In a nutshell

A Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy, the Stihl Compact Cordless range has quiet, well-balanced, easy-to-use tools that work hard and efficiently. All size batteries are compatible with the charger and the tools are great value once you have the battery and charger. They come with a two-year warranty.

What we tested

  • Set up
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Handling
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Performance
    A star rating of 3.0 out of 5.
  • Value for money
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
Overall Rating
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Pros

  • Available with or without battery
  • Very easy to set up
  • Light, comfortable and well balanced to use
  • Tools have good features
  • Good value once you have a battery and charger

Cons

  • Long charge time
  • Limited range of tools in the system
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What is the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System?

One interchangeable battery fits all the tools in the range and tools can be bought either as a set with a battery and charger, or as a tool on their own. Once you own a battery and charger, its easy, and more economical, to add to the range as your needs grow.

What tools are in the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System?

A hedge trimmer, chainsaw, grass trimmer, leaf blower, long reach hedge trimmer and a lawn mower are all part of the range.

Is there a range of batteries available in the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System?

The compact cordless system includes three 36 Volt lithium ion batteries - the AK10, AK20, AK30 and all are compatible with any of the tools in the range as well as the chargers.

Batteries are easy to swap amongst tools, just clicking in to place and they have a charge indicator signalling how much charge is left via four LED lights. They also have a neutral locking position where the battery is held securely within the tool but is not connected so you can safely carry tools around and they won’t start accidentally. Once the battery is pushed in fully it is ready to go.

Two fast chargers are also in the range and these have lights to indicate when the batteries are charging and are fully charged. Charge times are 80 mins for the AK10 and 150 mins for the AK20.

Run times depend on the battery, tool, user and conditions but range from 40-120 minutes with the AK10 battery.

What are the tools in the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System like to use?

We tested the hedge trimmer HAS 56, the grass trimmer FSA 56 and the leaf blower BGA 56 and all are quiet, light and well balanced to hold. They're all set up and ready to go and the batteries take 80 minutes to charge.

The hedge trimmer feels light, comes with a handy safety lock and cuts even woody growth efficiently and quickly.

The leaf blower is light and quiet with an adjustable tube so it’s suitable for most heights, but it does require the bigger AK20 battery for it to have a reasonable run time. Handles leaves and small debris well. Has just one speed setting.

The grass strimmer has an adjustable shaft and handle and copes with most rough lawn areas well including nettles. Fresh line is fed simply by tapping the trimmer head on the ground as you go.

Who is the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System most useful for?

This is an efficient system for regular gardeners and those with bigger gardens

Is the Stihl Compact Cordless Power System good value for money?

At around £199 per tool including battery and charger and £109 for tool only, these tools are competitively priced. They're easy to use yet perform strongly and well and we think they're very good value for money.

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Cordless tool systems - Buyer's Guide video

Product Specifications

Product
BrandStihl
NameStihl Compact Cordless Power System
Battery Size36V
Battery price£54.17 Battery price varies according to ampere size. this price is for the Stihl AK10 battery
Battery price note
Charger price£35.00
Features
Battery charge time80min(s)
Battery life40min(s)
Warranty2YEAR
Tools testedGrass trimmer, hedge trimmer and leaf blower
Feature notesbattery charge time and run time depends on the tool and battery size. Run times on the tools we tested were from 20-40 minutes using the AK10 battery and the AK20 with the leaf blower.
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