Stihl FSA-57 String Trimmer & BGA-57 Leaf Blower 1-year Review

I've owned at least half a dozen gas leaf blowers and string trimmers over the years and I'll never buy another gas powered tool again.

[@bltefft]

i'll be getting an Stihl FSA 57 Cordless String Trimmer tomorrow at my local Ace Hardware store. I'll be appying a zip tie like you did to modify the 3-way safety on it. I already have the Stihl electric chainsaw with an AK 20 battery.

[@antonoat]

Great review, thank you. You have a stunning garden👏👍

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks and Thanks! I'm still enjoying the Stihl trimmer and blower, worth every penny!

[@daryllmroberts7958]

ordered one on 12-8,,still waitin,,,have 3-2strokers,,and a ryobi 18 volt,,so i am all set with blowers,,love the stihl products,,,nice yard sir

[@paulcox4774]

Excellent review. Thanks for the pros and cons!

[@Koolbob2]

My pleasure!

[@iMiik]

very informative, would've liked to see in action. nice yard.

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know the video was helpful. I didn't think of it at the time, but you are correct, a brief demo would be just the thing. I'll keep that in mind as I make new videos, thanks!

[@naterod4515]

Waiting until thanksgiving to try and catch essentially the same setup you have. Great review.
Can you tell me how you locked the forward push safety?

[@Koolbob2]

I hated to spend so much money on a string trimmer and leaf blower, but it was worth every penny! No more mixing gas and oil, or worse yet thinking I was going to get some yard work done, only to go back in the house 30-minutes later, reeking of gas and dripping in sweat because I couldn't get something to run. The dual switches do seem like overkill though, so I put a zip tie around the thumb switch on the blower to keep it engaged. The string trimmer was a bit more tricky, for it I pushed the thumb trigger forward and wedged in a piece of scrap plastic and used a zip tie to hold the plastic in place. I've experienced zero problems with both tools!

[@naterod4515]

@@Koolbob2 nice workaround.
Yea I did see they released the FSA 60R but I can’t find it anywhere in my local area for sale. It actually has the variable speed trigger you want and a slightly longer cutting width.

[@Koolbob2]

@@naterod4515 Good to know! I actually don't mind the on/off switch on the string trimmer since it works best at high RPM. I'd love a variable speed trigger on the blower though. I have pine straw in all of my flower beds and sometimes when I try to blow leaves out of the flower beds the pine straw lifts and blows along with the leaves. Being able to ramp up the blower force just enough to move the leaves would be handy.

[@pacificformula]

Is the guard removable?

[@pcl1717]

Yes, it is attached with 2 HEX screws on the bottom. The blade to cut the string is on the guard, so when bumping to release more string, there will be nothing there to cut the string.