STIHL FS 55 Brush Cutter Review: The FS 55 C, FS 55 R, And FS 55 RC Trimmer…

STIHL FS 55 Brush Cutter Review: The FS 55 C, FS 55 R, And FS 55 RC Trimmer

We usually stick to STIHL chainsaw reviews at Fire and Saw, but I’ve been using the STIHL FS 55 C Brushcutter and couldn’t resist putting a short post together.

I’ve been using it to clear invasive scotch broom, thick reeds, thistles, and other tall grasses, and I love it.

It efficiently rips through the brush, scrub, and grass, and it’s comfortable and easy to use – not to mention fun.

I also bought the STIHL FS 45 Line Trimmer for some light work recently, and I have regrets, but I’ll save that for another post!

STIHL FS 55 Weed Eater

Echo Gas Brushcutter

The STIHL FS 55 is one of STIHL’s more powerful brush cutters and it has a lot of cuts for a so-called ‘entry-level brushcutter.’

Technically, the FS 55 (along with the FS 55 R, RC-E, C-E) is a brush cutter for trimming grass rather than some of the other series.

Other series of STIHL brushcutters include:

• Brush cutter for mowing around the home – the FS 56 to the FS 150
• Brush cutters for landscape maintenance – the FS 91 to the FS 450
• Clearing brush cutters for forestry and heavy-duty work – the FS 311 to the 560
• Battery brush cutters – the FSA 45 to the FSA 135
• Corded electric brush cutters – the FSE 31 to the FSE 81

There are also backpack brush cutters and a wide range of different cutting heads for all of the different models.

All that to say, while the FS 55 is a entry level model for lighter work, it’s really great and I can only imagine how awesome the most powerful STIHL brush cutters must be.

Tim was clearing these large patches of what I call reeds, but I don’t actually know what they are.

They’re pretty thick grasses that come up in the bottom of our gully.

He was making it easier to drive through them to start cutting firewood with his MS440 Magnum.

The head or blade on the brushcutter is the STIHL GrassCut grass cutting blade (4 blades).

And again, while this head is only stated as being for use on weeds and grasses, it’s highly effective on a range of tougher brush.

For example, here is one of our hillsides covered in broom that grew up very quickly when the sheep were out.

The growth doesn’t look so bad in this photo, but it was actually more than 5 or 6 feet high in parts.

The stems of the largest broom were at least half an inch, and the FS 55 with the grass cutting blade took care of it very well.

I had a number of areas covered in broom and thistles, not just the slope pictured above.

I ended up using the brush cutter for a couple of days for 4 or 5 hours a day, and it was really easy to use.

It comes with a harness and has bike-style handlebars which makes extended use like this much nicer.

I wouldn’t be able to use my FS 45 line trimmer with the loop handle for longer than a couple of hours at a time because it does become heavy.

Buying a brush cutter with a harness is a must in my opinion.

STIHL FS 55 Specs

The handy lightweight STIHL brushcutters add the finishing touches in garden care or landscape maintenance.

They are the ideal complement to motor mowers and are used wherever the work of the mower needs finishing. Small areas of grass can also be mowed quickly with these machines.

There are a couple of different designations on this brushcutter.

The C on STIHL brush cutters is the same as the C on STIHL chainsaws – it stands for Comfort and offers additional features for better ease of use.

You can buy the 55 as the basic base model, comfort model (C), or with ErgoStart (E) for jerk-free starting.

Here’s a comparison of the different FS 55 model specs.

That table doesn’t show the FS 55 C, but specs are the same as the base 55.

The R designation refers to a loop handle over the bike-style handles.

All the FS 55 versions are:

They vary a bit in weight depending on the type of handle.

STIHL FS 55 Brush Cutter Review

I already shared my review in the intro – I love it.

The FS 55 is a great lightweight but powerful brush cutter for cutting long thick grass and even thicker brush than its stated use.

It’s reliable, easy to get the hang of, and comfortable to use.

I’ll definitely be getting one of these myself, or perhaps one of the slightly higher-powered models, in the very near future.

The broom hasn’t grown back up, but in other areas on the property, I have a lot of wild blackcurrant bushes, blackberry bushes, and plenty more of those thick reedy grasses.

I bought the FS 45 for light work around the gardens, but I should have just bit the bullet and spent the money on the better model.

STIHL FS 55 R

While the STIHL FS 55 R appears to be a better seller than the non-R model, I personally much prefer the bike style bars.

Just to remind you, the R refers to the loop style handle.

Those are alright for short sharp bursts with a brush cutter or line trimmer, but when you’re using them for hours I think the style pictured here is best.

STIHL FS 55 Price

You can check the current price of the STIHL FS 55 or FS 55 R on Acme Tools here.

Also, compare with the range of STIHL trimmers, weed eaters, and brush cutters on Ace Hardware here.

At the time of writing, the FS 55 is going for around US220, and the models with higher designations for a bit more than that.

In my opinion, the price is well worth it for a quality brush cutter that performs well.

Lastly, as an alternative to STIHL, the batteries used on the EGO chainsaw range can also be used on their line trimmer and cutters.

Let me know if you have any more questions in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below.

STIHL FS-MM Brushcutter MultiTool Attachment

Add to Cart To calculate your delivery cost, add this item to your cart and enter your address at Checkout

Now you can turn your STIHL YARD BOSS into a quality wheeled trimmer, adding ease and convenience to your trimming tasks – all for much less than the cost of a dedicated trimmer mower. The STIHL FS-MM trimmer attachment features a dependable STIHL AutoCut 25-2 trimmer head for precision cutting tasks. To advance the line, just tap the trimmer head against the ground. Need to change the trimmer head? The FS-MM trimmer head is designed to be removed and replaced with a wide range of STIHL trimmer heads, including STIHL SuperCut FixCut DuroCut and more!

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Great service our business in gardening has been going over 35 years and this business wins hands down for service. My masport broke a clutch cable and normally you have to wait weeks. these guys had it in stock and have a huge range of spares. What was a big surprise it was only 25 bucks for the part.

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Really great customer service at this shop. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. I purchased a lawn mower here and Ryan was able to set it up, ready to go on pickup.He set up the warranty and I couldn’t have asked for better customer service. Thank you !

Visited on the weekend. Friendly service and professional advice from Ashley. Recommend a visit for all your mowing needs.

Very fast delivery to Queensland on the Key Start Honda powered Chipper, this machine is excellent, perfect for my large acreage block

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Brilliant customer service. I am a first time customer and Bought a STIHL FS70r, the team got it all ready, filled it with fuel and showed me how to change the spool and operate the equipment. Thank you.

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Ordered a Pro100 chipper, an absolute beast chips wet branches on a melaleuca tree up to 100mm no problem at all, what use to take me a full day with the old electric chipper took less than an hour with this. Order was sent to local TNT depot, bit of an effort to get it out the trailer at home 234kg but got there in the end. Service from Kingston mowers for ordering and customer service was A.

If you are looking for a suitable Mower, tools or machinery for your outdoor maintenance, this is your go to place. Please do definitely ask for Nick who’s Mr. Know it all. He’s really courteous and always has a smile on his face. If it’s your first time picking up your equipments this is your place!!

I researched and found that Masport have supply problems and can only supply a 190cc engine to its dealers and instead only have a 161cc engine yet for for the same money!Thanks to my research I found B.W. Machinery whom have the Masport with the 190cc engine, under AL191 part number, and the several dealings I experienced with Ryan who answered all my concerns and confirmed things such as identical engine and nationwide warranty for me not only verbally, but in writing.I ordered on Saturday, and I received the unit on Tuesday! Super fast delivery although its around 7-10 days normally.Took the machine out of the box, filled with oil and petrol, put catcher together and what a beast this AL191 is! It roars. I can’t wait to take it on a run in my yard when grass is due.After so much stress with originally getting a machine with the inferior motor from a Sydney dealer, then taking it back next day, then finding B.W. Machinery where Ryan took all the stress away. He was nothing short of exemplary in his service to me.I ran a national company for 24 years and I want to say how fantastic their service is and consider anyone to give this great business a try and see for yourselves, to witness their service, quality and extremely competitive prices.I very much look forward to recommending to my friends and look forward to dealing with you again.

This place has the cheapest Honda and STIHL equipment in the Melbourne surrounds.The owner is knowledgeable and extremely helpful when picking machinery for the job that needs doing.Servicing of machinery is prompt, well priced and of good quality.While I still keep my eye out on other places, I always come back here for the reasonable prices, knowledge and quality of service.If you’re in the maintenance industry, I honestly don’t know why you’d go anywhere else.

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STIHL kombi brush cutter

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Tested: STIHL Battery KombiSystem

If you’re looking for stealthier way to make the neighbors a little green with envy, leave the gas can in the shed and the extension cord on its spool. The STIHL Battery KombiSystem is the newest family of cordless contenders in an ever-growing field of DC-driven landscape products.

It starts at 6:00 p.m. every Friday. Like clockwork, the usual silence of suburbia is disrupted by the hum and thrum of a weekly lawncare ritual that spreads contagiously from house to house until the final blade of grass falls on Sunday evening. If you’re looking for stealthier way to make the neighbors a little green with envy, leave the gas can in the shed and the extension cord on its spool.

The STIHL Battery KombiSystem is the newest family of cordless contenders in an ever-growing field of DC-driven landscape products. Powered by STIHL’s AP series of 36-volt lithium-ion batteries, the family includes an incredibly quiet collection of cutters to keep your yard looking like the Eden it is, sans gasoline. To find out just how well these wireless workhorses performed, we took a small selection to our back forty (feet, not acres) for a little blade on blade action.

GO GREEN: Fenugreen FreshPaper | 2013 Jetta Hybrid | eFlow E3 Nitro Electric Bike

HSA 65 Cordless Hedge Trimmer

A lightweight and well balanced blade is key to inspiring confidence, but making that happen with a four-pound brick in the back end isn’t usually a recipe for success. STIHL has it sorted. The HSA 65 Cordless Hedge Trimmer made short work of shrubbery, chewing through the overgrowth with its double-sided blades. The loop-style handle makes changing direction on the fly an easy exercise and lends itself to southpaws without modification. The variable speed control on the rear trigger was a nice touch for fine-tuning, and the two-handed trigger is reassuringly safe — especially if you’re easily alarmed by bustles in your hedgerow. An integrated tip protector comes in handy when tackling any low-hanging fruit and, combined with the included sheath, should ensure your blades stay sharp enough for moving on to larger mediums.

RMA 370 Cordless Lawn Mower

Moving from vertical to horizontal planes took no time at all: with the battery ejected from the trimmer and installed in the new RMA 370 Cordless Lawn Mower (400), we were immediately ready to take on the lawn. The 14.5-inch diameter cutting deck of the RMA 370 is decidedly small, but perfect for homeowners with undersized lots; it easily squeezes into tight spots usually reserved for the trimmer. Next to a usual plug-in mower, pushing the 30-pound RMA 370 felt effortless; it was astonishingly quiet thanks to its brushless motor design. Blade height adjustment was a one-handed affair, and the foldable handle makes storage a non-issue. The only downside was the size of the bagger on the back — it filled up with clipping quickly and bogged down performance. This can be remedied by swapping it out for the mulching kit (which is our usual method for mowing anyway) and skipping any collections. After both the lawn and the bushes were neat and tidy, a quick check of the battery showed there was more than enough juice left to finish the job.

FSA 65 Cordless Brush Cutter

Make no mistake, the FSA 65 is no mere edger — its formal title is a “Brush Cutter”, and for good reason. The twin-blade whipper-snipper has a 12-inch swath that could easily take on a whole lawn if you wanted. Its lightweight, ergonomic bent-shaft design is incredibly comfortable to use and, just like the mower, its brushless motor barely makes a sound. The integrated blade-guard blocks even better than Bosh in OT (sorry, San Antonio) and the mid-mounted loop style handle lets you flip things over with ease in tight quarters. Edging was no problem, and a few stray bits of growth in tough-to-get-at corners were taken care of easily. The size of the FSA 65 may actually be a little extreme for the average homeowner, as it’s only 2.5 inches shy of the mower’s cutting capabilities — but then again, when has too much ever really been a problem?

We were also able to test the Battery KombiSystem with STIHL’s new AP 180 Lithium-Ion battery, a larger-capacity, longer-lasting power source, hitting U.S. store shelves right about now. While the AP 160 (the size we used) was able to take care of everything we could throw at it on a single charge, people with more square footage will welcome the extra juice. In the mower alone, most will muster only about 25 minutes (approx. 1,000 sq/ft) out of the AP 160 before recharging is necessary, so if you want to take care of everything in one fell swoop, you may want to opt for the AP 180 and have a second battery at the ready. Note, also, that all of STIHL’s batteries and chargers are sold separately from their power tools.

For those with smaller yards who are committed to going emission-free, though, the cordless approach is a fast and easy way to take a green approach to yardwork — and the STIHL Battery KombiSystem is more than up to the task. In addition to the tools we tested here, a leaf-blower and a 12-inch chainsaw are also available to round out the cordless collection; tree-hugging arborists, rejoice.

METHODOLOGY First, we waited. After our lawn had grown to less than neighborly levels, we plunked the power cell into each of STIHL yard work tools and tamed our suburban jungle back to acceptable levels — for us, and them.