Stihl 85 Manual

10 English / USAFS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R
During Operation
Holding and controlling the power 
tool
Always hold the unit firmly with both 
hands on the handles while you are 
working. Wrap your fingers and thumbs 
around the handles. !Warning!Never attempt to operate 
your power tool with one 
hand. Loss of control of 
the power tool resulting in 
serious or fatal injury may 
result. To reduce the risk 
of cut injuries, keep hands and feet away 
from the cutting attachment. Never 
touch a moving...

11
FS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R English / USA
!Warning!
Inhalation of certain dusts, especially 
organic dusts such as mold or pollen, 
can cause susceptible persons to have 
an allergic or asthmatic reaction. 
Substantial or repeated inhalation of 
dust and other airborne contaminants, in 
particular those with a smaller particle 
size, may cause respiratory or other 
illnesses. Control dust at the source 
where possible. Use good work 
practices, such as operating the unit so 
that the wind or...

12 English / USAFS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R
!Warning!Before you start work, 
examine the area for 
stones, glass, fence wire, 
metal, trash or other solid 
objects. The cutting 
attachment could throw 
objects of this kind.
!Warning!
This trimmer/brushcutter is normally to 
be used at ground level with the cutting 
attachment parallel to the ground. Use of 
a trimmer/brushcutter above ground 
level or with the cutting attachment 
perpendicular to the ground may 
increase the risk of injury, since the...

13
FS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R English / USA
!Warning!
The muffler and other parts of the engine 
(e.g. fins of the cylinder, spark plug) 
become hot during operation and remain 
hot for a while after stopping the engine. 
To reduce risk of burns do not touch the 
muffler and other parts while they are 
hot. 
!Warning!
To reduce the risk of fire and burn injury, 
keep the area around the muffler clean. 
Remove excess lubricant and all debris 
such as pine needles, branches or 
leaves. Let the engine...

14 English / USAFS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R
USING THE CUTTING 
ATTACHMENTS
For an illustration of the various cutting 
attachments and instructions on proper 
mounting see the chapter on Mounting 
the Cutting Attachments in your 
instruction manual.
!Warning!
To reduce the risk of severe or fatal 
injury from blade contact and/or loss of 
control, never attempt to use a metal 
blade on an FS model for which it is not 
authorized.
Using the Mowing Heads
Do not use with mowing line longer than 
the...

15
FS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R English / USA
STIHL PolyCut mowing head
Uses either nylon lines or nonrigid, 
pivoting polymer blades.
!Warning!
Three rectangular wear limit marks are 
applied to the base (periphery) of the 
PolyCut. To reduce the risk of serious 
injury from breakage of the head or 
blades, the PolyCut must not be used 
when it has worn as far as one of these 
marks. It is important to follow the 
maintenance instructions supplied with 
the head. STIHL FixCut mowing head
Uses pre-cut...

16 English / USAFS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R
Using the Grass Cutting Blade
All kinds of grass and weeds can be 
easily cut with the grass cutting blade. 
The power tool is swept in an arc similar 
to a scythe.
!Warning!
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal 
injury from blade breakage, never 
attempt to use this blade to cut woody 
materials.
The  4-tooth  grass cutting blade is 
intended to cut grass and weeds. It has 
4 cutting knives with cutting edges on 
both sides, i.e. front and rear. When the...

17
FS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R English / USA
Using the Circular Saw Blade
Circular saw blades are suitable for 
thinning brush and cutting small trees up 
to a diameter of 4 cm (1 1/2”). Do not 
attempt to cut trees with larger 
diameters, since the blade may catch or 
jerk the trimmer/brushcutter forward. 
This may cause damage to the blade or 
loss of control of the power tool and 
result in serious injury.  Use a chain saw 
for such work.
!Warning!
To reduce the risk that the blade will 
crack...

18 English / USAFS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R
!Warning!
The risk of kickout is highest when 
cutting in the darker shaded area. To 
reduce the risk of kickout and resulting 
injury, do not use this area of the circular 
saw blade for cutting trees or shrubs. 
Special techniques using the lighter 
shaded areas of the blade to cut shrubs 
and trees should only be used by 
experienced operators with specialized 
training in the use and control of the 
trimmer/brushcutter.
!Warning!
To reduce the risk of...

19
FS 80, FS 80 R, FS 85, FS 85 R English / USA
!Warning!
Never repair damaged cutting attach-
ments by welding, straightening or 
modifying the shape. This may cause 
parts of the cutting attachment to come 
off and result in serious or fatal injuries.
Keep blades sharp. Tighten all nuts, 
bolts and screws, except the carburetor 
adjustment screws, after each use.
Store the power tool in a dry and high or 
locked location out of reach of children.
Before storing for longer than a few 
days, always...