I didn't want to mess with valve timing, bulky/heavy design, and the thought that a 4 stroke would take longer to get to speed. Now that I got used to the quiet engine and a slight lag this trimmer is sweet. I have the 110 and the power and torque is amazing.

 

The Stihl FS 80 and FS 85 are identical units except for the drive shaft. What does this mean? It means that you are unable to put the attachments on the FS 80, per Stihl Inc. Now as a point of information Pacific Stihl got a one time warranty policy adjustment on the FS 80's sold in California and allowed them to be used with attchments. In other words it can handle it, but they will not cover warranty if you break the flex cable. Now this year Stihl has revoked the policy adjustment for 2006 and only FS 80's are available for standard use. If all you are doing is trimming the FS 80 is great! The flex cable has a lifetime warranty so for trimming there is no need to change.

 

I was at a Turf show trade show today. The Stihl booth was there and I asked questions (I have an FS85,FC85,HS80,BG85). Apparently, the authorities (EPA?) allow so many "dirty credits." Those were the reps words, not mine. All offending equipment is not required to be phased out at one time, but rather gradually.

For example, the HS80 has one year left on the shelf. But, the FS85 was an early casualty.

The same is true for LawnBoy. The 2cycle DuraForce are phased out on commercial mowers, but not on some homeowner models. One dealer reported his stock of homeowner LB, with 2 cycle engines, is being bought by commercial cutters -- take off the engine, throw the mower away. Along a similar vane, the Toro snowthrowers use an engine termed R-Tek. It is exactly the same engine as my commercial DuraForce engine (the service manual covers both applications of the same engine).

Apparently, a manufacturer works a deal with EPA(?) with "dirty credits," creating a phase-out plan. That is why we see some engines still available, when a sister engine is gone.

Maybe somebody can affirm this observation. I've pieced together ideas and facts, but maybe incorrectly.

Yup, this is the correct answer.
People that know Stihl products well enough will realize that the fs80 and 85 are the same trimmer other than the driveshaft which is interchangeable. All Stihl did was remove a model line (fs85) while still having the fs80, which again is identical, to satisfy the EPA.
Stihls problem comes in I believe with the fact that they have so many different products in two cycle configuration.

 

As far as I know the FS85 is still available in Great Britain, but I'm waiting to see the 2006 brochure to find out if it will still be there next season. We had three till we got one stolen.

 

Where can we find a trigger throttle for the FS-85?
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