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bulldogs195461
11-12-2018, 04:22 PM
Hi all
Looking, to get a new stihl trimmer, need a contractors one. The guy showed me two, the longer blade one, and a smaller blade one, that was good for finer work as it works both ways cutting, he recommended the smaller blade one, which makes sense. I've got a stihl pole trimmer for wider areas, just interested in others experience with these, thanks in advance.
Regards john

4 Gardens
11-12-2018, 04:54 PM
go the battery ones!

bulldogs195461
11-12-2018, 05:17 PM
Why battery? Is there power the same, if so, how long do they last, power wise?

kevinsuzanne
11-12-2018, 05:45 PM
Why battery? Is there power the same, if so, how long do they last, power wise?

been using the Stihl hs 86 battery for the last 2 years is great
using it for commercial jobs and same battery fits most of the other gear

4 Gardens
11-12-2018, 07:07 PM
http://www.indmowing.com.au/forum/showthread.php?13305-Stihl-battery-power&p=155824&highlight=stihl#post155824

check this post out re battery power

its convenient, easy to use, does a great job, quiet,,,, amongst other things
I only use battery gear now except for an occasional petrol whippy and honda mower

kakegc
13-12-2018, 08:04 PM
Just cruising through the forum & saw this thread;

I disagree with buying a battery operated anything until the manufacturers get the power on them up to being near their 240v/2 stroke cousins & the weight on them down to much nearer the 240v ones. They're heavy!

I bought a Metabo electric years ago on the advice of a guy that only does hedges, nothing else. I'd previously owned Stihl, Echo & Husqvarna 2 stroke hedge trimmers.

My current set up is 2 x Metabo's (long one & a short one), an Echo 2 stroke for when no power is available, and a Stihl Kombi Tool hedge trimmer on an FS85R. The Stihl does the bulk of my work & the other 3 are pretty much shelf queens.

But............ everyone is different!

BeetleJuice
14-12-2018, 08:11 AM
Same here kakegc,tried the battery and this stuff is nowhere near ready for pro's to use and the prices they charge is seriously over the top.Picking up the battery and equivalent 2 stroke in some cases the battery was heavier.

Fred's mowing
14-12-2018, 10:07 AM
What batt gear r.u guys using ?
My opinion is the exact opposite.
I hedge almost every working day, includimg some very large hedges.
I couldnt go back to 2strokes now, Id sooner give it away.
Battery tech isnt the be & emd all but, it isj just as/ more suited to hedging than any other ope application I can think of.
For many years I used 2stroke hedgers happily but the batt gear Im using is light years ahead.

Cheers Fred.

Redeye
14-12-2018, 01:53 PM
still too heavy for me to consider - that said, l'm trying to avoid hedging now :)

ASTRO
14-12-2018, 10:26 PM
Shindawia AH230s- A Samuri Sword.

irishjim
15-12-2018, 12:20 PM
What batt gear r.u guys using ?
My opinion is the exact opposite.
I hedge almost every working day, includimg some very large hedges.
I couldnt go back to 2strokes now, Id sooner give it away.
Battery tech isnt the be & emd all but, it isj just as/ more suited to hedging than any other ope application I can think of.
For many years I used 2stroke hedgers happily but the batt gear Im using is light years ahead.

Cheers Fred.
What battery hedgers are you using Fred?

Fred's mowing
15-12-2018, 05:27 PM
What battery hedgers are you using Fred?
Hi Jim, using sthil hla65 & hla85, also Ego multi tool pole hedger.
I also have the Ego regular hedger which i rarely use, simply because of the ergonomics of small hedgers.

Id still like to know what battery hedgers, the battery hedger knockers are using ?
Most of the knockers don't use the battery hedgers or have made poor choices.

Cheers Fred.

Fred's mowing
15-12-2018, 05:31 PM
Shindawia AH230s- A Samuri Sword.

Astro, I used to love my Shindaiwa but now it doesn't get used.

Cheers Fred.

kakegc
16-12-2018, 11:01 AM
Shindawia AH230s- A Samuri Sword.

G'day ASTRO,

I'm not knocking Shindi, I love Yamabiko/Kioritz 2 stroke gear.

But I'm just wondering what you're going to do for dealer back up now that Allpower have ceased trading? My experience with B&S thus far for Echo gear hasn't lit up my world lol!

kakegc
16-12-2018, 11:30 AM
Hi Jim, using sthil hla65 & hla85, also Ego multi tool pole hedger.
I also have the Ego regular hedger which i rarely use, simply because of the ergonomics of small hedgers.

Id still like to know what battery hedgers, the battery hedger knockers are using ?
Most of the knockers don't use the battery hedgers or have made poor choices.

Cheers Fred.

Hi Fred,

I guess that seeing as you have a Shindi, maybe a video comparing the Shindi & a battery powered hedger would go a long way to resolving it?

Better still, if anyone has a video of an FS85R with a hedger attached & compares that with any battery powered hedger, I'd love to see it.





All of the battery powered stuff I've tried thus far has not been up to what I need at work, but I am very happy to be proved wrong.

Fred's mowing
16-12-2018, 04:02 PM
Hi kakegc, unfortunately i don't think a vid would do anything to resolve it one way or another.
All you would see is 2 machines that are both doing a great job hedge trimming. they both do a fantastic job at this.
The difference is in the USABILITY.
At the end of the day on the hedge cutter you'll really feel the difference.
Press the trigger, it starts. Release the trigger, it stops.
Very little noise, no fumes, no vibes, & its stone cold.
The reliability has been fantastic.
I rarely exhaust 1 battery, never would you need more than 2 for a full days work (Stihl hla's).

Could you tell us about All of the battery stuff u tried thus far that has not been up to what you need at work ?

ASTRO
16-12-2018, 04:04 PM
G'day ASTRO,

I'm not knocking Shindi, I love Yamabiko/Kioritz 2 stroke gear.

But I'm just wondering what you're going to do for dealer back up now that Allpower have ceased trading? My experience with B&S thus far for Echo gear hasn't lit up my world lol!

Hey kakegc,

I get dealer support from trinity mowers they are very reliable at sourcing parts - with B+S we will see how it goes but has to be an improvement on the last distributor.(8 week wait for air filters).

I use shindawia solely for the profile of the blades, IMHO opinion they give the most accurate/precise cut available. Coupled with neutral balance of the machine.

Cheers Astro.

geoff
16-12-2018, 10:40 PM
Fred is the king with hedges and has being doing it for more years than most..not just hedges but big mothers at that..so when Fred only uses battery thats good enough for me and when he says the shindy is locked away his advice should be noted...Put your head in the sand or listen to the experience..after 30 years i still learn and this man i learn aloft...we do share a bad habit though we follow the SAINTS lol

Fred's mowing
18-12-2018, 05:39 PM
Fred is the king with hedges and has being doing it for more years than most..not just hedges but big mothers at that..so when Fred only uses battery thats good enough for me and when he says the shindy is locked away his advice should be noted...Put your head in the sand or listen to the experience..after 30 years i still learn and this man i learn aloft...we do share a bad habit though we follow the SAINTS lol

Thanx Geoff, cheques in the mail .... lol.
Yer I think Hannebery will give us a lift this year but, we're still a fair way off, I think.
GO SAINTS !

Kakegc & Beetle, could you tell us what battery gear you tried that fell short, & why, so that others can take that info on board when considering battery gear.

Cheers Fred.

kevinsuzanne
18-12-2018, 06:43 PM
Hi Fred,l to use battery stihl hedgers most days to . l also wouldnt go back to petrol

4 Gardens
19-12-2018, 06:10 PM
Fred is the king with hedges and has being doing it for more years than most..not just hedges but big mothers at that..so when Fred only uses battery thats good enough for me and when he says the shindy is locked away his advice should be noted...Put your head in the sand or listen to the experience..after 30 years i still learn and this man i learn aloft...we do share a bad habit though we follow the SAINTS lol


Freds feedback and reviews converted me about 18 months ago
I used shindys prior to that
now stihl battery only
would not consider using petrol again

kakegc
20-12-2018, 09:13 PM
Hi kakegc, unfortunately i don't think a vid would do anything to resolve it one way or another.
All you would see is 2 machines that are both doing a great job hedge trimming. they both do a fantastic job at this.
The difference is in the USABILITY.
At the end of the day on the hedge cutter you'll really feel the difference.
Press the trigger, it starts. Release the trigger, it stops.
Very little noise, no fumes, no vibes, & its stone cold.
The reliability has been fantastic.
I rarely exhaust 1 battery, never would you need more than 2 for a full days work (Stihl hla's).

Could you tell us about All of the battery stuff u tried thus far that has not been up to what you need at work ?

Hi Fred,

I bought my first Metabo electric hedge trimmer in March 2010, so I get usability. At the time, I posted about them on the forums & copped heaps of ridicule about using electric trimmers from "seasoned contractors"

So far. this subject has been discussed very subjectively here. You think that battery power is great (which for you it likely is) & I disagree, as for me the battery powered gear is light years away from what I want.

Objectively;

1. I have a Stihl FS85R with a hedge trimmer attached that generates 900w of power. All I have to do is keep the fuel up to it & it'll do that all day & all night. It's light in comparison to any other pole trimmer that comes close to putting out 900w. It's kind of the Stihl 200T of hedge trimmers. The 200T WAS the best top handled saw ever made, but emissions laws saw it become a dinosaur. That is about to happen to the FS85R too. Do I need 900w at every hedge I do? No! But it's very handy to have when I do need it. Going from my experience with the Metabo's, 600w would be the bare minimum that I'd need. The 900w does come in very handy for hedge height reductions on Lillipilly etc.

2. My Metabo's pull around 600w from any 240v power plug. They're great for the finer stuff like diosmas & conifers. But 600w just doesn't cut it for height reductions etc. So, I'm already loosing money, by not being able to quote on those jobs unless I have a 900w machine.

3. This is where it get's interesting with batteries! Your 36v battery only ever has 360w in it, at an hour, at best. Seeing that you're into batteries, you'd already know that any battery only ever has about 80% of use before it's flat. Ergo; your 360w battery just became a 280w battery. That would fuel a 280w tool at best. BUT, Stihl reckon that you can get 3 hours out of your 36v battery, which of course means that they've set a motor in your hedge trimmer to pull significantly less than 280w.

Let's not forget that all batteries have a finite number of cycles - the more you draw the battery down on each cycle, the quicker it dies in the end. But it dies a slow death, giving up available power along the way.

Whether Stihl, or whomever make the battery; 36v = 360w hours.

Petrol tools can & are engineered to make power & just pull the necessary fuel from the fuel tank.

Same with 240v stuff. But once it passes a certain level of draw, 3 phase power would be required.

The battery powered tools are engineered oppositely. They are designed around the wattage available from the battery.

Sorry if anyone found this boring! I sort of thought that on a professional forum, that the above would be taken as a given.

simo
21-12-2018, 05:48 AM
I’ve got a Aeg and yes it’s from Bunnings but it has 6yrs Commercial warrenty
I’d give it a 7 out of 10. Pro’s It gives a really nice cut, quiet and heavy duty well built owned it 2yrs no faults. Con’s it’s heavy, awkward to operate on its side, has 3 safety buttons to operate which is hard to do with only 2 hands ( tape one of the buttons on is the third hand)

Fred's mowing
21-12-2018, 12:46 PM
Hi Kakegc,

My Ego pole hedger is rated at 2000w, so technically twice the power of your petrol hedger.
Also, the torque curve of an electric motor is entirely different to the torque curve of a petrol.

Anyhow, thats not the point I was making, Im more interested in real world applications rather than the figures.
The battery hedgers that Ive used have MORE than adequate power to efficiently handle ANY hedge TRIMMING job that Ive pointed them at.
Hedge reduction is a totally different ball game. When I substantially reduce a hedge, I use pole chainsaws, lopers, etc that are better to suited to this type of work than a hedge TRIMMER.
Respectfully, have you ever owned a BATTERY pole or small hedge trimmer ?
If so, what was it, & how did it fail to live up to your expectations ?

If you lived closer, Id invite you over for a beer, then we could go out & cut a hedge or 2 :magic

Cheers Fred.

Fred's mowing
24-12-2018, 09:56 AM
Hi Fred,l to use battery stihl hedgers most days to . l also wouldnt go back to petrol

At least you could use it without the fear of accidentally causing a fire, but I wouldn't.
Whats coming your way is ABSOLUTELY NUTS !
I reckon u might hit the 50 mark this summer ?
How any plants/lawn survive in that, I don't know.
Take care & try to keep cool.

Cheers Fred.

kevinsuzanne
29-12-2018, 02:04 PM
Hi Fred, Abnormally very hot for december this year in December yesterday 45 degrees [28th]dec
last 5 days 40 plus lawns still looking good.

RSM-Gazza
02-01-2019, 06:52 PM
Hi Fred, Abnormally very hot for december this year in December yesterday 45 degrees [28th]dec
last 5 days 40 plus lawns still looking good.

Heat is Madness along the Murray, struggling to cope, actually not coping with it. I've properties where petrol whippers/hedgers would be a no go zone not that I use them anymore.
Have to carry a 9kg water self rechargeable fire extinguisher with me now some days and back up water.
Noticed 9.4amp batteries are behaving a little different in run time as the built fans are working near non stop in this daily 40 or+ heat (Husky). Also carry the reserve batteries in a cooler box with large freezer pack within wrapped in towel.

kevinsuzanne
05-01-2019, 03:08 PM
Heat is Madness along the Murray, struggling to cope, actually not coping with it. I've properties where petrol whippers/hedgers would be a no go zone not that I use them anymore.
Have to carry a 9kg water self rechargeable fire extinguisher with me now some days and back up water.
Noticed 9.4amp batteries are behaving a little different in run time as the built fans are working near non stop in this daily 40 or+ heat (Husky). Also carry the reserve batteries in a cooler box with large freezer pack within wrapped in towel.

friday 4th jan topped 46.4 degrees

steveo
20-07-2022, 05:54 PM
I think my Sthil HLA65 may have packed it in today. I notice they are no longer available. There is now a HLA66 and a HLA86. What is the difference between the the HLA65 and the 66? From what I could see the blades seem to have changed, is this for better or for worse? Also what is the diff between the HLA66 and the HLA85, is it just the telescoping pole?

Chris B
20-07-2022, 11:32 PM
I think my Sthil HLA65 may have packed it in today. I notice they are no longer available. There is now a HLA66 and a HLA86. What is the difference between the the HLA65 and the 66? From what I could see the blades seem to have changed, is this for better or for worse? Also what is the diff between the HLA66 and the HLA85, is it just the telescoping pole?

66 and 86 are very similar to the 65/85 and yes the diff between 66/86 is just the telescoping feature

I would skip those models and jump to the new HLA 135K .... it is in another league , you wont regret it
the 'K' is the short shaft which I'd recommend. I've got both the short and long but rarely touch the longer one

also the blade length is 500 i think compared to 600 for the longer version... the website specs have 600 length for both which is incorrect

edbeek
21-07-2022, 07:12 AM
I haven't seen the new models, but I have the 65 & 85. The 85 motor seems to run much smoother & faster than the 65. Problem is, it's too heavy to use except when absolutely necessary.
My Husqvarna is my go-to extended hedger, but I've had heaps of problems with it.

Have a Stihl KMA135R kombi head ordered, that might be ok now that it doesn't need to run off a backpack. Might be a while waiting for it though. Been on order since before Xmas.

steveo
21-07-2022, 11:58 AM
66 and 86 are very similar to the 65/85 and yes the diff between 66/86 is just the telescoping feature

I would skip those models and jump to the new HLA 135K .... it is in another league , you wont regret it
the 'K' is the short shaft which I'd recommend. I've got both the short and long but rarely touch the longer one

also the blade length is 500 i think compared to 600 for the longer version... the website specs have 600 length for both which is incorrect

Cheers Chris. I'll have to head to the dealer and suss em out and report back my thoughts. You'd think Sthil would at least get the specs right. What do you like most about the HLA135K and does it justify the extra weight? Sthil claims that it prunes and hedges, what does that mean?

The reason I asked about the blade changes on the HLA66 v HLA65 was this youtube clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvcnlU5QsZE

It looks as if the HLA66 has narrower teeth on the top blade and thicker teeth on the bottom.

steveo
21-07-2022, 02:51 PM
went had a look at the dealers(wet day today). Chris is right on the money. The HLA135 K feels like the pick of the bunch. The motor is near the battery and no longer at the head meaning there is a spline and a gearbox which explains the extra weight. You can feel the power difference and it just feels more solid and less rattling than my old HLA65. The other advantage I am guessing it would give is you don't have that motor housing obstructing view and getting caught up in things. The HLA66 in my opinion feels a bit more flimsy than the old HLA65's. I didn't try the HLA85 but I picked it up and confirmed it would be way too heavy for me as a general purpose machine. Would be very handy for the long reach though. The blades haven't changed on the HLA66 so I am not sure what is going on in that youtube video in my previous link, maybe it is different in other countries. Now I just need to bite the bullet.

steveo
21-07-2022, 03:03 PM
I haven't seen the new models, but I have the 65 & 85. The 85 motor seems to run much smoother & faster than the 65. Problem is, it's too heavy to use except when absolutely necessary.
My Husqvarna is my go-to extended hedger, but I've had heaps of problems with it.

Have a Stihl KMA135R kombi head ordered, that might be ok now that it doesn't need to run off a backpack. Might be a while waiting for it though. Been on order since before Xmas.

I think the Sthil Kombi head will be a good move. What is the issue with the Husky hedger? What hedger is it? I have the Husky 325ilk which can take attachments so I need to look into what hedger attachment I could put on that. The thing I really hate about huskies is the battery clip design. I am forever not pushing the battery in hard enough and then it drops out. The battery case is also too brittle and prone to cracking whereas the Sthil batteries I have found can withstand being dropped.

edbeek
23-07-2022, 05:09 PM
My Husky extended hedger is 536LiHE3. It's had several new motors, switches and other things. Up till last time it stopped, repairs have all been covered by warranty. But it's 5 years old, so I offered to pay for the last motor.
The only trouble I've had with the batteries was the clips actually cracking which made it hard to get the battery out. They replaced the 2 broken clips under warranty too.
I've also got the Husky multi 325, but only with the line trimmer. I only got it as it has a bit more power than my original Husky dedicated battery line trimmer. I have a lot of Stihl kombi attachments, so will go that way.

I started with a Stihl KM90 kombi + ext hedger & always thought it was the best hedger I've used, so hopefully the new Stihl battery kombi will be the same. I might be on the pension before I can get one though.

Chris B
24-07-2022, 09:18 PM
Cheers Chris. I'll have to head to the dealer and suss em out and report back my thoughts. You'd think Sthil would at least get the specs right. What do you like most about the HLA135K and does it justify the extra weight? Sthil claims that it prunes and hedges, what does that mean?

The reason I asked about the blade changes on the HLA66 v HLA65 was this youtube clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvcnlU5QsZE

It looks as if the HLA66 has narrower teeth on the top blade and thicker teeth on the bottom.


anything with the 135 motor is just the ultimate even compared with the petrol machines of similar size in my opinion
all the machines with that motor use the same drive shaft and cutter head / blade / polesaw etc as the top of the line petrol counterparts

for example i've got the hta135 pole saw and you can see its identical to the petrol top model besides the motor



i had the earlier hedge trimmers as well and i would probably describe them as semi pro whereas the newer 135k etc are true pro machines

they are built better, have higher blade speed and tighter tolerances.




I had to watch that video a few times but i think it's just an optical illusion! if you replay from when you can first see the blades they look normal, then once the light hits them they look strange!

Chris B
24-07-2022, 09:25 PM
the 135 kombi engines are awesome

they have heaps of power but when using on power hungry attachments you will go through batteries quickly

they also run noticeably longer and stronger with the AP300s battery and there's an ap500s coming out shortly



if anyone is thinking of jumping into battery gear i would recommend starting with the BGA86 blower and HLA135K short hedge trimmer and an ap300s battery (although would hold off until the ap500s is available which apparently isn't far away)

those machines can give you a taste of how good the gear is and then it wont take long for you to add on extra batteries and the whippers

Chris B
24-07-2022, 09:29 PM
oh and if you're thinking of getting the regular length hla135 hedger, just get the kma135 kombi motor and hedge trimmer attachment instead as they are the exact same
i made the mistake of getting both short and long hedgers.... barely use the long one and could have just got the attachment for kombi instead