Stihl GTA 26

[Steve Bullman]

On 19/03/2025 at 07:28, 5thelement said:

The Stihl Gta40 is my new favourite toy.
I have been using it constantly on re-pollards, tight crowned reductions and fruit tree pruning. 
The best part of it is the light weight combined with the narrow profile as it hangs on the harness, the small batteries provide a very well balanced machine.

Although it is intended to be used with both hands like any other top handle saw, it is really good for reaching out and cutting one handed. 
The only negatives I have found are the low chain spread doesn’t deliver as neat a finishing cut as my Echo 2511 and it tends to judder a little when using the pushing chain to cut.

It’s purely a light pruning tool, if I want power I have petrol saws.

I would have loved a pair of those battery secateurs years ago for Lime pollards and epicormic. Secateurs were always my go-to tool for such a job, but a day of it can be quite fatiguing.

[5thelement]

6 hours ago, Steve Bullman said:

I would have loved a pair of those battery secateurs years ago for Lime pollards and epicormic. Secateurs were always my go-to tool for such a job, but a day of it can be quite fatiguing.

I took care of some trees in a small orchard yesterday. 
Mostly using a silky and the powered secateurs, one battery lasted all day and I have 5 spare. 
Used the Felco’s for 10 minutes and could already notice the hand fatigue kicking in. 

[green heart]

On 20/03/2025 at 09:24, Stere said:

 

So whats the advantage of theese gun grip style things over the smaller battery toppers like the battery echo for example?

 

 

 

Yes, the GTA40/M18 are much the same weight, but physically smaller/less clunky on the harness and in the hand ?

They excell in lighter pruning work, particularly the ergonomic GTA26 and DUC150, (though with a lower torque/speed).

Also they are cheaper, and there's a whole load of other tools that can use the same batteries, obviously..

You're welcome to try mine out, but I'm in Ches/Manchester .

[5thelement]

9 hours ago, green heart said:

 

Yes, the GTA40/M18 are much the same weight, but physically smaller/less clunky on the harness and in the hand ?

They excell in lighter pruning work, particularly the ergonomic GTA26 and DUC150, (though with a lower torque/speed).

Also they are cheaper, and there's a whole load of other tools that can use the same batteries, obviously..

You're welcome to try mine out, but I'm in Ches/Manchester .

This, and the echo batteries are apparently wank, especially in cold weather.