Jimmy Miller
Whether it was the battery-powered handhelds or the electric mowers, Stihl’s recent Ride + Drive offered up plenty to the attendees at their headquarters in Virginia Beach.
The Ride & Drive event ultimately featured 21 products. Lawn & Landscape flew to Stihl’s German headquarters last fall to sneak preview some of the products headed to the American market. Several of those products were on display again at the Ride + Drive event, like the iMow robotic mowers available this spring for purchase.
“When picturing the future of lawn care, the Stihl iMow Series of robotic mowers continues to set new benchmarks,” says Brian Manke, the product segment manager.
its event at its Virginia Beach
location.
The products previewed in Germany also included the HTA 150 and HTA 160 pole pruners, which offer up to 60 minutes of runtime and are powered by the AP 300 S battery. Stihl product managers say the HTA 160 is comparable to its gas-powered HT 135 pole pruner. It’s equipped with a telescoping shaft and can reach up to 13 feet high while pruning. Both pole pruners offer a variable speed throttle trigger, which helps operators extend runtime and get more precise control.
“Providing our professionals with the most powerful tools in the market is something we continue to strive for,” says John Allen, a product manager. “The HTA 150 and HTA 160 pack plenty of power for the pro to effortlessly make a precision cut time and time again.”
That lineup Lawn & Landscape previewed in Germany didn’t include the RMA 765 V, a battery-powered mower with a 25-inch cutting deck and brushless motor. It’s Stihl’s most powerful push mower using the AP battery system, offering up to 33,368 square feet of mowed land on one full charge. The mower runs best on Stihl’s AR 3000 L battery, and it offers an eco mode to conserve battery.
The RMA 765 V also features a mono-handlebar, which gives operators easy access to the 21-gallon grass bag. The handle adjusts to three different heights and can be folded for storage. The mower blades can run up to 3,300 rotations per minute at a sound level of 92.2 decibels.
The RMA 765 V will be available later this year with an MSRP of $2,299.99.
Stihl also showed its new MSA 300 C-O chainsaw, which the company says is the most powerful battery-powered chainsaw in its lineup. Weighing in at 14.1 pounds with the AP 500 S battery, the saw runs for 20-44 minutes with a maximum chain speed of 98 feet per second.
The MSA 300 also offers a rubberized soft-touch handle for operator comfort, plus a side-access chain tensioner and the Stihl Quickstop chain brake system. The chainsaw has an MSRP ranging from $799.99 to $819.99, depending on what guide bar the operator purchases.
Meanwhile, Stihl also displayed its RZA 700 Series mowers, which are battery-powered, zero-turn mowers. Stihl debuted these three models – the RZA 748, RZA 752 and RZA 760 – last fall. The machines reach a maximum speed of 16 miles per hour and offer runtimes up to eight hours, which the company estimates can mow around 21 acres.
The series can be charged on a standard 110-volt outlet. The mowers offer cutting decks ranging from 48, 52 and 60 inches in length.
“The Stihl RZA 700 Series battery zero-turn mowers are designed and manufactured for all-day commercial use, with constant power that maintains a quality cut,” Manke says.
Stihl also featured some battery-powered backpack blowers, including the BGA 300.1, which features air speeds up to 192 miles per hour. It also runs on AP and AR batteries, ultimately weighing in at just under 29 pounds. Its run time with the AR 3000 L battery is up to 144 minutes or 61 minutes on the boost setting. That blower hit the market near the end of 2023.
MORE FROM THE EVENT. Attendees also got a look behind the scenes at Stihl’s campus, including a factory tour.
during its event at its
Virginia Beach location.
PR and Business Events Manager Lindsy Hooper told attendees that half of the world’s Stihl products are made in Virginia Beach. Once a bunch of strawberry fields, the Stihl family determined Stihl would make a great location for American production because of its proximity to the Virginia shipping port. It also made sense to pull from the military workforce nearby.
50 years after its incorporation in 1974, Stihl produces over 100 models of products to export to over 75 countries. It has grown its operating space to 1.6 million square feet spread across a 150-acre campus. 4 million products are made in total every year.
Today, Virginia Beach’s plant produces more products by lunchtime than the 50 Stihl employees could generate in a year back when the location was built.
