engine cycling through the combustion process at approximately 176 TPS at WOT."

So it seems to be a heat problem using avgas that Stihl is concerned than carburetion.

That also is correct with the following caveats.

- You must retune the HI and LI on your machine if you use above 89 octane... this is super super easy.

- Octane is lost when stored... I have heard 1 point per month (other may have other opinions).

"How long until 93 octane goes bad?

93 octane fuels are more refined and contain more stable hydrocarbons. These stable hydrocarbons can last 2-3 times longer than 87 octane fuel. Even in proper storage 87 octane gas can start to degrade in 3 months, 93 octane fuel should last closer to 9 months before degradation is noticeable."

https://sage-advices.com/does-fuel-lose-octane-over-time/

- Stihl reps like to sell machines... I take their advice cautiously... and always with a grain of salt.

Buy a used older model of Weedeater, Stihl, Ryobi, Craftsman, idc, Shindaiwa, etc. Clean the carb, add new fuel lines and bulb, you're good to go. They rarely are worn out, just bunged up and deteriorated from sitting.

FYI... I have used 4 year old gas (93 octane and Echo Red Armor) successfully.

It is not a good product... and I had to retune the carb, but I have done it without issue/breakdown.

I've got a house in town and a camper on a 50'x100' @ the lake. All I have to trim w/a string trimmer is well established grass around the buildings, trees, and fences. I've got a 20V DeWalt @ home and a 60V DeWalt @ the lake. I don't miss any of my previous gas units.

Yepp... whole kit to rebuild 3 or 4 saws/mowers was $11.73 at Walmart delivered 2 weeks ago when I order several...



https://www.walmart.com/ip/Petrol-F...Chainsaw-String-Trimmer-Blower/931055754

Echo for me and like others say- pay the few buclks for ethanol free gas. After ten years or more I had a leak so took it in and had them rebuild the carb for about $100. I told the guy I could nearly buy a new one for that much and he said- not like this one.

I can leave it all winter and get it cranking in spring with just a few pulls. Use the choke right- no issues at all. Oone of the best, if not best, tool I ever bought.

If getting a new new I would spend a little more to get their professional grade. You may never need another.

If your just doing lawn trimming I would take the battery models hands down. I have a EGO Power+ 56volt trimmer and it will last over an hour on the smallest 2 amp battery. I never have to go get gas, fight with getting it to start/run, much quieter and all I have to do is pop a battery in and its ready to go.

I bought a POS branded 'Remington' from the bezos store.....$80

First one lasted 3-4 summers

Current one is 3 YO....runs great.....095" string is a PIA to wind

These things take a beating

Just as soon replace every 3-4 years as to pay $300+ for a Stihl

I wonder how long the batteries last before going south. Replacement code is high for any battery.

My early-80s Echo SRM200BE is still going strong on a steady diet of unleaded, 10% ethanol gas (like my other small engines). I may have cleaned, not rebuilt, the carburetor years ago. All it takes is continuous use of Stabil or Seafoam and indoor storage.

Damn certain wouldn’t be battery! Bat cost as much as main purchase!