What is it?
Stihl has a wide range of grass trimmers but here we're testing the Stihl FSA 60 R. It's a cordless strimmer that uses Stihl's interchangeable AK battery which can be used on a host of other Stihl tools from mowers to chainsaws.
There are three 36V lithium-ion batteries available, the AK 10, which is the lowest capacity battery with the lowest weight (ideal for use with hedge trimmers), the AK 20 which we're testing here and the higher capacity AK 30 S. The AK 20 will last up to 30 minutes which Stihl says is enough time to mow up to 1250 metres of lawn edges. The FSA 60 R is designed for medium to large gardens with different areas of grass to trim.
It comes with an AutoCut C 6-2 mowing head - the traditional nylon line type - but you can also get the PolyCut 6-2 with two movable plastic blades or the DuroCut 5-2 which has carbon fibre reinforced serrated lines for tougher work. Replacement heads cost between £25 and £30.
Features include an aluminium shaft, a loop handle which can be moved up or down and a metal spacer bracket on the head which can be folded down to help getting too close and damaging things like plant pots or trees.
The FSA 60 R costs £174 on its own or £294 with an AK 20 battery and charger. You can buy it directly from the Stihl website here. It comes with a two-year warranty.
Is it any good?
Designed and engineered in Germany, Stihl products are renowned for their quality and the FSA 60 R is no exception. As soon as you get your hands on it, it feels a solid and well built tool. There are no flimsy plastics or loose switches here, this is clearly a high quality bit of kit.
It comes pretty much assembled, you only need to fit the handle which you can adjust to wherever feels best. It's easy to move thanks to the hex bolts. The battery comes part charged but we gave it a full charge before using it. Charging the AK 20 battery takes around 3 hours from empty or you can charge it to 80% in 2hrs15. Click the battery in and you're ready to go.
With our gloves, visor and safety boots on, we tested the the FSA 60 R on our medium sized garden. One thing to always remember when strimming is to wear decent work trousers too. Shorts and a strimmer don't mix...
The first thing you notice is how quiet the FSA 60 R is, even compared to corded strimmers. It's not the lightest grass trimmer though, at 3.1kg without the battery it would likely prove tricky for someone elderly. That said, with the handle in the right place and the balance right, we found it easy enough to use.
Of course being cordless really expands its uses. It's great for bigger gardens but we found it ideal for our allotment where there's no power but plenty of tidying to do. The FSA 60 R is excellent here, the long shaft means you can reach hard to get areas and it's ideal for working in between beds and paths. It's power makes quick work of weeds, tall grass and nettles while the metal bracket on the head prevents getting too near anything you don't want chopped.
The nylon line is very effective at clearing and it's easily extended by tapping the mowing head on the ground during use. We didn't test the PolyCut 6-2 mowing head (which uses polymer cutting blades) but this actually gives you a longer working time of up to 40 minutes. Changing the heads is easy - they just twist off - no tools needed.
The 30 minutes running time is more than enough, remember that's continual use. You can of course buy extra batteries - they cost £122 - but we've easily coped with just the one and have yet to experience running out of power. Both the AK 20 and AK 30 S batteries have the same power, but the AK 30 S offers a longer run - an extra 8 minutes. Usefully, the charge level can be checked easily thanks to a row of LEDs on the battery.
The one feature we would have found useful is a rotating head, to make edging easier. The FSA 60 R has a fixed head but you can get the cheaper Stihl FSA 30 which has a rotating head that can swivel 90 degrees.
Should I buy one?
If you're after a durable and powerful grass trimmer that's built to last, we'd throughly recommend the Stihl FSA 60 R. True it may seem expensive if you don't already have a battery but given the quality, we think it's a good investment. Plus the interchangeable AK battery can be used across a wide range of other Stihl tools.
We found it quiet and easy to use, with a comfortable handle and a nice balance. It excelled at our allotment where it came into its own, clearing tricky areas easily, while we found the 30 minute run time more than enough. The interchangeable heads mean it's very versatile too, giving you a tool that can deal with pretty much most types of brush and grass.
