Just Bought a New FS 45

[bvaught]

I couldnt justify the commercial models, I will be using this a few months out of the year for grass trimming. Does anyone have any comments on the Pros/Cons of this model?

I paid full retail $139, I didnt even try to get a lower price, there cant be much markup in that model and I wanted to support the local guy.

 

[bvaught]

Oops, posted in the wrong forum.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Its a Stihl, so I guess if we talk a little about chainsaws its allowed.
I liked my older Stihl trimmer I had, I think it was an FS36, or something like that, small, but it was kinda nice.

 

[stihltech]

45

Excellent machine. Biggest repair, fuel hose and carburetor due to leaving fuel in over winter up north. Green fuel hose cures the first problem, draining fuel and running it dry will cure the second.

 

[tony marks]

just bought one also. cheap but ive found it to be satiosfactory. so far.
i also like the trimmer head its an improvement ,i think.

 

[SawTroll]

I have been using a FS38 that was new last year this summer. It it basically the same machine I think - but with slightly smaller engine.
As far as I know, these machines are neither constructed nor made by Stihl, but by Ryobi in Japan.
Vibration was really bad in the trottle area on the machine that I used - and I would never by one for myself!

 

[Fish]

The old fs 36 series were made by Idc/Ryan, not the trimmers we are talking about. When they first came out, they all had bad fuel lines that cracked and rotted
quickly. At first, like all manufacturers, they denied any problems, blaming the customer for using bad gas, and finally fessed up, and came out with the green fuel
hose to replace it.
They are a consumer model only, in other words, junk. I like them better than the fs36 series, easier to work on.

 

[Vman]

i have an fs 80 and love it. better on the back with the long straight shaft instead of the curved shaft. also good range of attachments and cutters. i use one of the steel brush/grass blades and can cut through saplings a lil over 1" diameter.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Does the FS 80 have a solid shaft drive, or does that start at the 100 or 110?

Jeff

 

[Vman]

the fs80 has the cable shaft, i know the 110's have a solid shaft, i am not sure about the 100's.

 

[sedanman]

FS-80 solid, all the 4-mix units are solid. FS-85 extreme hollow aluminum tube driveshaft, prone to spinning the pressed in steel drive tangs.

 

[Vman]

when i bought the fs80, i was told it was cable shaft drive, i never took it apart so i can't give a definite of visualization, but my owners manual also says cable shaft drive............the dealer showed me a 110 with solid shaft, but he told me it was more than i needed.

from the stihl site..info on fs80...

Powered by STIHL Professional Series engine
Two line AUTOCUT® head
Cable drive shaft
Anti-vibration system
Three-shoe clutch

 

[begleytree]

My 55 kombi is shaft drive. Excellent little machine. No problems except the kill switch acts up sometimes.
-Ralph

 

[Stihl 041 super]

fs 55

I have a fs 55 and it seems to have some power if you take the nossle out of the muffler. Is this one of the brushcutters that are made in japan?

 

[Lawn Masters]

I used to run the FS85, I liked it, decent machine but my husky 323L feels lighter for some reason. might just be me, but I like the husky better.

 

[D]

The FS85 had the solid shaft.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Yes, thats what I've heard too. for some reason, I think my husky cuts the bermuda grass I used it in better, but thats probably me. maybe it was the crappy .095 round line I wound up using then on the Stihl and the square .095 on my husky

 

[sedanman]

My FS-80 was pieced together from more than one unit before I got to own it, it had a solid shaft which may or may not have been original. There were also 2 very different machines that were called FS-80, an older Japanese made unit wiht a mostly metal shroud around the engine and the newer white and orange affair with the plastic shroud. Mine was the latter.

 

[D]

True, but you don't see that old FS80 too often. I have made the mistake of assuming (like in this case, but I was ok in doing that) though it should be asked.

 

[1Alpha1]

I have a STIHL FS-44. Great weedeater. And yes.....I know it's made by RYOBI.

Still......one of the best I've ever owned.