# Will a Stihl FS 130 run a shredder blade?



## stantonizm (Apr 14, 2020)

I recently bought an FS 130 to clear some brush. I’m mostly wanting to use it for thick brambles like blackberry and multi flora rose with some small saplings mixed in. I have a Renegade hybrid blade for bigger stuff like autumn olive.
From what I’ve been reading, the shredder-type mulching blades are the best option for clearing vines and thick brushy growth. I bought a Champion Cutter Brush Blender that just came in today. I was doing a little more reading though and it seems like they may be intended for the big clearing saws. Will my 130 run it ok or do I need do go to another blade type? If so, what would be the best alternative?


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## sawfun (Apr 15, 2020)

My fs250 runs a shredder blade very well. Please understand we r stand that those blade are considered a no no due to US safety standards. That said, they are the best for blackberries. I should think your fs130 would work well if my 250 does. The 130 having should be a bonus more low end torque.


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## DND 9000 (Apr 15, 2020)

I would not use a shredder blade on the FS 130. It`s also not a valid cutting tool for the FS 130 (from STIHL). A shredder blade needs a lot of energy and a though machine (a real clearing saw). The drive shaft and the gearhead are not made for the use with a shredder blade. If you are really careful it may work, but it is real hard for the machine and I would not use it on a FS 130.


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## Franny K (Apr 15, 2020)

Most blades do not really seem to use a lot of power, lots of energy stored in the spinning blade. Is that a 36cc two cycle device? that should be plenty for the engine if you cut stuff like I do. Like stated above the stress to the gearbox is great when the blade is stopped by impact. That thing might really throw stuff at your legs that hurt. The best option is a diesel tractor for as much of it as possible. Might also check to see if the splines of the blade holder are long enough to engage both pieces that clamp the blade as that is likely pretty thick.


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

Thanks for the advice. I may see what else I can find. Is there a next best thing for destroying blackberries and multiflora rose?


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

I also just found a good deal on an Echo SRM410U. I might sell the FS 130 and get the Echo. With the solid steel drive and more power, I would think it would run it well.


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## sawfun (Apr 15, 2020)

The fs130 is supposed to have a solid shaft, I early don't see why it won't work as my fs250r is pretty close to the same and it works great on blackberries with a shredder blade. I prefer it to the fs550 I had as the loop handle is easier to throw either high or into areas the bike handles make difficult. I've hit a cyclone fence twice an it stopped the 250 dead. But it started up immediately afterward with no damage except the fence link pulled out a bit. I've ben using my 250 that way for years with great results. It is excellent up next to barns and under fence lines where a brush hog won't fit.


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## DND 9000 (Apr 15, 2020)

You can use a brush knife on the FS 130 and yes the 130 has a solid drive shaft. But it is not as solid as the ones on the real clearing saws. Also on the FS 250 the shredder blade is no recomended cutting tool. It may work but it has a reason if it is not recomended by Stihl on these units.


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## CentaurG2 (Apr 15, 2020)

I have cleared a lot of land using both an FS130 and a FS250 and have beat the snot out of them. They will run any blade that will fit without any problems. Both machines were available with either a D loop or the bike handles. A dedicated clearing saw is bike handles only. The D-loop with a blade works fine, but is NOT recommend as it is a law suit waiting to happen. After a lot of testing, my preferred blade was the Redmax sst229. Teeth are identical to a chainsaw chain and you sharpen them the same way.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/183898361124



Trust me, if there is anyway to get a powered piece of equipment on the land you intend to clear it will save you hours of backbreaking work. A Dr Trimmer or a Billygoat brushhog (rent for the day) are the way to go or higher someone with a tractor/brushhog. In some cases, a person using a chainsaw on knees was more efficient than the trimmers.


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## sawfun (Apr 15, 2020)

The shredder blade is not recommended in the US at all on any machine if I've been told correctly. As with ny machine, you need skill and some common sense or I don't recommend it at all.


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## CentaurG2 (Apr 15, 2020)

As I recall, Stihl dedicated clearing saws and blades for them have a smaller arbor size and will not fit a grass trimmers/brushsaw want to be. Trimmers are something like 25mm vs clearing saws which run something like 20mm. If the “shredder” blade looks like something you would find under a push mower, it probably will not fit an FS130 or a FS250.


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## lone wolf (Apr 15, 2020)

https://www.stihlusa.com/webcontent/cmsfilelibrary/instructionmanuals/stihl-fs-130-owners-instruction-manual.pdf


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

I talked to the Stihl dealer my family has gone too forever. He said he has a 130 that's his main brush cutter on his farm. His feeling is that they are beefy enough that running the shredder blade shouldn't be an issue and if it were to actually mess up the drive shaft or gearhead, its a fairly cheap fix. 

I went ahead and ordered a 12" Airecut tri-blade too. I think it should do most of what I want to do, be better for grass, and be well within the specs of what the 130 is made for.


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## lone wolf (Apr 15, 2020)

stantonizm said:


> I talked to the Stihl dealer my family has gone too forever. He said he has a 130 that's his main brush cutter on his farm. His feeling is that they are beefy enough that running the shredder blade shouldn't be an issue and if it were to actually mess up the drive shaft or gearhead, its a fairly cheap fix.
> 
> I went ahead and ordered a 12" Airecut tri-blade too. I think it should do most of what I want to do, be better for grass, and be well within the specs of what the 130 is made for.


If you look in what I just posted it shows what attachment blades.


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

lone wolf said:


> If you look in what I just posted it shows what attachment blades.


I did.

The shredder/mulcher blades aren't available in the US from Stihl anymore and I think they were always a specialty item, so its unlikely the manual would recommend them even if they were appropriate. It doesn't show up at all on this selector guide: https://m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/C.../Cutting-Heads-and-Blades-Selection-Chart.pdf

The one I want to run is the Champion Brush Blender., which is similar to this: https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-t...Cutting-tools/21223-63713/Shredder-blade.aspx


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## lone wolf (Apr 15, 2020)

stantonizm said:


> I did.
> 
> The shredder/mulcher blades aren't available in the US from Stihl anymore and I think they were always a specialty item, so its unlikely the manual would recommend them even if they were appropriate. It doesn't show up at all on this selector guide: https://m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/C.../Cutting-Heads-and-Blades-Selection-Chart.pdf
> 
> The one I want to run is the Champion Brush Blender., which is similar to this: https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-t...Cutting-tools/21223-63713/Shredder-blade.aspx


Did you look on Ebay?


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

I don't need to find the blade. I already have the one I want to use and it has the correct arbor size. I'm trying to determine if its going to damage my machine to run it.


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## sawfun (Apr 15, 2020)

Oregon and Windsor made shredder blades. I bought a Windsor and later 3 Oregon blades on Ebay about 5 years ago. I also bought a Stihl shredder blade from a gentleman in Australia. The Oregon has the heaviest profile and the Stihl the lightest. I belive mine are the 9" profile, I'm not sure 10" will clear the guard. My fs250r has the 20mm arbor so either hole size will work. I'm pretty sure the 130 is the same.


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## stantonizm (Apr 15, 2020)

From what I've read, the Champion Brush Blender is the only one of this type still in production here. I don't think the Oregon or Winsdor are still made. This one is 12", 3mm thick, and weights 405g.
Looks like this:


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## Brazos (Apr 20, 2020)

I bought one of those Champion blades for my Husqvarna 555fx after I got it because of some pretty impressive videos on YouTube. I never have mounted if because I need a different blade/debris guard and never figured out which one I needed. How come they are so taboo in the US? I put together a hard hat with the face shield and have chainsaw chaps I planned to use with it if I ever do use it.


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## catbuster (Apr 21, 2020)

FS 130 with an Airecut

The Airecut triblades work awesome and the FS 130 will spin it without problem. Keep the guard on, they throw **** everywhere and bicycle handles are your friend.


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## stantonizm (Apr 24, 2020)

I did end up selling the Stihl and picked up the Echo SRM410u.

I also bought a bunch of blades including the champion brush blender, the airecut 300, renegade hybrid, and the Oregon maxi-blade. I'm indecisive and figured they're cheap enough I'll just try them all. I'll follow up once I've tried them out.


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## Franny K (Apr 25, 2020)

From what you put as the target vegetation and your location I suspect you will encounter autumn olive or russian olive. It will really only take a season or so and it needs cut out to use some sort of shredding or chopping blade. At least that is what I have discovered.

I could have bought one of Echo SMR410u instead of my second Honda 35cc one. Stihl store fronts/dealerships seem really opinionated when I ask about a brush cutter with a larger tube than is on display. Only fools would spend $900. I got a 20mm bore wood blade at one place for $10 since no one seems to use that size. I had a 34cc Husky that used that before I had to get a new gearbox. Gearbox would have cost half if it was just one size smaller machine.

Better get busy fast if you want to leave some species. The autumn olive and wild rose have leaves first. Cold weather clothing helps lots for this sort of activity.


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## furb (Apr 25, 2020)

I have all kinds of brush blades on an fs85 before I knew better. Just had to keep rpms up.


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## stantonizm (Apr 26, 2020)

Franny K said:


> From what you put as the target vegetation and your location I suspect you will encounter autumn olive or russian olive. It will really only take a season or so and it needs cut out to use some sort of shredding or chopping blade. At least that is what I have discovered.
> 
> I could have bought one of Echo SMR410u instead of my second Honda 35cc one. Stihl store fronts/dealerships seem really opinionated when I ask about a brush cutter with a larger tube than is on display. Only fools would spend $900. I got a 20mm bore wood blade at one place for $10 since no one seems to use that size. I had a 34cc Husky that used that before I had to get a new gearbox. Gearbox would have cost half if it was just one size smaller machine.
> 
> Better get busy fast if you want to leave some species. The autumn olive and wild rose have leaves first. Cold weather clothing helps lots for this sort of activity.


The place that I’ll be using it most immediately is to clear out a camper site that’s overgrown with saplings, blackberry, and multiflora rose. Honestly I could probably do the job with a machete in a couple hours, I just like power equipment and I like overkill haha. We also have other property with quite a few acres of old unmaintained fields with lots of autumn olive and multiflora rose. Ideally, if we ever get around to clearing them I’m hoping we can get most of it brushhogged, but I’d like to be able to clear out some of it myself if I have to. I figure with the airecut, shredder, and maxi/renegade, I should be set for grass, scrubby stuff, and woody stuff with a quick blade swap. The main reason I got the Echo was I found it for $420 new w/warranty vs. the Stihl which was well used with an unknown history. Despite the weight it does seem to balance and fit me a little better than the Stihl did too.


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## oaksnacorns (Jun 2, 2021)

My 2 cents on the 12 inch Champion Brush Blender. I am ENTHUSIASTIC about it. It is the only thing I have been using for mowing several acres (yeah I really need to get a mower when my ground is leveled better. I have lots of mole hills and grooves from black mud, and cleared of debris better) of tough grasses, some blackberries, etc. I have used 2 and 3 point flat blades, heavy trimmer line (.158 Oregon Flexiblade in an Oregon Magnum trimmer head), and circular steel blades and carbide tipped circular blades. The Champion is what I use for everything now.
Trimmer line gets hooked on things too often and breaks. The 2 and 3 point flat blades do not cut well unless they are at the proper angle to the material you're cutting. But the Champion blade works well because of the bend on the ends which catch the branches as it spins. I use it first thing when opening up an area. Let's say there's a lot of debris, I will cut the blackberries and tall grass and poison oak/sumac/ ivy, or whatever it is, so I can see what I'm doing to pick and rake up the branches etc. Then finally skim over the area with the Champion blade to mulch and mow what is left. 
Or for an area that is heavy in black berries, I'm swinging the Champion blade sideways and up and down, whichever way engages the blackberry growth the best. Coming down on the vertical blackberry stalks, it chops them up and spits them out like a Salad Shooter. 
Cruising over a smooth grassy surface that is not too dense, it leaves a close cut. 
Where the grass is tall, I may hold the blade at a 40 degree angle or so, to get better mulching action. 
The stock guard that came with my trimmer, recently got destroyed when the Champion blade hit a good rock and deflected upward and cut the guard 2/3 through, destroying it. So I cut the rest of it off. But even before that, the guard was not doing an adequate job of protecting me from the Champion blade that extends below the guard- I was still getting chunks hitting my lower leg, thigh, torso, right upper arm, hands. I got some bruises on my legs. And that guard tended to get in the way when I'm maneuvering around things. Now it never really gets clogged with grass- stuff spins free. I made a bracket and hose- clamped it to the shaft, with an arm that extends to the left with some heavy fabric hanging down from it- it catches a lot of stuff coming my direction. It is short enough to not possibly reach the blade. So at present, my protection is goggles under a Husqvarna foresters helmet with mesh, and gloves and heavy shirt. Chainsaw chaps would help the legs. 
I started running blades on my 24cc Honda 4 cycle trimmer, but it died with low compression and it would get bogged down with the Champion blade anyhow. I have had the 42.7 cc Echo SRM 410U for 5+ years now, it has been great. Hit rocks and wood too often, but it keeps on ticking. I have to slow down some when mulching heavy grass, but not unreasonably so, considering it's what I can afford. 
Sharpen the outside of the Champion blade a few licks with a 4" grinder, including the wings. The outside is sharpened instead of the inside as originally, so when I lightly go against tree bark, it does not cause so much damage. (The newer blades are sharpened on the outside). I don't try to completely grind out the rock dents on the edge- that would take off too much metal- just enough to put a sharp edge.


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## oaksnacorns (Jun 2, 2021)

One more little thing- If it doesn't need it, like the grass is thin, or I'm cruising over the places with occasional weeds and lots of small debris including rocks, I use low RPM's so the stuff caught by the blade is not flying so hard, and to extend run time and cause less wear on the engine.


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## sawfun (Jun 2, 2021)

Just be careful when choosing a shredder blade. The lighter thinner profile Windsor worked well on my fs250r. The much wider and heavier Oregon shedder blade was too much for the head and broke it, damaging the tube and bending the solid shaft. For blackberries,the shredder blades beat all of the other types, and by a lot. For everything else, I use string or tri-blades hand sharpened.


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## harwester (Jun 18, 2021)

sawfun said:


> Just be careful when choosing a shredder blade. The lighter thinner profile Windsor worked well on my fs250r. The much wider and heavier Oregon shedder blade was too much for the head and broke it, damaging the tube and bending the solid shaft. For blackberries,the shredder blades beat all of the other types, and by a lot. For everything else, I use string or tri-blades hand sharpened.


I agree with you. He must be careful.


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