Stihl kicked off its Fully Charged Roadshow last week to showcase its range of cordless tools for professional users.

The commercial solutions team is travelling up and down the UK, starting in Leeds last Monday, with its fourth show taking place today at Westonbirt Arboretum, and its final show – there are 10 in total – being held at Writtle College in Chelmsford on 19 October.

The series of events are giving users a chance to try out the AP battery-powered tool system for themselves and see some of the new kit from Stihl.

“More and more professional users are moving towards battery technology, so this national event allows us to not only highlight Stihl’s extensive range of professional tools and how they can meet the requirements of the most demanding applications, but also provide our network of approved dealers with the opportunity to grow their cordless business amongst customers,” says Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at Stihl GB.

Here are the key things we learnt from its inaugural event at York Gate Garden in Leeds:

1 Stihl is committed to manufacturing battery power products for professional users

At its new Brand World headquarters in Germany last month, Stihl announced that it is aiming to grow its battery range to make up 80% of its offering by 2035, and an entire roadshow across the UK emphasises its commitment. Its dedicated commercial solutions team told visitors: “We aim to be the market leader in battery products for the professional user, whilst maintaining our position as the market leader in petrol tools.” It won’t just be a wide range of products that it will be using to tempt professional users, but also support for technical services, product training, learning and development opportunities.

2 And it has already made impressive strides to match petrol power

Sometimes the only way to believe that battery tools can rival their petrol equivalents is to get out and use them, and that’s what the Fully Charged Roadshow is welcoming. It’s not just the power of these cordless tools that’s impressive but hearing the difference in noise levels between these and their petrol alternatives (spoiler alert: battery is far easier on the ears). There are also now more than just a few tokenistic tools available; there are over 30 tools in the AP system range, three-slot in batteries, two backpack batteries and multiple charging solutions – with “continuous expansion plans.” They offer constant power up to the last cut too through a clever battery system that ensures its 36V battery, for instance, is always producing 3000W of power, even when only 10% charged.

3 Battery power lowers costs – considerably

The initial outlay is admittedly higher, but the running cost are hard to argue against. Its AP 300S battery costs around 9p for a single charge, so 500 battery charges works out at around £45. Petrol, on the hand, would cost around £600 for the same usage.

4 Stihl Connected could reduce tool downtime

The ‘smart connectors’ are attached to each tool and transmit data via the cloud to the Stihl Connected portal and app. They send information such as servicing prompts, machine usage, battery life and tool location, making it easier to manage a fleet. Available in a pack of 10 or as a single unit, these connectors also extend the warranty of a new tool by one year.

5 To support its growing range, Stihl’s charging solutions are getting a boost too

There are options for charging multiple batteries at once, fast charging a single battery, or even a portable power station (the PS 3000) that has a 3.7kW output. There’s also the Asecos Ion-Line, a shelving unit for charging a series of batteries, and the Armorguard Powerstor. For vans, Stihl has partnered with Bott to create solutions for charging on the go.

6 Recycling is on Stihl’s battery agenda

It’s all well and good talking about the environmental benefits of battery power – the lack of emissions for one – but these are arguably diminished if the dead batteries start to pile up in landfill. So, Stihl offers a battery collection service, or users can return the battery to a Stihl dealership. It has a partnership with the European Recycling Platform (ERP) to help it minimise the amount of waste being sent to landfill or being incinerated.

Don’t just take our word for it, though. Attend one of the remaining shows to see for yourself the advancement of battery power kit and how Stihl is hoping to lead the charge.