Stihl FS 38

I finally solve my problem with this weedeater after 3 years. I returned it where he came from... In a trash. He burned just 10 tanks in is life and no longer works properly. It was my first Sithl and the last....What a garbage company ! Fisher price product

Stihl FS38 trimmer: The head doesn’t feed well at all. I spend more time trying to get the line out than actual trimming. The tap feature doesn’t work. When you turn the machine off and try manually to get some line out, it won’t turn. I have to take the whole head apart to succeed. However the engine starts and runes well.

problematic since day one, always difficult to start. After 4 years of medium level usage on a house block it is finally dead despite best efforts of servicing and carny rebuild. If you want a weed eater that will go forever if properly looked after - this is not it

Bought an FS38 a couple of years back, at 2 years had problems starting it, So bought a new plug, then priming button blew
took it to the Stihl shop for repair. Diagnosed with faulty carburettor. repair cost $10 less than a new machine.
not viable
It hadn't done any more than a fortnightly edge cut
Complained to Stihl, pointing out I have had numerous items of theirs , concrete saw, chain saws, brush cutters blowers, over last 35+ years.
Stihl response, not our problem its out of warranty, see the local agent he may be able to do you a deal on a new one, if he wants to, but we wont help or provide a discount. My last email to them went unanswered

They have lost a loyal customer forever

Hard to start. Keeps stopping once reved up and once running you have to rev the hell out of it to try and keep it cutting. Goes through cord at the speed of lightning. Going back to my Ryobi.

No problem starting and has plenty of power, the auto feed head works well but wish it was a straight shaft. Probably wouldn't buy again if I needed another trimmer.

Have had nothing but trouble from day 1. Starts fine but the second you jump on the throttle it’s dead. It’s been taken to get looked at and tuned but still have had no luck. This one is going straight to the bin.

Starts and runs fine, but standing straight, the cutting head is too high off the ground, leaning hurts your back, lifting the rear sits your arm directly over the exhaust.

Purchased this for the wife in Jan 2021 as she has bad joints so needed a light trimmer. Using the STIHL premixed fuel as well. The FS-38 has been an absolute pain since day 1, starts ok, but unless you want flat out unnecessary high revs for thick grass, it keeps bogging down and can get revs up off idle for actual trimming. It's a trimmer, meant for around trees and edges as well but there is not throttle control for lesser powered jobs like these. Will throw in bin once I find something better. Machine is a total disappointment.

Has always been a harder snipper to start, but once you get used to it it’s not a drama. Is very light, which is a good thing for most, but it can jump all over the place too because of that. I’m upgrading to something more powerful and heavier for the size of our lawn. I’m on the fence, it will suit buyers on a smaller block with standard grass, but anything too large or thick and it’s pretty useless. Always wanted one, and found out the model I bought was actually made in a China, not Australia.

I should have been suspicious when I couldn't find "Made in Germany" anywhere on the new one. I bought an earlier FS38 in 2005, clearly made in Germany; it just went and went and went. Tricky wind-on mechanism, otherwise amazing. Eventually it died in 2021, and sucker that I am, was delighted to find apparently identical item to 2005 version, even cheaper in dollar terms. This new one is virtually impossible to start after sitting for more than a day, although once running it goes ok, sort of. The wind-on mechanism is a bad joke, useful only fo...

We bought this whipper snipper in June 2021 from the stihl dealers for our 300m2 or so of mowing we do on our block. Mostly edging.
We were shown how to use it and start it etc. and hubby is very experienced with all power tools as he is a tradie by day. This isn't our first whipper snipper either.

The positives:
It works well...IF you can get it to start and keep running. Does the job its supposed to do.
Not overly heavy (are any though?)

The negatives.
Absolute nightmare to try and start
Has sharp pieces of plastic on the parts where you pull the cord from and actually tore hubbys fingernail OFF while he was trying to get it to start. ...

Overall good product. Can be a dog on the odd occasion but you have to expect that from the bottom of the range dirty 2 stroke. Recently bought a service kit off ebay and performance has improved. Stihl wacken the weeds with fury after 7 years :)

I've personally not had a single problem with this trimmer and have gone from using it on a 600m2 block to a 4000m2 block and it works flawlessly everytime. I strongly suggest you ask your dealer to show you how to start the machine and how to feed the line in. I think a lot of people don't know how to start these things (myself included before the dealer showed me). I also struggled like an idiot to feed the line for the last 3 years. It's beyond simple. If its taking you longer then 2 minutes you're doing it wrong. I also always let all my machines idle for a minute or two and and I think this helps the longetivity of tools. Far superior to any random brand machines. Would happily buy again.

mine broken in carburettor not even 2 years old poor quality product unreliable will buy different brand next time too much down time with warranty
that should not happen on a new machine