Which stihl combi engine ?

[harrythecat178]

Nothing wrong with a 4 mix provided they are maintained properly and use proper fuel oil mix. They have got to have a semi synthetic 2 stroke oil ie Stihl HP super (green) but this mix can be used in all 2 strokes and need a service every 100 hours or so including checking valve gaps. Best seller for us is the KM90 and also seems very reliable. The biggest KM130 has been a bit unreliable when used for extended commercial work as the servicing gap can get a bit long . The valves are usually the problem then

[Guss109]

I'm looking at buying one of these too, but I hate to say it, Screw-fix have a cheap brand for £180 with strimmer, pole saw, angled hedge cutter and extension on it. I can't justify the stihl, but then I've currently no heads (my old firm had a stihl one).

 

Tim save your money I bought one 2 years ago and it went pop. Also there horrible to you

[doobin]

Nothing wrong with a 4 mix provided they are maintained properly and use proper fuel oil mix. They have got to have a semi synthetic 2 stroke oil ie Stihl HP super (green) but this mix can be used in all 2 strokes and need a service every 100 hours or so including checking valve gaps. Best seller for us is the KM90 and also seems very reliable. The biggest KM130 has been a bit unreliable when used for extended commercial work as the servicing gap can get a bit long . The valves are usually the problem then

 

Aye, but Stihl were a bit slow in telling people than non synthetic oil would cause carbon build up and problems You also forgot to mention the leaky carbs!

The proof of the pudding is that all new Stihl machines are 2-mix (which is actually a Husky technology under license!!).

 

Avoid the 4-mix, as soon as they've sold out of them the combi units will all be 2-mix.

[dogman]

Sounds like I need to avoid them then ?. I have the fs55 combi, with hedge cutter & pole saw attachments & its served me well, & that's what the new engine would be used for, I did buy the fs94 strimmer & I'm happy with that.

 

So when new stihl models come out they will go back to being 2 strokes ?. Thanks for the info on being able to use the 4 stroke mix in the 2 strokes, I only use stihl 2 stroke oil, so don't mind having to buy the stihl 4 stoke oil.

 

Rob

[doobin]

Sounds like I need to avoid them then ?. I have the fs55 combi, with hedge cutter & pole saw attachments & its served me well, & that's what the new engine would be used for, I did buy the fs94 strimmer & I'm happy with that.

 

So when new stihl models come out they will go back to being 2 strokes ?. Thanks for the info on being able to use the 4 stroke mix in the 2 strokes, I only use stihl 2 stroke oil, so don't mind having to buy the stihl 4 stoke oil.

 

Rob

 

4-mix is two stroke, but clumsy and overcomplicated with valves that constantly go wrong.

 

Take the FS-94 engine off the shaft and put it on the FS 55 combi tool.

 

Or just unbolt the FS94 head and put the head of your choice on, hedgecutter, polesaw, whatever.

 

 

How hard is this ****? ANY INCH TUBE STIHL ENGINE WILL FIT AND RUN ANY INCH TUBE STIHL HEAD, BE IT HEDGECUTTER, BRUSHCUTTER, PICK TINES OR POLESAW.

[dogman]

4-mix is two stroke, but clumsy and overcomplicated with valves that constantly go wrong.

 

Take the FS-94 engine off the shaft and put it on the FS 55 combi tool.

 

Or just unbolt the FS94 head and put the head of your choice on, hedgecutter, polesaw, whatever.

 

 

 

 

How hard is this ****? ANY INCH TUBE STIHL ENGINE WILL FIT AND RUN ANY INCH TUBE STIHL HEAD, BE IT HEDGECUTTER, BRUSHCUTTER, PICK TINES OR POLESAW.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Rob

[doobin]

Glad to be of service

[Simonsnr]

Ooo, I've had a bee in my bonnet about these 4 mix engines for quite some time. Wrecked two units infour years from not checking the valve clearances! I'm now on my third, basically they are great machines AS LONG AS YOU CHECK THE VALVE CLEARANCE!! it's a ten minute job, all you need is a stihl feeler gauge that cost a couple of quid. I'd recommend them NOW I know where I went wrong, powerful, robust, heavy, but reliable. ....if you had asked me a year ago I would have said something rather less polite:)

 

Two points, check the valves, and top up the two grease holes on the hedge trimmer heads EVERY time you use it (wrecked a head from it drying out)

 

 

Ok, so my gripe with stihl....I sent the second unit back to them after valves colliding with piston. I claimed that they had a design flaw. They sent it back (in pieces) saying that it was because the valves weren't serviced and that there was excessive build up of carbon on the valve stems that meant the valves didn't seat properly, causing wear on the valve stems......what a load of rubbish! I now use semi synthetic stihl super, but that's not the issue. The issue is the valve stem retainers are so flimsy ( just a pressed piece of steel). If the valve gaps become too large, the flimsy retainers break, meaning the valve stem drops down, get whacked by the piston, and bam, they are wrecked. Now if the valve stem seats were replaceable, (which of course, they are not) then I could have made one unit out of the two broken ones, as one piston and pot weren't badly damaged, but the valve seats are both chipped, so no luck there!

 

My point with stihl was this: it should be made CRYSTAL CLEAR on both the machine and the front page of the manual, that it is IMPERATIVE that the unit is serviced ever 100 hrs or the machine with catastrophically FAIL. The only mention is right at the back of the manual, in the service sheet ( they Argued that all machines should be regularly serviced, my point was 'perhaps, but I've NEVER had a machine die on me TWICE for ignoring service regulations, and that it was a design flaw that needed to be addressed ( no joy with that one)

Number two,they claim that you should only use semi synthetic in 4mix engines, then it should state that rather than 'stihl recommends semi synthetic' (manual May have changed on this point, as they were in agreement, in fact, they may well have put stickers on the machines since I bollocked them.

 

I also complained to Stanton hopes where I bought the units from, saying it was surely common sense to point these out to their customers when they sold the units as they were very aware of these issues.....their answer was 'that's what the manual was for'

 

Rant over.

[bobh]

Yes I agree, you COULD do all the things above OR you could just buy a 2 stroke!

 

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[HertsWood]

Got a Stihl KM90R combi system, it's 9 yrs old and engine has never let me down yet. Normal wear & tear on attachments, especially the power brush - destroyed mine in about 3 hrs whilst sweeping an old tennis court!

 

 

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