Stihl String Trimmers

[oldballs]

My Stihl FS81 was purchased in 1983 and (still:laughing runs great. It is a Brushcutter with handle bars. I run it with a shoulder strap and a large pad for the left shoulder. I also homemade a leather pad for the right hip where the machine rubs. With the Stihl helmet and ear protection I can run it for 3-4 hours at a time using the 0.95" string or one of the metal saw blades....make that 1-2 hours at a time now that I'm 81. I do the maintenance, and currently use the 93 octane gasoline with Sithl mix which I make in 2 gallon batches, that keep from season to season as a rule. As to the new models I have no experience.

Now , Bird, I too had a Honda 360 4 stroke two banger (10,000miles) and a Suzuki 550, 2 stroke, 3 banger (30,00mile). I loved that Suzuki, but don't remember which was reving the most.

 

[Garandman]

I have no idea whether that's right or not, so it very could be. But it reminds of a time, back in the last '60s when I had a little Yamaha motorcycle that was a 2 stroke. A friend had a Honda that was a 4 stroke. Now my 2 stroke definitely sounded as if it was turning a lot more rpms, but in reality the Honda 4 stroke was.

You hear combustion. Two strokes fire on every piston stroke, four strokes every other: the second piston stroke is used to exhaust the fired charge and recharge the cylinder.

Many [4 stroke] street motorcycles rev over 10,000 rpms. Formula One cars and racing motorcycles rev even higher.

 

[Garandman]

Well this is interesting. This seems to be a four stroke operating cycle, but the charge is fed from the sump like a two stroke.

 

[JimRB]

I got a used Stihl 110 powerhead from a guy that supposedly services engines for people. It did not run/sound right to me. Of course you do have to get used to the 4 cycle sound but it still did not sound right. I adjusted the valves which were really loose, somewhere between 2 and 3 times the specified clearance. It ran and sounded better after that adjustment. Note it takes a funky feeler gauge from Stihl or you butcher one of your existing feeler gauges.

 

[om21braz]

I'm happy I bought my FS85 when I did.

+1 My FS85 is over 10 years old and the dealer has given me a standing offer of full purchase price for it back should I want to sell.

Sorry, I realize it is an old thread - new reader.

 

[Will_C]

Those FS 85s are legendary. I have had mine for 14 years of fairly regular use. I know some landscapers that bought all of them they could find when Stihl discontinued them. My dealer tells me the FS 94 is a new model similar to the 85.

Will