Great brand and a great price hedge trimmer.
Note: Integrated battery which may put off some.
Very lightweight 2.3kg
if you need a hedge trimmer for basic tasks this will likely do the job.
Looks like plenty of stock around. New model has come out so it looks as though they are clearing this one out.
Happy Trimming!
1995 is calling lol.
At this point in time, after over 2 decades of shared hot-swap battery systems, this is just blatant enshittification.
or go with a system with comparable costs that is not a couple of decades outdated so you don't have to waste time with replacing it.
We can do better than that sexist BS here thank you.
Apple still in 1995, seems like it.
1995 everything had removable batteries as battery tech required back then.
1995 called and the only thing without replaceable batteries were greeting cards
"might put people off", well yeah. Probably why it's $99, no one wants it.
It's $99. I wouldn't sweat it. I bought one a month ago and the store was very upfront about it on the phone "yeah it's okay if it's just light occasional use, good unit for that"
I'm not a professional gardener, and I'm not even some home gardening enthusiast who wants to shell out $180 on a Ryobi skin-only. The Stihl feels better in the hand than the Ryobis anyway, so it's worth the 99 to me.
People going 'but teh battarah' need to get some perspective here.
Yep. If your are up to your apples in another tools ecosystem then this is a good cheap option. The removable battery Stihl gear isn't cheap either and you'd have to love your garden maintenance to get into that if you already have some, say, Ryobi gear too.
but teh battarah
hence the price, you didnt complain when your laptop or phone had an integrated battery :)
oh I complained
LOL
I've had one of these for over 10 years, it's a beast.
How's the battery going?
My crappy Ozito has lasted just as long (and was cheaper, and uses the same swappable battery as everything else).
I've got some Ozito stuff. Works, it's cheap, but it feels like cheap garbage at the same time. If you don't mind it feeling like cheap garbage with minimal ergonomics (which is a lot of people) then it's totally workable.
I'm clearly some kind of tool snob despite knowing next to nothing about DIY, cause when I first picked up Ozito stuff in Bunnings almost flinched at how nasty it felt.
An extra $10 for the battery (sure, it's integrated- not ideal) is worth the lack of yuck factor for me. What's $10 get you outside- most of a Zinger meal?
Grabbed one a few mins ago, hope it doesn't suck lol. Cheers OP
I have a Ryobi hedge trimmer and a petrol one of some brand. The Ryobi is great within its ability and I always use it first. You need to regulate how much you're trimming at one time as it can get overloaded. On the flip side the petrol one could trim right through the hedge and cut the hedge in half. But use it for a while and it gets mighty heavy.
I'm sure it trims instead of sucking
Grass trimmer is $99 too
And blower is $99 too. 247cfm and 160kmh to save searching. So very mid level, but far from terrible.
https://shop.stihl.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=ai&_gl=1*4…
i got the $99 blower cpl of weeks ago. it's pretty good for apartments with a decent size balcony.
Grass trimmer has a 20min runtime with intergrated battery. If you have a very small yard would be decent but will pass.
Blower is 10min runtime - pass.
Hedge trimmer 40mins - decent.
Trimmer looks like it uses blades rather than line. Personally I'd avoid. I got an Ozito trimmer cheap that uses blades but the blades wear out quick and not as cheap at a line trimmer in the long run.
Got one too, worth a try for $99! Thanks, OP.
I got this in their last sale at 99$. I was nervous about the whole embedded battery limitation.
But it’s actually great. It’s a great niche tool that I only need to use for 10 minutes at a time. Doing the vines. Or balling the shrubs. Way better than not having the tool. Of good quality too.
If you want a trimmer and don’t have a huge hedge this would do great.
Google say maximum branch thickness of ~5 mm to 8 mm.
Grabbed one too. Great price, thanks OP.
Anyone have tips on the best way to cut hedges taller than 2m? The last time I cut mine, I almost fell off my ladder a few times whilst using manual shears.
Ideally I want an electric hedge trimmer (I've got way too many hedges to do it manually), but I've heard pole hedge trimmers are extremely heavy.
Pole hedge trimmers are heavy but they are doable.
Otherwise hire someone who can use a pole hedge trimmer. Sometimes they will use ladder and pole together cause they are professionals.
You need an extendable pole trimmer. They are expensive, and yes they are heavy. Not an easy task for the average joe hence why most people call in professional gardeners.
My 36v Makita is very heavy, but does the job well. However, what you need depends on what you have that needs cutting. I have a lot of Pittosporum hedge that grows like stink! Mostly I trim as for as I can reach with n 18v Makita, then I get the pole trimmer to finish the sides, before shifting the angle to suit the top. I raises a sweat!
I'm on sloping surface with obstacles! If you are walking on level ground, you should find it easy to hold a trimmer in a fixed position to out the top.
36v cuts branches up close to thumb thickness. I don't know what smaller voltage models will cut.
Makita cutting blade quality seems excellent.
Go into places that sell pole trimmers, ask if you can feel the weight. Imagine having to carry it for an hour or two, moving backwards and forward in an arch.
If it's heavy for the average person, then I'd definitely struggle with it. How unsafe would it be to use something like this (or the non-pole ozito equivalent) with a ladder?
My ground isn't very stable either - uneven on the grass and the other side of the hedge is on a sloped driveway.
No way could you a large pole rimmer from a ladder. On uneven ground, a lightweight MAY be OK if you use it from a fruit-picking ladder (3 legs, wider than standard). AFAIK, fruit picking ladders are usually expensive. The following will give you an idea that small versions are findable.
https://aimsales.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hero_Trip…
@RogerLoger: I meant using a non-pole trimmer like the one in the deal or the ozito $107 one, with a small ladder. I have a 3 step ladder (4 legs) which has a wider platform, but it's a little wobbly on the uneven lawn.
Is there enough safety mechanisms on the electric trimmers to turn off if I was to accidentally slip? Or is it just not worth the risk?
@gettem: In my experience, trimmers are designed in a way you need to squeeze a bar on top with one hand while pulling a trigger with the other. That minimises reach from a ladder but should stop you accidentally swinging into yourself one-handed.
Ask Bezos - well, no need. He would just pay someone
If your yard is not on too much of an angle, you can probably get by using a platform ladder in combo with a pole style trimmer with articulating head
https://www.bunnings.com.au/bailey-contractor-al-big-top-wor…
I've had the same issue and decided the risk of high hedges just wasn't worth it - although my yard is sloping. I cut them back to a manageable and safe size, and now, rather than spend hours balancing on an unsteady ladder, I can get them neat and tidy in a quarter of the time.
Ditch the manual shears and go electric.
The extended trimmers are heavy, but with the battery at one end and the motor at the other, they balance out well.
For general domestic use i'd get the hedger, blower and whippy in a heartbeat. $297 is a bargain for all 3, and I don't see why a inbuilt battery is such a big deal. Will be much nicer to use and last longer than Ozito or Ryobi that's for sure. I use the still AP gear professionally and it is fantastic but you pay a lot more for it.
The grass trimmer looks to be the one with the plastic blades rather than line. I've got an ozito one and it annoys the crap out of me because it always snaps off and I go through at least 5 when I do my lawn.
Trying to find the (profanity) is the worse bit! PITA
The struggle is real. I want to get a line trimmer to replace mine, but I'm too cheap. I'll go through my 100 blade pack first and will then circle back to the decision.
@gettem: Im still circling the roundabout. Want a safe way of welding a bit of wire onto the swindle (not recommended)
According to the parts manual the cutting head is the same as the one in the link below. It can use the the blades or optionally you can till the head with 1.4mm-1.6mm line.
https://shop.stihl.com.au/polycut-mowing-head-2-2
Parts manual. Part no 5 https://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/stihl/diagrams/fsa-45/64…
If it’s the line snapping, try soaking in water for a day before loading on. I read up on that in some forums and it makes a huge difference to line snapping.
Cheers OP, replacing an older Ozito that is blunt 😀
I noticed there is a Stihl Promo on as well.
https://www.stihl.com.au/en/customer-feedback-promotion
It seems like you have to be an existing Stihl customer though (or do you?)
So check your SMS or E-mail as you might get a Survey if you Register the Product for Warranty purposes.
If it happens to be a Generic promo link, please PM or post it. :+)
What do you get from this?
Nothing, just letting people know to look out for it.
If they happen to have a generic link to share, others can participate and/or win something.
Probably not great but for a $99 Stihl definitely worth a crack
Cheers OP. Grabbed the line trimmer instead. Hard to go wrong for 99 clams
Integrated battery, hold my beer!!!
Here's a link to 3 items I found on the same sale.
https://shop.stihl.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=Ai-line&_g…
Any good for manscaping?
Integrated battery….