String trimmers

big bubba · Jun 3, 2018

If I can high jack this thread? A question for Stihl operators. We mostly use the "power head" type adaptable type of units, by Echo. When I looked at the Stihl KombiSystem they looked like they might be on the weak side. If you have this system, how has it worked for you? And what attachments have you used with it. ArlyA

been doing landscaping maintenance on my own & commercially for more years than i want to admit. thankfully, @ this stage in life feel grateful i still can do a good day's work thanks to being injury free & more importantly, with dependable pro grade tools (finally!) easier now to take care of my 127 acres because of that than when i was a young man. agree with many posters on this thread that pro quality is the only way to go to get the job done (beyond occasional homeowner use)

my thoughts on multi tool power heads & battery operated equipment:
i would recommend to anyone interested in going into landscaping maintenance commercially or on a good sized place:
* steer clear of multi tool power heads & battery operated machines. i have tried various attachments on multi tool such as the pole pruner, trimmer, & hedge trimmer. their use is limited, sometimes heavier, and too much time to hook up. go with dedicated pro equip designed to do each specific task. multi tool power heads seem like a good compromise, but i'd never consider for my work.

as far as battery operated, yes, batteries & voltages have improved. & yes i use cordless drills, etc, all the time. but a waste of time for extensive landscape work. both multi & battery can be useful for hobnobbing around the house, but not for long work for the long run.

a place for everything, thankfully. know i'll probably step on some toes on this, only imho. glad to have the forum for a diverse exchange of ideas

Doofy · Jun 3, 2018

I am partial to all things Makita, cordless as well as corded. I would gladly try a cordless string trimmer but no one will mail or ship me one. The lithium battery BS is turning off a lot of people from buying cordless. Not everyone has access to the Big cities where these things are available.

I can get "Tool Only" shipped up but to then buy batteries on top of that is ridiculous. Only batteries I have at the moment are 2.0 Ah. Would love some 5.0 Ah. I know for a fact that Alaska does get Ground Shipping from the States but no one wants to be bothered to ship that way.

ArlyA · Jun 3, 2018

We'll for the most part, need to disagree with you. We work from a UTV or hike into the woods so tool size is at a premium for our needs and the tool attachment system Echo uses has worked reasonably well us. Not perfect granted, but still good enough. The ability to change out the power head or tool, adds much redundancy when some component fails. Utilizing a UTV we'll head out with 2 or three power units, 2 pole saw heads, 2 strings heads, etc, etc. We have failed pole-saws heads and power units stopped for whatever the reason but its gereally not a problem, since we can trade some failed part out and keep on working. We don't want to come back in when some tool stops! I'll add a couple of photos of a UTV loaded for work. Its normally more organized than you see here!

Let me add, we usually don't became a regular chainsaw with us. Pole-saws have done well for us.

big bubba said:
If I can high jack this thread? A question for Stihl operators. We mostly use the "power head" type adaptable type of units, by Echo. When I looked at the Stihl KombiSystem they looked like they might be on the weak side. If you have this system, how has it worked for you? And what attachments have you used with it. ArlyA

been doing landscaping maintenance on my own & commercially for more years than i want to admit. thankfully, @ this stage in life feel grateful i still can do a good day's work thanks to being injury free & more importantly, with dependable pro grade tools (finally!) easier now to take care of my 127 acres because of that than when i was a young man. agree with many posters on this thread that pro quality is the only way to go to get the job done (beyond occasional homeowner use)

my thoughts on multi tool power heads & battery operated equipment:
i would recommend to anyone interested in going into landscaping maintenance commercially or on a good sized place:
* steer clear of multi tool power heads & battery operated machines. i have tried various attachments on multi tool such as the pole pruner, trimmer, & hedge trimmer. their use is limited, sometimes heavier, and too much time to hook up. go with dedicated pro equip designed to do each specfic job. multi tool power heads seem like a good compromise, but i'd never consider for my work.

as far as battery operated, yes, batteries & voltages have improved. & yes i use cordless drills, etc, all the time. but a waste of time for extensive landscape work. both multi & battery can be useful for hobnobbing around the house, but not for long work for the long run.

a place for everything, thankfully. know i'll probably step on some toes on this, only imho. glad to have the forum for a diverse exchange of ideas

big bubba · Jun 3, 2018

actually in your case, makes sense. glad there are lots of options for every situation. i work fairly close to vehicles, so equip not a problem for me. to answer your original question, can't really compare stihl vs echo on multi tool. that system does not fit my needs. thanks for reply

ArlyA · Jun 3, 2018

That is correct, we use whatever attachment necessary for the jobs we find along the way. I should add, it takes less than 60 seconds to trade an attachment out. Still wondering if anyone here has tried the Stihl KombiSystem!

big bubba said:
actually in your case, makes sense. glad there are lots of options for every situation. i work fairly close to vehicles, so equip not a problem for me. to answer your original question, can't really compare stihl vs echo on multi tool. that system does not fit my needs. thanks for reply

big bubba · Jun 3, 2018

ArlyA said:
That is correct, we use whatever attachment necessary for the jobs we find along the way. I should add, it takes less than 60 seconds to trade an attachment out. Still wondering if anyone here has tried the Stihl KombiSystem!

have you checked on line as to how each of the specs compare such as power to weight ratio, & more importantly, customer reviews for both?

Will_C · Jun 3, 2018

I have the Stihl Kombi system. A KM 130 power head with the rubber paddles, pole saw, and a trimmer. I have had for 3 years. I haven't had any trouble with the attachment points. The paddle unit gets used 4-5 hours in the spring, the pole pole saw as needed, and I got the trimmer so the motor got more use-I do a lot of trimming.
I think they are a great idea for a serious homeowner- I have use for the paddle and the saw, but not enough for dedicated units. I would imagine a precessional may be better served with stand alone machines.

Will

ultrarunner · Jun 3, 2018

Own a Stihl Battery Chainsaw used commercially at the Christmas Tree Farm with hundred of cuts each day and zero issues

Bird · Jun 4, 2018

Different opinions and different preferences, for different reasons. I now live in town, have my own yard and one neighbor's yard to tend to, and for my use my EGO equipment can't be beat (assuming it lasts long enough). But when we lived on 10 acres, out in the country, and I also did some work for a couple of neighbors, I've forgotten the model number but I had a Stihl string trimmer and also had the metal saw blade for it. And for my use then, I don't think that Stihl could have been beat. Even here in town, in recent years, my little Stihl FS55 served quite well and was still good when I gave it to my grandson after I bought the EGO. But I'm sure there are other brands and models that would perform very well, too.

ArlyA · Jun 4, 2018

We at times use a gallon a fuel per day. Battery powered units won't cut it, for us. We also don't use steel cutting blades very much and have just one machine setup with one. Its cutting radius is just to small, so its delegated to trees or shoots that the .155 string can't cut. The string units WILL cut pencil Size shoots and smaller, plus its cutting radius is quite large, like 16". So these heads are the "go to" units that are used most often.

Bird said:
Different opinions and different preferences, for different reasons. I now live in town, have my own yard and one neighbor's yard to tend to, and for my use my EGO equipment can't be beat (assuming it lasts long enough). But when we lived on 10 acres, out in the country, and I also did some work for a couple of neighbors, I've forgotten the model number but I had a Stihl string trimmer and also had the metal saw blade for it. And for my use then, I don't think that Stihl could have been beat. Even here in town, in recent years, my little Stihl FS55 served quite well and was still good when I gave it to my grandson after I bought the EGO. But I'm sure there are other brands and models that would perform very well, too.