Trimmer Showdown - Consumer vs Commercial

"Unfair" Comparison of an Echo SRM 230 consumer grade trimmer vs a Stihl FS-131 trimmer.


The echo was my first trimmer and at the time I wasn't sure if bigger was really better (or worth ~2x the price). After a couple years of using the Echo on heavy brush I decided to upgrade to the Stihl and I haven't looked back.


Though it would be interesting to do a head to head and talk a little bit about the pro's and con's of each trimmer.


ECHO - SRM 230
inexpensive (under $300)
high quality
lightweight, low vibration
best for light brush; under-powered for thick vegetation



Stihl FS 131 R
expensive (~$500)
high quality
heavy, "high" vibration
will cut anything
pain to start



in a nutshell, for thick brush bigger is better. With the Stihl, you are able to run the line at ~1,000 higher rpm which makes a huge difference. As fast and as wide as you can swing the trimmer, it will cut.



The downside to all that power is weight and vibration. While 1 pound may not seem like a lot, it makes a huge difference over a couple hours of work. For that reason my father in law and wife both prefer to use the smaller trimmer.



For regular home owners, I'd lean towards the Echo, for grass and light brush it has plenty of power. If you find yourself buying trimmer line by the 500' spool, it's probably time to upgrade to the bigger unit.