Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have an FS85.

I have about a four to six foot growth of poke, grass, and Godknowswhat. The largest woody stalk is about 1/4 maybe 1/2 inch in diameter.

Trimmer line (Stihl round .095) does OK until it hits a woody stalk, then it wraps around the stalk and breaks off. Tried heavier line with the same result. My trimmer blade that looks like 24T curcular saw blade does OK until it hits some grass, then it drags all the grass it can bite into it's self, wraps the grass around the trimmer shaft, and really slows down the trimmer, so much so, I need to stop and clear the grass.

There are a million kinds of blades now, what do you all recommend?

Thanks.

I found a couple things that discuss it lightly. Might be tough to find something that does both well.

A multitude of flail-type and fixed-blade attachments are available for this purpose (see figure, page C 12). Brush units consist of flail-type nylon blades or solid, rigid blades. Rigid blades are made from plastic or metal and may have three or four points or many teeth (resembling a circular-saw blade). Some manufacturers even produce brush blades with chainsaw-type teeth mounted on the periphery of the blade. Many metal blades can be sharpened, a definite cost saver when you're performing extensive brush clearing.

Choosing among the available brush blades is a matter of determining your needs. Flail and star blades are suited for weeds. However, if you must deal with saplings, woody vines or other woody material, heavier metal blades will be necessary. Not surprisingly, several manufacturers known best for their chainsaws also are leaders in the field of brush-cutting blades, but most other trimmer manufacturers offer quality brush-cutting accessories as well. Make sure the blade you choose is appropriate for the size and power of the trimmer. Sticking with the same manufacturer helps ensure compatibility, though several reputable after-market manufacturers offer good-quality, compatible products too.

Brush blades

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Marshall wrote:
.130 and .105

It did not break as easily. But it did wrap around the woody stuff and jerk the trimmer head into the stick and stop the trimmer from turning. It would do this 4 or 5 times more than the .095. Then it would break at the eyelet. Kind of got my mind made up to not use string anymore for this. No matter how good the string, I feel it would still wrap and make a PITA out of it's self.

What is the difference between those 4 blade and 3 blade blades?

GRA 3 Blade
Designed for cutting and clearing
heavy weeds and underbrush.

GRA 4 Blade
Designed for cutting grass and weeds.

GRA 8 Blade
Designed for cutting grass and weeds

you should get your self one of the 3 or 4 tooth reversable blades. kinda shaped like a star and made of steel.

when cutting start at the top and cut off 6 inches or so at a time.this is especially important when dealing with tall grass type material.it wont wind up and clog your blade this way.

once you get the hang of it you can do a large area fairly quick. also dont do the very lowest portion right away,clean up all the debris and then you can see where any rocks or other blade dulling objects may be.

good luck and dont forget to take on lots of wobbly pop during these hot days.

later chris

Sounds like SS has an excellent recommendation...

...otherwise... use best blade for the heavy/woody stuff... then switch over to trimmer line for the grass...

No one does all jobs well !

Dave...

Poor technique, that's my problem.

Dave,
Sounds like I need another trimmer.

Thanks guys,
Got the three blade star. The 4 blade star was less than $15. The 3 blade star was $26, it had to be better, right?
It does work very well. With the line on the trimmer I went about 20 feet in a half an hour, With the 3 blade star, I went 120 feet in a little less than an hour.
Thanks again.

Anybody use the hedge trimmers on their trimmer?

I think price tells us something when we are buying.   

robmints wrote:
That's been my experience on most things, unfortunately.

Rob, I havn't used the hedge trimmers. Seems to me like it would be heavy?