Brush cutter recommendations?

bigndn · 10-05-09, 08:46 AM

I've bent the shaft on my Echo and am thinking I need a dedicated brush cutter. Any recommendations on size (CCs)? What blade? I'm using a circular brush blade, but I recently saw a 3 bladed rig on a Husky cutter. I'm going to be using this to cut small saplings (<2"), brush, etc.

beaufort-fj60 · 10-05-09, 08:50 AM

get a 4-hole ditch bank blade... keep it sharp

bigndn · 10-05-09, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaufort-fj60

get a 4-hole ditch bank blade... keep it sharp

I'm gonna be using this on my 5 acres. I'm not going to swing an idiot hoe on that big of a chunk. Now if I only had a little bit.....

splitshot · 10-05-09, 09:32 AM

I rented one of these and was happy with it. When the Husky takes a dump, it's on the top of the replacement list, what I like it can be used as a line trimmer also.

FS 250 Bike Handle Trimmer - STIHL USA

beaufort-fj60 · 10-05-09, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigndn

I'm gonna be using this on my 5 acres. I'm not going to swing an idiot hoe on that big of a chunk. Now if I only had a little bit.....

you should be able to clear about 9000sqft a day with a bush axe... thats only 24 days to clear it. pussy

bigndn · 10-05-09, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaufort-fj60

you should be able to clear about 9000sqft a day with a bush axe... thats only 24 days to clear it. pussy

If I only had 24 free days......

sirenmoses · 10-05-09, 05:24 PM

get a coupla goats...

D'Animal · 10-05-09, 05:28 PM

What size Echo did you bend the shaft on? for what you are doing it sounds like you should be running an SRM 3800 or SRM 400 Echo Brushcutter.

If it is an initial clean up, an FS 250 Bike unit will work fine.

If you are going to do this every year and maybe hire the neighbor kid to do it for you, I would look into a clearing saw. It is a heavy duty brushcutter with a larger drive shaft, out tube and gear box. For example, one attachment for them is a christmas tree harvester attachment. They are designed to cut up to 3" diameter stuff all day long. The smallest one STIHL makes in this classification is the FS 310.

The FS 350, FS 450 and FS 550 are all clearing saws but are way overkill for what you want to do.

Weedhopper · 10-05-09, 05:43 PM

Don't laugh at the DR Trimmers. I have a customer who has one and uses it at the "house", all 20 acres, to cut down tons of brush. I have serviced it for her and have borrowed it.

It's a pretty amazing piece of equipment. We have both beat the crap out of it and it just comes back for more.

D'Animal · 10-05-09, 05:53 PM

The Heavy Duty DR's are great!

Bachtold Weed Mower or a Roof Weed Mower are great machines as well.

(Oh Crap, I'm showing my age)

splitshot · 10-05-09, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirenmoses

get a coupla goats...

Not bad advice, we've got some property owners close by with the "mini" goats. They have no vegetation in their yard..

bigndn · 10-05-09, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'Animal

What size Echo did you bend the shaft on? for what you are doing it sounds like you should be running an SRM 3800 or SRM 400 Echo Brushcutter.

If it is an initial clean up, an FS 250 Bike unit will work fine.

If you are going to do this every year and maybe hire the neighbor kid to do it for you, I would look into a clearing saw. It is a heavy duty brushcutter with a larger drive shaft, out tube and gear box. For example, one attachment for them is a christmas tree harvester attachment. They are designed to cut up to 3" diameter stuff all day long. The smallest one STIHL makes in this classification is the FS 310.

The FS 350, FS 450 and FS 550 are all clearing saws but are way overkill for what you want to do.

It's an SRM-2100.

The property is mostly cleared of understory now and looking really nice. It would just be upkeep in the future. My Echo still runs, but the shaft is no longer straight. I must have hit a few trees too hard with it, but I think it'd be ok for the string trimmer.

You have any used Stihls for sale, Dan?

D'Animal · 10-05-09, 08:08 PM

Let me see what I can dig up for you.

D'Animal · 10-05-09, 08:58 PM

The shaft in an FS 90 is a solid Steel drive shaft. The SRM 2100 is a cable drive. The outer tube of the SRM 2100 is 22mm, the STIHL is a 25mm.

Here is a picture comparison of the FS 90/100/110/130 next to the FS 550.

The engine on the FS 550 is 3.75hp. If it were a chain saw, it would handle a 24" bar pretty easy.

The handle bar mount on the FS 550 is Anti-Vibration mounted and Uber Heavy Duty.

The drive tube is massive as well as the gearbox.

I am not recommending you buy one. If you cleared saplings for a living, then yes you need one.

bigndn · 10-06-09, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'Animal

The shaft in an FS 90 is a solid Steel drive shaft. The SRM 2100 is a cable drive. The outer tube of the SRM 2100 is 22mm, the STIHL is a 25mm.

Dang, the FS550 really dwarfs the FS110 in those pics.

So the FS90 would be a significantly tougher unit than the Echo. Although I'd love to have the FS550, I really only need a FS90/110/130???

Thanks for your recommendations, Dan!!!!

D'Animal · 10-06-09, 08:22 AM

If you were happy with the power of the SRM2100 (21cc), you will be very happy with the FS 90.

The drive shaft, outer tube and the gear box are the same for the FS 90, FS 110, FS 130 and FS 250.

With the holiday$ coming up and all your stuff is about to be burried in snow, you will have time to see if your local dealer may have a shaft and drive shaft for your SRM 2100. That is a common model and many people put straight gas in the engine. The rest of the will be fine.

Or you can pick up an FS 90 or FS 130. There have been several upgrades to the FS 110 and I would not want you to buy a used one that was build before the upgrades.

bigndn · 10-06-09, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'Animal

If you were happy with the power of the SRM2100 (21cc), you will be very happy with the FS 90.

The drive shaft, outer tube and the gear box are the same for the FS 90, FS 110, FS 130 and FS 250.

With the holiday$ coming up and all your stuff is about to be burried in snow, you will have time to see if your local dealer may have a shaft and drive shaft for your SRM 2100. That is a common model and many people put straight gas in the engine. The rest of the will be fine.

Or you can pick up an FS 90 or FS 130. There have been several upgrades to the FS 110 and I would not want you to buy a used one that was build before the upgrades.

IMO, the SRM2100 was just fine for most normal lawn chores, like trimming. But when I got into the taller grasses, it didn't have enough power and bogged down a bunch (with the string trimmer). The shaft isn't bent really badly on the Echo, maybe I'll disassemble it and try to straighten it before buying a replacement.

Thanks again for the info. I'll stop by the Stihl dealer here and take a look. I think it would benefit me to have a dedicated string trimmer and a dedicated brush cutter.

bigndn · 10-06-09, 05:10 PM

Sweet! I found a FS90 on my local Craigslist for $175. Description was "2 seasons old". Might be 2 seasons old, but the motor looks like it just came out of the box. I pulled the shaft part way out and it looks great, fully coated in grease. We settled on $160. It has a U handle and over the shoulder harness. He had all the manuals, tools, and threw in a 1 gal gas can of mixed fuel. Said he's only ever used Stihl mix in it. I'm happy. I can really tell a power difference between this one and my Echo.

Thanks for the recommendation, Dan!!!

Now, which brush blade to get......

I'm thinking the steel brush knife.

http://www.stihlusa.com/trimmers/blades.html

splitshot · 10-06-09, 05:27 PM

Great score! Let us know what blade works best, that is the one I used on the bike handle unit whacking 1/2-1" catclaw,impressive..

D'Animal · 10-06-09, 09:40 PM

The scratcher tooth blade works great but, (there is always a but) if a sapling should topple the wrong way, it will take the set out of the teeth. It will still be sharp but with no set in the teeth it will not cut. Most places will sharpen them for around $10.00.

The Chisel blade will cut everything the scratcher tooth blade will cut but you can sharpen it with a round file and a flat file while on the unit. Sharpening it is like a saw chain, give it a few strokes and keep it sharp.

MoJ · 10-07-09, 07:30 PM

I have a Stihl FS130 with a Chisel Tooth Blade. It makes short work of brush. I've pushed it on the larger than recommended trees and it quickly rips through without a problem. I haven't tried the FS 550 but can't imagine needing it.

Which blade do you guys like for cutting through thick grass, weeds, etc? The dual string head does pretty well but seems like I burn through string pretty fast.

D'Animal · 10-07-09, 08:16 PM

If the line cuts it, you will get along great with the PolyCut head.

Rhinoliner · 10-08-09, 01:27 PM

You might consider one of these blades:

Beaver Blades for Brush Cutters

They are excellent on saplings and I have even used mine to cut off small tree limbs that were out of reach for my chainsaw.

D'Animal · 10-08-09, 09:52 PM

They work great but the original manufacturer got tied up in a class action suit because of the teeth coming off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinoliner

You might consider one of these blades:

Beaver Blades for Brush Cutters

They are excellent on saplings and I have even used mine to cut off small tree limbs that were out of reach for my chainsaw.

wfd175 · 10-11-09, 07:15 PM

We used to have a Bachtold when we had our xmas tree farm, jesus that thing was a mean SOB, dangerous as hell, , simply constructed, easy to fix,and man would it cut. Makes all that DR stuff look like dolled up junk. I've never seen a suitable replacement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'Animal

The Heavy Duty DR's are great!

Bachtold Weed Mower or a Roof Weed Mower are great machines as well.

(Oh Crap, I'm showing my age)