String-trimmer: 2 stroke vs 4stroke

XmasTreeGrower · May 27, 2005

I'll second the opinions to stick with a dedicated unit with a solid shaft if you are going to tackle tough chores.

I just splurged for one of the new Stihl FS 110 "4-Mix" units to do some serious trim work in my tree fields. I can't tell you how pleased I am to have a unit that feels rock solid, and runs beautifilly.

The units starts great, is not finicky about idling, has great torque, is amazingly smooth at full throttle, and is reasonably quiet. Using pre mix in a four stroke seems odd, but I like the reassurance that it's always getting lube, no matter what angle you run it.

The other plus on these units is not having to screw around diddling with the head all day. I used this trimmer for 2 1/2 hours continuosly, and never once had to lose time re-threading the head, etc.

I hated to part with $349, but it's worth it not to have to put up with aggravation of the Homelite, Ryobi, Troy-Bilt, ..... light duty, failure prone parts.

Life's too short to put up with box store trimmers!

Thanks
Bill

MessickFarmEqu · May 27, 2005

I sell Stihl products, and have an FS100 for myself. Its simply an awesome trimmer. The 4-Mix head is really somthing else... kinda like putting a diesel on a trimmer!

kenmac · May 27, 2005

I posted just above that a friend had a trimmer that was a 4 stroke that you mixed oil & gas but I couldn't think of the name . Thats it a 4 mix unit. I'm like Dargo though. Why buy a 4 stroke & add oil to the mix? I thought not adding oil to the mix was the purpose of getting a 4 stroke. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

kenmac · May 27, 2005

.

Life's too short to put up with box store trimmers! 

 AMEN!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GerardC · Jun 4, 2005

I too, just purchased a 4 stroke YardMan by MTD for my son as he does the trimming. It starts easy, cut 12" tall grass with ease and is much quieter than the 2 stroke Weed Eater that it replaced.

The Weed Eater is about 8 years old and only got 1 spark plug change in that time. I also had to replace the throttle trigger last year. I can only hope that the 4 stroke lasts as long; my son prefers it to the 2 stroke.

leoniru · Jun 4, 2005

No experience with 4 stroke trimmers---yet. I've had a JD 350G (told they were made by Echo) since the late 80's? early 90's? I'm not a big fan of JD, but let me tell ya that trimmer can work all day every day. Absolutely reliable provided you use fairly fresh (have even used 'overwintered' fuel mix with nary a whimper) and PROPERLY MIXED fuel. Heck, I don't even run premium gas, and have used various brands of 2 stroke oil with nary a wimper. Only thing I've replaced was the spool for the line----once. Never even needed a plug change. Designed for .090 line, but lately I've been running .130 with ocassional minor feed problems that I feel are more than offset by the increase in durability of the line. I've got lots of line-vaporizing items scattered around the property like block walls, rusty pipe trellis, chain link fence, stones, etc. Before I bought, the only questioning/research I did was ask what the local water authority and such boys were using day in and out. She wasn't the biggest unit from what I recall --- think there was one step up yet, but the significant weight increase (and price) seemed excessive to me with respect to the accompanying power increase. I believe I paid just under $300.00 or so. It has the wide style handlebars with a shoulder and waist belt harness. Straight shaft. Bought a sawblade for 'er but have yet to try it out!! That .130 line with the triangular profile is aggesssive!!
Only down side in my view is reloading the spool---every new yard year it seems I have to consult the manual for which direction the line goes----can NEVER keep it straight in my downsized brain whether it's clockwise or counterclockwise when looking at the spool's bottom. I guess it doesn't help that there are markings on it for both directions either, still, you'd think by now that I'd have somehow marked the proper direction on it - I must enjoy the minor aggravation in some Freudian way. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Jim S.

LBrown59 · Jun 4, 2005

( I sell Stihl products, and have an FS100 for myself. Its simply an awesome trimmer. The 4-Mix head is really somthing else... kinda like putting a diesel on a trimmer! )
=========
 My Stihl FS 46 is the best trimmer I have ever owned. 
It's light well balanced and easy to handle. 

 I especially like the fact that it's nearly impossible to tangle weeds up in the head and the simplicity of untangling it on the rare occasions it does tangle up with weeds

chrisjbell · Jun 7, 2005

Late to the party but...

I had a couple of Ryobi 4 cycle heads that would take the various attachments (bought all of 'em) that worked OK, but died early deaths. My opinion is that when you twist and turn the 4 cycle motors around is that you starve them for oil when they are sideways (which is a requirement for my needs). The torque was much lower, which is a real issue for brush cutting.

I picked up a 2 cycle JD power head with the same ability to hook up the attachments that I already had. Much better torque and power, and even after my wife ran plain gas (not the oil mix I have in the small can /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif) it lived and still works.

For small engines, I say 2 stroke until they won't let us do it any more. Better power /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

lawnduster · Jun 14, 2005

True, how 4-strokes have oil trouble when turned to the side or upside down. My cousin one day decided to attemt to build a chainsaw. He used a 3 HP four stroke engine. 1 week later he finished and decided to cut the first tree. as soon as the old 4- stroke was turned to the side it quit.

HuckBB62 · Jun 19, 2005

Just bought the Stihl FS250. I had been using the "top of the line" Craftsman for years but when we moved to the mountains, it just didn't "cut it" (hardee har har!) anymore! The Stihl is just awesome. Very expensive but built and runs wonderfully. I put the Echo quick change head on it, it's a beast!