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• 

  Sue/Bayleaf's Traditional July 20, 2013 at 4:14pm

  Hi Joe, I'm doing exactly the same at the moment, as we need several tools operating at once. All of my power tools are Stihl and I have been using them for years with no problems at all. So I have invested in the combi engine and pole saw and I'm just going to buy the long reach hedge cutter as I've got a large to do.
  All I can say is Stihl has never let me down, if you keep them sharp and serviced etc... they should last you years.

  Some people think that Stihl aren't professional enough, but nearly everyone I see ( ie. councils) are using them, so they can't be all that bad.

  One tip though go an buy your tools from a reputable outlet as there are a lot of fake power tools from China out there!

  Sue
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  neil garrett July 20, 2013 at 5:46pm

  Yeah I would go for stihl all the way guys,I made the mistake of buying a shindaiwa multi tool,totally rubbish in comparison to my long reach stihl hedge trimmer,too thin and bendy,eventually cracked and broke
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  Paul McNulty July 20, 2013 at 6:35pm

  Any combi system is a compromise to some degree, I'd certainly stick with a proper blower myself for example.

  I have the Stihl 130 engine, with strimmer and LR hedgecutter. It's a bit too powerful really for the sort of strimming I usually do, which is edging rather than clearing. I'd prefer a slightly smaller strimmer, but for hedges you do need the biggest engine IMO.

  There is always the risk of losing all your tools if you have a breakdown as well. I guess the ideal would be a 130, plus a smaller engine as a spare/alternative.

  The Stihl 4-mix engines do need synthetic oil, and the valves regularly adjusted. Certainly once a year, but probably more depending on use: remember that the combi engine is doing the job of multiple tools. Other than that it's perfectly good.

  Would I buy another one? Probably not. I think that if you are restricted in vehicle size and need to break the tools down then that's one thing, or if you rarely use them it makes sense. For everyday use I think buying dedicated tools is preferable. I had to change from hedge cutter to strimmer loads of times today, and it's not ideal. I think that the amount of use my engine gets it's not going to last long enough to get the economies either.
• PRO

  Robbie July 20, 2013 at 7:40pm

  I own the shindaiwa multi tool - Trimmer/long reach saw for the last 3 to 4 years
  Both have served me very well, starts more or less first pull.
  The only bit of maintenance I have had to do on them was change a spark plug, blade and chain.

  I would agree they are a bit light and maybe not suited to a larger company where employees would tend to maybe not treat the tools with the same respect as if they bought themselves.
• 

  gary newton July 20, 2013 at 8:02pm

  Ive the echo pas265es
  Had it about 2 years with a full set of attachments
  Pole saw
  Strimmer
  Blower
  Broom
  Rotavator
  Hedge cutter
  Edger
  And a few other attachments I think theres 8 or 9 in the set
  Im only a domestic gardener and landscaper with maintenance works accounting for around 2 days of the week so the unit is not used day in day out
  Its never let me down and does almost all the tasks needed
  I also have 2 heads units just in case
  Its cost me about £50 in 2 years servicing
  Great bit of kit
  I sold all my independent stihl tools and purchased the echo purely to save space as I only have a small van
  Its a great bit of kit for me
  Would 100 % recommend
• 

  joe sheppard July 21, 2013 at 12:46pm

  
  
  neil garrett said:

  Yeah I would go for stihl all the way guys,I made the mistake of buying a shindaiwa multi tool,totally rubbish in comparison to my long reach stihl hedge trimmer,too thin and bendy,eventually cracked and broke

  Thanks Niel and Robbie for your opinions on shindaiwa, the differing opinions are interesting but I suppose a lot depends on the type of work that you are doing and how much use it sees. I think that this time I am looking for something that will last a long time so I see spending the money on stihl, echo ect worth the extra money based on other reviews I have heard as well.
• 

  joe sheppard July 21, 2013 at 12:53pm

  
  
  Paul McNulty said:

  Any combi system is a compromise to some degree, I'd certainly stick with a proper blower myself for example.

  I have the Stihl 130 engine, with strimmer and LR hedgecutter. It's a bit too powerful really for the sort of strimming I usually do, which is edging rather than clearing. I'd prefer a slightly smaller strimmer, but for hedges you do need the biggest engine IMO.

  ?

  There is always the risk of losing all your tools if you have a breakdown as well. I guess the ideal would be a 130, plus a smaller engine as a spare/alternative.

  The Stihl 4-mix engines do need synthetic oil, and the valves regularly adjusted. Certainly once a year, but probably more depending on use: remember that the combi engine is doing the job of multiple tools. Other than that it's perfectly good.

  Would I buy another one? Probably not. I think that if you are restricted in vehicle size and need to break the tools down then that's one thing, or if you rarely use them it makes sense. For everyday use I think buying dedicated tools is preferable. I had to change from hedge cutter to strimmer loads of times today, and it's not ideal. I think that the amount of use my engine gets it's not going to last long enough to get the economies either.

  Hi Paul, I agree with you that they do seem to be a compromise to a degree and dedicated tools must have the edge as they are designed for a specific purpose. For me however space is an issue and most of the time it is just me so only one tool will be needed at once. I will be keeping a separate dedicated strimmer for now though.

  When you say the 130 is too powerful for the strimming you do, what do you mean by this?
• 

  joe sheppard July 21, 2013 at 12:59pm

  
  
  gary newton said:

  Ive the echo pas265es
  Had it about 2 years with a full set of attachments
  Pole saw
  Strimmer
  Blower
  Broom
  Rotavator
  Hedge cutter
  Edger
  And a few other attachments I think theres 8 or 9 in the set
  Im only a domestic gardener and landscaper with maintenance works accounting for around 2 days of the week so the unit is not used day in day out
  Its never let me down and does almost all the tasks needed
  I also have 2 heads units just in case
  Its cost me about £50 in 2 years servicing
  Great bit of kit
  I sold all my independent stihl tools and purchased the echo purely to save space as I only have a small van
  Its a great bit of kit for me
  Would 100 % recommend

  Hi Gary thanks for your thoughts on Echo, I am currently running an Echo hedge trimmer which I have always been very impressed with so have been thinking about their multi-tool. I know it is hard to make a comparison between dedicated tools and a multi-tool but would you say in your experience that you prefer the Echo? Or what made you decide on the Cho rather than upgrading to Stihl Kombi?

  Cheers
• PRO

  Gary RK July 21, 2013 at 1:08pm

  We like the Kombi system and have a set for each team.
  
  Mixture of powerheads ( 3off 4mix, 1off 2ST). In vans, the ability to 'break down' and lay across rear of van gives protection.
  
  Don't find a major reliability issue with any of them, other than small niggles and service issues.
  
  Silly consumables are the t bar tightening clamp and plastic guide inserts in the individual tools ( we buy packs of 5 and keep spares).
  
  Also find Stihl autocut heads are not the best, we have swapped to Oregon easy load, bump heads.
  
  We stick to using them for strimming, cutting, edging. Blowers - ineffective compared to dedicated units like br600s.
  
  Not convinced Stihl is maintaining its long held quality standards on its newest equipment, it seems to be now engineered down to a price. However, I feel it is still the best option with good service centre and spares availability locally.
  
  We also run a couple of long shaft cow horns for dedicated, large strimming jobs, including Echo's - really rate them for ease of starting, noise & lack of vibes.
• 

  Neil Petrie BSc Landscape Mgt July 21, 2013 at 7:14pm

  I used to run a shindaiwa multi unit with hedge trimmer and pole pruner- I enjoyed the light weight and ability to articulate the head with one hand. It finally died after 4/5 years regular use when I upgraded to manufacturer supplied locally.
  I went for the echo pas265es which is slightly heavier but I don't find it revs very high and is inconvenient having to put the whole thing down to use both hands articulating the head.
  Would have liked to have demo'd other systems but time unfortunately wasn't aplenty!