[D'Animal]

I cannot access CL at the office.

How much they asking for it?

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

I cannot access CL at the office.

How much they asking for it?

$145 for a FS350

"Have had for years and used very little. We own a landscape maintainence company and it's usually more muscle than we need on a given job. Everything works well. Like new condition. Cash only."

[D'Animal]

WOW that is cheap.

They are close to $600 new.

[D'Animal]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

I should have a guard and nut/washer and blade setup for that.

I'll have to do some digging when I get home.

Here is THE setup for your needs.

I wrote Bottom (Dirt Side) on the blade since 90% of the people get it wrong the first time.

The bottom picture shows the Anti Scalp dish. It protects the nut more than anything but it is designed to glide along the ground.

[D'Animal]

Here is the assembly sequence.

You already have the washer. It is located between the 25-2 bump head you have on the unit now and the gearbox.

A pin slides through the hole on the side of the gear box and lock into one of the two detents in the washer. You head will unscrew to the right (backwards thread).

You will replace the deflector that you have now with the aluminum Limit stop. You will remove the four screws holding your guard on and re-use three of the screws. The limit stop prevents sapling from getting lodged between the blade and the deflector.

[D'Animal]

The Anti-Scalp dish does not limit cutting diameter.

It has the same O.D. as the wash and gearbox.


The bottom picture is the bolt pattern in your gear box in the area of the deflector.

[bigndn]

Can you shoot me a tracking number when it goes out, D? Cashola or swap you that 020 I've been meaning to send down?

Oh yeah..............do you think it'd be a better move to pick up the FS350 for brushing and keep the FS90 for lighter duty?

[nspctr1]

Not to hijack the thread but, I've got tons of mesquite on our property, some I just run over with the 6' brush hog but some of it is either so thick you cant get in to it or too close to a tree or fence. Will one of these work? Or are they for a lighter tree/ brush?

[D'Animal]

nspctr1

These blades are designed for doing just what you described, cutting saplings and small trees.

The chisel bit blade shown can be sharpened with a round file and flat file. Once the blade gets dull people tend to force it through and that will eventually bend the shaft.

The FS 160, FS 180, FS 280K, FS 350, FS 450 and FS 550 are designed to do it all day long. Units listed in RED are discontinues in the USA but come up for sale occasionally. They are still in production, just not sold in the USA.

[MoJ]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

These blades are designed for doing just what you described, cutting saplings and small trees.

The chisel bit blade shown can be sharpened with a round file and flat file. .

I've been really happy with the chisel blade. It's fast and easy to sharpen with the stihl round file....7/32nd's iirc. If you're just cutting sapplings it goes a long way between sharpenings.

[D'Animal]

Moj

Let me know when you want to convert your brushcutter over to a loop handle to use with a line head, I have all the parts.

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by bigndn

$145 for a FS350

"Have had for years and used very little. We own a landscape maintainence company and it's usually more muscle than we need on a given job. Everything works well. Like new condition. Cash only."

Originally Posted by D'Animal

WOW that is cheap.

They are close to $600 new.

Picked up the FS350 last night. Very impressed already. It runs like a banshee. I can't wait to cut some stuff down with it!!!! I gave him $140 for the unit and already bought a new air filter, fuel filter, and spark plug for $17. I think it's a pretty good dealio....

[bigndn]

The harness is actually comfy, too....

[D'Animal]

Sweet!

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

Sweet!

A question for you Dan........why switch to the loop handle for the string trimmer head on the FS90?

[nspctr1]

I find it hard to believe that one of these trimmers will cut a 2" sapling in a reasonable amount of time. Are there any video's of this? Do you change the head out for a different one? These damned mesquites I have are hard enough to cut using the brush hog.

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by nspctr1

I find it hard to believe that one of these trimmers will cut a 2" sapling in a reasonable amount of time. Are there any video's of this? Do you change the head out for a different one? These damned mesquites I have are hard enough to cut using the brush hog.

I'll try to find time to play with mine this weekend and post up the results.....

[D'Animal]

Originally Posted by bigndn

A question for you Dan........why switch to the loop handle for the string trimmer head on the FS90?

If you are going to use it as a dedcated line trimmer, it is way easier to get around things.

You know how it works with the Bike handles. Switch it to loop handle and try it out. Takes about 11 minuntes to swap them. (45 minutes your first time though. )

[D'Animal]

Put the metal blade on it that I have pictured. If sharp, it will cut 2" saplings as fast as you can move it to and fro.

Originally Posted by nspctr1

I find it hard to believe that one of these trimmers will cut a 2" sapling in a reasonable amount of time. Are there any video's of this? Do you change the head out for a different one? These damned mesquites I have are hard enough to cut using the brush hog.

[nspctr1]

Originally Posted by bigndn

I'll try to find time to play with mine this weekend and post up the results.....

That would be great. I have alot of fence line that needs clearing and sometimes a chainsaw is just too much tool. Plus, reaching in where there is prickly pear cactus and snakes takes too much time. Your either slinging cactus needles or waiting for the snake to clear out.

[D'Animal]

YouTube - working in Swedish forest

Originally Posted by nspctr1

I find it hard to believe that one of these trimmers will cut a 2" sapling in a reasonable amount of time. Are there any video's of this? Do you change the head out for a different one? These damned mesquites I have are hard enough to cut using the brush hog.

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

If you are going to use it as a dedcated line trimmer, it is way easier to get around things.

You know how it works with the Bike handles. Switch it to loop handle and try it out. Takes about 11 minuntes to swap them. (45 minutes your first time though. )

Copy, will try it out. 45 mins??? Maybe for Liam....


On another note, I attempted to put the new guard and blade you sent me onto the FS350 quickly last night. Mine must be an older model, because it didn't have the holes in the washer to lock the head, it has a hole in the top of the polycut head to lock it and spin off the nut. I hit a small snag when I found a bolt sheared off in one of the guard holes. Gotta clear that out prior to finishing my install. I don't think I really want to risk it with only 2 bolts holding the guard on.

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

YouTube - working in Swedish forest

HOLY SHIT THAT'S FAST!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting that link!!!!

[D'Animal]

And that is real time, not fast forwarded, etc.

Originally Posted by bigndn

HOLY **** THAT'S FAST!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting that link!!!!

[D'Animal]

The hole is in the top of the gearbox. The pin will lock into the slotted washer inside or under the head. You cannot see it when assembled. The washer I posted is the underside of the washer and you can see the "U" shape detents that the pin locks into.

You can use 4 bolts or three bolts on the limit stop (deflector I sent you). The first two bolts nearest the gear box will always be used. There is a 3rd bolt in the center of the limit stop and there should be one in the center of the gear box in the middle of the 4 mounting bolts.

Originally Posted by bigndn

Copy, will try it out. 45 mins??? Maybe for Liam....


On another note, I attempted to put the new guard and blade you sent me onto the FS350 quickly last night. Mine must be an older model, because it didn't have the holes in the washer to lock the head, it has a hole in the top of the polycut head to lock it and spin off the nut. I hit a small snag when I found a bolt sheared off in one of the guard holes. Gotta clear that out prior to finishing my install. I don't think I really want to risk it with only 2 bolts holding the guard on.

This is all from memory but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. I will be home for a short period tonight so i can get pics if you want.

LOL

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

The hole is in the top of the gearbox. The pin will lock into the slotted washer inside or under the head. You cannot see it when assembled. The washer I posted is the underside of the washer and you can see the "U" shape detents that the pin locks into.

You can use 4 bolts or three bolts on the limit stop (deflector I sent you). The first two bolts nearest the gear box will always be used. There is a 3rd bolt in the center of the limit stop and there should be one in the center of the gear box in the middle of the 4 mounting bolts.




This is all from memory but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. I will be home for a short period tonight so i can get pics if you want.

LOL

Gotcha, it's exactly as you described. It's the hole in the center of the gear box (in the middle of the 4 mounting bolts) that has the sheared bolt in it. The other 4 are clear. That mounting hole is used for the limit stop you sent me, so all 3 bolts should be in place for safety reasons. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'll try to extract the sheared bolt this weekend.

[bigndn]

HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!! What I thought was a sheared bolt in the mounting hole, was actually just packed in dirt!!!!

After installing the new air filter and spark plug, it's still running kind of sluggish (for what I expected), so tomorrow, I'm dumping the fuel, installing the new fuel filter, and testing with new fuel.

Dan, thanks for the extra blades, I'm gonna send back the two 9" blades and some of the other stuff with the 020.

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by nspctr1

That would be great. I have alot of fence line that needs clearing and sometimes a chainsaw is just too much tool. Plus, reaching in where there is prickly pear cactus and snakes takes too much time. Your either slinging cactus needles or waiting for the snake to clear out.

Originally Posted by D'Animal

YouTube - working in Swedish forest

Well, I can now definately veryify that the above video is in real time. HOLY CRIKEY that thing's got some nuts. I hit a couple of 2-3" saplings down in my pasture and I can say that it's as fast if not faster than a chainsaw. I didn't want to put it down. Bonus: you don't have to bend over to lop saplings off at slightly above ground level. I'm sold.

[splitshot]

Originally Posted by bigndn

Well, I can now definately veryify that the above video is in real time. HOLY CRIKEY that thing's got some nuts. I hit a couple of 2-3" saplings down in my pasture and I can say that it's as fast if not faster than a chainsaw. I didn't want to put it down. Bonus: you don't have to bend over to lop saplings off at slightly above ground level. I'm sold.

Sweet, when can I borrow it?

Bring it on down, and I'll send ya home with a truckload of mesquite and oak.

Seriously, I can't believe the deals that are poping up on craigslist now..

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by splitshot

Bring it on down, and I'll send ya home with a truckload of mesquite and oak.

Seriously, I can't believe the deals that are poping up on craigslist now..

Can we tie that together with a wheeling trip? Yeah, people are selling off some good stuff for pennies on the dollar. I picked up a Hitachi coil framing nailer, a FS90, and now a FS350, all for right around $150 ea.