an1 used the new stihl brushcutters yet?

[WoodED]

got a couple of clearance jobs in the summer and my stihl fs85 isnt man enough, and my fs350 is nakard, the new machines look nice but has any1 tried one yet?

[Matthew Arnold]

We got a new (2 month old) FS 550. Brilliant brushcutter/clearing saw. Will handle most stuff. Bit heavy but well balanced. It took a week or so for the anti-vibration bushes to bed in and loosen up but after that very very smooth. We have a 2001 FS 400 and a 2010 FS450. The 450 has a tendency to flood when cold but other than that no problems.

Edited February 13, 2011 by Matthew Arnold
Few bits missing

[swinny]

I love my fs400 the fs300/350 didn't have enough power, and i suspect that the bigger ones than the 400 weigh alot and are bulky so i'm staying with my fs400

[WoodED]

i borrowed a fs480 for a job last year, and have used a 300, and 400,,, im talking about the new fs360, 410 and 460 machines,, would love and fs480 but cant afford one

[doobin]

The 480 is not worth the extra money for 3cc more IMHO. Took delivery of a new 460 last week- don't like the look of it much (looks 'domestic' compared to my two 400s) but it runs sweet.

 

350 is the same engine as the 130 but with anti vibe. Far too small for any professional brushcutting.

 

Bought a new 550 last October but they haven't updated them in years- probably not enough demand. Nice saw though.

[WoodED]

The 480 is not worth the extra money for 3cc more IMHO. Took delivery of a new 460 last week- don't like the look of it much (looks 'domestic' compared to my two 400s) but it runs sweet.

 

350 is the same engine as the 130 but with anti vibe. Far too small for any professional brushcutting.

 

Bought a new 550 last October but they haven't updated them in years- probably not enough demand. Nice saw though.

 

the 310 is the 130 engine i think,, i have a 350,, it dont run very well, its years old, how does the 460 compair to the 450?

[mrtree]

I have three FS550's. They are great machines and I can easily cut 15cm diameter conifers and slightly smaller hardwoods. Inexperienced users are likely unable to handle trees of this size.

 

I find they run about 40 to 45 minutes on a tank of fuel depending on usage. This is about one litre of mix per hour. This can be an over-looked cost of doing business. Locally clearing is about $25 to $35 per hour so if you include labour costs, equipment, overhead etc. the fuel usage can eat up a lot of the "profit" if you do not account properly.

 

My main comments are that users need to learn how to use the tool effecively and efficiently (as with any tool) and proper sharpening of blades is essentially.

 

New users must learn not only about kickback but to use the tree's lean and weight or wind to cause the tree to fall away from the blade. Pinched blades are common and the inexperienced or careless user will pull the handles, bending them, rather than pushing the tree.

 

Blades must be sharp and must be sharpened using a vice on a bench. I tend to keep two or three sharp blades per machine and switch at lunch hour. Sharpen at home at night to ensure the blades are nice and sharp and offset is restored as needed.

 

Cleared about 200+ acres of Scots pine over the last 1.5 years with the FS550's. Combining these saws with a rear-handle 200 has been highly productive for me. A previous company had used only chainsaws and we out produced them by a huge margin.