What Stihl trimmer should I get?

[EFSM]

I haven’t seen anyone mention a Shindaiwa T302

That's the Shindaiwa version of the Echo SRM-3020, which is the big brother of the 2620.

 

[EFSM]

o you like that oregon gator line? I have a spool of the .85. I don't like it at all.

In my experience, the blue gatorline is about the toughest stuff out there. I wonder how often unsatisfactory line is too old or dried out. Oregon recommends soaking the line in water one day a month to maintain its flexibility.

 

[ammoaddict]

In my experience, the blue gatorline is about the toughest stuff out there. I wonder how often unsatisfactory line is too old or dried out. Oregon recommends soaking the line in water one day a month to maintain its flexibility.

Mine is the grey twisted line. I have some Shakespeare orange multi edge line that is way older than the gator and it works fine. I have read about soaking but have never done it in my life and kept spools for many years and never had any issues except for this gator line.

 

[EFSM]

Mine is the grey twisted line. I have some Shakespeare orange multi edge line that is way older than the gator and it works fine. I have read about soaking but have never done it in my life and kept spools for many years and never had any issues except for this gator line.

I never tried the grey.

 

[pastryguyhawaii]

Do you like that oregon gator line? I have a spool of the .85. I don't like it at all. It breaks off way too easy. It got good reviews on Amazon but I don't like it.

It’s not lasting as long as I was expecting. I probably won’t buy it again. The Shindaiwa line is good.

 

[full chizel]

I like the .095 Shakespeare ugly line i get from Lowes

 

[pastryguyhawaii]

That's the Shindaiwa version of the Echo SRM-3020, which is the big brother of the 2620.

When I bought mine the salesman said the Echo version had a heavier gear box. It was about $100 more & he didn’t think I needed it.

 

[FederalQ]

My 2 cents. I bought a used FS45 curved shaft years ago and it has had it‘s share of issues. I have probably spent enough on it to buy a new one and then some. Although used, disappointed with it when compared to their chainsaw quality. The Milwaukee straight shaft electric has been good other than getting rid of the head it came with and replacing it with a Husqvarna one. Based on research done here I started using the Echo black diamond line this year, it lasts and performs well.

 

[Catbuster]

For line once I discovered .105 Stihl X-Line I haven’t gone back. It’s aggressive but it cuts cleanly and even at low speed. At .105 it’s very durable, too.

I used to have some Desert Extrusion .130 square line that would annihilate anything it touched, but once the spool I had ran out I stopped using it because I was no longer mowing large areas with the weed whacker.

 

[pastryguyhawaii]

I have the T262. Red echo 2620

I was actually going to get the T262, then I read about the T302.
A further derail to Pothole’s thread. Anyone use a Darwin’s grip? Once I got it adjusted right I really like it.

 

[DND 9000]

The FS94R are plagued with starter problems. They use an extremely light pawl setup different from all their other trimmers.

The rope rotor on these was changed years ago in 2019.

 

[Sloughfoot]

I think it depends on what you want the trimmer to do, but I have an FS 130 and have run it for 10 years now with no issues. It’s now the FS 131. Prior to that I had an FS 76.

I now have a Milwaukee M18 and my dad has an 18V Makita, and for around the house, I have to say they are superior for around the house.

Got a heavy 35cc Honda 4 stroke brushcutter/trimmer at our property that rarely cuts anything less than 2 feet tall and thick. Using it without the harness for more than a few minutes is unthinkable. For the postage stamp of a lawn at the house in town a little 36V Makita is what I've had for 5 years. Battery trimmers are WAAAY underrated. That being said, had a smallish Echo 2 stroke previously and it was outstanding! If I needed a midweight trimmer, would probably get a new Echo if a vintage Robin couldn't be found.

 

[redneckhillbilly]

I bought a FS91R, 7 or 8 years ago and drilled out the main jet i think it was 15 thousandths stock and drilled it to 17 thousandths and opened up the muffler and damn that thing came to life, I highly recommend them, it has alot of torque.

 

[huskihl]

Another bump for Echo. They’re just better

 

[Bill G]

 

[David Boyd]

Echo

 

[Sloughfoot]

For line once I discovered .105 Stihl X-Line I haven’t gone back. It’s aggressive but it cuts cleanly and even at low speed. At .105 it’s very durable, too.

I used to have some Desert Extrusion .130 square line that would annihilate anything it touched, but once the spool I had ran out I stopped using it because I was no longer mowing large areas with the weed whacker.

I'm halfway through a spool of Desert Vortex. Any idea how it compares with Extrusion?

 

[rpmtim]

I bought a FS91R, 7 or 8 years ago and drilled out the main jet i think it was 15 thousandths stock and drilled it to 17 thousandths and opened up the muffler and damn that thing came to life, I highly recommend them, it has alot of torque.

Been running the 91r around my place since 2016ish. Does everything I need it to, but does seem to have a low rev limit and spools up a little slow especially with a brush blade. Never thought about moding it, but now I'm curious.

 

[Inlineforagoodtime]

Been running the 91r around my place since 2016ish. Does everything I need it to, but does seem to have a low rev limit and spools up a little slow especially with a brush blade. Never thought about moding it, but now I'm curious.

Your FS 91 is a 4 mix, that’s why it does not rev as high as a traditional 2 stroke. A muffler mod is not going to give you the return it would with a 2 stroke trimmer.

 

[Catbuster]

I'm halfway through a spool of Desert Vortex. Any idea how it compares with Extrusion?

Desert Extrusion is the manufacturer of all of the “Desert” products of trimmer line. It’s been a minute, but I believe the square line was called Diamond Edge.

X-Line cuts grass better, to be honest. The big square line coming out of the Autocut 40-2 just cut stuff like reeds, pigweed and even stuff like Virgin’s Bower better.