Guard for the Shredder and more questions:

Now it's Wednesday, I'm exhausted and irritated that I can't workout what to buy.

The issues that are unresolved still are:

1. The differences in the fittings that come with the shredder starter packs.
2. The two starter packs on the website are called Retro fittings, Why?
3. The two starter packs on the website are priced differently but look the same.
4. What exactly are the fittings, so that If I had been encouraged to buy the blade and guard from the dealer separately at £30.30 + £80, what else would I need? the fittings?

Well one thing I noticed is that both images of starter kits have what looks like a spacer, and the one in the catalogue, the image on the right below, is missing the metal plate and the screws. So I put one and two together and come up with two.

So apart from there being two versions on the website that look identical, there appear to be two packs for the FS460. The one on the website being a retrofitting model. Now it could be that there really are two options.

1. buy the older retrofitting model, shown on the website that comes with a plate and four screws which fits both the older FS480 and the FS460 or

2. buy the newer version shown in the catalogue, the image to the right above, which is fitted to the FS460 by three screws, (or so I have been told - as there is no image of the screws in the catalogue). This version presumably will not fit the FS480

But why call the versions on the website retrofitting?

So we have either or both:
a) Retro fitting a new guard to an old machine, the FS480 or
b) Fitting a retro (old) guard to a new machine

and of course there is the option in the catalogue to fit the ,presumably, 'new' guard to the new machine which may not be easily fitted to the FS460

Now the two versions on the website look the same but have different prices, so are they the same or not? What could be the difference? and what to make of the alternative in the catalogue?

Well neither a) nor b) makes much sense especially as they are priced differently, so it would make sense to buy the cheaper 'retro option' for the FS480 if it is indeed the same set up.

Don't forget I have by now spoken to technical services who have told me not to take any notice of the images in the catalogue and website as they do not necessarily reflect the actual parts. They reminded me to use the numbers as identification, but I like to know what I am buying and note the dealers don't know what is going on either.

Now the part number on the website for the Retro fitting pack for the FS460 is 4147 007 1011, the same as that in the catalogue but showing different parts, so one of the images is wrong at least. Ignoring the cheaper option to retro fit the FS460 I have two representations of the shredder starter pack.

As there is no consistent information about what the packs contain I am concerned about the fittings which although indicated in both website and catalogue are not consistent.

OK technical services have now said that both the guard alone (4147 710 8102) and the pack (4147 007 1011) come with three screws to fit the guard to the gearbox, but if I buy the guard alone I will need a guard ring (4116 717 2702), which does come with the pack.

So now the blade and guard only cost £30.30 + £24.74 or £55.04 rather than the £110.30 that the first dealer had quoted but I will still need the guard ring.

Jan Rayner in Helston quoted a price of £13.33 for the guard ring, I dare not call customer services at Stihl as they were getting rather irritated with my persistent queries .

Page 5 > Summary of Shredder cost so far

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