FS 460 Brushcutter no grease point??

[div_h]

My fs 400 is rough sounding l when you spin the head, when it's not running! If a can clean all the crap from round about the gearbox I'm hoping to find a plug

[Vespasian]

I've greased a strimmer brushcutter in my life and they're all stihl

 

WTF, was I pissed... OH I get it..

 

I've never Greased..

[scbk]

Have a look at the Tanaka tbc 600, it has lower vibrations than the stihl, similar size engine and price

[Richard 1234]

the 460 is 2 mix as well. The only 4 mix's sold in this country are the 90 100 and 130 along with the 550 and 600 blowers. I think one of the augers is as well but that uses one of the first 3 engines.

 

 

I must have been looking at the us site or I've misunderstood at some point !!

Still the 300 series is enough for me I think as its not used all day every day.

I don't know the weight difference I think I will look more carefully !!

[cornish wood burner]

Grease loses its oils through its life and ceases to lubricate properly. Oil on top of an old tub of grease is a good demonstration of this. Age, pressure and heat speed this process up so Stihl have a good marketing ploy going there. I think its highly unlikely that any non greased gearboxes would last 1/2 as long as my old FS 280 has

[humpo48]

I do loads of brush cutting, got the old FS450 yes they have grease plugs but my new ones FS460 FS490 for example are sealed and don't require greasing (according to Stihl😀) but time will tell

Edited November 21, 2015 by humpo48

[tree-fancier123]

had FS490 about 3 years, maintenance free gear head dealer said, been good.

 

mulching blade left on mostly, does overgrown meadow grass, bramble, smaller saplings, didn't bother with the special mulching guard, just leave the standard guard on and keep the visor down - watch out for vehicle windows

[Mesterh]

I'll guess stihl sealed the gearbox up not to reduce the life of the equipment but to extend it due to the number of people screwing the gearbox up by not greasing it.

 

You could always strip the gearbox down and re grease it.

[GardenKit]

I really don't get it.

Having serviced many hundreds, if not thousands, of brush cutters over many years, I have seldom had to replace a gearbox on a regularly greased machine, but have replaced many on those which have never had any attention.

 

The brush cutter gearbox is highly stressed (just feel how hot it gets) and the grease gets a pounding. It thins out and leaks. The main point of leakage is past the splines where the shaft fits into the pinion, the leakage is greatest when the machine is hung up /stood up with the engine lowest. The hot grease runs down the shaft. If you have a greasy clutch housing on the front of the engine, this grease has come from the gearbox.

 

So let's hope the new Stihl pinions have blind bores to stop this or we will be supplying loads of gearboxes in a few years.

 

But nobody will moan, or cry "unfit for purpose" because its Stihl, and Stihl can get away with anything.

[seandonaghy]

Other than that how do you find them for vibes Sean? Got the lowest vibe rating of all the brushctters by Stihl, which is what caught my eye. Good reports on reliability and power.

Personally I find them to have very little vibration when using them. I typically use them for about 6 hours a day and have never had any numbness or tingling. I would say the harness is not great. The forestry one is better as it has a bit more support.