Review: Stihl Battery Powered Lawnmower

As a grass-cutting novice, I was invited to take the Stihl battery powered lawnmower for a test run.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never used a lawnmower. Our first house had a tiny patch of lawn, so small in fact I’m not sure why we bothered. I was far more interested in plants so cutting the grass fell to my other half.

The current garden has a lot of grass but I’ve never cut it because I can’t get the petrol lawnmower with its rip cord started. Believe me, I have tried.

An electric mower would be one solution, but the grass is too far from a power source. So, I was interested to find out more about the Stihl battery powered lawnmower.

I was sent the Stihl battery powered lawnmower to test in return for a fair review.

Deciding that I wasn’t expert enough to fully judge how good it was – as I had nothing to compare it to – I called in a friend who’s a professional gardener. Michelle works for a local landscaping and gardening company with part of her work involving garden maintenance. She also has grass paths on her allotment and was considering getting a battery powered machine instead of using a strimmer.

First impressions were good. The lawnmower was easy to wheel out of the garage, even over our gravel drive.

It’s light and straightforward to manoeuvre but still robust, something which surprised Michelle: “It’s got a bit of weight to it.”

The push button start is oh so easy and the mower runs smoothly albeit it at quite a pace, thanks to its self-propulsion. There’s only one speed and it’s fairly quick. However, you can push the mower without the motor, something Michelle felt would be useful for fiddly spaces or going around trees.

We were both impressed with the grass box, which is easy to take on and off thanks to the design of the mower’s handle. The box also holds a lot of clippings before needing emptying and there’s an indicator to show when it’s full. If you want a mulching mower, it’s possible to fit a mulching unit but there’s no roller so, if stripes are your thing, it may not be the answer.

The blades have six different levels and are simple to alter. We set it fairly low as this may be the last cut of the season and I want the grass under the old apple tree to be short to properly show off the spring bulbs planted there.

Evidently, the flow-optimised blades help to keep battery use to the minimum, as they blow the grass upright to make it easier to cut and then funnel it into the grass box. The ‘eco mode’ also saves battery power, as adapts the speed to the condition of the grass.

The battery, which is easy to charge, slots into the front and there’s a space for a second battery, if required. The batteries, interchangeable with other Stihl products such as hedge trimmers and strimmers, typically last for 1,200 charges, about 10 years for the average domestic use.

The Stihl battery powered lawnmower is simple to store as the handle folds, allowing it to be stood end-on. The handle can also be adjusted to suit the height of the user while the carrying handles make it straightforward to load onto transport if, like Michelle, you need it for work.

So, the verdict?

“I’m really impressed with it,” commented Michelle. “It’s much better than I thought it would be.”

I was also pleasantly surprised. Who knows? I could be taking on the grass cutting.

I was testing the Stihl RMA 448 TC battery powered lawnmower. It retails at £479, excluding battery and charger. The Stihl AP 300 battery is £190. The Stihl AL 101 battery charger is £35.