Stihl FS85RT

[ACER]

Hi Guys,
Thinking of buying a Stihl FS85RT split boom trimmer, for those who own one are you still happy with it? I noticed in the Shihl catalog the edger attachment for this trimmer appears to be a cheaper one, not like the one on the FC85 which has an adjustable depth wheel and open guard. What is the best price I can expect for this trimmer?
Thanks for any info. By the way this is a great site I learn something new every day.

[Administrator]

Use the search function at the top.

Use the keyword Stihl FS85RT and you will find a few past discussions.

Chuck

[ACER]

I did search before I posted, was just wondering if anyone else has purchased this trimmer or if their opinion had changed, also the previous posts did not mention price paid. Thanks for the input.

[Avery]

My dealer told me they had a vibration problem and to stay away from them until Stihl fixed the problem. I am taking his advice.

[Mike (MLC)]

I have had mine for several months and haven't had any problems with it. I have purchased the edger attachment, and the hedge trimmer attachment.I paid $349 for the trimmer, $90 for the edger and $200 for the hedge trimmer. These were good prices for me, because other dealers around here wanted to charge quite a bit more. I am glad that I made the investment because it all comes in handy for me. Hope this helps.:rolleyes:

[racerdave]

I also paid the same as Mike (mlc). And I am very happy with this unit.
David

[sdwally]

Check out other brands of split booms before buying. Stihl is somewhat limited on optional attachments. One brand would be Maruyama, they offer a wide range of attachments.

[baldbeefman]

I've heard on this board to stay away from Ryobi, but you can get all the attatchments at a fraction of the price of a Stihl and it has a two year warranty. I'm considering some of their stuff. If it lasts two years I'm money ahead. If it doesn't I can return it. They also have a Poulan backpack blower w/kawasaki engine, looks pretty potent.;)

[crs]

There is a REASON you don't see Ryobi equipment on everyones trailer.

[greenflag]

I have two one set up as a trimmer, one as an edger. No problems what so ever. I also have the articulating hedge trimmer, & the chainsaw all work well. I think they offer some sort of powered sweeper, but I had no use for it. I like this system because if one goes down, I have a backup power head for any of the attachments. I paid about the same for my units.

[ACER]

I appreciate all the replies, I got the split boom and edger today and think it was a good choice. I talked to three local Stihl dealers and only one would come down from MSRP. Guess there is a large enough market that they don't have to. All the dealers wanted $349.95 for the unit, the dealer I bought from came down to $319.95 plus the edger, he even gave me 2 extra blades for the edger and some 2-cycle oil. By dropping his price a little and throwing in the extras he has shown he wants my business, so you can quess who I will deal with when I get ready for my Exmark! Again thanks for the useful information.

[Dave]

I would stay away from all of the split boom machines,to much flex,cable shafts,coupling in the middle.I would bye a one that you can slide the gearbox off,little more time consuming but i belive the duralbility will outlast splitting it in the middle

[TFL]

take a look at john deeres spilt booms they don't ofer quite as many attachments but ythe engine and clutch are very dependable and rugged.