smallest 4-mix stihl

[nateskate]

I know most on this site dont want to talk smallest. But your advice has proved invaluable. I bought the 361 after hours of reading and love it. Now for a trimmer. been reading and looks like a 4mix but have a small farm and house and dont need massive commercial and cant really find engine info on Stihls site. what is the smallest 4mix. I like the specs on the fs80r but dont know if it comes in 4mix.
Thanx
nate

 

[o2man98]

The FS90 looks to be the smallest. I would go with the 80 personally. Why the want of the 4mix???

 

[nateskate]

I guess fuel mileage. But its not a must. What might the price difference be?
nate

 

[forestryworks]

the 4-Mix will be a tad quieter, sip on fuel, and not as many vibes

 

[COLD_IRON]

4 mix is a great engine, I have 2 of them. They use less fuel than the 2 cycle and put out much more power. The torque is very nice as well, they are quieter and you can run the heck out them no problem.

As far as the Stihl trimmer/brushcutter range goes, there are only 2 2 cycle models left, the 80 and 250 - both of which will probably go out of production soon.

 

[Just Mow]

The 80R is 299 and the 90R is 299.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

Go with the FS 90R, more torque, quieter, easier on your hands and better on gas than the 80r. I have a FS80, FS85 and FS90 and I prefer the 90R the best of the three. And the 4 Mixes don't scare the horses like the FS 80 does.

 

[nateskate]

do the stihl dealers bend on price at all or is msrp it?
nate

 

[Erick]

Nate, I recently went through this process and my best advice is for you to go and handle the trimmers your looking at for your self.

Looking on paper I was headed off to buy a Stihl FS100RX when I got to the dealer and actually picked them up I didn't like the way the 100RX felt. The FS80R feels much lighter and a lot more balanced. I think Stihl tends to fudge the weight specs a little on the 4-mix machines, and they are definitely power head heavy.

If you're just dead set on the 4-mix look at the FS100RX, if not check out the FS80R.

If your wanting something you can run a brush blade on look at the FS130 or the FS250.

I think my criteria was about the same as yours, I wanted a nice light weight loop handled dedicated string trimmer with some real power.

I bought the Kawasaki KGT27a and I absolutely love it.

 

[Just Mow]

Nate, I recently went through this process and my best advice is for you to go and handle the trimmers your looking at for your self.

Looking on paper I was headed off to buy a Stihl FS100RX when I got to the dealer and actually picked them up I didn't like the way the 100RX felt. The FS80R feels much lighter and a lot more balanced. I think Stihl tends to fudge the weight specs a little on the 4-mix machines, and they are definitely power head heavy.

If you're just dead set on the 4-mix look at the FS100RX, if not check out the FS80R.

If your wanting something you can run a brush blade on look at the FS130 or the FS250.

I think my criteria was about the same as yours, I wanted a nice light weight loop handled dedicated string trimmer with some real power.

I bought the Kawasaki KGT27a and I absolutely love it.

The weights are as listed. I have put them on the scales. I do agree with you on the powerhead being heavier which makes the balance different. But the weight is correct and the power is greater on the 100RX.

 

[Erick]

The weights are as listed. I have put them on the scales. I do agree with you on the powerhead being heavier which makes the balance different. But the weight is correct and the power is greater on the 100RX.

Hey Mow!, What were the weights if you don't mind me asking. In the book the FS80R is spec'd at 10.8 lbs and 1.27hp the FS100RX is spec'd at 10.4 lbs and 1.3hp.

I can say In the store side by side the FS100 feels a good bit heavier than the 80. The display tag on the 100RX I looked at said 11.2 lbs???

Was just wondering which number was right?

My Kawi spec'd 10.2 lbs on paper (no cutting head) and weighs 11.4 (I think may have been 11.2 can't remember now ) full of line and fuel ready to rock. It's also spec'd at 1.6 hp and I believe it's got every tenth of it.

 

[Just Mow]

Hey Mow!, What were the weights if you don't mind me asking. In the book the FS80R is spec'd at 10.8 lbs and 1.27hp the FS100RX is spec'd at 10.4 lbs and 1.3hp.

I can say In the store side by side the FS100 feels a good bit heavier than the 80. The display tag on the 100RX I looked at said 11.2 lbs???

Was just wondering which number was right?

My Kawi spec'd 10.2 lbs on paper (no cutting head) and weighs 11.4 (I think may have been 11.2 can't remember now ) full of line and fuel ready to rock. It's also spec'd at 1.6 hp and I believe it's got every tenth of it.

Erick, it has been a few years but the weight was correct. We used fish scales and it was off by mere ounces, probably the scale. I have run the Kawi as well as a demo and I have both the 80R's and the 100RX's. They have better power in thicker weeds, but nothing wrong with Kawi.

 

[nateskate]

Will go tomorrow to stihl dealer to check how they feel. Does anyone know if stihl dealers have any room to negotiate a little on price.?

Why would the fs80 and 90 4mix be the same price?

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Im not sure on Stihl, but I know that at an Echo dealership, the prices are set by Echo..we get tags and literature, prices listed.

Have you checked out the Echo offerings on trimmers? An Echo SRM-230 is a fine trimmer, sips gas, lighweight, smooth, no vibes..

Same with thr SRM-261, SRM-280..Just well thought out trimmers that last and last. The only complaint Ive heard from an owner of a SRM-230, 260, 280, was one man, out probably 100..had a clip come lose that retains the shaft to the Anti-vibe handle...no damage, 2 seconds, snapped in a new ring and of he went. It had about 400 working hours on it in about a year..still ran like new.

 

[THALL10326]

Will go tomorrow to stihl dealer to check how they feel. Does anyone know if stihl dealers have any room to negotiate a little on price.?

Why would the fs80 and 90 4mix be the same price?

They lowered the price of the FS90 to 299.95 and raised the price of the
FS80 to 299.95. I think the FS90 was 319.95 and the FS80 was 289.95. They're pricing those two units the same so people will trend toward the newer FS90 and away from the older FS80. Reason being the FS80 is soon going to be discontiued due to EPA. By 2010 the FS80 will be history.

The FS90 is much more efficient than the FS80 on sipping fuel, putting out more power and doing it more quietly. The 4-stroke motor on the FS90 merely puts out more torque than the 2 cycle motor on the FS80, plainly put, the FS90 will outcut the FS80. The only advantage of the FS80 is its slightly lighter than the FS90.

Far as bartering over the price don't get your hopes up. The FS90 is a hot seller. If your in an area where there has been plenty of rain and the grass has been growing leaps and bounds chances are good the dealer isn't going to budge on the price. He doesn't have to do so in order to move product in that sort of climate area. If your in a dry area and grass growing is so so he may budge abit to move some trimmers...

 

[nateskate]

red, what is the cost of the echos compared to comparable stihls? 4 strokes. do the echo 4's use mix.?

what might the differences be in the stihl 90 an the fs100rx i noticed the price was only 30.00 more than the 90?
nate

 

[nateskate]

Far as bartering over the price don't get your hopes up. The FS90 is a hot seller. If your in an area where there has been plenty of rain and the grass has been growing leaps and bounds chances are good the dealer isn't going to budge on the price. He doesn't have to do so in order to move product in that sort of climate area. If your in a dry area and grass growing is so so he may budge abit to move some trimmers...

we've had rain perfectly timed in our area. im not bragging, Iowa and Calif. Last year we had a dead drought but this year the grass grows so fast you can almost watch it. So guess I better bust out the check book.
nate
(good looking garden though) have'nt had to water once.

 

[THALL10326]

Im not sure on Stihl, but I know that at an Echo dealership, the prices are set by Echo..we get tags and literature, prices listed.

Have you checked out the Echo offerings on trimmers? An Echo SRM-230 is a fine trimmer, sips gas, lighweight, smooth, no vibes..

Same with thr SRM-261, SRM-280..Just well thought out trimmers that last and last. The only complaint Ive heard from an owner of a SRM-230, 260, 280, was one man, out probably 100..had a clip come lose that retains the shaft to the Anti-vibe handle...no damage, 2 seconds, snapped in a new ring and of he went. It had about 400 working hours on it in about a year..still ran like new.

Echo does indeed make a good trimmer. Its the benchmark of their enitire product lineup. Sadly though the trimmers they are well known for are going to be phased out by EPA like all two strokers. I think the models you just mentioned are on their way out. Its my understanding Shindiawa and Echo have teamed up to be able put together some clean units for the USA market. I guess Shiny's 4-stroker will be carrying the Echo name or the Echo will use Shiny's engine in thier name brand trimmers to meet EPA. EPA,grrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Just Mow]

The 4-mix Stihl units run on 50:1 fuel mix, they are a hybrid engine and not a true four stroke.
Stick with the Stihl.
The Echo quality keeps going downhill. What would you expect from someone selling out to the mass retailers. Same thing that happened to the rest.

 

[THALL10326]

we've had rain perfectly timed in our area. im not bragging, Iowa and Calif. Last year we had a dead drought but this year the grass grows so fast you can almost watch it. So guess I better bust out the check book.
nate
(good looking garden though) have'nt had to water once.

Welp no harm in asking, heck be nice and who knows, he may knock off abit just because your a nice customer, worth a try.