I recently had the opportunity to test a variety of Stihl battery-powered lawn and landscape tools, including the new Stihl FSA 60 R string trimmer.

We are continuing to test—and have two Toro string trimmers and a Stihl that are in the early phases of testing. These include the 16-Inch 51837, the 17-Inch Toro 51838, and the Stihl FSA200R.

“Brands like Stihl, Husqvarna, Black and Decker and Greenworks are known for producing reliable string trimmers across various price ranges.” ...

Shopping for a string trimmer? Read about types, features, and other must-know topics in our string trimmer buying guide to make an informed choice.

The Stihl FSA 56 is part of the String Trimmers test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, String Trimmers models like the FSA 56 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Another well-reviewed battery-powered trimmer from the brand is the Husqvarna 330iKL, which tops the list of "best string trimmers of 2025" put together by Popular Mechanics.

Jeff Taylor, manager of product services at STIHL, said, “For first-time string trimmer buyers, it is important to consider a few key factors before making a recommendation.” Taylor would first assess ...

FSE stands for Freischneider Elektrisch, literally line trimmer electric in English. Other letters are often tagged onto the end of Stihl string trimmer model numbers, such as E, M, R, C, and X.