The Sthil FS130 along with the 240 was on the sort list just my poor record with reliability with the trimmers in the past keeps me away. This not a bash on sthil own a 261 pro saw and a 250 love them and straight up just run. I do appreciate the input and look forward to a review when you get some more time on it.
Trimmer decision
- Thread starter #18FAN
- Start date
you will regret buying that stihl 4 mix
I'm not but that's a bold statement want to indulge
I have been in com lawn biz 30+ yrs and stlh lawn equiptment is the worst of the commercial equiptment by far. the 4 mix is esp troublesome and very short lived if used daily. a few pieces of the older stuff was very good but things went way down hill since . 4 mix requires frequent valve adjustments and carbs and ing magnetos fail often. cables and switches are of extremely poor quality and fail in short order also. add to this sthil dosnt sell oem parts over the internet at all. you MUST visit a dealer. outdated policy in this age. use ONLY synthetic 2 stroke oil in your new trimmer or it will crap out even sooner
I have purchased pallets of broken OPE and echo is by far the easiest to work on, and seems to run the best even when wore out. The newer equipment does have more plastic on it, but it is still holding up quite well.
I also noticed that you can get used parts on ebay all day long for echo. Stihl / husky is not anywhere near as plentiful. This is huge for me as often in 10 yrs parts are NLA at the dealer, and you must resort to used parts.
Both trimmers will work awsome its just a matter of prefereance. Plan on using ethanol free fuel and a quality oil. If you cannot swallow that due to cost, just buy a fuel line kit and carb kit at the same time you purchase the trimmer so you will have it on hand when it fails. When using pump gas that is E10 or E15 the carb will fail. Its just a matter of when.
I have used echo with the "T" in the model and althought they sound awsome and do have lots of torque, I prefer the standard version without the "T". Echo has a science of using small engines that deliver excellent amounts of power for their displacement.
In ending, I have noticed a level of cost cutting in the husqvarna products that is not optimal. A great example is the 4 crankcase bolts on the 125L / 128L trimmers (and many others that use the 28cc engine). In about a year of commercial use and 3-5 home use the bolts will snap off and the engine will fall apart. Other models have other build flaws like cheap fasteners and hardware that is not suitable for commerical use. Gone are the days of the sweden quality 225RJ/235RJ trimmers that would outlast their owners.
I also noticed that you can get used parts on ebay all day long for echo. Stihl / husky is not anywhere near as plentiful. This is huge for me as often in 10 yrs parts are NLA at the dealer, and you must resort to used parts.
Both trimmers will work awsome its just a matter of prefereance. Plan on using ethanol free fuel and a quality oil. If you cannot swallow that due to cost, just buy a fuel line kit and carb kit at the same time you purchase the trimmer so you will have it on hand when it fails. When using pump gas that is E10 or E15 the carb will fail. Its just a matter of when.
I have used echo with the "T" in the model and althought they sound awsome and do have lots of torque, I prefer the standard version without the "T". Echo has a science of using small engines that deliver excellent amounts of power for their displacement.
In ending, I have noticed a level of cost cutting in the husqvarna products that is not optimal. A great example is the 4 crankcase bolts on the 125L / 128L trimmers (and many others that use the 28cc engine). In about a year of commercial use and 3-5 home use the bolts will snap off and the engine will fall apart. Other models have other build flaws like cheap fasteners and hardware that is not suitable for commerical use. Gone are the days of the sweden quality 225RJ/235RJ trimmers that would outlast their owners.
Al great advice and input this will run on Vpracing C9 race fuel and 40:1 mix with Vpracing oil like ever 2 stroke I own. The Tanaka runs as the day i bought it till the coil puked it will become a light duty and ner one take over with said I never had a better and easier starting and running two stroke than the Tanaka it has been pounded every time its picked up.
I am buying tanaka stuff now-its awesome and still quality. despite no dealer here. maruyama is other brand I buy now. same deal-no dealer. I use the internet when I need parts
I’m hesitant and told on other sites no where near the quality now all China mine was Japan built when it was good again mine runs as the day it was new and absolutely abused and will run when gets the new coil on.
The decision has been made was able to hold a Echo 3020 and a Husqvarna 525 dealer did not have the 535. Weight, balance and overall build quality seems to me that the Husky is hands down better build and actually the Echo felt like a toy in comparison. Never been able to cut or run them but ordered 535 and will see how it performs in short time.
Thanks all who chimed in very helpfully the dealer who is also a big Stihl dealership echoed many of the same comments given and concerns I had without even having to pull it out of him.
Thanks all who chimed in very helpfully the dealer who is also a big Stihl dealership echoed many of the same comments given and concerns I had without even having to pull it out of him.
I would have made exactly the same choice.
Now muffler mod and remove carb limiter caps and adjust for the freer exhaust for about 20-30% more power!
Now muffler mod and remove carb limiter caps and adjust for the freer exhaust for about 20-30% more power!
I actually just did - got the 535LST on order and hope it will be as bulletproof as my 21 year old Husqvarna 325LX which has ran wide open for hundreds of hours with nothing but new fuel lines and a "gutted muffler and bigger exhaust port" - mod (about 20%-30% more power after adjusting carb) and 32:1 Motul 800 mix only. Look forward to using the more powerful 535LST for the thicker grass etc.
Have they told you they are on backorderd my dealer can not get one or any dealer in my are till end of September. Just been told after 3 weeks of waiting giving me the run around. Online or out of state dealer shipping is not allowed on this unit iI have called places and have in stock but will not ship theywill not violate terms of Husqvarna.
No - my local dealer sucks - so I went 50minutes away to another authorized dealer - they said the 535LST was in stock at Husqvarna (wherever that is) and they are supposedly shipping it to them and I pay $13 for shipping....charged my card and send me proof of the order....hopefully they come through. I guess I will find out soon enough - (I do think the 535LS has been discontinued as it's no longer listed on their US website - but the 535LST is still there).
looks like I got to be making some calls tomorrow.
Yea - Good Luck. Husqvarna sure makes this way too hard.
just thought I'd mention - I was wrong it seems - the 535LST shows up on the Canadian webiste - no 535LS
and...conversely the 535LS is on the USA website, no 535LST
I don't even know anymore....hopefully the 535LST shows up as ordered etc. Otherwise I'm done and will just make do with my 325LX and my 265RX.
Yep I’m done canceled order and not going to deal with the BS mostly due to covid. I went different route will it be a bad decision don’t know I will post up when I pick it up Wednesday or Thursday and I had hard enough time tracking one of these down in a100 mile radius.
Picked up late afternoon got about 3 tanks burned through it. This is absolute the most powerful trimmer that I ever used at 2,3 bhp it's a heavy monster at 15lbs I'm ok with that starts easy runs top notch and 3 tanks of mixed c9 Vpracing it feels that its even getting more powerful. This is a true 2stroke none of that 4mix business. Let's see how the long term durability will be that will be the big question.
Understand the choice - even if I would have made a different one - but that should work great as well! Congrats!
Looks like a beast! 2.3 hp! I bet it rips.
