They both are good trimmers. You can't go wrong with either. I have not read anything about FS55 hard to start when getting older if maintained well. 27cc is going to be a lot more powerful than 21cc but a lot of LCOs use SRM210/225 and love it. And no, the opposite is absolutely true. Blowers need much much more power than trimmer. People are getting into 70+cc blowers now. 25cc is plenty for trimmers.

And Echos are almost always a little harder to start. You need to have a routine to start it and it is ok. I like Echo myself. It is a true commercial trimmer. If you are willing to pay a little more, get the SRM230.

I like my Echo. Cant remember the model number off hand but it starts well as long as you follow the routine. The 21.2 cc motor is plenty of motor for anything I have done.

Thanks for your replies. It was the Stihl blower, I think the BR55? one , that I read about being hard starting. Also I've talked to people saying their Stihl chainsaws were also hard starting. I just figured that the trimmers were also hard starting. My Echo PB251 has a couple of seasons on it and it still starts with 2 pulls every time unless I mess up the procedure. I'm glad to hear that blowers require more power than trimmers. I just figured that with some models that accept attachments they would require more power. I am more interested in whether 21.2cc's would be enough for St. Augustine grass. I really don't see why it wouldn't be. I agree, I'd love to get the 230 because it has two rings instead of one but I have to draw the line somewhere. Besides, I'm only using it for home use. I figure if my Mexican made Homelite one ring edger/trimmer is still going strong after 8 years of hard use then a quality brand like Echo should last just as long if not longer. Hopefully that is . I hope their new less friction design engine doesn't have durability flaws. Most of the time I just use medium to low throttle so I don't damage the shrubs and trees. I only used to use full throttle when I used the edging feature on the Homelite. The Stihl trimmer looked like a nice unit and the the sales guy said it was made in Germany. I thought Stihl was a Swede company. The Echo is made in Japan. I think Japanese quality and design is probably better than German. The Japanese cars seem to last better than German cars although the German parts are probably tougher. I've worked in Germany before on trains and the German's are kind of hacks and hardheaded in their own way. I also worked with the Japanese on their Boston trolley cars and they were very meticulous and quality minded. As far as the Swedes go, I worked on Saabs in a dealership and what can I say, they were also meticulous and quality minded but they were also dicks. Then again, I'm Norwegian and they hate Norwegians. I think Saabs are one of the crappiest designed cars I've ever worked on. I like the feel of the Echo units as they feel fairly light and balanced. I can't remember how the Stihl felt. There is a local shop that sells both so I'll have to see them side by side. It would be nice to try them out but most places don't have units to start. The one thing I do like about Echo is their website. It has all resources including manuals and parts diagrams. Stihl keeps you in the dark. Maybe it has something to do with the Dark Ages in Europe. My gut feeling is that the Stihl is probably a tougher, stronger unit even though the warranty isn't as good as the Echo. I've read where these new ignition modules are touchy and they are not cheap to replace so a longer warranty is nice. If it weren't for the hard starting problems Ive heard about I'd probably go for the Stihl. It's also 20 dollars less than the Echo. Thanks again for your replies.

I think you should keep the engine running higher throtle not light throtle. Reason is you can wear out the clutch if using light throtle. Higher rpm limit the slip and less wear.
I have both engines, I think the Stihl engine is easier to work on. The two piece crankcase are top and bottom half with the cylinder all bolted together by 4 bolts. Echo is the traditional front and back half crankcase where you have to push the crankshaft out in order to take apart the lower half.

good point on the clutch wear. I don't think my homelite is a clutch version because it still works. It will take some getting used to using full throttle around delicate plants and bushes. Can you buy just the clutch shoes if they wear out?

I think you can buy it, no problem on that, just a comment only, not an issue if you are handy.
Also, get a smaller diameter lines, I think that will be a little more gentle.

Thanks yungman

Hi...first time posting on here, but I had the same exact dilemma as you: the Stihl 55 or the Echo 225. I have always liked and owned Stihl chainsaws and know they are bullet proof. My local dealer supports both.

I ended up with the Echo for a couple of reasons. Number one, Stihl is phasing out 2-stroke engines. I know from years riding motorcycles that for a given engine size, 2-strokes are lighter and more powerful. All of Stihl's Pro models are now 4-stroke. Bigger engines (to get enough power) means more weight. I don't mind mixing fuel so I wanted a 2-stroke for sure. Number 2, the smaller Echo is a pro model...not a Homescaper model. This means it was designed to be abused every day of the week...not just once a week. The warranty reflects this. And number 3, the warranty. This was a huge tipping point for me. The warranty is 5 years on the Echo. If they are willing to put a 5 year warranty on this little engine, they must be confident it will hold up.

All that said I am very happy with it. Starts very easily, and the only time I can get it to bog down is when I bury the thing in 2 foot high heavy green "grass." I mostly use it for doing the weeds on my 2 acres. Just hold it wide open and go...they have a rev limiter anyway. Most small engines work better wide open. Is the Stihl more powerful since it is quite a bit larger? Not sure. I hope not :-) I did find it to be much more powerful with the larger .105" line too. It doesn't break as often either.

I hope this helps. Keep in mind you can't go wrong with either one. And buying a Stihl is not like buying a German car...this I know first hand.

Good luck!

Hopefully buy Stihl is better than buying German cars. German don't know engineering any more as reflected by the reliability and quality of most of their cars. I think the best of theirs is barely average according to Consummer Reports and my own experience. They are just living on their names!!!.....For now!!! Their reliability has yet to beat Hyndai!!!!....I am not kidding.

Thanks guys for your input. I figured I'd be all set with either one of these two but now I'm hearing about the damage the ethanol in the gas does to 2 cycle engines. And now they're talking about 15 to 20% alcohol that destroys these little engines. I love my Echo pb251 blower and now these tree huggers want to phase it out terminally. We may all be forced to buy 4 cycles if this is true, I'll have to start weight lifting if thats the case. I wish I had kids after all, I could send them out in the yard while I float in the pool.

I don't think the 4 cycle fare any better!!! You are screwed either way!!! Remember this the next time you vote!!!

I think you just get the one you want. You can always buy the premixed gas. They don't contain alcohol. Just expensive. Read about the blue Stabil in one thread here or the tool shed this last day. THis is for gas with more alcohol. I have no experience so I just let you read it.

The only other way is the get the electric one!!! That would be suck!!!