How To's

How to select the correct strimmer head

Choosing the correct attachment for your brushcutter 

With summer just around the corner, lawns and vegetation are starting to grow and become thicker. Weeds, shrubs, bushes, reeds and thin trees will all be enjoying the sunshine and will be growing as fast as they can! The cutting season has begun and all these types of plants, from grass to heavy vegetation, need managing and they all require a different type of cutting attachment for optimum results.  

So… which attachment do you need? 

We stock a wide range of cutting heads to fit the Stihl Brushcutter models so you can be sure you will achieve the best results for your task, but essentially, making the right choice depends on two factors: 

1. The power of your Brushcutter  

  • You must consider the resistance of grass and air with respect to the line on the Brushcutter attachment. ie the thicker the grass or the line, the greater the resistance will be. Therefore, a thicker line is not always the best solution. Furthermore, if the line is too thick it can rip the grass, rather than cut it cleanly, which will cause damage to the grass and ruin the look of the lawn. 

2. The power of your Brushcutter  

  • Frequently mowed garden grass needs only a thin strimmer line whereas clearing a ditch or a patch of scrub will require a thicker line that offers a better performance. 

Here’s what we recommend... 

Grass 

For cutting standard grass, we would recommend the AutoCut Strim Head 

A 2 line head perfect for light mowing and clearing work. The lines are automatically extended by tapping the mowing head on the ground whilst in use. Also, to refill the spool you don’t need to take the head apart! The AutoCut head comes in a variety of sizes to suit different Stihl Brushcutter models: 

36-2 (HST0089) 
Fits: FS120, FS131, FS240C-E 
OEM number: 4002 710 2170 

46-2 (HST0090)
Fits: FS360C-EM, FS410C-EM, FS460C-EM, FS460C-EM L, FS490C-EM 
OEM number: 4003 710 2115 

6-2 (HST0030) 
Fits: FS38 FS40 FS50 FSE61 FSE81 
OEM number: 4006 710 2126 

C26-2 (HST0016
Fits: FS55R, FS55, FS56R, FS56, FS56C-E, FS70RC-E, FS70C-E, FS90, FS100 & FS130 
OEM number: 4002 710 2137 

Light vegetation 

For trimming light vegetation, the Polycut head will be the most effective attachment.  

This is a universal cutting tool for trimming and working on large areas. It comes with 3 mobile plastic blades. 

Polycut 7-3 (HGR0069 
Fits: FS38. FS40, FS50 
OEM number: 4006 710 2127 

Heavy vegetation 

For mowing tough, dry grass, you could use the Polycut 7-3 (details above) OR you could use the steel grass cutting blades which are perfect for scrub and thorny hedges. We offer a few different options in the cutting blades range: 

4 Tooth 230mm Metal Cutting Blade – 25.4mm Bore (HST0011
Fits: FS55R, FS55, FS56R, FS56, FS56C-E, FS70RC-E, FS70C-E, FS85, FS90, FS94RC-E, FS94C-E, FS100, FS130 
OEM number: 4001 713 3801 

Stihl 8 Tooth 230mm Blade – 25.4mm Bore (HST0012
Fits: FS55R, FS55, FS56R, FS56, FS56C-E, FS70RC-E, FS70C-E, FS85, FS90, FS94RC-E, FS94C-E, FS100, FS130 
OEM number: 4001 713 3803 

Stihl 8 Tooth 255mm Blade - 20mm Bore (HST0013
Fits: FS360C-E, FS410C-E, FS410C-EL, FS460C-EM, FS460C-EML, FS490C-EM 
OEM number: 4001 713 3803 

Reeds and bushes 

Light patches of reeds could be managed using one of the cutting blades above but we also offer the 3-blade Brushknives to clear denser reed patches and tough bushes. The Brushknives are made of steel construction and available in 2 different diameter options: 

3-Tooth 255mm Steel Brushknife - 25.4 Bore (HGR0005
Fits: FS55R, FS55, FS56R, FS56, FS56C-E, FS70RC-E, FS70C-E, FS85, FS90, FS94RC-E, FS94C-E, FS100, FS130 
OEM number: Non Genuine Part 

3 Tooth 300mm Reversible Steel Brushknife  - 20mm Bore (HST0014
Fits: FS360C-E, FS410C-E, FS410C-EK, FS410C-EL, FS460C-EMK, FS460C-EM, FS460C-EML & FS490C-EM 
OEM number: 4119 713 4100 

If you’re still unsure which attachment you need for your application, please don’t hesitate to call our product specialists on 01432 373350 or email sales@htsspares.com