Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
I was just telling my woman how much I love her and how much money she has saved me!!! The two best small engine mechanics I know are both female's kinda MAKES the feminist argument pointless!!! Want equality earn it LoL!!!
I was just going to suggest this very fix. This approach can also be used for other situations where adding grease now and then can reduce wear and increase the life of a mechanical device. One thing, however, is to consider using a sucking device like and oil extractor to help remove the metal pieces left by drilling into the aluminum, prior to installing the Zerk. Also, some times using a bolt versus a zerk is best if the area will be bashing into various things from time to time to maybe damage the zerk.
@@brucewelty7684 I saw on youtube that you need to use 00 grease that you can get at Tractor Supply around $5. You need to be careful and not overfill. So I’ll leave the plug in (no zerk) so I can check the fill. The guy says you only need about 3/4 fill.
Funny, I'm an old guy of 78. I live in a community where all our yard work is included in living here. But, I still love watching Chickanic because I'm an old gear head from way back. El Mirage, Arizona
I used to buy the Combi unit and tell the customer about the deal with the "free" trimmer head and shield and keep the combi shaft and housing for my commercial customers who were using the heck out of their combis. Everybody wins. Both customers gain value and we were heros. Great videos.
The last kombi attachment i sold to replace a gear head still has a plug for greasing. If more people read thier manuals or sales people did their job properly and explained the features we would still have plugs in the consumer class of STIHL trimmer. The commercial units still do FS91 AND UP( check every 25 hours)
It seems that nobody noticed your attraction to the rabbit-hole of interesting videos. Am I lucky that my wife is happy watching pimple-popping videos? A great heads-up on reducing the manufacturing cost of trimmers and consequentially the life expectancy thereof. (My yard is a postage stamp so I get away with batteries for much of my work.)
Well thanks for info. I’m sure these trimmer manufacturers watch your videos so I’m betting they raise the price from 109.00 to 150.00. Love the channel ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I work at a stihl dealership, and I think you can take a gearbox off a FS 91 or 111 and put it on a Fs 56. The gearboxes on the 111 and 91 still have the grease port. I'm pretty sure of it. You may have to get the corresponding grass deflector shields though.
Thanks Bree for that great value tip! As a research engine tech., I often drilled & installed all kinds of temp., pressure, & other sensors. We pressed the engineers to decide ahead of time to think thru & decide where to put them so we can take a manifold off once & be done with the drill & tap mods., clean everything out & reinstall everything. Sure enough, after hours of work, disassembly, mods., & reinstall, & ready to start, engineer needs 1 more fitting in the intake! 🤬 ! I got an air pressure adjustable regulator, removed the air inlet pipe, put a plastic turbo inlet cover cap w/hoseclamp & found another fitting to connect the reg. air, (plus grease) at the drill area. Maintained a very low press of 1-2 psi, 1st drilling, then tapping so all swarf/chips would be definitely ejected Out of the manifold! That saved the company hours of time, labor costs for 2 techs. & frustration of said techs. Plus no possibility of Turbine F.O.D. on an expensive prototype Turbo! Paul from S. Central Tx.
Good tips. One thing that I tried and which worked on a different machine was to drill a hole and screw a small grease nipple into the hole,of course do this BEFORE you wreck the head !
I can't speak for other manufacturers, but Stihl's professional line of trimmers still has a grease port and greasing the gearhead is part of the regular maintenance called for in the operator's manual. Applies to FS 91 (R) and higher models.
I bought my first Echo Kombi kit about 7 years ago. Now I have six attachments and an extra head for backup. Echo has been my go to system since. I also picked up my first Surecan about 5 years ago. Now I have 5 of them and tossed all of my other gas cans.
I was once doing deliveries for Hospitals and had to transfer a “screw extraction kit” from one to another. When I got there the nurse wanted to check it before I left. The screw extraction kit was a set of screwdrivers made by Snap-On.
I bought the Kombi system and it was a game changer for me less to maintain I recommend this to everyone I know that is in the market for a new trimmer. I am a small landscaper and a one man show for full disclosure and now do mostly maintenance any more but I recommend this to everyone especially homeowners that want to handle their own property maintenance
I thought you were going to provide a solution to the head lubrication problem. Well, I have a suggestion, install a grease fitting on the head so it can be greased properly. Since you must have a pile of those things you should easily find a safe location on the head to drill a hole and install the fitting. What do you think? Is there room for one? Thanks for another great video!
Happy Valentines Day Bre! ♥ Thanks for all you do, excellent info per usual! The chainsaw medical device is Bonkers! I do know they had a tobacco smoke "pump" to Literally Blow Smoke up one's Arse! It is where the phrase came from...Thanks Again for saving us all time, money and frustration.
Bre you're awesome. I'm a woman who always worked in a "man's world" building houses and at home did my own trimming, tilling, mowing and wood cutting (heated only by firewood ) and knowing how to keep my stuff running was my survival. Literally. Hats off to you Chicky keep up the amazing work. Blessings for your health to continue so you can help us out for a long time! 😂❤🙏
I really like that you explain the problem, but can you offer those of us who don't want to replace our gear head every other year a practical solution to lubrication other than drilling a hole in it ? I'm good with tools but not a genius when it comes to this type of device. Thanks for thinking about us.
Thanks so much Bre! I used your suggestion to get the combi Stihl FS-KM Line Head Trimmer to replace the gear head on my FS 56 trimmer. Gear heads were slightly different (different shield mount on the combi unit) but it worked and I now have an extra shield and line feeder to boot!
you da bomb, girl!!! I'm confident that there are thousands of "inventions" out there that would damage our sensibilities today, but every little step got us where we are today.
We discovered this about 20 years ago with a friend of mine that owned a Stihl dealership (she is much like you with the vast knowledge)😊. I had the idea that I just wanted to purchase another stickedger attachment and a powersweep (rubber paddle) attachment. In looking it up, it was cheaper to buy the combi-system attachment, rather than just the head. Over time, I ended up with a whole bunch of the shaft extensions laying around (still have some). Thanks for posting and I love your channel!
We always use attachment capable trimmer heads. We have found that increasing in many attachments is better than many motors. Usually we just resell our trimmers the following spring after a year of use (having already purchased a new one the prior fall during clearance specials or display models) and
‘Guessing Stihl did more than simply eliminate the grease port - that they cheaped out on the gearbox innards. Admittedly, anecdotal, but I have the 20+ year old version of that Stihl trimmer with the grease port. Very heavy consumer use, including very tall grass trimming at our rural off-grid property. I neglected to touch that grease port for the first 15 years. When I finally noticed it and went to load it up with pricy Stihl grease, there was still plenty of grease in it. Now 25 years running, and other than maintenance kits (filters, plug) and one new carburetor, still running strong.
I bought an Echo PAS 225 about 15 years ago after Christmas from Lowes. In 15 years, I've changed the carb twice. Then I changed the plug, primer bulb, fuel lines and air filter at the same time simply because they came with the carb. I've worn out the trimmer head twice. All in all, not bad for 15 years of home use. Especially since I have the string trimmer head, the pole saw, the blower attachment, AND the hedge trimmer. It's been worth every penny. My only complaint is it feels just a little underpowered. But it just keeps on working. The pole saw! That thing is a working machine for a homeowner.
I learned about Stihl 15 year ago. A neighbor had a Stihl with the curved shaft, the one Consumers Reports gives high rating to year after year. The thing would not run. I worked and worked on it. I was happy when it ran good again - not so happy when it quit again after an hour or two of use. I looked up that trimmer on the internet and found thousands af complaints about that model. The repair shops could not fix them either, unless replacing the carb, which cost as much as a new unit. You could only get 2 to 3 year out of those units. After she passed, I helped clean out her property; I threw that piece of junk in a dumpster with a big smile on my face.
I got myself a Combi System from Husqvarna and love it. First I got the 128ldx and now the 122lk with Trimmer and power broom. This Season a new 525lk will come in and the hedge trimmer attachement. The Husqvarna has never let me down
Thanks for another great video, however, you triggered me. I have a Stihl 56 RC, purchased 8-15-2011. I just cleaned up the gearhead, and there is no bolt for grease. I use it for residential lawn care at home, a wild guess is maybe 25 hours per year. If you get time, would you consider a video showing how you would disassemble the gearhead to grease it?
This is great... I mean, your ability to completely ignore the potential differences in shaft sizes or spindle type (square, star, etc) is outstanding. I genuinely can't think of any reason that you shouldn't take a pole saw attachment from a Husqvarna 128LD and slap that onto a 525LS. If youve got a big enough hammer, you can probably get that spindle to chip a little and cram in there. And im sure there's nothing potentially unsafe about the way that thing is going to flop around on there a little bit due to the 525 shaft diameter being smaller. It's not like you'll ever need to pull back on the thing causing it to release and come completely off, adding the thrill of an in-motion mini chainsaw enjoying a playdate with gravity while you're exactly 4 feet underneath it. Not to be outdone, gearboxes have different internal lengths when the acceptance of shafts is considered. That can sometimes make the set screw not line up, or the spindle not be able to reach all the way, or at all. That leaves you with an inability to provide proper torque to the head and potential breakage at the tip of the spindle. Or, even better, the top of the spindle slips out of the engine and you're just left with an engine that will spin nothing, causing it to run over rpm for as long as it's fired up. Hopefully everybody has a commercial level centrifugal clutch that won't spin the assembly right out of it. Listen... I get that you found a nifty concept with use cases that work in 80% of the applications. And I don't think that you had any bad intentions whatsoever when making this video. I'll add that I generally admire and appreciate you all the way up to a professional level. You have a wide range of knowledge. But it's for that reason that I have to hold you to a higher standard. You had to have been aware of everything I just mentioned. Yet you offer zero heads up to people about any of it. Without that warning, you're putting some people in a lot of potential danger. At a bare minimum, adding hours of avoidable frustration to their day. Like I said. You're better than that. C'mon...
Hey Bre, I always buy the combi unit. Living in the country, I always need a brush cutter, pole saw, baby rototiller, you name it . Finally, give us an update on Ron and his surgery
I bought a Weed Eater straight shaft trimmer in 1999 it lasted me until 2018! I bought a FS 70 Stihl I hope it lasts me 19 years like my $99 Weed Eater trimmer, but I don’t expect it to. Thanks for for all your tips and advice.
Normally I never subscribe to channels but I made an exception for the Chickanic. Since I do all the maintenance on my home equipment I found the information to be invaluable. Therefore, I subscribed, liked and commented. I saved some money right off the bat on a second video. Purchased a scope off Amazon and saved a ton of money with the discount and 20% off. I plan on watching all of them now. I am so appreciative for all the information and expertise. Your reward is my subscription. Many thanks!
I guess Stihl figured "nobody" greases their machine anyway. Just like computer stuff doesn't come with a manual anymore because "no one reads it anyway"
I thought you were going to show us how to drill and tap the trimmer gear box to install a typical size bolt for greasing. What you showed is great, but adding a grease port to new trimmer, or one which isn't too old, would prevent having the buy the replacement shafts, as long as the grease maintenance was done regularly. The length of bolt to get could be measured inside once the gear box is disassembled. If all one can get is a bolt that's too long, then cut it to length in a way that won't damage the threads. If the bolt needs to be curved inside to prevent gear damage, or anything else, that could be started with a grinder, then made precise with a round file. The bolt will only go in so far and the threads will only catch at one orientation every time, so draw a line on the head where the bolt stops inline with the gear box that would be vertical in the right direction for the gear arch, or do it threaded side inside, and make the threaded-end arch after the length is correct. If the bolt head doesn't seat around the sides of the gear box arch and grease comes out during use, get a gasket or fat o-ring to seal it if need be, but the threads should block the grease from coming out. This would cost about $1 and the time to do it, if one has the tools. MUCH cheaper than new shafts. Or get a split-shaft trimmer and buy attachments for it. Then add the gear box bolt for greasing. That would be MUCH cheaper, too.
I love my Stihl Kombi Tool set up. Yes, I could have saved $ just switching heads, but I appreciate the fast switch ability. I'm no stranger to wrenching on equipment, but when I am on MY time, I don't want to take 10 minutes when I can do something in 1. Especially when I am cleaning fences, I can swap from pole saw+ extension to hedge trimmer in a minute. But thanks for the great information!
You are always very helpful! I have an older Stihl trimmer with the grease port. I also have a grass blade, brush cutter blade and a cultivator for it.
Wow IV just been talking about this matter only today. But IV now stop filling with E46 grease I'm now filling with , it's half way between grease and ep90. It's like a thick gloop with antiflinge properties. It's used in agricultural equipment. Very little leakage but been great for keeping gears lubed...not like grease where it "holes" around the gears. Great tip lass
When I bought my Stihl FS131 I intended to only use it for string trimming and cutting brush. Over time I bought many different heads for it... edger, bed definer, articulated hedge trimmer, and lots of guards and blades to set up the string trimmer gear box to use various steel blades for cutting woody brush and saplings. You used to be able to buy just the heads and not the head with a Kombi shaft... Note that I have a dedicated pole saw that has essentially the same 131 powerhead... it's the biggest pole saw Stihl offers as I needed the adjustable length and reach of the big pole saw.
Gives new meaning to "Gag me with a chainsaw" Disregard my last comment, I didn't think about it enough before I commented about the attachment swap. It would be a hassle to change from say a weed whacker to a pole saw though. Also those screws and the aluminum they screw into can lead to problems when taking them out and putting them back repeatedly.
Thanks for the video. I suppose if you have a new trimmer, that you just bought, you can drill a hole and tap it so that you could put a bolt back in there to grease it if you're a commercial user or even a home user. Recently, I saw on Amazon some aftermarket gearheads that cost about 30 bucks. I can't speak to the quality of it. They seem to be imported, but I'll have the words Japan stamped on it which is a little bit sketchy.
I see in the casting they still have the spot where the bolt USED to be located. My thought is whilst not everyone is savvy enough to be able to do this, I would figure out the center of that spot and after disassembling the gear box I would proceed to drill and tap it for a new bolt, and I can either find a bolt that's the right length or get a bolt that's exactly what I need and proceed to trim it down. This will take a bit of time and using what god gave people in the ol' brain box, but it sounds like a few minutes and/or half an hour today could save a lot of time and money down the line. If it's designed to not come apart, then anyone wanting to do this is up the paddle without a creek. Beyond that this is a darn good channel, keep up the good work.
I bought a split boom Milwaukee. No gas. No oil. None of which I have anything against. They are simply less trouble. Milwaukee mower too. I started out with a Green Machine mower 3 years ago. I gave that to my son for his new home and stepped up. I don’t hate gas mowers. My 40 year old Craftsman eager I is still running to day. Blades, oil, air filter, spark plug, and primer bulbs. It’s at a new home.
Hey Chick, why couldn't you take off the trimmer gear head and drill and tap a screw into it? Sounds good to me. One can tell she knows her stuff by the way she rattle's off all these part numbers. No and's or ah's.
What's your opinion in running a trimmer without the guard? Allowing the string to get longer than intended causing more wind resistance? I've broken a couple of shaft cables I believe by doing that. I see lawn companies and big-time lawn guys/gals running them like that all the time. When I did it, not only did stuff hit me in the face, like pecans and little rocks, but the engine housing where the shaft comes out got extremely hot and stunk like a hot clutch. I broke a cable on a Toro (darn good trimmer they dont make anymore) and a Stihl. Myself, I work for a realtor and do about 3 of her lawns a day, but are still somewhat "commercial". Not a huge lawnguy, but just right for me.
You are incredible! It breaks my heart that all of these once well-respected brands are having to go to the dark side just to save a buck. I fully "get" all the economics involved...IMO, cut out half the big wigs and the hyper inflated marketing people. Spend THOSE dollars that ya saved on good quality R & D, quality control and REAL WORLD feedback...I have an old FS36 string trimmer that is probably half as old as I am. (and, I AM old)...That rascal runs like a scalded dog every year. I use 90 octane non ethanol gas and simply follow the manufacturers instructions...We need to get back to the basics...thank you for such high quality information
Im stihl using my echo trimmer with grease-able head since 1989... older is better 90+% of the time. Great information though for the ("new and improved") generations of trimmers! 👍
You describing that excursion down the medical instrument rabbit hole was quite humorous. I tend to do the same when looking into a subject. At first, it is curiosity, then it becomes obsession. Oh yeah, back to the subject of trimmers.😂Thanks for the very informative video. 👍👍👏🇺🇲
I have a FS 55 and it does not have a greasing point. I noticed that conical gear that goes to the square shaft is hollow so I purchased syringe with little tube on top that can go inside hollow gear so it can reach inside the gearbox so it can be filled with grease. I do greasing this way once a season. Also bearings of the gearhead can be easily replaced by removing Snap Rings and carefully heating it over gas stove. Heating aluminum head increase its size so the bearings can be easily remove just by easy tapping on the some hard surface. Let it then cool down on by itself, do not force it with water.
I asked Stihl why they did it, there was no answer. They did keep the grease fitting from the FS91,111,131. I am a technician for Stihl. I am i believe one of the few who work to tell the customer the truth.
Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
THIS Woman MUST be protected - at ALL COST!
God Bless You!
I was just telling my woman how much I love her and how much money she has saved me!!!
The two best small engine mechanics I know are both female's kinda MAKES the feminist argument pointless!!!
Want equality earn it LoL!!!
You just made my day. Look out Stihl, here I come. Chicanic, you are the best. Thank you fir saving me Time, Money and Frustration!
Thanks! I would be turnin' down any brand who's not willing to make a Grease-port in the equipment!!
I have been wondering the same thing I think that would be the easiest thing to do.
Honey, is that a chainsaw in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me 😅
Pop the head off drill #3, 1/4-20 tap and add a zerk.
That's what I did. 😊
I was just going to suggest this very fix. This approach can also be used for other situations where adding grease now and then can reduce wear and increase the life of a mechanical device. One thing, however, is to consider using a sucking device like and oil extractor to help remove the metal pieces left by drilling into the aluminum, prior to installing the Zerk. Also, some times using a bolt versus a zerk is best if the area will be bashing into various things from time to time to maybe damage the zerk.
Thanks for the tip, I will put a grease fitting on my snowblower transmission.
@@donjohnson3701 regular grease may be to think. especially in a snow event.
@@brucewelty7684 I saw on youtube that you need to use 00 grease that you can get at Tractor Supply around $5. You need to be careful and not overfill. So I’ll leave the plug in (no zerk) so I can check the fill. The guy says you only need about 3/4 fill.
Funny, I'm an old guy of 78. I live in a community where all our yard work is included in living here. But, I still love watching Chickanic because I'm an old gear head from way back.
El Mirage, Arizona
Ditto.
I used to buy the Combi unit and tell the customer about the deal with the "free" trimmer head and shield and keep the combi shaft and housing for my commercial customers who were using the heck out of their combis. Everybody wins. Both customers gain value and we were heros. Great videos.
I wondered about this for years, but didn't want to mess up my trimmer by taking it apart. Great tip!! Thanks!
Thanks Bree, I'll save all Stihl gearboxes off my next scrap load. Sounds like used, serviceable, Squeal trimmer gear boxes are gonna be big sellers
That would be a great idea! Used OEM gear heads go for a pretty good price online.
Would it be possible to just add a grease zirt to the trimmer head? I'm a machinist/gear maker. It's gotta be a simple set of helical gears.
I'm not sure why but trimmer gear boxes use a threaded port, not a zerk. Probably because it leaves nothing exposed to bang up.
I just love the way you say Husqvarna
The last kombi attachment i sold to replace a gear head still has a plug for greasing. If more people read thier manuals or sales people did their job properly and explained the features we would still have plugs in the consumer class of STIHL trimmer. The commercial units still do FS91 AND UP( check every 25 hours)
Happy Valentine’s Day. My Echo ha that bolt and I lube it once a year. It’s only 3 years old. Those new trimmer heads are awesome.
It seems that nobody noticed your attraction to the rabbit-hole of interesting videos. Am I lucky that my wife is happy watching pimple-popping videos? A great heads-up on reducing the manufacturing cost of trimmers and consequentially the life expectancy thereof. (My yard is a postage stamp so I get away with batteries for much of my work.)
Nice of you to put out that information. Your husband is a lucky guy so I hope he treats you well on this sweetheart day! 😊
Well thanks for info. I’m sure these trimmer manufacturers watch your videos so I’m betting they raise the price from 109.00 to 150.00. Love the channel ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I work at a stihl dealership, and I think you can take a gearbox off a FS 91 or 111 and put it on a Fs 56. The gearboxes on the 111 and 91 still have the grease port. I'm pretty sure of it. You may have to get the corresponding grass deflector shields though.
Thanks Bree for that great value tip! As a research engine tech., I often drilled & installed all kinds of temp., pressure, & other sensors. We pressed the engineers to decide ahead of time to think thru & decide where to put them so we can take a manifold off once & be done with the drill & tap mods., clean everything out & reinstall everything. Sure enough, after hours of work, disassembly, mods., & reinstall, & ready to start, engineer needs 1 more fitting in the intake! 🤬 ! I got an air pressure adjustable regulator, removed the air inlet pipe, put a plastic turbo inlet cover cap w/hoseclamp & found another fitting to connect the reg. air, (plus grease) at the drill area. Maintained a very low press of 1-2 psi, 1st drilling, then tapping so all swarf/chips would be definitely ejected Out of the manifold! That saved the company hours of time, labor costs for 2 techs. & frustration of said techs. Plus no possibility of Turbine F.O.D. on an expensive prototype Turbo! Paul from S. Central Tx.
Good tips. One thing that I tried and which worked on a different machine was to drill a hole and screw a small grease nipple into the hole,of course do this BEFORE you wreck the head !
I can't speak for other manufacturers, but Stihl's professional line of trimmers still has a grease port and greasing the gearhead is part of the regular maintenance called for in the operator's manual. Applies to FS 91 (R) and higher models.
I bought my first Echo Kombi kit about 7 years ago. Now I have six attachments and an extra head for backup. Echo has been my go to system since. I also picked up my first Surecan about 5 years ago. Now I have 5 of them and tossed all of my other gas cans.
I was once doing deliveries for Hospitals and had to transfer a “screw extraction kit” from one to another. When I got there the nurse wanted to check it before I left. The screw extraction kit was a set of screwdrivers made by Snap-On.
Maintaining once motor is why i went with the pas. That and the split made it 3" longer which helps me from lurching over. Saves the spine
I bought the Kombi system and it was a game changer for me less to maintain I recommend this to everyone I know that is in the market for a new trimmer. I am a small landscaper and a one man show for full disclosure and now do mostly maintenance any more but I recommend this to everyone especially homeowners that want to handle their own property maintenance
Thank You Chickanic a thousand times - you are the best
YOU’RE THE BEST, CHICKANIC!
YOU GO, GIRL! 🎉 ❤ 👍
I thought you were going to provide a solution to the head lubrication problem. Well, I have a suggestion, install a grease fitting on the head so it can be greased properly. Since you must have a pile of those things you should easily find a safe location on the head to drill a hole and install the fitting. What do you think? Is there room for one? Thanks for another great video!
Happy Valentines Day Bre! ♥ Thanks for all you do, excellent info per usual! The chainsaw medical device is Bonkers! I do know they had a tobacco smoke "pump" to Literally Blow Smoke up one's Arse! It is where the phrase came from...Thanks Again for saving us all time, money and frustration.
Bre you're awesome. I'm a woman who always worked in a "man's world" building houses and at home did my own trimming, tilling, mowing and wood cutting (heated only by firewood ) and knowing how to keep my stuff running was my survival. Literally.
Hats off to you Chicky keep up the amazing work. Blessings for your health to continue so you can help us out for a long time! 😂❤🙏
OH DAMN!!!! I am traumatized by chain saws now!
Living my best La Vida Loca here in south eastern Arizona
Happy Valentine's day!!! I hope you and the Mr. have a wonderful day!!
I really like that you explain the problem, but can you offer those of us who don't want to replace our gear head every other year a practical solution to lubrication other than drilling a hole in it ? I'm good with tools but not a genius when it comes to this type of device. Thanks for thinking about us.
I was just looking for a pole saw and now this is a major saver. I can now get the attachment for my SRM-225! Thanks Chickanic!
My echo has the bolt . I never knew this was an option . Thanks for the heads up!
Did you mean "option"?
@@dougadams9419
My guess? Spellcheck strikes again!
Thanks so much Bre! I used your suggestion to get the combi Stihl FS-KM Line Head Trimmer to replace the gear head on my FS 56 trimmer. Gear heads were slightly different (different shield mount on the combi unit) but it worked and I now have an extra shield and line feeder to boot!
you da bomb, girl!!! I'm confident that there are thousands of "inventions" out there that would damage our sensibilities today, but every little step got us where we are today.
We discovered this about 20 years ago with a friend of mine that owned a Stihl dealership (she is much like you with the vast knowledge)😊. I had the idea that I just wanted to purchase another stickedger attachment and a powersweep (rubber paddle) attachment. In looking it up, it was cheaper to buy the combi-system attachment, rather than just the head. Over time, I ended up with a whole bunch of the shaft extensions laying around (still have some). Thanks for posting and I love your channel!
We always use attachment capable trimmer heads. We have found that increasing in many attachments is better than many motors.
Usually we just resell our trimmers the following spring after a year of use (having already purchased a new one the prior fall during clearance specials or display models) and
‘Guessing Stihl did more than simply eliminate the grease port - that they cheaped out on the gearbox innards. Admittedly, anecdotal, but I have the 20+ year old version of that Stihl trimmer with the grease port. Very heavy consumer use, including very tall grass trimming at our rural off-grid property.
I neglected to touch that grease port for the first 15 years. When I finally noticed it and went to load it up with pricy Stihl grease, there was still plenty of grease in it. Now 25 years running, and other than maintenance kits (filters, plug) and one new carburetor, still running strong.
I bought an Echo PAS 225 about 15 years ago after Christmas from Lowes.
In 15 years, I've changed the carb twice. Then I changed the plug, primer bulb, fuel lines and air filter at the same time simply because they came with the carb.
I've worn out the trimmer head twice.
All in all, not bad for 15 years of home use.
Especially since I have the string trimmer head, the pole saw, the blower attachment, AND the hedge trimmer.
It's been worth every penny.
My only complaint is it feels just a little underpowered.
But it just keeps on working.
The pole saw! That thing is a working machine for a homeowner.
Yes! The trimmer attachment systems are all the best way to go. You get way more bang for your buck if you add just one or two attachments.
Happy Valentine's Day, Bre. Another great video.
Thanks so much Don!
Thank you so much for your honesty and caring and sharing these videos!
Good stuff - if the trimmer brands are paying attention, they should be contacting you like Husqvarna did previously…. to come clean!
I learned about Stihl 15 year ago. A neighbor had a Stihl with the curved shaft, the one Consumers Reports gives high rating to year after year. The thing would not run. I worked and worked on it. I was happy when it ran good again - not so happy when it quit again after an hour or two of use. I looked up that trimmer on the internet and found thousands af complaints about that model. The repair shops could not fix them either, unless replacing the carb, which cost as much as a new unit. You could only get 2 to 3 year out of those units. After she passed, I helped clean out her property; I threw that piece of junk in a dumpster with a big smile on my face.
I got myself a Combi System from Husqvarna and love it. First I got the 128ldx and now the 122lk with Trimmer and power broom. This Season a new 525lk will come in and the hedge trimmer attachement. The Husqvarna has never let me down
I havent greased my echo PAS stringer attachment in 15 years. May have to take care of that this fall.
Thanks for another great video, however, you triggered me. I have a Stihl 56 RC, purchased 8-15-2011. I just cleaned up the gearhead, and there is no bolt for grease. I use it for residential lawn care at home, a wild guess is maybe 25 hours per year. If you get time, would you consider a video showing how you would disassemble the gearhead to grease it?
This is great... I mean, your ability to completely ignore the potential differences in shaft sizes or spindle type (square, star, etc) is outstanding. I genuinely can't think of any reason that you shouldn't take a pole saw attachment from a Husqvarna 128LD and slap that onto a 525LS. If youve got a big enough hammer, you can probably get that spindle to chip a little and cram in there. And im sure there's nothing potentially unsafe about the way that thing is going to flop around on there a little bit due to the 525 shaft diameter being smaller. It's not like you'll ever need to pull back on the thing causing it to release and come completely off, adding the thrill of an in-motion mini chainsaw enjoying a playdate with gravity while you're exactly 4 feet underneath it.
Not to be outdone, gearboxes have different internal lengths when the acceptance of shafts is considered. That can sometimes make the set screw not line up, or the spindle not be able to reach all the way, or at all. That leaves you with an inability to provide proper torque to the head and potential breakage at the tip of the spindle. Or, even better, the top of the spindle slips out of the engine and you're just left with an engine that will spin nothing, causing it to run over rpm for as long as it's fired up. Hopefully everybody has a commercial level centrifugal clutch that won't spin the assembly right out of it.
Listen... I get that you found a nifty concept with use cases that work in 80% of the applications. And I don't think that you had any bad intentions whatsoever when making this video. I'll add that I generally admire and appreciate you all the way up to a professional level. You have a wide range of knowledge. But it's for that reason that I have to hold you to a higher standard. You had to have been aware of everything I just mentioned. Yet you offer zero heads up to people about any of it. Without that warning, you're putting some people in a lot of potential danger. At a bare minimum, adding hours of avoidable frustration to their day.
Like I said. You're better than that. C'mon...
Hey Bre, I always buy the combi unit. Living in the country, I always need a brush cutter, pole saw, baby rototiller, you name it . Finally, give us an update on Ron and his surgery
I bought a Weed Eater straight shaft trimmer in 1999 it lasted me until 2018! I bought a FS 70 Stihl I hope it lasts me 19 years like my $99 Weed Eater trimmer, but I don’t expect it to. Thanks for for all your tips and advice.
Your content just keeps getting better. Live long and prosper.
You are awesome ! The info, and money saving content you put out is the best. Thank you.
I've been running a Ryobi multi tool strimmer head fitted with an Echo Speedfeed reel on a Sthil 4 stroke.
You go girl! What an amazing lady. You really help us!
Lady you are the balls......... THANK YOU!!!!!!
The Stihl FS91 I bought yesterday has the grease bolt... made sure of it, before I bought it.
I'll say it again YOU areAMAZING!!!!
Drill tap grease fitting 👍
I have the 131 kombi system, its a beast. Love it for brush cutting with a chainsaw circular blade, and pole saw attachment.
I got a 3/16” (10mm nut) brake line fitting and added a zerk fitting to it. Replaced the nut on my FS110 and works great
Normally I never subscribe to channels but I made an exception for the Chickanic. Since I do all the maintenance on my home equipment I found the information to be invaluable. Therefore, I subscribed, liked and commented. I saved some money right off the bat on a second video. Purchased a scope off Amazon and saved a ton of money with the discount and 20% off. I plan on watching all of them now. I am so appreciative for all the information and expertise. Your reward is my subscription. Many thanks!
The best in the business 🇺🇲
My echo srm 225 does. Not sure old it is but a carb replacement and runs great
I guess Stihl figured "nobody" greases their machine anyway. Just like computer stuff doesn't come with a manual anymore because "no one reads it anyway"
How about drilling and tapping for a grease fitting?
Watching these are becoming a good habit! Thanks
I thought you were going to show us how to drill and tap the trimmer gear box to install a typical size bolt for greasing. What you showed is great, but adding a grease port to new trimmer, or one which isn't too old, would prevent having the buy the replacement shafts, as long as the grease maintenance was done regularly. The length of bolt to get could be measured inside once the gear box is disassembled. If all one can get is a bolt that's too long, then cut it to length in a way that won't damage the threads. If the bolt needs to be curved inside to prevent gear damage, or anything else, that could be started with a grinder, then made precise with a round file. The bolt will only go in so far and the threads will only catch at one orientation every time, so draw a line on the head where the bolt stops inline with the gear box that would be vertical in the right direction for the gear arch, or do it threaded side inside, and make the threaded-end arch after the length is correct. If the bolt head doesn't seat around the sides of the gear box arch and grease comes out during use, get a gasket or fat o-ring to seal it if need be, but the threads should block the grease from coming out. This would cost about $1 and the time to do it, if one has the tools. MUCH cheaper than new shafts. Or get a split-shaft trimmer and buy attachments for it. Then add the gear box bolt for greasing. That would be MUCH cheaper, too.
you are cute as a button clever as MaGyver and can put a smile on anyones face !
don’t change a thing !
now i got to go grease my trimmer !
I love my Stihl Kombi Tool set up. Yes, I could have saved $ just switching heads, but I appreciate the fast switch ability. I'm no stranger to wrenching on equipment, but when I am on MY time, I don't want to take 10 minutes when I can do something in 1. Especially when I am cleaning fences, I can swap from pole saw+ extension to hedge trimmer in a minute. But thanks for the great information!
Thanks. Great channel with fantastic advice. 👍
Can you put a grease fitting (drill and tap some threads) on the gear box?
You are always very helpful! I have an older Stihl trimmer with the grease port. I also have a grass blade, brush cutter blade and a cultivator for it.
Great video, learn alot from watching. Thank you.
God bless you for being honest.
Wow IV just been talking about this matter only today.
But IV now stop filling with E46 grease I'm now filling with , it's half way between grease and ep90.
It's like a thick gloop with antiflinge properties.
It's used in agricultural equipment.
Very little leakage but been great for keeping gears lubed...not like grease where it "holes" around the gears.
Great tip lass
I went with the PAS system right from the start because I knew I wanted a lot of tools, and having only one engine to keep running sounded like a win.
Excellent luv it thanx cheers 🥂 happy valentines day 😊
When I bought my Stihl FS131 I intended to only use it for string trimming and cutting brush. Over time I bought many different heads for it... edger, bed definer, articulated hedge trimmer, and lots of guards and blades to set up the string trimmer gear box to use various steel blades for cutting woody brush and saplings. You used to be able to buy just the heads and not the head with a Kombi shaft... Note that I have a dedicated pole saw that has essentially the same 131 powerhead... it's the biggest pole saw Stihl offers as I needed the adjustable length and reach of the big pole saw.
Another day another very useful bit of information.
Thank you.
Gives new meaning to "Gag me with a chainsaw" Disregard my last comment, I didn't think about it enough before I commented about the attachment swap. It would be a hassle to change from say a weed whacker to a pole saw though. Also those screws and the aluminum they screw into can lead to problems when taking them out and putting them back repeatedly.
Thanks for the video. I suppose if you have a new trimmer, that you just bought, you can drill a hole and tap it so that you could put a bolt back in there to grease it if you're a commercial user or even a home user.
Recently, I saw on Amazon some aftermarket gearheads that cost about 30 bucks. I can't speak to the quality of it. They seem to be imported, but I'll have the words Japan stamped on it which is a little bit sketchy.
It's a good plan B. The only problem is having that extra long shaft which in some tree trimming situations might not work so good..
Very informative 👍
One more thing, day by day you looking very glower and bright 😎.
Stay blessed 🙏
Wow thank you mamm! Purchased the units all brand new 4 years ago. So will look at the option soon when upgrading the hsaft head only
I see in the casting they still have the spot where the bolt USED to be located. My thought is whilst not everyone is savvy enough to be able to do this, I would figure out the center of that spot and after disassembling the gear box I would proceed to drill and tap it for a new bolt, and I can either find a bolt that's the right length or get a bolt that's exactly what I need and proceed to trim it down. This will take a bit of time and using what god gave people in the ol' brain box, but it sounds like a few minutes and/or half an hour today could save a lot of time and money down the line. If it's designed to not come apart, then anyone wanting to do this is up the paddle without a creek. Beyond that this is a darn good channel, keep up the good work.
I bought a split boom Milwaukee. No gas. No oil. None of which I have anything against. They are simply less trouble. Milwaukee mower too. I started out with a Green Machine mower 3 years ago. I gave that to my son for his new home and stepped up. I don’t hate gas mowers. My 40 year old Craftsman eager I is still running to day. Blades, oil, air filter, spark plug, and primer bulbs. It’s at a new home.
Hey Chick, why couldn't you take off the trimmer gear head and drill and tap a screw into it? Sounds good to me. One can tell she knows her stuff by the way she rattle's off all these part numbers. No and's or ah's.
What's your opinion in running a trimmer without the guard? Allowing the string to get longer than intended causing more wind resistance? I've broken a couple of shaft cables I believe by doing that. I see lawn companies and big-time lawn guys/gals running them like that all the time. When I did it, not only did stuff hit me in the face, like pecans and little rocks, but the engine housing where the shaft comes out got extremely hot and stunk like a hot clutch. I broke a cable on a Toro (darn good trimmer they dont make anymore) and a Stihl. Myself, I work for a realtor and do about 3 of her lawns a day, but are still somewhat "commercial". Not a huge lawnguy, but just right for me.
You are so smart. Wish you were close!
You are incredible! It breaks my heart that all of these once well-respected brands are having to go to the dark side just to save a buck. I fully "get" all the economics involved...IMO, cut out half the big wigs and the hyper inflated marketing people. Spend THOSE dollars that ya saved on good quality R & D, quality control and REAL WORLD feedback...I have an old FS36 string trimmer that is probably half as old as I am. (and, I AM old)...That rascal runs like a scalded dog every year. I use 90 octane non ethanol gas and simply follow the manufacturers instructions...We need to get back to the basics...thank you for such high quality information
I've got the Echo PAS system, love it!
Im stihl using my echo trimmer with grease-able head since 1989... older is better 90+% of the time. Great information though for the ("new and improved") generations of trimmers! 👍
You describing that excursion down the medical instrument rabbit hole was quite humorous. I tend to do the same when looking into a subject. At first, it is curiosity, then it becomes obsession. Oh yeah, back to the subject of trimmers.😂Thanks for the very informative video.
👍👍👏🇺🇲
We would like to thank you
Cool, known this stuff forever, glad you shared it though. Articulating heads suck.
I have a FS 55 and it does not have a greasing point. I noticed that conical gear that goes to the square shaft is hollow so I purchased syringe with little tube on top that can go inside hollow gear so it can reach inside the gearbox so it can be filled with grease. I do greasing this way once a season. Also bearings of the gearhead can be easily replaced by removing Snap Rings and carefully heating it over gas stove. Heating aluminum head increase its size so the bearings can be easily remove just by easy tapping on the some hard surface. Let it then cool down on by itself, do not force it with water.
Carefully drill a hole and tap for grease fitting.
I asked Stihl why they did it, there was no answer. They did keep the grease fitting from the FS91,111,131. I am a technician for Stihl. I am i believe one of the few who work to tell the customer the truth.
Yea, they did the same with the larger Echo's.
Just think of all that has been experimented with on our ancestors by the medical field back in those days, thanks for the video!
Great job thanks for the information.
Great hack. I've been wanting to buy a KM with a tiller attachment. I have garden boxes. Definitely something to check out.