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Comparison STIHL FSA 57 vs STIHL FSA 56 Set

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STIHL FSA 57
STIHL FSA 56 Set
STIHL FSA 57STIHL FSA 56 Set
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Typetrimmertrimmer
Motor typeelectric (battery)electric (battery)
Mowing
Cutting width28 cm28 cm
Cutting systemrotaryrotary
Trimmer design
Motor locationbottombottom
Handle typeloop-shaped (D-shaped)loop-shaped (D-shaped)
More features
bracket
bracket
In box
Nozzles
2-tooth blade /plastic/
spool of line
 
spool of line
Battery
Battery in setno1
Battery platformSTIHL AK-SystemSTIHL AK-System
Battery voltage36 V36 V
Capacity1.4 Ah
Compatible batteriesAK 10, AK 20, AK 30AK 10, AK 20, AK 30
Operating time25 min
General
Deck materialplasticplastic
Noise level89 dB72 dB
Weight
2.4 kg /weight without battery and cutter/
2.5 kg
Added to E-Catalognovember 2021april 2019

Nozzles

- Bladed knife. A knife in the form of a pair of blades, rotating around a vertical axis in the manner of a propeller blade. Two blades are the most popular, almost standard option for rotary lawn mowers (see "Cutting System"). Note that in the case of trimmers, the use of a knife allows you to achieve higher productivity and better cope with thick grass than using a line reel. On the other hand, blades do not tolerate contact with stones and other hard objects very well; in case of such troubles, various tricks can be provided (for example, an automatic engine brake).

- Spindle knife. Nozzles used in spindle-type lawn mowers. For more information about such units, see "Cutting system", here we recall that spindle knives are inferior to bladed ones in terms of performance and efficiency in thick grass, however, they provide a "cleaner" cut, which allows you to give the lawn the most accurate appearance. So this option is well suited for regular cutting of relatively sparse, well-groomed vegetation.

- Reel with fishing line. Most often used in trimmers (see "Type"). According to the general principle of operation, it is similar to a bladed knife (see above), however, in this case, the working tool is not blades, but pieces of thick fishing line rotating at high speed. The main advantage of the fishing line over a bladed knife is its almost complete insens...itivity to collisions with stones and other solid objects: such a “blade” will only bend from impact and literally immediately straighten due to centrifugal force. True, such nozzles cope with thick stems somewhat worse, but in practice it all depends on the thickness of the fishing line (see above) and the speed of its rotation.

- Cultivator. Nozzle designed to loosen the soil. Outwardly, it is a set of gears mounted on a horizontal axis with teeth of a specific bent shape. Due to the rotation of these wheels, loosening is carried out. Combisystems are mainly equipped with such nozzles (see "Type"). At the same time, the width of the cultivator is usually small, it is poorly suited for full-fledged garden work, but it can be useful when processing a small flower bed or several beds.

- Saw blade. Attachment for cutting relatively thick, stiff stems (e.g. bushes or small tree branches). Mounted mainly on trimmers (see "Type"). Outwardly, such a nozzle is very similar to the working element of a circular saw: it uses a rotating rim with characteristic teeth along the edges. The rim may have holes - to reduce weight.

- Scissor mower. In this case, it means a special attachment, most often used in mowers (see "Type"). Such a nozzle has the form of a characteristic horizontal "comb" with two rows of teeth moving relative to each other. Its design is described in more detail in the “Cutting system - Scissor” section, here we note that hay trimmers are indispensable when working with dense vegetation and thick stems, they easily cope with thickets that are “too tough” for other attachments.

- Without nozzles. The absence of any nozzles in the regular configuration of the lawn mower. It is assumed that the customer will purchase them separately for specific needs.

Battery in set

Features of the battery-powered lawn mower (see "Engine type"). Most modern models of this type are initially equipped with one battery, but there are exceptions. They are indicated in this case, the options can be as follows:

- Without battery. This option is intended primarily for tech who do not want to rely on the choice of the manufacturer and would like to choose a lawn mower battery of their own choice. Theoretically, this may be associated with additional troubles, however, in practice, batteries are often sold literally "next to" the tools - on the nearest rack or in the next section of the online store. In addition, many brands make batteries universal - for example, a battery from a drill can be put in an electric trimmer. So such equipment will also come in handy for tech who already have a cordless tool on the farm - the main thing is to clarify compatibility before buying.

— 2 pieces in a set. Includes two replaceable batteries. The most obvious advantage of this configuration is the increased battery life: when the charge is exhausted, it is enough to change the dead battery for a fresh one. However, in addition to this, this option provides other advantages. So, it allows you to reduce interruptions for charging: one of the batteries can be charged at a time when the second is used for work. In addition, even if one battery fails, the s...econd will remain operational; and the probability of simultaneous failure of both batteries is extremely low (and definitely lower than that of a single battery). On the other hand, you will have to pay extra for a second power source - although often its cost is less than if a spare battery was purchased separately.

Capacity

Nominal capacity of the battery, nominally installed in the unit of the corresponding design (see "Engine type").

In general, the higher this indicator, the more energy the battery can store and the longer it can power the electric motor. At the same time, we recall that the actual battery life of the lawn mower will depend not only on the characteristics of the battery, but also on the power consumption of the unit — and this, in turn, is determined by the engine power, nozzle type, operating mode, grass density, etc. In addition , capacity is usually specified in ampere-hours; and the features of these units of measurement are such that only batteries with the same nominal voltage can be compared by them (see above).

Thus, the battery capacity when choosing is more of a reference and advertising parameter than practically significant, and only models with similar performance characteristics can be compared by it. To assess the actual battery life, it is better to pay attention to the operating time directly stated in the characteristics (see below).

Operating time

The operating time of a battery-powered device (see "Motor type") on a single battery charge.

This indicator allows, to a certain extent, to assess the battery life of the unit. However note that the characteristics usually indicate the operating time under certain conditions, usually very favorable: low load on the nozzle, low and constant engine speed, etc. Therefore, in fact, battery life may differ from the claimed one — usually in a smaller direction, but vice versa is also possible. Nevertheless, according to the claimed operating time, it is quite possible to compare different models of cordless tools: the difference in official characteristics usually corresponds to the difference in actual battery life.

Noise level

The level of noise produced by the device during operation. Usually, a certain average indicator is indicated in the characteristics — in the standard mode of operation; however, the actual values usually do not differ much from the claimed ones.

The lower the noise level, the more convenient the unit to use and the less tired the operator. In the case of lawn mowers, this is especially true, since such equipment is quite noisy — even the quietest models (some robots) give out about 47 – 48 dB, which is comparable to talking at an average volume. Note that the decibel is a non-linear quantity, and it is easiest to evaluate the actual loudness using comparative tables. Here is the simplest table for the values found in modern lawn mowers:

— 60 – 65 dB — talking in raised tones at a distance of about 1 m;
70 dB — loud conversation of several people at the same distance;
75 dB — loud laughter at a distance of 1 m;
80 dB — motorcycle engine, medium power vacuum cleaner.
90 dB — loud screams, freight car at a distance of 7 – 10 m;
100 dB — a subway train or a loud car signal at a distance of 5 – 7 m, an industrial workshop;
110 dB — tractor engine at a distance of about 1 m.

In addition to subjective sensations, there are specific sanitary standards that limit the impact of strong noise. So, according to European standards, noise of 85 dB is allowed to be heard without protective equipment for 8 hours, 91 dB — 2 hours, 97...dB — half an hour, and 103 dB — only 7 minutes. So when choosing a unit, you should take into account the duration of work with it — with high noise, you may need protective headphones.
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