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Hi congrats on the well deserved retirement ! After years of using pro gear, more amateurish kit might be frustrating ! There are different levels of equipment within the Stihl AP battery system, some has better build quality/ higher performance/ more expensive. never tried the AK battery stuff as it was introduced some years after the pro gear, and couldn't risk what might be a down grade. Ego is worth a look, I rate their battery blowers above the Stihl and their STX4500 strimmer is equal to the Stihl FSA135
We feel that the AK range is extremely good for the price in our experience. We're mainly AP gear but have several AK bits of kit and really happy with it. My friend uses all Makita battery gear and he speaks very highly of that too. All the best for your retirement
As an example Stihl HLA 56 long reach hedge trimmer is very robust ,I bought one from FR Jones Three years ago mainly because it is lighter .
I did buy a good supply of the AK30 batteries when they were on offer so I can use it in customers gardens .
Has coped with most hedges but obviously where a superior finish is required on a customers hedge you have to use your judgement if this is the tool for that job obviously professional machines are designed to meet those exacting standards but I find the AK battery machines have met that criteria in all but a couple of instances on tall wide conifer hedges .
Enjoy your retirement Tony , All the best .
Tony.. Congratulations, I beat you by 3 years. it is the best decision youve made :)
In 2021 (retirement year) we also downsized the house (and garden) to something less time consuming. Catch is last summer I ended up with 2 clients again (that is it, no more)... but it does keep me fit and they are very different gardens to mine. So, I took the old HLA56 hedge trimmer from the business for the 40' of very mature beech hedge behind the house... it wasnt man enough to cope, the first year it was a lopper and pruning saw job - last year it sort of worked this year I (thanks to my 2 gardens) sold the HLA56 and bought a new HLA66 - all is well now in that department
I parted with my trusty Stihl blower thinking a broom would work.... I ve since bought a BGA57, again all is well and I can clear the dust and leaves in seconds
THe same happened with the strimmer etc etc.
If you are likley to have any temptation to take on a garden or two (for extra beer money) I'd say go for the smallest AP battery and slowly buy the kit you need...unless you have a level of patience I do not have.
I thought I'd update this now as I settled on the Stihl AK range. It has saved me a couple hundred quid or so, on my formerAP lot and the gear is fine for my garden. All cordless and I don't need a box full of batteries any more.
I got a strimmer, FSA80. It's probably above and beyond what I need and I'm very happy with it. The blower (the 56), is fine although it may struggle when the leaves really come down. Realistically though it is a decent buy. The hedgetrimmers (HSA50))were the slight disappointment although I can now afford the luxury of working slower. After pro tools I notice they don't cut as fast and certainly don't go into the wood like my old HSA82 did. I notice the strimmer has no grease point but I'll strip it and grease it annually at least. The hedgetrimmers are the same as all the pro models in that you need to remove the plastic gear cover, agin something I can do when required. To be perfectly fair I'd say the kit is plenty good enough for domestic garden use and I just hope it responds to only being used now and again. Thanks for all the recommendations guys and best wishes, I will still look in from time to time.
A few days ago I went to the National Trust Hidcote Gardens, as you can see in the photo above the hedges were being cut.
I smiled, the Stihl hedge cutter was hanging on the cherry picker and two Makita hedge cutters were in use.
Makita makes great equipment!