A premium cordless outdoor power tool
August 11, 2010
Stihl, maker of premium lawn and garden gear, entered the outdoor cordless market with a 36-volt lithium-ion hedge trimmer.
I tested the HSA 65 on overgrown forsythia and a few holly shrubs that needed to be shaped. The dual sided 20-inch long blade had no problem taking care of the branches I was working with and Stihl says they can cut through branches just over 11/16-inch in diameter. The trimmer performed very well and the dual sided blade provides the freedom to cut in nearly any direction. The length was perfect for trimming large hedges and because you can activate the cutters by squeezing anywhere on the grab bar, the trimmer is easy to hold in odd angles. Press the button on the battery and it will show you how much juice is left by lighting up a fuel gauge. Overall the HSA performed as well as I would expect a great gas-powered trimmer to perform.
Work with the 10 1/2 pound HSA 65 for a few minutes and it’s hard to avoid the fact that this is a heavy tool—especially if you’re working with it away from your body. The battery weights about 2 1/2 pounds, about what the battery on most 36 volt li-ion drill/drivers weights. This is not a lightweight tool and you can expect it to weight as much as any gas-powered hedge trimmer.
Homeowner-grade li-ion cordless outdoor equipment typically operates on either a 18 or 24-volt platform, powering either an 18 or 20-inch blade at 2,400 strokes per minute. These lower voltage, slower trimmers tend to weight about half as much as the HSA 65 but they can’t power through branches more than 9/16-inches in diameter.
Like other cordless tool systems the battery of the HSA can be purchased separately and plugged into other tools, like a string trimmer and chain saw, both of which will be released in 2011. A longer running and heavier battery, the AP 160, will be available next spring, offering up to 80 minutes of run time.
The HSA 65 hedge trimmer (starting at $300), battery ($150) and charger ($90) are all purchased separately. Posted by Sal Vaglica | Categories: Power Tools, Yard & Garden | Permalink
(1) Comments
It is as eavy as my old Stihl HS45, which it replaced. No hassle with gasoline and two cycle oil. It is very quiet and seems to be as powerful as my old gasoline hedge trimmer. Keep your fingers away from the blades, they are very sharp. If you do not need a ffast recharge you can get the $500.00 charge instead.