With so many brands for sale, the prospect of tidying up your garden can be a little daunting as you try to decide between the many different products. This is especially true if you are looking for a Stihl weed eater or similar competitors product, as there are so many varied models to pick from. Stihl has always been considered a very reliable product, but they often cost a little more than the competition. In this day and age, is it still worth paying the extra and going with the tried and trusted choice? Or is it worthwhile looking into some of the more economical options?
We hope to answer that in this article. We are also going to have a look at some of their most popular models, and you can skip to that section in the table below.
Read on to find out more.
Is a Stihl Weed Eater still a good choice?
To try and answer this, the best way is to have a quick look at the history of the company. Stihl as a company was formed 90 years ago in 1926, by a man called Andreas Stihl. The German founded company was the first to create a range of revolutionary products over the years, starting with the first portable gasoline chainsaw in 1930. More exciting developments soon followed, such as the first built in lubrication mechanism on their chainsaws a few years later. Throughout the next few decades they improved their initial chainsaw design with the first anti vibration technology, which did wonders for user fatigue, and by including an electric ignition starting system. Stihl had sold over a million of these units by the end of the 1960s.
In 1977 the company released their first mainstream Stihl weed wacker, which was known as the FS80. This model was very well received by the consumer market, and is still considered to be one of their best sellers. In 1986 Stihl introduced their multi function handle, which is still a staple feature on their newest models today. This handle was ergonomically designed for those long trimming sessions, and featured all of the main unit controls on the handle for quick and easy access. Other exciting features were added over the years, such as the Easy2start system. The company also released other innovative product such as blowers, and long reach trimmers, all of which were world firsts.
Without going into the entire companies history, it should be clear the Stihl is not simply one of those companies that follows the competition, but rather the company that leads the market. They create innovative products and technologies, and their founding principles of creating quality long lasting products has not changed almost a century later. For this reason we can definitely say that a Stihl weed eater is still a great choice, and worth paying a little more for. However, perhaps the most important reason to consider a Stihl weed trimmer is because all their products are made in the USA. With so many cheap and unreliable products coming out of China, why risk wasting your money when you have a more trusted choice?
It is also worth mentioning that most other brands only offer a 1 year warranty on their trimmer products, whilst Stihl offer a 2 year warranty. This should give you an idea of their product quality.
Now lets take a look at some of their more popular models.
Stihl FS 56 Weed Eater
 To start with we are going to have a look at one of the most popular models for homeowners, which is the FS 56 RC-E. This model is one of their best sellers, and comes with a number of good features. This is a lightweight model ,weighing in at only 4.8kg / 10.6lbs. It is powered by a 27.2cc motor, which puts out a respectable 1.07 bhp. It has an adjustable front handle, which can be rotated 360 degrees to make your trimming task as comfortable as possible. We should also mention that if you prefer a bicycle style handlebar, then the Fs 56 C-E offers that option, but the trade-off is that it is a little heavier at 5.2kg / 11.5 lbs.
Also included for user comfort is a shoulder strap harness, which helps take the weight of the trimmer off your arms. Aside from that, it comes with Stihls full range of standard features such as Easy2Start, and the Multi Function control handle. |
Stihl FS 240 Weed Eater
 If trimming is part of your job, or if you have large areas to trim, then the FS 240 may be ideal for you. This model has a 37.7cc engine, which puts out a hefty 2.3 bhp, which should be enough for the toughest of trimming tasks. This unit weighs 7kg / 15.4lbs, which is more or less in line with other professional trimmers. It has a large 750cc fuel tank, which means less refuelling stops during the day. The FS 240 has a bicycle style handle, which we feel is more comfortable to use over long periods of time. However they also offer the loop style handle on the FS 240-R, if you prefer that design. All the units controls are on the handlebar grips for easy access, and the handlebars can be rotated 90 degrees to make the unit smaller for storage or easier transportation. This can be done using the adjustment knob, so no tools are required to do this.
Like some of the higher end homeowner models, this unit comes with a shoulder strap to help with fatigue over long working periods. |
Summary
That is a brief summary of Stihl as a company, and a look at two of thee most popular Stihl weed eater models. These are both great choices, and should serve you well no matter the task. It’s certainly worth taking a look at their full weedeater range, as they offer other lower and higher end models to suit a variety of tasks.
Stihl is still one of our top choices for maintenance tools, and it looks like that won’t change anytime soon.