Love my stihl stuff. Don't think you can put a brushcutter blade on the 100 RX, but can on the 110R. Thats what I run. Like the versatility. That brushcutter blade has made me alot of $ and takes about 2 min to take the head off and slap that on. Mine start right up in the morning, prime, no choke and usually first pull, fires up of definitely by the second pull. Use a FS 110 and KM 130 daily and love them, lots of power.

 

Ya know I specifically asked him If I could use a brush cutter blade on it and he said I could, Then when I get home I look at the Stihl website and it said you can't. I'm going to try and swap it out for the 110 but I don't know if they will do that now that I have used it. Don't know. So far I like it. I needed something today as my Redmax was acting up bad, so I just stopped by my local dealer and got one quick. I think my Redmax just needs a new carb, so if I get the Redmax fixed up I will use that as the backup and brush cutter.

Thanks for the reply.

Dave...

 

Brush blades and attachments fit the fs100rx; however, the lighter driveshaft is more prone to breakage. These can also void your warranty if you're dumb enough to leave them on if you take the unit to the dealer.

The Stihl Speed Feed head is aweful. Don't waste $35. Shindy has an adapter for their unit. Oregon sells a copy that bolts on. I
plan to try the Oregon asap.

Run premium fuel and Stihl HP Ultra for best performance.

Have fun running a light, smooth, and easy to start trimmer.
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The thing I noticed right away was how balanced it felt and how light. I also like the wide guard on it. I noticed I get about 50% less rocks and grass on my legs. I know some guys take them off but I like to use it on. That Redmax guard was way too small. It also runs very smooth and quiet. I also noticed that it cuts smoother than my Redmax, I'm able to control it better. I don't know if its the balance or what, but it is very easy to operate. I have always loved my Redmax, and I still do... but this Stihl seems like a step up. We will see if I feel that way in a few months.

Dave...

 

Like mentioned earlier its a dedicated string trimmer, and works really well for that purpose. Light and powerful enough. The only complaint I have is that in an effort to keep the weight down they used a cheap gearbox. I have two 100RX's that are in their third season, and have been through 3 gearboxes. At $175~ apiece it gets annoying.

 

I've had my trimmer for 3 seasons (finishing out its 3rd season now). It has been a wonderful trimmer. I just use it for trimming, so adding the brush blade was not a problem.

I have noticed this season that when I switched my head to the stihl speed feed, that the trimmer has a little more vibrations to it (not bad but more than my KM110 with the trimmer on).

Otherwise, I haven't had any engine problems or down time with it. I run the stihl HP Ultra mix in Shell gasoline.

 

Ive had my Redmax for 4 years now and it been a good machine, it just recently has been giving me carb problems and it has always been cold blooded and I would have to wait minutes before I could use it. What is funny about Redmax is, if you drive 5 minutes to the next stop it would be like you never had it running all day. I was using the Stihl today and the second time I went to use it I used the choke.. because that is what I'm used to, well the thing would not start. So I open the choke and it acts like it wants to start. Well long story short, you don't have to choke it every time. Just set it to start and it fired up all day even after driving for 10 or 20 minutes. I'm not used to that.

Dave...

 

I was using a Shindy 2510 as my primary trimmer, and "traded up" to the FS 100RX. I've been using it for about two weeks and absolutely love it. To me, it feels incredibly balanced. One of the best things about it is the amazing handle. It is like running your hand down a cheerleader's leg.

Mine starts easily. No choke or priming, just put the switch on "start" and pull the cord. Always fires up with one, sometimes two pulls. Also, if you read the manual, there's a specific starting procedure where you lock the throttle, and pull the cord.

I have the KM 90 Kombi for all the other stuff, such as brushcutter, tiller, etc...so having a really good dedicated trimmer was important to me.

I also like how Stihl's tube of grease threads directly onto their gearboxes. It's a no-mess solution that makes sense.

It seems that everyone really likes the Speedfeed head, but after having one on my Shindaiwa, I don't think it really saves too much time. The head that comes on the FS 100 RX holds more line that my 2510 did, so it may take more time to load the head, but it last longer. Splitting hairs in my opinion. Also, the Speedfeed feels to bulky to me. I like the shape of the Stihl head, it feels more accurate.

I've found that the X-Line is a bit too grabby for this trimmer. I loved it in my Shindy, but on the FS 100, it's too easy to burn the turf. I don't know why, maybe it's just me. The Shindy didn't seem to spin the X-Line very fast, even at full throttle. Maybe the extra power is the difference.

When I was shopping to replace the Shindy 2510, I was actually considering getting the 21cc Redmax (I believe it's the light duty commercial one), simply because I wanted something light weight. The FS 100 RX was so close in weight, but with so much power, my decision was made quickly.

 

You can, with minor modification, make an FS-85 coil work with it, they tend to be slightly cheaper.
Also apparently the carb needs regular cleanings, once your adjustment screws
aren't doing the trick anymore the easy way to "adjust" it is to pull the small
black plastic shrouds off of them with pliers but I wouldn't do that until the need exists.

Apparently and supposedly the valves need adjusting after 50-100 hours but this is another I wouldn't
mess with unless the problem presents itself.

The fuel lines need replacing every 2-3 maybe 4 years or so.
The fuel filter sometimes likes to come off inside the tank, pita but not impossible to deal with.

The air filter needs to be cleaned or replaced regularly, the spark plug runs a long time.

I find mine starts best with one pull on choke, then switch to unchoked.
If you're fast you can hit the switch while it's still sputtering, the trimmer can and does start in 1 pull but it takes some practice and luck.