So You Own A... Stihl FS 38 String Trimmer

#CarlsMowerAndSaw #stihlfs38 #stihlstringtrimmer
So you own a Stihl FS 38, congratulations! It’s a great Stihl string trimmer that should do what you need it to around the yard for years to come…as long as you know how to take care of it!
In this video, we cover how to start it, how to change the string, basic maintenance, and even how hard to run it (tip: it lasts longer when you run it hard!).
You’ll see where to find the air filter, spark arrestor, and how to address some of the most common problems owners encounter and issues that land them in our repair shop. With the information in this video, you’ll be able to get the most out of your Stihl FS 38 weed eater and help it last for years!
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After many years in the industry, Carl Levien decided it was time to go out on his own. The day came, April 1, 1990, when Carl and Beth Levien officially opened Carl’s Mower & Saw. With a clear goal to provide a higher level of service to Whatcom County, they opened their doors and started building a loyal following of customers. They discovered customers were refreshed by the quality of service available to them. Over the past 30 years we have continued to refine our services and provide the top equipment in the industry.
📞 360-384-0799 / 📧 [e-mail]
Have questions? Drop a comment!
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[@carloscardona3924]

Had it over 6 years still going. The best trimmer that doesn't weigh your arms down is an absolute little beast.👍👍👍👍👍

[@jerhendricks74]

I recently picked up an fs 38 second hand. No instructions, no manual and ultimately...no clue. This 10 minute video taught me everything I needed to know, and a couple things I was doing completely wrong. Thanks for educating me and making this video!

[@mskinner702]

By far the best complete video I have seen so far. This made that the spool way easier to thread. thank you for this....

[@Francisco-sx7th]

Great video, I have a FS45 and it's the first time I see how to feed the spool properly. I used to make 1 side and then the other. Now I follow your way and it's way faster and easier. I have it for 25 years but I have replaced the knob at least 3 or 4 times...that's clearly the only weak point of that machine. They should have made it out of aluminum

[@brandonbishop9712]

So Relieved I found Your Video....Your Explanation made it so Easy. Thank You. ..

[@meehow3840]

The mowing head on the FS38 is a major pain... It CONSTANTLY RUNS OUT OF TRIM WIRE. It use like 6 feet of trim wire (per side) for 200 linear feet of trimming. I need to fill it twice and when i finish the lawn it is empty again... On top of that, opening up the mowing is super difficult and feeding fresh wire into the head is also really complicated. It takes like 20-30 minutes per wire refill AND you need 2 tools to do it. The head is on so tight you need to put the mower it a fixed table vice and you need a pair of pliers to wrench to the top off. Only then can you add wire. Engine perfromance is good and the trimmer ergonomics is fine... But Jesus, having to deal with such an under performing mowing head makes me want to sell this piece of junk everytime i use it. I do not recommend this product to anyone.

[@Carlsmower]

Maybe I will do a video on how to reload that have because it actually reloads very quickly and easily

[@vladd9344]

Buy Stihl autocut c6-2. It's easy to re-wind. I rewind it in like 5 minutes. And also use 2.4mm line (0.95")

[@meehow3840]

@@vladd9344 Looks promising indeed ! thx

[@robertblackman2274]

You did a really fantastic illustration of everything. I was given one for my birthday about 5 years ago and I use it a LOT and I love this little guy. I have not had one lick of problems with it but then me being very elderly you learn that if you take good care of your equipment then your equipment will take good care of you. I always get comments that it still looks brand new It's cleaned thoroughly after each use. LOL I'm laughed at because I was my 2016 riding mower but again it looks almost like the day I brought it home. Stihl is top of the line. Thank you again for the amazing presentation Sir.

[@GOATED_HCR2]

Ours floods all the time and its a PAIN to keep it running

[@MarkLundquist-k5p]

Good explanation and demonstration of wire replacement and overall use👍

[@GOATED_HCR2]

Ours floods all the time and its a PAIN to keep it running

[@dillardalarmcompany]

Excellent tips, thank you for sharing!

[@wst8340]

My FS 38 has a different head than the one you show.Still it's easy to load . There are eyelets on either side of spool that you push the line thru then wind it counterclockwise Plus,old line can be reconditioned by simply soaking in water overnight .Cheers

[@meehow3840]

I will try to soak my line for sure !

[@brandonbell5357]

Exactly

[@petrusdelport9336]

Excellent presentation 👍

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

Thank you

[@marcof7892]

Great video, old mate Josh is very knowledgeable and seems like a top bloke

[@pripremaoknobit1079]

I have fs38 - trimmer is year 2006, and still working.

[@brandonbell5357]

Right 👍

[@mattwaters6987]

Great video. Thanks Carl. Definitely subbed!

[@vaughnmaycock4504]

Very complicated starting method. Line spool removal not at all obvious either. No markings or instructions on machine. You explained it all ! Awesome.

[@Carlsmower]

So happy to help. Enjoy the 38

[@brandonbell5357]

Instructions for that is useless do it yourself

[@hubertyoung1938]

Bumping the trimmer head. As the head is cutting, the width of the cut is seen. When that width gets smaller, it is time to bump the head to allow more string to be released, widening the width of the cut. No need to "time" oneself.

[@notmyname3883]

I keep forgetting I is ignition. O is for Off. Why they couldn't just have labeled the switch is a mystery for me! But thank you for it!

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

Apparently that’s a universal language. That nobody knows. 😅

[@Snowmad0]

Thank you Carl! Great video, helped lots!

[@Carlsmower]

That’s what we were aiming for 😃

[@premuti]

Thanks Carl that was great😊

[@melvinholcer4756]

You are the man!!!

[@sheamfg]

Very good...👍👍

[@fortnightlygardenmaintenan8987]

Those heads are the only ones that keep working properly 👍🏼

[@timesaregettingbadpatrickd6207]

Stihl makes great weedeaters for sure but sloppy head for their weedeaters.

[@catherinemunroe3960]

good job explanning ,thanks

[@noahsaville]

Awesome video, good tips on the spool and you seem like a good guy

[@matthewsalkeld5326]

I can see why a really good cordless electric trimmer will make these puppies obsolete.

[@mattymccolgan9453]

Funny just bought one and it started but won't let me rev it up cause it dies, the guy at the shop said I'm pulling the throttle too fast and I need to slowly build the RPM... no matter how slow I pulled it the thing would die. So now I have to take a BRAND NEW whipper snipper (line trimmer whatever your country calls them) to get serviced

[@Carlsmower]

I would say it needs a small tweak on the carb adjustments

[@doort409]

Mine does the same thing, bought this summer. I have also seen a couple for sale on Facebook marketplace with the same problem.

[@rickdn26]

I purchased a FS 38 last year and it is a great machine. But my yard usually takes 2 string refills. I am looking for an easy load head for my FS 38; one where you feed the line in and twist the head to suck the new line in. (Like the newer FS 40 does) Does Stihl make a replacement head for the FS38 that does this? If so can you supply a part number?

[@Carlsmower]

The FS40 head will fit the 38

[@rickdn26]

@@Carlsmower Thanks for the information! Great news!

[@beautifulnewzealandcom]

@@Carlsmower Yes I have bought on for my FS38 and now have both heads

[@joelampkin7927]

Can you get a steel brush cutting blade for the FS38?

[@DenyTheZeitgeist]

Anyone have any tips for this? Because we’ve taken our fs38 to the dealer multiple times, paid way to much in “repairs” and it’s still the biggest piece of crap I’ve ever had the misfortune of owning.

[@christucker5914]

Are there any aftermarket speed feed heads that fit it. It’s entirely too small and doesn’t hold enough line

[@dirk_v]

Yes. Freely available.

[@seandavid9508]

I have a fs38 the pull string snapped went to replace it as soon as I went to replace it the.spring underneath the housing uncoilled can you do a video on recoilling it or advice to do it thanks

[@Carlsmower]

So you pulled off the rope pulley? Mistake number one. Recoiling the spring can be fun. Maybe just buy a new spring. Your fingers and patience will thank you

[@Gtag_thagoat]

Can I fit an echo 400 on here?

[@TheJanez59]

I mow in one piece for an hour, at most an hour and a half, but it happened that the original head overheated at the nut and melted completely, and I could barely get it off the shaft to replace it! Is there a time limit for mowing, or is something else wrong? The trimmer is one year old and barely used!

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

Did you per chance remove the “guard”?

[@TheJanez59]

No ! At dealership they said, the inside bearing was destroyed....!

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

@@TheJanez59 the reason I ask is because generally the only reason I see the failure of the bearing at the bottom is because of the guard is removed, and the clamp on the bushing is relieved and therefore ruins it

[@JayMoney-tw7tg]

Josh do you write with your right hand or left hand

[@taylorbloom5726]

I CANT EVEN GET THE DAMN KNOB OFF JOSH! 😭

[@andrewdonohue1853]

premixed fuel such as moto mix is very, very expensive. i have a quart of lucas 2 cycle synthetic blend and a mixing cup i bought off amazon. i do 50:1. i have a fs38 for light work and a fs90 i bought years ago for the heavier work.

[@Carlsmower]

The reason for pre-mix is shelf life of fuel. Lucas oil with pump gas will work but the gas starts degrading fairly quick.

[@andrewdonohue1853]

@@Carlsmower so if you are particularly worried about it, maybe buy a can of pre-mix and at the end of the year dump the gas out and fill the tank with premix. start it and run it for a few minutes. i cant see using a fuel that costs over $30 a gallon as a primary fuel...... if you actually use the machine for any amount of time.

[@Carlsmower]

@@andrewdonohue1853 That’s usually what I recommend doing

[@guenky1870]

Hola yo quiero una Sthill liviana que corte el césped y pequeños arbustos cual me recomiendas gracias

[@brandonbell5357]

English only

[@NESplayer666]

what is the model of the trimmer head that you have on this fs38 ?

[@Carlsmower]

Autocut 5-2

[@melvinholcer4756]

Nice

[@chado1231]

Hi Josh, I was wondering when do i change the filter and the spark arrestor?

[@Carlsmower]

When operating properly you may never have to change spark arrestor I would recommend changing the air filter every year or two depending on how heavy of use

[@brandonbell5357]

Every year

[@Dataanti]

im a shorts and sandal kind of wipper snipper the sting hurts good.

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

The sting isn't the problem. I'll gladly take a rock or string. It's the poison ivy that's killer. Even if I don't intend to hit it, I've been met with the mist of death and 2 weeks of torture.

[@davidweum]

Im one of those 5. My Seihl is not like your's. I put it away or go to a mental hospital! And my Seihl is is differen

[@guysmith3146]

I thought the fs38 came with the autocut c6-2 head.

[@Carlsmower]

Currently it does not. It used to

[@gillpatterson2365]

what do you mean by 'bump'?

[@Carlsmower]

Tap head?

[@brandonbell5357]

Called taping it on the ground not rocket science

[@maryown6242]

I can’t start mine please anyone tell me

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

When did it last run? How many pulls have you given it on choke?

[@kingmole9491]

2:23 Tremor?

[@diesel_man99]

Can u put a speed feed head on it

[@Carlsmower]

Not an Echo Speedfeed. But Stihl has their own.

[@diesel_man99]

@@Carlsmower cool can u put 3mm line in it

[@Carlsmower]

@@diesel_man99 No line that diameter will generally require a head did you put strips of line in. If you’re looking to run heavier line why not go up to the straight shift machines?

[@diesel_man99]

@@Carlsmower I want a low power machine with strong line. I'm bored of changing line cause it keeps braking every 2 mins when I hit anything thick.

[@Carlsmower]

@@diesel_man99 have you tried the Stihl CF3 line?

[@linnsoltwedel]

I think with most trimmers the string breaks allllll the darn time.

[@Carlsmower]

With a decent trimmer head good trimmer line and an understanding of the mechanics of the line head they really do work pretty freaking flawless. But when things don’t work it is a pain in the……

[@flwolf2000]

My spool looks the same, but doesn't have the holes next to each other. There are 4 holes. It's the dumbest system I've ever seen!

[@dirk_v]

The engine seems decent. Everything else is rubbish. The easy feed head is probably the worst design ever. The line continuously gets stuck inside the spool if you load more than ±2m and that is rediculous. I have taken it to the two agents in my area and they both gave up. Two replacement heads later and it is stil rubbish.

[@bobbyblazeit]

Any weed Wacker that needs that much work to put new string on it belongs in the trash 😂

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

There are options for the line head for those who dislike the bump heads.

[@brandonbell5357]

Nah

[@Glencairns]

I thought I'd purchased the Stihl FS38, but it turns out I bought the Stihl P.O.S.

[@brandonbell5357]

Lmao

[@seanfaherty]

The auto cut c-6 head is a Complete piece of crap

[@CarolinaBreed123]

Bro stop over complicating this lol thanks ..

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

Trying to make it simple. There are always different skill/experience levels

[@CarolinaBreed123]

@@carlsmowerandsaw never mind me. Thanks again

[@carlsmowerandsaw]

@@CarolinaBreed123 all good 👍