PRODUCT REVIEW
instructions and a similar amount of time to assemble the parts correctly. Because it follows a similar pattern to other big trimmers, experienced users will very quickly be able to size the STIHL up.
The instruction book is clear and simple and for safe and efficient use of the cutter it ought not to be skipped. Brush trimmers can fling up stones and other lumps of material, so protective clothing is needed. Believe me, the stones flung up by the FSA 130 can hurt just as much as those flung up by a petrol-powered cutter because there is no effective power difference between the two.
Battery life?
A long lasting and powerful battery mounted on the end of a brush cutter pole would be heavy and imbalanced and STIHL designers have solved the problem by adopting the ‘battery backpack’. This can hold a long-lasting battery (in this case, the AR 1000 Lithium-Ion battery) with ease and the comfort of the user is ensured by its padded back belt and shoulder straps. Once I had a few minutes of wearing it, I honestly didn’t feel the weight of the backpack. There is also a charge indictor on the backpack, which is suitably waterproofed for working in the rain.
I managed to cut all of my test sections of grass, shrubs and woody weeds without running down the battery pack – over an hour’s work. By using the power selector on the main handle, users can choose a
power level. If cutting grass, for example, power level 1 will provide ample power for a good cut. Woody shrubs might need power level 3, but the downside is that the battery pack will run out of charge sooner.
The handlebar assembly contains a small, all-weather plug into which a power lead from the battery pack is plugged. It is a simple and no-fiddle function, so connecting and disconnecting the tool is the work of seconds.
A belt-mounted battery pack is also an option.
Switching on the machine by accident is obviated by having override switches on the right-hand side trigger mechanism. Users have to make a conscious choice to press the switches correctly to get the powerfully whirring start needed to cut grass.
Cutting options There are two options for cutter heads – a more traditional self-feeding brush trimmer head and a head with three PolyCut blades. These are mounted on a single screw so they float easily and will swing out of the way when accidentally brushed up against a fencepost, for example. You will hear the noise and adjust your attack quickly! I was very impressed with the PolyCut blades and they did not baulk at cutting 25mm thick weedy stems right through. The brush trimmer option also works smoothly and may be the better option for users mostly
cutting grass. Other options include a couple of metal blades intended for sawing/cutting more brush-like material.
When it comes to power, usability, versatility and a lack of noise and fumes it seems to me that contractors, smallholders and suchlike should really go ahead and invest in this kind of battery technology. It is good to do one’s bit for green initiatives, but with a machine as good as the STIHL FSA 130 on offer, efficiency and functionality are not compromised. It is one of those machines that might make petrol-powered machines obsolete within a few years.
www.stihl.co.uk
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