# Does anybody else remove the guard from their trimmer?



## extraspecialman (Jun 25, 2008)

I know its kinda stupid,but safety glasses or a face shield should be worn while runnin a weed eater anyhow.I like runnin the line just a little longer than the guard allows,I get a smoother cut and the string last longer.Of course,runnin the line too long is hard on the engine and the shaft bearing,but my FS 250 has no problems runnin the string about 3 or 4 inches longer than the guard allows.


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## Timberhauler (Jun 25, 2008)

I've seen people run their trimmers without guards so they can run their line longer.The longer line then caused excessive vibes that caused bolts to start coming loose.


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## skid row (Jun 25, 2008)

No guard on my FS 85. I run my line a tad longer than the guard would allow before cutting it off. Remember the line is the engine load and if ya get too long it bogs the rpm's and is hard on the clutch springs.

Without the guard I can trim alot faster around obsticles. Eye protection always.


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## Blowncrewcab (Jun 25, 2008)

Thats one of the first things I do to my trimmers.. Not so I can run longer line, So I can fly around fence posts from any angle ( I have 300+ Fence posts) I carry a set of side cutters in my pocket to cut the line when It gets too long and starts bogging the motor..


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## COLD_IRON (Jun 25, 2008)

I only take the guard off to run blades.


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## stihl sawing (Jun 25, 2008)

I had an old shinny brushcutter one time that didn't have a guard. Better have some kevlar pants on to run it. Rocks on the shin are painful, So i have left the guards on all the others.


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## AngelofDarkness (Jun 25, 2008)

I leave them on. They usually deflect the worst of the crap, and most of the small, curved shaft homeowner trimmers I come across don't have the CC's or torque to turn the line any longer than the guard cutter will allow. The exception was my old 31cc Ryobi, that thing had some power for a $99 POS, too bad it fell apart after 3 seasons. When my little Mac 2500 finally dies I am gonna get an Echo, or a used Stihl.


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

I NEVER run a guard on a wacker and always run my string on the long side. When it's short... it'll "bite too much if you know what I mean. When it gets too long, I'll run it on a curb or something to wear it down a little... I can use a wacker to cut hills and slopes just as good as a mower with longer string. Also longer string is better for edging sidewalks with the head 8-10" away from the walk... sooooo much smoother! And... much better visibility for a pro job on a high dollar home without any scalp marks


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## extraspecialman (Jun 25, 2008)

yep you can weedeat a big area without a guard and make it look like a push mower done it.One of my favorite trimmers of all was an FS 85.I now have a FS 55 and a FS 250,1 is too little,the other is too big.


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## crashagn (Jun 25, 2008)

Ive had a wally world purcashed Weed eater.. striaght shaft trimmer for the past 6 years. Not 1 issue. Changed the plug and kept the filter clean. 2 years ago took the guard off and have yet to put it back on. The line stays out an average 7-10 inches on ta duel line. It dont ever go past that when i have fence to go around and the tall weeds in the ditch. I use some type of weird tapored type of string and that has greatly improved the time between reloading the spool. Even tightened up the throttle so it stays wide open over 4 years ago for the cruise control. If i need to go through saplings and such i take the spool off and put on the fine tooth circler saw blade and dont even run the saw past half throttle and wing wing wing right through the little suckers


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

My trimmers are all Redmax... And my backpack blowers are all Redmax... I do run Stihl hedge trimmers... those I like from Stihl but thats it... other than the saws of course!! I will say... The commercial Echo trimmers are ok too... I've had a few back in the 90's and they had some serious power and lasted a long time... would spin long string without a sneeze! My guy that does the chemicals has a BG85 handheld Stihl blower to clean the sidewalks of fert.... that kicks some butt for a handheld!


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## Lakeside53 (Jun 25, 2008)

longer lines just overheat engines... on a FS80/85, 4 inches more will raise the engine temps 200F

I leave my guards on. Of the 500 or so weed eaters we service a year, only a handfull have no guards....


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

And heres a little tip for NO GUARD users... when cutting... if the head spins counter clockwise like most... angle the head slightly so the right side of the head does the cutting... and shoots the crap away from you...get it??? you can weed wack places with shorts on and get minimal battle scars including overgrown gravelly parking lots!!


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> longer lines just overheat engines... on a FS80/85, 4 inches more will raise the engine temps 200F
> 
> I leave my guards on. Of the 500 or so weed eaters we service a year, only a handfull have no guards....



I guess its a little different in my area... Guards are for homeowners here... no pro uses a guard in my neck of the woods.. Then again...pros know when its too long and when its not....so overheating is never an issue


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## BloodOnTheIce (Jun 25, 2008)

Wicked500R said:


> I guess its a little different in my area... Guards are for homeowners here... no pro uses a guard in my neck of the woods.. Then again...pros know when its too long and when its not....so overheating is never an issue



It's more to do with pros breaking the guards and never replacing them, or so is the case in my area.


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## B_Turner (Jun 25, 2008)

Any suggestion on the toughest line to run? I have a Shindaiwa c270 (if I recall right) and use it to fight brush, blackberries, etc (not much grass).


Currently I use Arnold brand .095 line, and wonder if soimething else would hold up a little better to the abuse I give it.

Mine still has a guard on, but it's only a matter of time before it'll break off from the tough life fighting bushes, etc.


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## Lakeside53 (Jun 25, 2008)

Use a tri-blade....


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

BloodOnTheIce said:


> It's more to do with pros breaking the guards and never replacing them, or so is the case in my area.




I've been in the business 16 years and never really seen broken guards.... I've seen them worn out to #### on the edges but not really broken....they are pretty flexible.. if the guard was broken... I would assume the employee throwing the wacker into the trailer...lol


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## B_Turner (Jun 25, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> Use a tri-blade....



Did a google on tri-blade and am not sure what that is. I know they make heads with trimmers other than string but I've not tried one.

Would like to try something else though. a few times an hour I have to pull the head off and deal with getting the string to feed again. (From constantly catching on bushes and brush.)

I also have a blade, but I want to try something between a solid blade and string.

Sometimes I put a long bar on one of my small saws and clear brush with that, but I have to be careful not to damage trees in the overgrown brush that I want to keep.


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## Wicked500R (Jun 25, 2008)

B_Turner said:


> Any suggestion on the toughest line to run? I have a Shindaiwa c270 (if I recall right) and use it to fight brush, blackberries, etc (not much grass).
> 
> 
> Currently I use Arnold brand .095 line, and wonder if soimething else would hold up a little better to the abuse I give it.
> ...



Echo Crossfire string...


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## Lakeside53 (Jun 26, 2008)

B_Turner said:


> Did a google on tri-blade and am not sure what that is. I know they make heads with trimmers other than string but I've not tried one.
> 
> Would like to try something else though. a few times an hour I have to pull the head off and deal with getting the string to feed again. (From constantly catching on bushes and brush.)
> 
> ...




Blackberry and woody scrub is not for string.

Softer woody stems (1 year blackberry) can be cut with poly-cut blades.

Tough stuff requires either the 4 or 3 wing metal blades. The small tooth blades are worthless in blackberry.


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## extraspecialman (Jun 26, 2008)

A Stihl polycut is kinda in between a blade and string,but really not much good for brush.Does ok for thick weeds.Has 3 plastic "blades" that mount in the base.The blades are replaceable ,and pretty cheap.I think you get a pack of 12 for about $5.My favorite brush blade is a Beaver Blade,has actual chain saw teeth .


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## Lakeside53 (Jun 26, 2008)

A metal tri blade eats the beaver blades lunch in blackberry - that's for small trees/shrubs... and the lawyers stand 3 deep watching and waiting for it to break...


Here's a link to the echo version

http://cgi.ebay.com/7-NEW-ECHO-Weed...ryZ71277QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## jeeptj19992001 (Jun 26, 2008)

Wicked500R said:


> I guess its a little different in my area... Guards are for homeowners here... no pro uses a guard in my neck of the woods.. Then again...pros know when its too long and when its not....so overheating is never an issue





pros, you mean the kids that work for lawn services while school is out, and do not know anything...ohhh you live in nj...."the GARDEN state"


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## 16:1mix (Jun 26, 2008)

Good information fellas!


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## lawnmowertech37 (Jun 26, 2008)

*Did someone say blackberry ?*

them things are delicious in a pie blackberrys that is


i think the tri blade is a 3 sided blade Homelite had them back yonder


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## BIG JAKE (Jun 26, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> Use a tri-blade....



I bought a tri-blade for a yardman trimmer I have. Needed to cut some bigger weeds. It would start oscillating at idle while I was walking to the next weed (spin faster and slower). Has the wound spring type driveshaft maybe they all have this. Well I didn't think much of it until it snapped the driveshaft off at the head at idle while it was doing this-didn't take long either. It's a straight shaft homeowner and maybe not very robust. So if you see this happening with one of these heads don't let it do that. Maybe you could set the idle up a little to prevent oscillation.

On the guards, I take mine off. Had an interesting thing happen though maybe as a result of not having the guard on. I was cutting weeds around the vehicles one day and since my the head spins clockwise I tilt left to cut on single weeds so it throws most debris straight away from me. Car was directly behind me about six feet when I heard a pop. Seems a stone got slung around and took out the rear window on the honda. High deductible on a 530.00 window=expensive mistake. Doesn't seem possible but I shelled out 250.00 on that one. Hope posting this saves someone from misfortunes I've had with the :censored: mn things!


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## Fish (Jun 26, 2008)

skid row said:


> Without the guard I can trim alot faster around obsticles. Eye protection always.



I use great care and take my time when I trim around my obsticles..............

...................................................................................................





But keep in mind, removing the guard will void any related warranty...


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## Fish (Jun 26, 2008)

B_Turner said:


> Any suggestion on the toughest line to run? I have a Shindaiwa c270 (if I recall right) and use it to fight brush, blackberries, etc (not much grass).
> 
> 
> Currently I use Arnold brand .095 line, and wonder if soimething else would hold up a little better to the abuse I give it.
> ...



You should try a roll of Gator Magnum trimmer line, it has a strand of aramid
fiber in the center, some real tough stuff.


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## belgian (Jun 26, 2008)

Fish said:


> I use great care and take my time when I trim around my obsticles..............
> 
> ...................................................................................................
> 
> .



 Is that a string or a tri-blade you use ?


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## teacherman (Jun 26, 2008)

Ten years ago i bought a mile-long roll of this orange five-sided star cut or whatever line. It is great stuff. 

I also use a 150 foot piece of it as a throw line for trees. tougher than nails, little or no friction, just tough to get it to hold a knot, but I can throw it with surprising accuracy.

It works great, and I have a lifetime supply for 35.00 spent long ago.

Oh, I leave the guard on, it keeps it at 17" diameter, which is fine with me. 

I also use it to strip peeling paint on a house, it works surprisingly well on loose, flaky paint............


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## LazyJ (Jun 26, 2008)

Stripping paint! there's a "more power" mentality

No guard on my FS85 since day 1, autocut head gives me excellent control of my line length. The counter-clockwise rotation drives me crazy though, I'll never understand that engineering idea.


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## Urbicide (Jun 26, 2008)

Fish said:


> You should try a roll of Gator Magnum trimmer line, it has a strand of aramid
> fiber in the center, some real tough stuff.



+1. Good stuff.


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## scotclayshooter (Jun 26, 2008)

Another vote for taking the guards off, I have 2 fs250s neither have guards, I didnt ever bother to fit them from new.
None of the people i work with have had any problems with clutches or overheating with 200s or 250s with the guards removed!


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## extraspecialman (Jun 26, 2008)

the counter clockwise rotation works best If you walk backwards and to your left.This makes the string work against the moving path .Also walkin backwards and to your left will throw all the cut grass clippings back towards you,instead of into a new mulch bed or a freshly painted house.So it has its advantages


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## Pete M (Jul 12, 2008)

IT ALL DEPENDS....as well as hedges and trees, I'm strimming nearly every day. If I'm strimming near houses, cars and people, I will ALWAYS have the guard on. If I'm strimming fence posts around fields then I'll have the guard off. My partner in business always runs guard off - says it's easier for edging. But I have no problem edging. And he is the one who has broken numerous car and house windows despite being extra careful with direction of strimming. Another bloke I work with took out the rear window of a Porsche Cayenne a few weeks ago. Luckily, the driver was cool about it and has got it sorted on her motor insurance.


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## Pete M (Jul 12, 2008)

And running without guard is nothing to do with pros breaking them. 20+ years doing this with workmates and not one broken guard. Mind you, always Stihl equipment - don't know how some of the other stuff would stand up.


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## geofore (Jul 12, 2008)

*trimming heads*

Have you looked at www.grassgator.com for a replacement head? They are lighter and you cut the line to the length you want. I carry a pocket full of em, quick and easy to replace line. The gator heads are lighter than original equipment and can be easier on the hp it takes to run longer string. From a safety standpoint: Do not remove the gaurd on the weedwacker, "You could put your eye out."


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## RiverRat2 (Jul 12, 2008)

*+1*



COLD_IRON said:


> I only take the guard off to run blades.




Yep!!!!    and wear wrap around sideshield safety glasses with any trimmer bladed or not!!!!!


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## Pete M (Jul 12, 2008)

Speaking of putting an eye out....I almost did. Finishing up on a job a few weeks ago, all equipment back away in the truck, feeling knackered, then noticed that the weeds at the bottom of the fence on the pavement (sidewalk to most of you) hadn't been strimmed off. Grabbed the nearest strimmer out the truck, just happened to be workmate's guardless one, fired it up, didn't bother with eye protection as the helmets were all put away and it was only a tiny bit to do (5m along the fence) strim strim, flick of something that I though whacked the side of my nose, didn't think much of it till I looked in a mirror and saw a 5mm diameter red dot on the white of my eye about 2mm from my iris. Within hours the whole of the white on the side of my eye nearest my nose had gone bright bright deep blood red. Was a close call...


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## RED-85-Z51 (Jul 12, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> longer lines just overheat engines... on a FS80/85, 4 inches more will raise the engine temps 200F
> 
> I leave my guards on. Of the 500 or so weed eaters we service a year, only a handfull have no guards....



Exactly. It's hell on the powerheads.

You are holding the throttle wide open all the time, you are drafting in as much fuel as the motor will allow, creating a very hot combustion, but the cooling fan isnt able to spin up as fast to compensate for the hotter combustion, thus the motor gets hot.

I got a new Echo SRM-210 last month, It has a small guard, about 6" across at the back...it keeps the lines about 7" long, making the total swath about 17" in diameter. I can do fenceposts, fencerows, edging...no problems. And no crap kicked back at me. The motor is tuned at the factory to run at the optimum load and speed with a 17" swath of 0.095" line...dual lines. it's perfectly balanced, no vibes.

We see em, various brands, coming in with no guards...typical complaint is "it wont rev". Usually just cutting the lines back down to 7-8" makes them run fine. Every so often, it's too late, pistons are black, low compression. Most common are Ryobi's. The plastic shields break off if you look at em wrong...and the motors seem to run HOT to begin with.


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## scotclayshooter (Jul 12, 2008)

Run a fs250 with the guard and cutter intact and it just screams!
A little bit of wear and tear from more line out is more than made up by the productivity to us "pro's"


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## Lakeside53 (Jul 12, 2008)

I like guys like you -great money from rebuilds..


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## scotclayshooter (Jul 13, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> I like guys like you -great money from rebuilds..



It doesnt seem to hurt the Stihl's!
The Makita rbc420e dont like it, Those bloody POS strimmers seem to need clutches and carbs all the time


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## Edge & Engine (Jul 13, 2008)

We replace several shafts (flex) a year on a trimmer fleet...because they're run without guards. We've never had to replace shafts - on the same models - when they're run with guards.


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## Mike Van (Jul 13, 2008)

Best string I've used is the Husky brand [it's silver] with Titanium - It still wears away, but the best part is it doesn't 'weld' itself together inside the head & snap off.


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## 046 (Jul 13, 2008)

Guards stays on my trimmers. 
have no problems operating with guards on. 

length of line with guard on FS80 & FS85 puts just the right load on engine. 

with FS250 line seems a bit short as the engine will pull a bigger load. wish there was a way to leave guard on and lengthen string another inch or so. 

just finished a roll of echo .95 crossfire. works well but welds inside spool. parts guy recommended Stihl line, so got a new roll of stihl 1.05 line instead.


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## extraspecialman (Jul 13, 2008)

i agree with 046,ive often thot about makin some kind of adapter that will push the gaurd back about 3 inches.Just a flat piece of steel


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## Lakeside53 (Jul 13, 2008)

FS250 -put on a 4 line head.


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## 046 (Jul 13, 2008)

what's the model #? is this a fixed line setup using super thick lines? 



Lakeside53 said:


> FS250 -put on a 4 line head.


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## RED-85-Z51 (Jul 13, 2008)

I really like the Stock Head on my SRM-210, and it really does well with the dual 0.95 Echo Cross-Fire line...

I know alot of new users opt to have the rapid-loader put on, and they run dual .105 lines, and it seems to pull it just as easily...

But I prefer a bump line, as the machine works most efficiently when the line is at it's longest, and with a fixed line head, the liens wear down to an inefficient length...With a bump head, when it gets a little short, just give her a tap.

I like the Echo line, as it doesnt seem to weld up as bad as the Magnum Gator line I was so fond of in the past. 

4 spool fulls of echo line so far...never had to remove the head due to a weld or jam. And that is doing chainlink fence as well.


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## lawnmowertech37 (Jul 13, 2008)

RED-85-Z51 said:


> I really like the Stock Head on my SRM-210, and it really does well with the dual 0.95 Echo Cross-Fire line...
> 
> I know alot of new users opt to have the rapid-loader put on, and they run dual .105 lines, and it seems to pull it just as easily...
> 
> ...


hey red is that trimmer line you use orange in color and comes in strips 

?


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## scotclayshooter (Jul 13, 2008)

046 said:


> Guards stays on my trimmers.
> have no problems operating with guards on.
> 
> length of line with guard on FS80 & FS85 puts just the right load on engine.
> ...



Stihl line is really soft! But it is cheap! The orange square Stihl line is supposed to be 2.4mm but is only 2.2mm the red 2.7mm is only 2.5mm but is better.
Sawtec line seems the best i have tried and is the thickness it says it is, I cant really find any info on the web about the line but it is a Efco brand i think.
I use my strimmers mostly as a lawnmower and not so much for around posts etc. This techneque works best with a couple of inches more line!
The only problems ive had that was heat related was when i got Oregon sparkplugs that were 1mm gapped instead of 0.5mm Grr it just wouldnt start when it was hot!


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## stihl sawing (Jul 13, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> FS250 -put on a 4 line head.


Didn't know they made one, I will check into one of those.


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## scotclayshooter (Jul 13, 2008)

I use a manual universal 2 line head, Its really light compared to a heavy Stihl bump head, So isnt the engine having an easier time with that and a couple of inches more line rather than wasting the power turning that heavy bump head?


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## Just Mow (Jul 13, 2008)

STIHL is the only manufacturer to make their own trimmer line........

The rest are made by Oregon, Desert Extrusion, Shakespere.
Only Desert and Oregon make nylon copolymer line, Shakespere makes monofilament line which is what you usually find at the discount stores offered at a low price.


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## Edge & Engine (Jul 13, 2008)

Just Mow said:


> STIHL is the only manufacturer to make their own trimmer line........
> 
> The rest are made by Oregon, Desert Extrusion, Shakespere.
> Only Desert and Oregon make nylon copolymer line, Shakespere makes monofilament line which is what you usually find at the discount stores offered at a low price.



Desert Extrusion....they bought some Shindaiwa line from me once. I wonder why


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## Just Mow (Jul 13, 2008)

EdgeAndEngine said:


> Desert Extrusion....they bought some Shindaiwa line from me once. I wonder why



The Shiny line is made by Oregon, must have wanted to check it out or replicate it.


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## CharlieG (Jul 13, 2008)

Guard on-I hate getting a picked up rock in the shin . Excessively long line will also overheat an engine, especicially by a crew member who doesnt pay for the equipment :angry2: !


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## Sprig (Jul 14, 2008)

My two Stihl FS36's have guards, they get used more by others than me, my Efco 330 however doesn't (worn 'em out) but only I use it as the harness and controls are set up for me and its a pain to adjust everything alla time 
I'm using some el-cheapo .095" red line from HH, its okay, and cheap, but I prefer the old orange square line (forget who makes it) as it seems to cut more aggressively. I also find that I get much less binding issues if I wrap one line upper and the other below (seperately and tightly) rather than just wind both at once. Not overly fond of the bumper heads either as I have worn out/broken several, with the Efco lengthening the line gives me a quick breather 
My 0.02$ worth fer the morning.

 All

Serge


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## spacemule (Jul 14, 2008)

CharlieG said:


> Guard on-I hate getting a picked up rock in the shin . Excessively long line will also overheat an engine, especicially by a crew member who doesnt pay for the equipment :angry2: !



You will never get a rock in the shin if you cut with the side of the line going away from you--left hand side for clockwise rotation or right hand side for counter clockwise rotation.


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## stihl sawing (Jul 14, 2008)

spacemule said:


> You will never get a rock in the shin if you cut with the side of the line going away from you--left hand side for clockwise rotation or right hand side for counter clockwise rotation.


True, but when swingin a brushcutter in tall grass and you have a lot of it to do you just don't think about how to hold the head all the time. I leave mine on, Have been hit a bunch of times with things.


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## spacemule (Jul 14, 2008)

stihl sawing said:


> True, but when swingin a brushcutter in tall grass and you have a lot of it to do you just don't think about how to hold the head all the time. I leave mine on, Have been hit a bunch of times with things.



I leave the guard on as well. I still don't like getting grass on my shins though.


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## extraspecialman (Jul 14, 2008)

I like the Stihl .095 line,and it will last twice as long with no guard on my FS250.I guess the loss of a few rpms just helps it last longer.In heavy grass or weeds,the guard just gets in the way,and just makes an anchor point for the tall grass to get wrapped around.For low grass that gets trimmed every week the guard just makes the line to short and you get a choppy look.Small trimmers like the FS 40 and 36 probably need the guard ,but if you know anything about trimmers or 2 cycle engines,you know when theres too much line


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## scotclayshooter (Jul 14, 2008)

Tried the muffler modded 250 today and it likes to run a 20" diameter cutting circle and runs at 8450rpm 17" =8940 rpm and 14" =10500

now who is going to work out the tip speed at those rpms


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## Dan Forsh (Jul 14, 2008)

Since this seems to be 'The' trimmer thread I hope nobody minds if I go a little off topic looking for some info.

I'm needing to change out the bearing in the the end of the gear head on my FS 360. How do you draw it out? I'm thinking that I will need to attach some kind of puller to the drive shaft/pinion and use this to pull the bearing out?

I have a ZS tool and was hoping this would be what's required but I don't have any kind of adaptor to attach to the shaft's left handed thread.

Help please


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## spacemule (Jul 14, 2008)

scotclayshooter said:


> Tried the muffler modded 250 today and it likes to run a 20" diameter cutting circle and runs at 8450rpm 17" =8940 rpm and 14" =10500
> 
> now who is going to work out the tip speed at those rpms



I quickly ran the numbers, so I may have made a mistake, but this is what I get.

20" at 8450 = 502.7 mph tip speed
17" at 8940 = 452.1 mph tip speed
14" at 10500 = 437.3 mph tip speed

That's assuming, of course, that the ratio of powerhead to cutting head is 1 to 1.


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## extraspecialman (Jul 14, 2008)

tip speed actually sped up at lower RPM? Thats pretty neat


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## Dan Forsh (Jul 14, 2008)

extraspecialman said:


> tip speed actually sped up at lower RPM? Thats pretty neat



Yep, that how it works, the tip has to travel further on a longer line so consequently it also travels faster for a given rpm


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## oneoldbanjo (Jul 17, 2008)

Well I saw this thread a while back.....and when I bought my new metal blade for cutting brush I thought I might was well leave the guard off like you "professionals". The first tankful things were great and the brush blade really cuts through the little locust and honeysuckle bushes that are sprouting out of the old stumps left over from the clearing of the power line right of way on my property. Some of the trees are in an old fence row along the property line with my neighbor and it is too rugged to bush hog. The second tank of fule I must have hit an old piece of fence and something flew out and hit me in the shin big time....the kind of hit that swells instantly and makes you not want to look. This damage was done through my blue jeans.

I believe I am going to put the guard back on and see how well it works in the brush with a guard.......if this has hit me in the face I would have been in real trouble.


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## shadow745 (Jul 17, 2008)

I leave them off. Gives me a better view of what I'm cutting and lets me run the line longer. I currently use an old Sears Bushwhacker that my dad bought back in the early 90s and gave it to me. It's a 38cc beast and might be a bit heavy compared to most made today, but I haven't used anything nearly as powerful yet. Only revs to 6000rpm, but has buttloads of low end torque. The best trimming combo for it I've found is one of Husqvarna's heavy-duty universal bump feed heads filled with their Titanium .095 line. Without the guard in place I can bump the line out to 10-12 inches on each side and away I go. I haven't seen anything modern (that I have used personally) that can crank out the power like it can, but I'm sure some of the larger Stihl and Husky units will do it. I'm just maintaining it the best I can and hope it will last another 5+ years. A brushcutter in the same size and build quality will probably cost me $400-500, so I have to make it last. Later!


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## Fish (Apr 24, 2012)

I just remembered this thread.......


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## Nardoo (Apr 24, 2012)

I miss Andy.


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## wishihadcoils (Apr 24, 2012)

I run my guard up higher on the shaft. still works, gives good visabilty, can run longer line. and if i hit someone or something with a rock, the guard is still in place, for insurance reasons.


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## Fish (Apr 24, 2012)

I run my big echo with no guard, and run the big magnum kevlar line, have been doing so for over a decade.


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## McCulloch1-52 (Apr 24, 2012)

I never thought about it because They never start in my case and I like to leave them on because it it easier for me to start them I dont drop start them because it takes me 50 pulls to start them, I had one guard fell off I used it without a guard but I can't set it on the ground and start it later I convert it to Diesel.


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## 046 (May 13, 2017)

blast from the past .. still running my FS250 without a guard but thinking of putting it back on for safety not for a lack of power or overheating. FS250 is a brute ..

have switched to a FS94R when I need a lightweight trimmer


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