Author Topic: Stihl interesting (Read 31591 times)

SRSemenza · « **Reply #30 on:** August 16, 2015, 10:49 AM »

Quote from: Cheese on August 16, 2015, 09:48 AM

I had 5 or 6 Stihl lawn tools which meant 5 or 6 tanks to fill and 5 or 6 tanks to drain for the season. Also each tool had its own unique starting procedure. I decided to eliminate this foolishness and purchased one KombiSystem KM 130 motor and then the attachments that I needed. Too easy...

I agree with the non-ethanol gas issue, luckily there is a local station that sells the stuff year round. It's the only stuff I use for petrol powered equipment.

Also about 2-3 weeks before the season ends, I start to use Stihl MotoMix premixed fuel in the KM 130. It's made with 92 octane ethanol free gas and has a shelf life of 2 years after it's opened. That way, during the winter when I use the equipment less often, the tank contains gas that I know will not go bad.

I have KM110 with a bunch of attachments. Works great , starts great.

Sorry to take this away from the battery discussion. I have looked into the Stihl battery system too, thinking about the handiness and convenience factor.

Seth

johninthecamper · « **Reply #31 on:** August 16, 2015, 04:58 PM »

if a stihl product doesn't start quickly &easily, it has to do with maintenance.

Peter Halle · « **Reply #32 on:** August 16, 2015, 06:29 PM »

As someone who has used them professionally and also owns quite a few I would offer the following: USUALLY is do to lack of maintenance. There are exceptions to the rule.

Peter

Kev · « **Reply #33 on:** August 17, 2015, 03:27 AM »

Quote from: Peter Halle on August 16, 2015, 06:29 PM

As someone who has used them professionally and also owns quite a few I would offer the following: USUALLY is do to lack of maintenance. There are exceptions to the rule.

Peter

I pulled my 2 Stoke Stihl MS170 out yesterday. Cleaned it, checked the spark plug, fresh fuel and it started on the second pull (probably on the shelf for 2 years). Stuck a new chain on it and put it back on the shelf

With my new electric stuff it's not going to see any use, but I'm just going to keep it as a spare - perfectly good and worth very little to me if I sell it.

Untidy Shop · « **Reply #34 on:** August 17, 2015, 04:48 AM »

Quote from: Kev on August 17, 2015, 03:27 AM

Quote from: Peter Halle on August 16, 2015, 06:29 PM
As someone who has used them professionally and also owns quite a few I would offer the following: USUALLY is do to lack of maintenance. There are exceptions to the rule.

Peter

I pulled my 2 Stoke Stihl MS170 out yesterday. Cleaned it, checked the spark plug, fresh fuel and it started on the second pull (probably on the shelf for 2 years). Stuck a new chain on it and put it back on the shelf

With my new electric stuff it's not going to see any use, but I'm just going to keep it as a spare - perfectly good and worth very little to me if I sell it.

Kev, given you put it back on the shelf, I assume that you emptied the fuel tank, restarted and ran out any fuel in the carburettor.
@Kev

Kev · « **Reply #35 on:** August 17, 2015, 05:00 AM »

Quote from: Untidy Shop on August 17, 2015, 04:48 AM

Quote from: Kev on August 17, 2015, 03:27 AM
Quote from: Peter Halle on August 16, 2015, 06:29 PM
As someone who has used them professionally and also owns quite a few I would offer the following: USUALLY is do to lack of maintenance. There are exceptions to the rule.

Peter

I pulled my 2 Stoke Stihl MS170 out yesterday. Cleaned it, checked the spark plug, fresh fuel and it started on the second pull (probably on the shelf for 2 years). Stuck a new chain on it and put it back on the shelf

With my new electric stuff it's not going to see any use, but I'm just going to keep it as a spare - perfectly good and worth very little to me if I sell it.

Kev, given you put it back on the shelf, I assume that you emptied the fuel tank, restarted and ran out any fuel in the carburettor.
@Kev

Nooop ... just like I didn't last time!

Kev · « **Reply #36 on:** August 17, 2015, 08:14 AM »

Just a bit more of a rave about the Stihl 36V chainsaws with the narrow chain .. they cut REALLY, REALLY well and the batteries last ages. The other surprise is the precision you suddenly have with the light weight and fine cut. Now I wish they'd bring out a serious 72V mower (taking two of the 180 36V batteries), that'd be awesome! (their 36V mower isn't in the same class as the other cordless tools ... actually I'm still on the fence with the trimmer too, I suppose I may need more time with it)

So all I'd need now is a couple of Teslas, that way I'd be done with petrol completely

Cheese · « **Reply #37 on:** August 17, 2015, 08:34 AM »

Quote from: Kev on August 17, 2015, 08:14 AM

Just a bit more of a rave about the Stihl 36V chainsaws with the narrow chain .. they cut REALLY, REALLY well and the batteries last ages. The other surprise is the precision you suddenly have with the light weight and fine cut....

So all I'd need now is a couple of Teslas, that way I'd be done with petrol completely

So I wonder if the long run time is because they use a brushless motor? Any idea?

How much lighter is it than your MS 170?

Kev · « **Reply #38 on:** August 17, 2015, 09:20 AM »

Quote from: Cheese on August 17, 2015, 08:34 AM

Quote from: Kev on August 17, 2015, 08:14 AM
Just a bit more of a rave about the Stihl 36V chainsaws with the narrow chain .. they cut REALLY, REALLY well and the batteries last ages. The other surprise is the precision you suddenly have with the light weight and fine cut....

So all I'd need now is a couple of Teslas, that way I'd be done with petrol completely

So I wonder if the long run time is because they use a brushless motor? Any idea?

How much lighter is it than your MS 170?

They are brushless motors. My 170 is quite old, I would have said at least a kilo lighter. The little arborist one is feather light.

I'll put them on the scales with batteries in them if I get a chance tomorrow.

I actually think the light and narrow chain creates less kick when you throttle up, making them feel a lot lighter to use.

cliffp · « **Reply #39 on:** August 22, 2015, 04:26 PM »

I took delivery of my Stihl gear yesterday (everything Kev bought except I didn't get the blower or long reach hedge trimmer).

I think the quality of the tools is excellent and the design is very well thought out.

The chainsaw cuts at least as well as my mains powered McCulloch 1650W chainsaw but is much lighter and with the convenience of being cordless. It is very ergonomic - I can see myself using it a lot more than my old chainsaw (I often used a reciprocating Bosch saw for cutting small branches but this Stihl blows that out of the water).

The pole pruner is amazing. It is great fun giving your trees a bit of topiary, tweaking the shape of it without having to climb ladders. I found that on many occasions the cut off bits would be difficult to pull down because they were tangled up with other foliage so you may still need a ladder to pull them down (or maybe rig up a pole with hook). This tool is extremely well made and the telescopic pole looks to be very well engineered and robust - suitable for professional use I would say. The chainsaw (on the end of the pole) cuts like a knife through butter.

I didn't use the hedge trimmer much but it cuts very well (better than my Bosch mains powered one).

I was very impressed with the Strimmer. It is fairly light but very powerful (I would say slightly more powerful than my Viking corded one). It ripped through everthing I tested it on including quite thick tree saplings (5 mm or so). If weeds were growing on soil on paving slabs the strimmer would shift the weeds and the soil without hesitation. I didn't try this rigorously but you can use it for edging by rotating the handle onto the opposite side of the shaft and holding it upside down. I know that Kev was a bit underwhelmed with this but I found this to be one of my favourite tools out of the Stihl collection.

I found the battery life to be excellent (AP300). Today I did about 20 mins of strimming, made about 30 pruning cuts with the pole pruner, cut up the branches with the chainsaw (15 mins) and did about 15 mins of hedge trimming and only used half the charge in the battery.

I will be ordering the BGA85 blower next week, such is my satisfaction with this gear.

Thanks to Kev for taking the time to bring these products to our (my) attention!

Kev · « **Reply #40 on:** August 22, 2015, 07:56 PM »

Glad you're not disappointed

You'll like the blower too, but you will notice how the blower chews through the battery. I'm jealous of your AP300 ... I don't know what it is with Australia and batteries ... we only get the AP115, AP180 and AR900 at the moment. Consequently I've got 3 AP180's now. Fortunately the charge quickly.

Kev · « **Reply #41 on:** August 23, 2015, 06:43 AM »

So .. just upgraded my cordless MSA200 chainsaw to TCT chain. The TCT chain is 3/8, so the upgrade required new:

Bar
Chain
Sprocket
Chain cover

I'll keep my little MS170 petrol in case of a zombie apocalypse, but the MSA200 seems to match it. Maybe I should get a Stihl Magnum (in case of really big zombies)

Untidy Shop · « **Reply #42 on:** August 23, 2015, 08:29 AM »

Quote from: Kev on August 23, 2015, 06:43 AM

So .. just upgraded my cordless MSA200 chainsaw to TCT chain. . . . . . . . . . .,. Maybe I should get a Stihl Magnum (in case of really big zombies)

Mmmm, Kev, this addiction to Orange Aid could be even greater than
the one to Green!

Just note that the TCT chains are not a DIY sharpening option, and even the professional timber cutters around here dislike them as they cannot be easily sharpened out in the field.

Despite this I have two of them for my Wood Boss and yes they certainly do last a lot longer cutting storm damaged/pruning Gum and Wattle Trees (the latter very tough on chains) before I need my dealer to sharpen them.

@Kev

johninthecamper · « **Reply #43 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:09 AM »

I drank orange koolaid way before chugging on the green.
at one time I had more than one of everything in the pro line.somethings three identical(climbing saws).never was able to wear anything out,just drop or smash it beyond justifiable repair,one of the first ones I got has won the lifespan lotto,1988,with 15 yrs of daily use."stihl" use it monthly

johninthecamper · « **Reply #44 on:** August 23, 2015, 10:32 AM »

buying the bench mounted sharpener was one of the best purchases.if the chain even just looked dull,swap it out with another,plenty of spares on the truck.I bought rolls of the sizes I used,made my own.that meant a whole bunch of chain was around,easier to make a new one than sharpen a dull one.stihl brand chain was far superior to other brands.
the sprocket is one very frequently overlooked maintenance item for the occasional user to inspect,along with the bar itself

cliffp · « **Reply #45 on:** August 23, 2015, 03:24 PM »

Had another days productive gardening with the pole pruner and the strimmer. I hacked down as much stuff with the pruner in half an hour as my wife managed to achieve in a day last year.

It does seem strange that the latest batteries are not available in Australia. It can't be a safety issue - maybe Stihl want to test them in a limited sized market in case there are problems?

The blower is definitely next on the list. I don't think I do enough chainsawing to justify a TCT chain.

Kev, you'll have to buy the bench mounted chain sharpener. I see you can get diamond wheels to sharpen your new chain.

johninthecamper · « **Reply #46 on:** August 23, 2015, 07:18 PM »

carbide chain is only better for roots,stumps&dirty cuts.super expensive to buy and sharpen with dismal performance in normal cuts.

Kev · « **Reply #47 on:** August 23, 2015, 07:57 PM »

Quote from: johninthecamper on August 23, 2015, 07:18 PM

carbide chain is only better for roots,stumps&dirty cuts.super expensive to buy and sharpen with dismal performance in normal cuts.

Specifically got one to attack a stump that is low and grew in (well, through) a large plastic pot. The heavier bar, chain, etc in 3/8 over the 1/4 is very noticeable when introduced to the light 36V chainsaws ... but it does cut extremely well so far.

SRSemenza · « **Reply #48 on:** August 23, 2015, 11:23 PM »

Quote from: cliffp on August 23, 2015, 03:24 PM

Had another days productive gardening with the pole pruner and the strimmer. I hacked down as much stuff with the pruner in half an hour as my wife managed to achieve in a day last year.

Yeah the pole pruner is great (I have a gas model)! BUT be careful you can make a big mess to pick up real fast. One of the first times I used it I spent maybe an hour cutting all around the property. When I got done I looked around and thought Oh cr..

Took me about six hours the next day to clean it all up.

Seth

Cheese · « **Reply #49 on:** August 23, 2015, 11:47 PM »

FWIW...keep an eye on the chain oil supply reservoir as it tends to be depleted faster than you'd think.

Kev · « **Reply #50 on:** August 24, 2015, 12:02 AM »

Quote from: Cheese on August 23, 2015, 11:47 PM

FWIW...keep an eye on the chain oil supply reservoir as it tends to be depleted faster than you'd think.

You're not wrong ... I don't think the oil lasts as long as the battery

Cheese · « **Reply #51 on:** August 24, 2015, 12:11 AM »

Ya, I've got the petrol version of the trimmer and i was surprised as to how much oil the auto luber dispensed. Two tanks of gas....one tank of oil.

Thanks for the original post...as much as I enjoy the gas versions...I'm going to check out the battery variant.
It's the wave of the future...

cliffp · « **Reply #52 on:** August 24, 2015, 02:52 AM »

I noticed the oil levels were going down very quickly - wishing I'd bought 5 litres rather than 1 litre.

The mistake I made with the pole pruner was not checking the tension of the chain - it came off yesterday, luckily it didn't cause any damage.

Tinker · « **Reply #53 on:** August 24, 2015, 03:38 AM »

Quote from: SRSemenza on August 23, 2015, 11:23 PM

Quote from: cliffp on August 23, 2015, 03:24 PM
Had another days productive gardening with the pole pruner and the strimmer. I hacked down as much stuff with the pruner in half an hour as my wife managed to achieve in a day last year.

Yeah the pole pruner is great (I have a gas model)! BUT be careful you can make a big mess to pick up real fast. One of the first times I used it I spent maybe an hour cutting all around the property. When I got done I looked around and thought Oh cr.. Took me about six hours the next day to clean it all up.

Seth

@SRSemenza, I don't think you are cutting real navy stuff with the pole pruner. You should put your Grasshopper to good use along with the pruner. When i do a pruning job, large or small, i use my Skag to clean up the brush. A few minutes with the mower and a few minutes with the sweep rake, and the mess has disappeared. You would be surprised how large diameter twigs/branches can disappear in a hurry with no damage to the mower blades.
Tinker

Holmz · « **Reply #54 on:** August 24, 2015, 05:53 AM »

Quote from: cliffp on August 23, 2015, 03:24 PM

...
The blower is definitely next on the list. I don't think I do enough chainsawing to justify a TCT chain.
...

I got an 86c, which is a blower and it goes in reverse with a bag to suck and mulch the leaves.
It is also possible to blow gently into a pile, but in a garden bed, or around a pool it is easier to go straight into the bag.
It doesn't have a HEPA and the dust cloud is impressive.

Quote from: cliffp on August 24, 2015, 02:52 AM

I noticed the oil levels were going down very quickly - wishing I'd bought 5 litres rather than 1 litre.
...

I started putting the used car oil into the chain oil...

Untidy Shop · « **Reply #55 on:** August 24, 2015, 07:48 AM »

http://forestry.about.com/od/chainsaws/f/cs_baroil.htm

It's your bar and chain Holmz, but I use Stihl Chain oil.

@Holmz

Kev · « **Reply #56 on:** August 24, 2015, 08:22 AM »

Quote from: Untidy Shop on August 24, 2015, 07:48 AM

http://forestry.about.com/od/chainsaws/f/cs_baroil.htm

It's your bar and chain Holmz, but I use Stihl Chain oil.

@Holmz

It's my bar chain, it'll fry if i want to ...

... well you make the lyrics work better

@Holmz @Untidy Shop

Holmz · « **Reply #57 on:** August 24, 2015, 08:39 AM »

When the shops are closed and one needs oil then one does what is required.

cliffp · « **Reply #58 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:09 AM »

Quote

I got an 86c, which is a blower and it goes in reverse with a bag to suck and mulch the leaves.
It is also possible to blow gently into a pile, but in a garden bed, or around a pool it is easier to go straight into the bag.
It doesn't have a HEPA and the dust cloud is impressive.

I've got the Viking corded version of this and like it a lot except for the wire. I was thinking that if the battery version was good at blowing the leaves into piles, I could use the Viking in suction mode to mulch them (I find it tedious to switch between the two modes).

I've got some unused engine oil from my old BMW 535d, I might check its viscosity to see if it'd work?

Cheese · « **Reply #59 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:54 AM »

Quote from: cliffp on August 24, 2015, 02:52 AM

The mistake I made with the pole pruner was not checking the tension of the chain - it came off yesterday, luckily it didn't cause any damage.

The chain's new so the initial stretch happens in the first couple of hours, after that it slows down. Just like putting a new chain on a motorcycle, drive it 20-30 miles and then readjust it.