One of the key benefits of STIHL cordless tools is cheaper running costs when compared to a petrol model. Whilst a petrol engine can have plenty of complex moving parts, it’s a lot simpler with a battery powered tool; they typically consist of a motor, wiring harness and electronic control module.
Of course, battery and petrol machines require similar maintenance at the cutting attachment end, but with cordless tools, motor maintenance is rare; only a few models in the STIHL AP system require an air filter clean but that’s as complex as it gets.
If you are considering a STIHL battery-powered tool and want to see the maintenance it might require, you can find all Instruction manuals and service recommendations on the STIHL website. When it comes to maintaining the cutting attachments, this is also documented in the Instruction manual too. This often includes greasing gearboxes on brushcutters and hedge trimmers, along with keeping them sharp or full of line.
But what is the actual cost of running a STIHL cordless machine? How much does it cost to charge? Energy costs are increasing rapidly in 2022 but it can still be considered good value when you weigh up the cost vs the value of the benefits of cordless tools, such as low weight, low noise, great balance, no emissions and no trips to the petrol station required.
A battery such as the STIHL AP 300 S, one of our most powerful batteries and with a capacity of 281 Wh, only costs around 9.5 pence to charge. In real terms, that’s over 3 hours of hedge trimming with a STIHL HSA 86 hedge trimmer, nearly an hour of brushcutting with the FSA 90 battery-powered brushcutter or an hour working time with the MSA 161 T top handle arborist chainsaw. This calculation for charging cost assumes the current maximum rate of 34p pr kWh is paid*. We also have backpack batteries in our range, with the top model, the AR 3000 L boasting 1520 Wh. Even this would cost just 52 pence to charge and can power a STIHL BGA 100 leaf blower between 1.5 hrs up to 8.5hrs, depending on the power setting.
(The Wh of the AP 300 S is 281 Wh so 281/1000 (to turn KWh into Wh) x 34 = 9.5 pence)
*Price cap source by Ofgem.
With these affordable charging costs, battery-powered tools becoming more powerful and working times per charge increasing as battery capacities become higher, the landscaping and gardening future is looking promising. Range anxiety needn’t be a concern; just invest in the right number of batteries for your work with the right charging solutions to make sure you can get the job done efficiently, with batteries charged overnight. Then you can enjoy the benefits of a fuel source that is cost effective, whilst being better for you and the environment.
What are your main concerns about battery-powered tools? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Paul HicksPaul has worked for STIHL for six years and is responsible for the range of STIHL products that is sold here in Great Britain, which means he definitely knows his stuff when it comes to all things STIHL.
Hi – a very interesting article. I also found your replies to a recent Arbtalk forum discussion of the new MSA 300 very informative. It was very good to see it spelled out that a certain battery is needed for the correct electrical power, so an AP300S battery gives 2.1kw to an MSA 220, but with the new MSA 300 needing 3.0kw to achieve its potential, it needs the AP500S battery. Put the AP500S battery in the MSA 220, and though you will not get any extra power, you get a longer running time.
This then, is my query, as choosing the tools is almost the easy part, whereas choosing the right battery is somewhat harder. If, theoretically, i went for an MSA 300 chainsaw (AP500S battery), an FSA 135 brushcutter (recommended with AP300S battery), and an HLA 135 hedgetrimmer (recommended with an AP200 battery), that would mean three tools with three different batteries, but knowing the AP500S battery would give me a longer running time with the FSA 135 and HLA 135, i would hesitate to get the recommended batteries for those tools, despite the increased cost of the AP500S in relation to the other two batteries.
Long story short, is there a specific reason that, for example, the AP300S is specifically recommended for the FSA 135? Can some batteries be too much for some tools, causing overheating for example? Or would you say, using my example, that the newer battery would be the only one necessary to run all three tools, as it would increase the running time of the FSA 135 and HLA 135?
This is all theoretical, i cannot afford all three tools, but if i could afford at least the FSA 135 and HLA 135, i would still hesitate to get the AP200 battery, and go only for the AP300S.
Any extra information or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have long been a stalwart fan of Stihl powertools, but the question of which battery is best still somewhat baffles me.
Well done with the MSA 300, A gamechanger. I’m itching to have a go on one, but till then, i’m more than happy with my MS 261 and MS 441. Keep up the good work.
John
Hi, thanks for your comment on this. Our recommended batteries and chargers are purely a recommendation taking into account the type of task that may be undertaken with the specific tool (large tasks in the case of a more powerful tool or perhaps smaller tasks with the smaller tools) as well as factors such as weight, balance and working time. The AP 300 S is recommended with the FSA 135 because of the working time you get from it with that battery; the FSA machines consume more power compared to a HSA machine so we want users to have enough power to get a job done. It’s completely up to the user to look at the working times of the battery with various tools to see what best suits their situation though. The HLA models typically have a very long working time compared to other tools and are therefore held for longer, sometimes without a harness, so we tend to recommend the smaller batteries for them, like we have done with the AP 200 in this instance. However, the AP 300 S would be better option for a user with multiple tools as that would cater for the wider range of tasks. The batteries all work with all the tools in the system so putting a larger battery in a smaller tool would only give it longer working time, not cause it to overheat. There is actually a system in place so should a battery get too hot, the tool would stop working before any damage occurred. For battery heat management, the 135 series tools have air filters for cooling batteries too. Hope that helps! Thanks, STIHL GB
Very frustrated at the moment. I have converted to Stilh cordless over the last year with huge success and big thumbs up from customers, however? I need some of the specific tools in the Kombi range, namely the edger and low speed weed cutter but cannot get hold of the R135 kombi head in the UK at the right price or availability in general. I do not want to fork out 121 pounds for a AP battery belt kit and buy the 130r. It took long enough to track down a AP 500s in the UK. That is match made in heaven with the 448TC lawnmower and with the 300 as backup and will cover a day’s mowing if no charging available. I prefer the option of AP battery or AR backpacks depending on task size. For example I use the FSA86r on long trimming jobs that would kill the AP 200 very fast.
Hi, thanks for your comment, we’re sorry about the issues you have had finding a KMA 135 R. We are currently experiencing unprecedented global demand for STIHL products – we have delivered more products to our British dealer network than ever before this year but we are aware that some people still aren;t able to get the products they want straight away. We are receiving stock into our warehouse daily and the team are working extremely hard to get products out to our STIHL approved dealers as quickly as possible. Have you placed an order for the KMA 135 R yet? It’s worth keeping in regular contact with your dealer as we are giving them as much information as possible, although the information we are receiving about deliveries is changing on a daily basis too. If you are unable to get the information you need, you can also speak to our Customer Services team, who will be able to give you an estimated due date to your nearest dealer, although if they have other customers who have placed orders, they may need to fulfil those first. You can contact our Customer Support team by email at enquiries@stihl.co.uk. Thanks, STIHL GB
Your published figures for the capacities of the AK20 and AK30 batteries are 144 Whr and 180 Whr respectively, so how is it that a 25% increase in capacity can give a claimed 80% increase in running time?
Hi Peter, thanks for the comment. Please can I ask what machine this is in reference to, and where the claim for 80% increase in runtime was made? Thank you, STIHL GB
Hi, I have had my Stihl HSA 45 cordless hedge trimmer for about 3 years. I have stored it it safely, dry and warm over winter and used it a fortnight ago and it was working fine. I came to use it last week and tried to charge it up to full capacity. Three red lights came on instead of the the 4 green lights and it would not charge or operate. The blades are free to move. know the batteries are internal but I have to say that I am rather disappointed that this machine, which has not had a hard life, being mainly used for topiarising box and yew, has had such a short battery life. Are these HSA 45s effectively disposable at the end of a rather short working life? I appreciate that this machine is not an expensive item and does not have a replaceable battery but I chose a Stihl product because of the brand reputation. I expected at least a couple more years of use. I have been underwhelmed, not by the functionality of the machine but apparent short battery life.
Hi, thanks for your comment and I’m sorry to heat about the issues you’ve had. It’s very hard to diagnose problems online so we would always recommend taking it back to a STIHL Approved Dealer, who will be able to diagnose the issue for you. You can find your nearest dealer here: https://shop.stihl.co.uk/pages/dealer-locator.
Thanks, STIHL GB