What Stihl trimmer should I get?

[lehman live edge slab]

This 100%. The one and only batch of Ultra I ever tried took on a gross orange hue and smelled acrid after a couple of weeks.

You got a bad old bottle, I’ve never heard or seen this and no matter how much the internet advises against ultra tons of people use it including lots of the pro tree service guys and not one has ever said anything of the mix turning orange or smelling sour after being mixed for a couple weeks.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

2 x 2 years = 4 years for FS trimmers.

Post in thread 'Husqvarna 564xp (g) fuel inject'

May 28, 2025

If anyone is interested...
Legacy chainsaw technologies apparently are quite unreliable, since there is such a difference in warranty length between them and those with batteries.

And indeed, the warranty is doubled only for non-professional users. In addition, the warranty provides for many exceptions, which are described in a rather long document.

For all STIHL gasoline powered machines (with the exception of STIHL TS cut-off machines, GS concrete cutter
pressure washers, and top handle chain saw models) sold on or after January 1, 2012 that are used for
personal non-income...

• el33t

• 

Only saws are one year going to two for homeowners, blower, trimmers ect go 2 to 4 and I’m glad someone cleared this up to keep the information straight

 

[Bill G]

I have seen a few legitimate warranty calls - a lot of it has to do with the tech presenting a good case to Stihl. But you are correct, they will not cover under warranty owner induced/caused problems.

This is a tag from a saw brought into the local shop. I redacted the last for of the phone.

 

[EFSM]

The oil doesn’t degrade in gas or once opened it requires the microbes in the soil to break it down. The oil will degrade by 80% in 21 days after being spilled on ground. I realize some people really hate ultra but let’s be realistic Stihl isn’t selling an oil that degrades in gas in 21 days that would be stupid and cause all kinds of warranty problems.

That makes sense, and is what I would have said if I hadn't read this on Stihl's site.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

That makes sense, and is what I would have said if I hadn't read this on Stihl's site.
View attachment 462927

I’ll dig into this some but will almost certainly say this response wasnt the proper one.

 

[EFSM]

I’ll dig into this some but will almost certainly say this response wasnt the proper one.

Ok sounds good.

 

[EFSM]

I’ll dig into this some but will almost certainly say this response wasnt the proper one.

Did you come to any conclusion?

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Still waiting on an answer, but he’s looking into it

 

[Da dog man]

Buy a echo. Had Stihl all my life commercial units. The echo is a better machine imo

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Buy a echo. Had Stihl all my life commercial units. The echo is a better machine imo

Entitled to your opinion, echos been around ages but for some reasons never been able to break into the market any more than they have against Stihl and husky. Must be some underlying reason even though I’ve used very little echo and agree they’re fine. Probably lack of actual dealers.

 

[Bill G]

Entitled to your opinion, echos been around ages but for some reasons never been able to break into the market any more than they have against Stihl and husky. Must be some underlying reason even though I’ve used very little echo and agree they’re fine. Probably lack of actual dealers.

The box stores here sell Echo alongside Stihl

 

[FergusonTO35]

Stihl spends serious money courting big fleet users like governments and property management companies. I know a guy who went to work for Stihl doing nothing but product demonstrations for fleet customers and he makes serious dough. Also gets a company truck and fuel card that he can use for personal use. Stihl employs hundreds of people just like him and it pays off. Then Joe Average buys Stihl because that's what the big boys do. I really don't see Echo being able to do that even if they wanted to.

 

[el33t]

I’ll dig into this some but will almost certainly say this response wasnt the proper one.

Sure, it wasn't.

The official shelf life of the fuel mix with HP Ultra is 3 months.

The 21 days comes from the fact that this was the time in which bio-degradation was tested according to the European test CEC-L-33-T-82 or its newer versions CEC L-33-A93/CEC L-103-12. It was intended for outboard engine oils but was used to assess the biodegradability of a wide variety of lubricant base fluids, additives and formulated products.

CEC-L-33-T82: Biodegradability of Two-Stroke Cycle Outboard Engine Oils in Stroke Cycle Outboard Outboard Engine Oils in Water

80% of "primary" biodegradability has become the accepted required threshold in practice and in some European directives or environmental labelling schemes (e.g. German "Blue Angel").

Primary biodegradation was defined as the alteration in the chemical structure of a substance, brought about by biological action, resulting in the loss of a specific property of that substance.

An example of Castrol branded (outboard) oil (Biolube 2T) with 21 days and 80% mentioned:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The biodegradability of Biolube 2T has been established by theEuropean test method CEC L-33-T82.
The results confirmed that, depending upon natural conditions, it will biodegrade in water over 80% within 21 days, which is far superior biodegradability than that of conventional mineral based 2-stroke engine oils.

https://cassol.ro/docs/(EN)%20Biolube%202T.pdf

Quote from the (Cognis/BASF) patent for such base stocks (and compositions) as used in HP Ultra. This describes well the test being conducted and why 21 days does not apply to normal storage conditions.

The biodegradability of the ester base stocks/lubricant compositions of this invention is >=80%,
as determined by co-ordinating European Counsel Standard test method L-33-T-82 (Biodegradability of Two-Stroke Cycle Outboard Engine Oils in water),
which provides a procedure to evaluate comparatively the biodegradability of two-cycle outboard engine lubricants against the biodegradability of Standard calibration materials. In performing this test procedure,
test flasks containing a mineral medium, the test oil and a
bacterial inoculum (effluent from a municipal sewage plant),
together with flasks containing poisoned blanks, are incubated for 0 to 21 days. Flasks containing calibration oils are
run in parallel. The tests are carried out in triplicate at 25C and in darkness.

At the end of the incubation period the contents of the
flasks are Subjected to Sonic vibration, acidified and
extracted with carbon tetrachloride or 1,1,2- trichlorotrifluoroethane. The extracts are then analyzed by
infra-red spectroscopy, measuring the maximum adsorption
of the CH3-CH2-bond at 2930 1/cm.
Biodegradability is expressed in % as the difference in
residual oil contents between the poisoned flasks and the
respective test flasks.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Here's another wrinkle: what about bacterial degradation? From what I understand, certain bacteria can feed on the ethanol that is found in most gasoline.

 

[el33t]

Here's another wrinkle: what about bacterial degradation? From what I understand, certain bacteria can feed on the ethanol that is found in most gasoline.

Certainly, the addition of alcohol does not benefit the shelf life of fuels. Alcohol and the water it attracts are much more likely to become a breeding ground for bacteria than the hydrocarbons in “pure” gasoline.

 

[r7000]

 

[Bill G]

Certainly, the addition of alcohol does not benefit the shelf life of fuels. Alcohol and the water it attracts are much more likely to become a breeding ground for bacteria than the hydrocarbons in “pure” gasoline.

Oh is that right?