Stihl GTA 26 Cordless Pruner review: This mini chainsaw makes tidying your garden easier than ever
What is the Stihl GTA 26 garden pruner?
The mini chainsaw (or powered pruner) is still a new concept to many gardeners. Designed to make cutting small branches quick and easy, they are a handy alternative to secateurs or hand saws, chopping up woody garden waste in seconds rather than minutes.
Safety instructions are generally clear and simple to follow, meaning you'll soon be removing dead, diseased and damaged branches in no time. In fact, once you have tried one, you'll likely wonder how you ever coped without the garden tool.
The Stihl GTA 26 garden pruner is the brand's first battery powered pruner, and our Best Buy. It has a high spec for a good price, at £154 for the tool, battery and a charger. Others tested ranged from £105 to £240. A cordless design, it stands out from its competitors (brands like Worx, Bosch and Stiga) for its clear instructions and strong performance. Its small slot-in battery and provided carry case and bottle of oil all make a sensible buy.
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How we test powered garden pruners
The test is hands-on and carried out in my working garden over several days. I trialled it alongside other cordless powered pruners, awarding it the title of Best Buy.
Noting the 4cm cutting capacity, I used the pruner with a full battery, testing it against a five-point metric with the focus on general performance, power and battery life, safety features, design and ease of use. It was trialled on different types of wood and used to prune small branches from shrubs. I also tried it out as part of a DIY woodworking project.
The battery was completely run down and recharged and the chain was tensioned. I did not fit a replacement chain in this trial. To note, Stihl recommends storing the AS System battery with about 40 per cent charge.
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Performance
Score: 10/10
The Stihl GTA 26 cuts up to a 1.57 inch (four centimetres) diameter. It tackled all types of wood that met this diameter with ease, including kindling and small firewood. I was left with a clean cut on branches, and I didn't have to exert any pressure to make the cuts.
Thank to its lightweight and well-balanced design I was able to work easily among other branches and experienced no fatigue when using the tool.
The vibration was minimal too, and while it's advisable to wear ear defenders, it made a relatively low level of noise; the sound pressure level of 77dB was comfortable (measured taking its surroundings into account) and the power level of 86dB (the noise it makes independent of any other factors) was akin to a household fan. Both measures are similar to those produced by a vacuum cleaner or lawn mower.
Power and battery life
Score: 10/10
Once the battery is charged, it slots into a dedicated compartment at the end of the handle. Handily, an LED indicator clearly shows you how much charge is left; two LED green lights mean it's between 40 and 60 per cent charged.
The number of cuts that can be made with one charge depends on many factors: the sharpness of the chain, the type of wood (hard or softwood) and its thickness. On average I found Stihl's claim of 80 cuts per battery charge about right, but on occasion achieved a lot more on softwood. Once, I made an impressive 130 small cuts before the battery ran down. In terms of timings, I had approximately 25 minutes of use per charge, which is more than adequate for the domestic gardener.
Safety features
Score: 10/10
The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The tool is designed to be held with two hands while wearing gardening gloves and safety goggles.
I was impressed with the chain guard which prevents it from kicking back towards the user. It is permanently in place and lifts to a 90-degree angle, so the chain can be cleaned. There is a left- and right-handed safety switch that must be pulled down in conjunction with the trigger, which is a sensible safety addition.
Design
Score: 10/10
At only 1.4kg with the battery in place, this mini chainsaw is one of the lightest models tested, and comfortable to use for as long as its charge lasts. The rubber handle is ergonomic, and the tool is well balanced overall. It's also small, meaning you can manoeuvre around branches with ease and work within dense shrubs.
It comes with a heavy-duty case that is designed for carrying and storing the tool; it unfolds flat and everything is secured inside with elastic straps. Although not tested, other accessories are available including a holster and an extension shaft to turn it into a pole pruner. The galvanised cutting chain is 10cm in length and can be tensioned and replaced without requiring any additional tools.
Ease of use
Score: 9/10
Saw chains expand and contract during use, so checking its tension regularly is a must. It's a simple job; remove the battery and rotate the wing nut on the body twice in an anticlockwise direction. Then pull the guide bar until the drive links on the underside are still visible. If you can pull the chain around the bar, then it is correct.
It is vital to lubricate the chain before use too. Stihl provides a bottle of oil, but while some powered pruners automatically apply it via a mini, internal oil tank, the GTA 26 needs it done by hand before each use. This is why I didn't award it a perfect score for this criteria.
Everything else is similarly straightforward. The battery clicks neatly into its place on the handle and is released by the pinch of two orange buttons. To clean it, I wiped the body with a damp cloth and brushed debris from the chain and electrical parts with a paintbrush. Although tempting to use one-handed, the mini chainsaw is designed for two handed use.
Technical specifications
Another good powered pruner for amateur gardeners is the Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7. It was comfortable to use in testing and efficient, but like the Stihl GTA 26, it requires manually oiling. Here's how the two compare.
Should you buy the Stihl GTA 26 Cordless Garden Pruner?
This handy tool is a pleasure to use and lets gardeners keep on top of most pruning tasks effortlessly. It combines great design with safety and comfort. There are few gardeners who wouldn't appreciate having one in their shed.
Yes if:
You have a collection of trees and shrubs to prune
You are working on a woodworking project
You regularly cut kindling
No if:
Stihl GTA 26 FAQs
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