This year, we are launching the HLA 56 – a lightweight and well-balanced cordless long-reach hedge trimmer, which is part of the AK battery system. The AK System is the perfect range of battery-powered tools for you if you have a medium to large garden.
The range includes:
- Two lawn mowers
- A standard hedge trimmer
- Two chainsaws
- A grass trimmer
- A blower
- A lawn scarifier
All of which are lightweight and easy to use but with enough power to get the job done quickly and quietly. And what’s more, the batteries are all interchangeable and can be used in other tools in the range so once you’ve finished with the HLA 56, you can easily swap the battery into a new tool, like the blower to help tidy up!
The HLA 56 is just the tool you need for cutting taller hedges and shrubs in the garden – it’s 210cm long, but there is also an additional 50 cm extension shaft available as an accessory if you still need some extra height. It makes it easier to trim wider hedges too with no awkward reaching or leaning over! And it’s exceptionally light, weighing in at just 3.8kg without the battery.
The HLA 56 has double-sided blades with a droplet shape on the end of each tooth to help guide hedge material towards the cutters. The cutter bar is 45cm long with 30mm tooth spacing. This is ideal for trimming annual growth and overgrown hedges with branches up to around 16mm. That covers most traditional British hedges like laurel, yew, hornbeam, buxus and beech.
The adjustable head is easy to rotate and is designed for cutting at angles ranging from -45° to +90°. That means you can shape the hedge to a professional finish with hardly any effort, but also angle the hedge trimmer head so you can stand back a little and see what you are doing to make sure you achieve a neat, straight cut.
We recommend that you use the HLA 56 with the AK 20 battery, which will give you an impressive 80 minutes of battery run time. It has been designed to be perfectly balanced with the AK 20, but you can also use the AK 10 battery (which gives you up to 40 minutes run time) or the higher capacity AK 30 battery (which gives you up to 120 minutes run time) so you can choose which battery suits you and your garden. Visit your nearest STIHL Approved Dealer to find out more.
Is it compatible with the back pack batteries? As a professional gardener who cuts hedges all day long I will need continual charge ( I currently use petrol long reach hedgecutter and thinking of switching to electric)
Hi Giles, this one isn’t I’m afraid. We do have backpack batteries in our PRO Cordless range – you can find more info about it here: https://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/STIHL-Cordless-Power-Systems/01586/PRO-Cordless-Power-System-for-large-gardens-and-professionals.aspx
Thanks, STIHL GB
Hi,
This looks a great product however could I ask this might become a kombi style system using the separation as an opportunity to add a decent string trimmer head including a motor along with other attachments? Also apart from using a different battery how else does this differ from the hla65? Are the motor/gearing/cutting blades shared?
Hi Peter,
The HLA 56 and HLA 65 use a different motor, components, battery and cutting blades. The HLA 65 uses the same blades as the HSA 66 (which is the standard hedge trimmer in the PRO Cordless range) and the HLA 56 uses the same blades as the HSA 56 (i.e. the standard hedge trimmer in the COMPACT Cordless range). Possibly the best comparison is the cutting capacity – we would say that the performance of the HLA 65 is about 120% of the HLA 56 model, which is why it is more expensive.
The HLA 56 has:
•Blade length: 45cm
•Voltage: 36V
•Other tools in system: 7
•Cutting capacity: 16mm
The HLA 65 has:
•Blade length: 45cm
•Voltage: 36V
•Tools in system: Over 20
•Cutting capacity: 26mm
It is unlikely we will add a Kombi system to the COMPACT Cordless range, although we will be adding more products to both ranges in the future.
I hope that helps!
Thanks
STIHL GB
Hello,
Does this model include a belt or harness for working while suspended? If not, do you advise a specific alternative that is compatible with the HLA56?.
Thank you
Frank
Hi Frank, it doesn’t include a harness as standard but we do make a harness for cordless models that is suitable for working with the HLA 56. The part number for it is 4852 007 1000. Hope that helps!
Thanks, STIHL GB
Keep this going please, great job!
When are we going to get a Battery version of your professional hedge cutters?
What is currently available has to be plugged into a back pack or separate battery holder.
This is no use if you are using ladders or steps, as you would be plugging in and un plugging every few minutes. Really not worried about the weight of onboard batteries as we are well used to carrying heavy petrol engined versions.
Hi Alan, thanks for your feedback. I’ll pass this on to our Product team here. Thanks, STIHL GB
Hi Alan, thanks for the feedback. We’re working on a significant number of battery developments at the moment and hope to have an option in the future. Have you seen our HLA 85 long reach trimmer? That may eradicate the need to climb steps as it’s got an extensive reach. Thanks, STIHL GB
Does the hla56 50mm extention tube fit the hla65?
Hi Andrew, no I’m afraid it’s not compatible with the HLA 65. Thanks, STIHL GB
Why don’t you make the HLA 56 available in the USA, you sell the AK series batteries here and other tools that use those batteries.
Hi Gerald, I’m afraid we don’t have any control over what is sold in the USA or not – this is the STIHL Great Britain blog and we are responsible for deciding what we stock here in Great Britain. I would suggest you contact STIHL Inc for more information about the products sold in the USA. You can find contact details: https://www.stihlusa.com/information/corporate/contact-us/
Thanks
When will Stihl be making brushless motors for their tool range?
Hi Nick, we have EC brushless motors in a number of products in our PRO cordless range. Is there a particular tool you were thinking of? Thanks, STIHL GB
Can I add 2 extension shafts in a row in order to have an extra 2x 50cm reach?
Hi Mike, I’m afraid not – you can only use one extension shaft with the HLA 56. Thanks, STIHL GB
This is really a great product for hedge maintenance. Everyone should use the trimmer.
Hi I have just purchased the shell HLA 56 long reach hedgetrimmer ( I currently have the hand hedge trimmer & the compact chain saw both excellent well used love this battery range after using Stihl petrol for years but in my older age need lighter).
Am disappointed with this HL56 it sounds like a hairdryer & has no robustness when cutting using the “20” Level battery. It’s ok cutting very fine leylandi but if you hit anything v v slightly bigger than the 1.6cm it will jam & as you are possibly up high it’s no good. it has no guts. I wish I had splurged and got a stronger better level cutter. It struggled with hawthorn too of the right size branch.I may sell it & reinvest? It’s the worse Stihl cutter I have bough & seems very frail construction? Ok for small fine small garden hedges but nothing more. It can’t cope which makes it hard to use.
Hi Ali, we’re glad to hear you like the battery range and we’re also sorry to hear you are disappointed with the HLA 56. But we do state that it is suitable for branches up to 16mm in all of our product communications. We do have other hedge trimmers that can cope with bigger branches, such as the ones in our PRO Cordless range. Thanks, STIHL GB
Can you use more than one extension with the hla 56 thanks
Hi Mark, I’m afraid you can only use one extension shaft with the HLA 56.
Thanks very much
STIHL GB
I am trying to decide between the HLA 56 and the HLE 71 mains trimmer. Cordless is convenient but not essential for me, I simply want the most powerful hedge trimmer. The HLE 71 is rated at 600w. By my reckoning (80 mins run time on a 118Wh battery) the HLA 56 is only 90 watts. Is this a legitimate comparison? WHich is going to be more powerful in practical terms, ie ability to cut through larger branches and denser growth? Thank you.
Hi Harry, thanks for your comment. The HLA 56 long reach hedge trimmer has the same cutting performance as the HSA 56 standard hedge trimmer. It features a 350W power motor with output of 300W approx. This makes it capable of 16mm cutting performance. The HLE motor is more powerful, but it also has the restrictions of a cable and less flexibility of the AK battery system.
It really probably depends how big the material is that you want to cut – we do have other cordless long reach hedge trimmers that are capable of cutting larger branches. We have the HLA 65 and 85 in our PRO Cordless range.
We would really recommend that you pop into your local STIHL dealer for further expert advice though – you’ll also be able to feel the weight of the machine too and work out which would be the most comfortable for you to use. You can find your nearest STIHL dealer here: https://stihlapproveddealer.co.uk/
I hope that helps! Thanks, STIHL GB
When can we see a pro cordless pressure washer? I was told by one of your agents it was expected early this year and have put off buying one as I have batteries and a charger I would want to use. Thanks.
Hi Trevor, I’m afraid we don’t have a cordless pressure washer in the pipeline yet unfortunately. We are always working on battery technology so it may be possible at some point in the future but they do require lots of power and we just don’t have the capacity for a high-pressure washer yet. Apologies if you were misinformed, but you can find details of all of our existing pressure washers here: https://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Pressure-Washers-and-Wet-and-Dry-Vacuum-Cleaners/0310/Pressure-washers.aspx Thanks, STIHL GB
Just purchased the product and the extension and used it for the first time. First impressions are really good. But I have a question. Is it possible to add 2 extensions? (Next door neighbour had let the Laurel grow to high, and whilst I can cut my facing side, an extra extension would help to clear the top)
Hi, thank you for your feedback, we’re glad to hear you like the HLA 56. I’m afraid it’s not possible to add two extensions though. Thanks, STIHL GB
I note several comments here asking if it’s possible to join two extensions for extra reach. Itwa# my search for an answer to this question that also brought me here. Clearly there is a market for a longer extender so please could you feed this back to Stihl – thanks
Thanks for your comment, we will pass your feedback to the Product team. Thanks, STIHL GB
Why can’t 2 extensions be added the HKA56 ? The fittings are the same aren’t they ?
Hi, thanks for your comment. The fittings are the same, but adding a second extension to the HLA 56 puts too much additional force on the shaft and connections, increasing the likelihood of bending or damage. Thanks, STIHL GB
Stihl HLA56 stopped working. Used six times, both batteries fully charged
Hi Alan, we are sorry to hear you have had issues with your HLA 56. Please could you contact our customer services team by emailing enquiries@stihl.co.uk and they will be happy to help. Thanks, STIHL GB.
Do Stihl intend to upgrade their HLA 56 hedge cutter (AK range of batteries) for 2025. Say a HLA 57 or 60.
Hi Colin, no we don’t currently have any plans to upgrade the HLA 56. Many thanks, STIHL GB
Hi Colin, no there aren’t any plans currently to upgrade the HLA 56. Many thanks, STIHL GB