What is the Stiga 500 Series?
One 48V battery fits all in this series, which has a range of tools for lawn and garden care. The battery, charger and each tool has to be purchased separately with this system, which does add to the cost but the batteries are larger, more powerful and last longer than many of the others we tested.
A grass trimmer, leaf blower, hedge cutter, brushcutter and five lawn mowers are currently available. The mowers include Combi mowers that collect, mulch or discharge clippings and come in a range of cutting widths from 41cm to 53cm. A dedicated mulching mower is also available in the range.
Is there a range of batteries available in the Stiga 500 Series?
The 48V batteries come in three sizes – 2.0 Ah, 4.0 Ah and 5.0 Ah and have LED displays to indicate how much charge is left. Three chargers are also available – a standard, dual and fast charger and each has indicator lights to show when batteries are charging and fully charged.
We tested the SHT 500 AE Cordless hedge trimmer, the SGT 500 AE Cordless grass trimmer and the SAB 500 AE Cordless blower. All the tools are easy to use with the battery slotting simply into place and each tool has an easy off and on control panel.
The blower is quiet and extremely powerful with three different speeds and the nozzle comes apart for ease of storage.
The hedge trimmer cuts even thicker, woody growth well and has a rotating head which locks easily into five different positions for vertical, horizontal and angled cutting, although we only ever used three. The large battery made this tool heavy for some testers.
The grass trimmer needs to be assembled before use but this is easy, requiring just a screwdriver and it cuts quickly and efficiently with its wide cutting head. The shaft is telescopic and the handle adjusts for the perfect cutting position. The head also rotates and has a wheel for edging, which it does effortlessly.
Who is the Stiga 500 Series most useful for?
At the higher end of the price range these tools are for busy, committed gardeners and those with large gardens. They perform all jobs well but the large battery does mean they are heavy for older or less able gardeners.
Is the Stiga 500 Series good value for money?
Having to buy all components separately pushed this series up the price scale –the grass trimmer is the £99.00, the blower and hedge cutter £109.00, plus the cost of the battery (£59.99 for the 2.5Ah) and charger (£34.99 for the compact charger).
However, they have been built to last and all perform at an almost professional level. Given their quality and performance they are good value, but for the home gardener who might not need this level of performance they are expensive.
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