Stihl HS 45

I bought a new stihlhs45 24" 28th June 25 brought it home and it will not start. It was started in the shop for 20sec put in my car and will not star since I return home. Show details

Don't make the like they used to – I bought a new HS45-Z600 Stihl hedge trimmer to replace the one that has given me 18 years of excellent service. The new one (Made in China) is absolute rubbish. It's hard to start, won't rev and can't be adjusted satisfactorily by the dealer (had it back five times before I asked for it to be repaired under warranty). The dealer has now had it… Read more

for 10 days and are still waiting for Stihl to approve any repairs. In the interim, no offer of a loan product and the hedge continues to grow out of hand. Unfortunately, it looks like this one will become a matter for the Department of Fair Trading.

So hard to start I put off using it - now ditching it – I thought I was buying quality when I bought this machine about 3 years ago as I have a Stihl edger and blower and have been very satisfied with them for many many years. However, I deeply regret buying the HS H45. Starting it is the issue as others have pointed out. It's been that way from day one. I use good fuel and follow the starting… Read more

instructions meticulously - but no start after many attempts. Once it starts (if it does) it works well, though it has received very little use - no complaints there. But starting it is so problematic I put off using it knowing the frustration it will cause. I could take it to where I bought it and they will no doubt start it and make me feel an idiot. But these tools are meant to be used by ordinary people at home; surely Stihl coiuld design a machine which starts much more readily (as indeed my edger and blower do). I'm now ditching it and buying a battery hedge trimmer. No more Stihl stuff for me.

Most worthless piece of outdoor power equipment I have purchased in 31 years – Difficult to start if starts at all. 45 minutes at best!!! Show details

Its ok - – Did some research and even borrowed a friends older HS45 before purchasing a new HS45. Thought to buy used but not much more for new - with warranty I thought. Ran ok a few times then would cut out/die at mid throttle, I thought, its under warranty, I won't fix myself, I'll take it back to the dealer - Right...."what fuel ya using?" Now, there is… Read more

NO correct answer here, whatever octane fuel you say, 91, 95 or 98 it WILL be wrong, even though the manual says minimum 91, "nah mate these need (insert 91, 95 or 98 here depending on what you said you used) to run coz of the....ignition system"....total crap. BTW I use 50:1 Penrite and 95 octane, but no, only 91 apparently "coz they run too hot with 95 mate" hmm, opposite to how I understand octane. Stihl have "outsourced" any warranty issues to the dealers, who will belittle and frustrate you and tell you "that's how they all are" and "why ya using it at part throttle, only idle and full throttle" you will have no warranty, any and all issues are due to the user. Stihl have a 1-2 warranty, once you buy it its too late! I email Stihl and said i want my money back as per consumer law - the tool is not fit for purpose if it won't run at part throttle, absolutely NO response from Stihl Australia, and its a waste of my time going back to any dealers, the last dealer had it for 3 weeks, and when I went to pick it up, they had not done anything, same issue, I could hear them start it in the workshop and it was cutting out the same. Although it looked like it had been kicked around on the floor, it is now all scratched and scuffed on the engine cover, thanks for that. I don't like to say this, but you would be better buying from a big chain hardware store, you won't get any grief if your not happy, you'll get a replacement or money back - no hassle. So my HS45 kinda works, its hard to start sometimes, will cutout mid throttle, cuts out when idling, but cuts WHEN its running, I'll have to void the warranty and pull it apart myself. I have 3 Stihl chainsaws, an 034 (27 years old), a farm boss and a miniboss, a cheapy "Daves mowers" honda multi-tool (8 years and going great) all heavily used and all work great, the HS45, is just ok. Maybe I just have a lemon, others give good reviews for the HS45, but mine is only ok and I'm not wasting any more time with "Stihl" dealers. ###update, read on another site to replace the carby - on new product? - out of frustration i purchased a cheap rebuild kit from ebay, has a carby, air filter, spark plug, fuel lines, gaskets, spare fuel bowls, $25 delivered. The HS45 now runs as it should, starts easy, no bogging/stalling mid throttle, the Sthil carby is rubbish.

I'm a Contractor – I have been buying these HS45's for 10 years without complaint because they are cheap and do the small hedges I have on the book well. I have never had a problem until I ran one on old 91 octane fuel. It produced a gum in the tank that I was eventually able to flush out, but beware!!! Only run small engines on 95 or 98, and NEVER on ethanol… Read more

fuel.. Ethanol will kill them outright and 91 is rubbish fuel full of contaminants.

To read the many negative reviews here where the hedger failed after an hours' operation, if they are true reviews... makes me think they used a dodgy fuel. In today's world people are not used to thinking for themselves and just assume because a servo sells 91 and ethanol fuel that it must be good for all uses. Go and ask at a servo, I did. They will produce a pamphlet from under the counter warning you what not to use cheap fuel in.

Good no frills trimmer – After returning a Ryobi Easy Start petrol trimmer to Bunnings because it wouldn't restart after its initial short run and the Bunnings staff couldn't care less, it was a relief to cross the road to the Stihl shop where the owner filled the tank of an HS 45 600 trimmer with fuel and on the second pull of the cord it sprang into life. This was… Read more

repeated several times before I was convinced to buy and has continued in the months of use since I have owned it. On the one time I got the Ryobi to operate it was quieter than the Stihl, appeared to have more torque at lower speeds and has a greater cutting capacity of 32mm vs the Stihl 18mm while the engine capacity is the same. However, it it won't start it won't do anything and is useless. At $349 the Stihl was face value dearer than the Ryobi ($299) but then when you add the Ryobi Easy Start device ($79) and the battery and charger for the Easy Start ($139) you are looking at over $500. I would not use the Stihl on neglected, woody hedges but its fine and reliable for regular use. Recommended.

Good machine – Brought Stihl HS45-600 Petrol Hedge Trimmer Works perfect if you know how to work it I looked on YouTube and starts work and cuts good Nice machine and happy with it 5 stars from me Show details

The best hedge trimmer for it size – I am using the hs45 for 3 years starts on first some days I use 3 to 4 tanks of fuel couple of hours with no problem any machine if you look good after it will last longer an no problems at all Same with this Stihl hs 45 I will never change on different brand Stihl is Stihl n.1 Show details

AVOID. No better than the throw away crap Bunnings sell – Does a great job for the first few hours but then what should be a minor tune up requires a $250 carby replacement. No better than the throw away crap Bunnings sell at a third of the price and with 3 year warranty. Show details

hard to start – I own several garden machinery items and recently purchased a Stihl H545-600mm hedge trimmer. It's a shocker to start and I'm sorry I purchased it as I tossed up between this and a Husqvarna, which was more expensive. It's ok when it get going, it's disappointing to say the least. Show details

Excellent hedger – We use this in a council run gardens..gets a lot of use . Runs well, economical, gets the job done. Easily as good as the echo hedgers.comfortable to hold. No vibration

Good machine - if you can get it to run – Bought it after having used Stihl chainsaws and brush cutters for years without any dramas. Very disappointed with difficulty in starting it - should be a piece of cake for such a small motor. Nothing worse than getting all tooled up to trim the garden and the thing won't start, or starts and then stops, or won't start after a fuel refill. Dealer… Read more

told me it was because the fuel gums up the carby if it is not used for a while, but the brush cutter starts easily after the same period. Once it's going, it does the job fine - plenty of power.

Avoid – Absolute lemon. I've always brought Stihl, but this and my last chainsaw are shockers.Avoid the blisters and locking up of the blades on a tinny hedge. Not like the old Stihl products ! New gas mixture as the dealership recommended didn't make a difference. It will eventually run and work for 5min then it's all over.  Show details

Stihl HS 45 600 – Have used the HS 45-600 commercially, without any issues. Don't forget to lubricate the blades with WD-40 before and after use. If you have the extra money or need something with less vibration output then look at the HS46 which offers significantly lower vibration. Available in two blade lengths; 45cm/18" or 60cm/24".  Show details

Typically Chinese – Delivered this morning. Started and ran for around about five seconds. Refused determinedly ever to start again. 288 Euros out of pocket. Faced with the hassle (and expense) of disposing of this junk. Back to the hand clippers and a very long metre by metre slog. When will the West ever learn?  Show details

Excellent product – I have been using this for a few months now cutting hedges around my property. This hedger is well build, easy to start and use. I would recommend keeping the hedger clean after using and lubricant the cutting blade to keep the hedger in good condition. Stihl offer a good warranty and support  Show details

poor longevity – Only did a couple of hours work with this 45 model and it needed a complete rebuild at a cost of $450 dollars. The agent did not tell me that that was the likely repair bill . Stihl must have very dodgy design flaws for this to happen and I would not recommend any Stilh product. Please look elsewhere or you will be sorry! They are just not capable engineers  Show details

HS45 2stroke motorised hedge trimmer – Hi! Max again from New Pkymouth NZ ! Have above Stihl hedge trimmer I use to trim tops of hedges, shape shrubs and olive trees cut back (prune) roses and trim 25 Feijoa trees along one boundary fence. Starts every time no problems. Regularly clean out exhaust spark filters in all my 2 stroke garden power tools now ! Is a common problem to… Read more

performance and power of any 2 stroke power tool regardless of brand. The trimmer is heavy due to its internal metal parts and the motor as a combined weight. Being 70 years old doesn't help either! Despite that it cuts hedges and shrubs up to 30 mm approx. diameter. Doesn't like chicken wire or No8 fence wire hidden in hedges tho! Have to file burrs off cutting edges every time I use it! Use a slim oil stone to finish off . I use moreys oil stabiliser on the arm and blade to make sure it stays lubed in use. I remove the gear box base plate once a year and check the oscillating gears are well greased. Did this from New and it ran quieter than on new start up. Not much grease in there when new. Other than that no problems at all . Like all two strokes have to have clean fuel and correct mix. All mine are 50:1 using super two stroke oil . Great machine. I sharpen the blades with a flat file.

Replace scabbard after use every time. Quality Stihl product performing as it should.

This is Perfect for My Needs – The model I bought is the HS45-7 with a 600mm blade and I bought it over 2 years ago. To view the product on Stihl's web site go to [weblink removed]. I use it around the house where I need to keep several hedging plants trimmed regularly and I have to keep a 'Morea' bush under control. I did have a Bosch electric hedge trimmer with a 45 cm blade… Read more

before this and it did a great job but the blade was too short for my needs and I tired of dragging an extension cord around (and I cut through it once!). The Stihl is very powerful and cuts through green twigs etc to a diameter of 10mm comfortably. Two things about the Stihl - it is noisy so ear protection is essential, and secondly it's a good idea to clean the blades after every use and lubricate them with WD40 or garden grease - my Stihl agent says that if they are not kept clean and lubricated they can rust together and jam as he has had to repair some. I am very happy with this product and I'm glad I bought the 600mm blade version. Highly recommended.

Reliable Hedge Trimmer – I love my Stihl HS 45, it’s reliable and easy to use. I got a few Stihl tools, had some > 5 years, no issues with any of them. I always wait until a special to save a few bucks, the shops don’t seem to discount further (or I can’t negotiate well enough!). The best I’ve managed is oil thrown in. Pros • Value for money • Reliable – has never… Read more

missed a beat. I need to give mine 3 pulls to start from cold normally, but it always starts

• Easy to use

• More powerful than an electric and don’t have to wait for charge and keep additional chargers etc. I’ve got 2 a few stroke yard tools so always have 50:1 ready to go.

• Better than a Bunnings or ebay one in terms of build quality, componentry used but still reasonably priced for a family budget.

Cons

• Uses loads of fuel – I’ve been through a whole tank on 4 hedges!

• A bit heavy – especially compared to electric models.

My first Stihl and probably the last – Bought this hedge trimmer about 2 years ago from a local shop in Oak Flats. Got it at a time that Stihl was offering a rebate on them ($60 or $100, can't remember) so thought I would give it a go as Stihl has such a good name in chain saws. Convinced them to throw in a bottle of 2 stroke oil too so don't feel ripped off but I do think that this… Read more

hedge trimmer is nothing special. For such a small engine it is not a quick starter, not super hard but takes a couple of pulls. Certainly nothing like a Tanaka which starts first pull every time. It has a painfully low fuel capacity - will not even last an hour of flat out trimming. And the thing will often stall at idle. At first I thought it needed a service (after a year of pretty intermittent use), but even after the service will do the same thing.

Have had that problem with cheap crap but never with another name brand thing like Tanaka or Honda. I will say it does a great job of trimming and has a nice long reach to it. Also it has a very high quality feel, for example the fuel cap is almost a bakelite plastic which has a great weight to it (a little thing I know but nice). So all in all it does the job (except when it stalls) but I think it is over-rated. It would really annoy me if it had these drawbacks and was a tool I use all the time like a whipper snipper or a chain saw (seasonally). So given I had high hopes you can say I was pretty disappointed. I would probably recommend a Tanaka instead, no I am not a Tanaka rep but if my Tanaka whipper snipper was a woman I would marry it.

Excellent – This is a reasonably compact hedge trimmer, perfect for trimming all our shrubs. It starts first time every time. We also have a Stihl brushcutter, and were confident a Stihl hedge trimmer would be worth the money, and we were right. It makes light work of an otherwise tedious job. Reliable, easy to use, not too heavy Can't think of any

Care to be gassed while hedging??? – I use one of these nearly every week, and I have to say for what it is structurally sound it has to be one of the worst tools of the trade I've used in regards to human design ever! It is hard to start and jumps around, you have to put it on the ground and this can cause issues with dirt getting into the blades. The safety mechanism is a good… Read more ·  2

idea but starting it single handed while off the ground makes you feel like your going to loose your inch worm somehow!!

This trimmer is a fish, and that it drinks like a bloody big fish! One tank will last you about 15 mins of hedging, and while doing that you will literally gas yourself with the exhaust! It has to be the worst design, where it vents into the hedge and then you get flogged with it as you walk behind it.

Otherwise it's a hard worker in the stable of tools that we use, with it doing hundred's of meters of hedging a week and that's done every week of the year! Well made and hard working, blades stay sharp, easy to fill, easy to disassemble. Exhaust port is terrible in its location! Noisy and dangerous to start single handed...

Stihl HS45 Hedge trimmer – I find this machine easy to start and operate. It runs smoothly and is economical on fuel. It has great cutting capacity and cuts through the branches like butter.Great value at $450 for a machine with a 600mm cutting bar length.I would recommend the Stihl HS45 to anyone.Great product from Stihl Great value, fast and easy to use.

Entry level trimmer – STIHL does not have any product customer service in australia. All numbers by phone are to authorized dealers. Most of them just wanna sell u something and don't wanna know you after attitude Its actually hard to start in comparison to other STIHL products ...especially their new EASy2START models. its also really loud compared to the… Read more

other 0.75KW motors in STIHL range.

and my main problem is that its difficult to start, its harsh on your arms with the pull...(doesn't feel smooth when cranking... Very lumpy feeling)

and chuggs a bit at the start and likes to stall until it warms up. but when its running for a while and warmed up...there's no problem.

I wishhhhhh the exhaust pipe was pointing to the front corner away from the user.

Instead (for right hand user) iit points to my right leg when holding it downwards to trip the side hedges.... Leaving my clothes smelling revolting like oil and fuel. ...This is a deinate let sown

I kinda regret buying this model, you know the feeling of just wondering if you should've spent an extra 100 -200$ on the next model up? That's how I feel Decent price, light weight & aesthetically pleasing. Drinks juice, hard to start, loud, bad positioning of the exhaust pipe, no product support & runs poorly when cold

A good trimmer for thicker branches – I prune hedges & trim trees for a living & I've had my HS45 since 2002; it's easy to start & is a strong runner. The anti vibration has never been too great on it though. Anyone who prunes hedges daily will tell you that no hedge trimmer can do it all & this unit is no exception! It fails miserably on fine hedges such as conifer & diosma because… Read more

it has single sided blades. However, it will cut through the heavier going with ease! It's nice & light & almost bullet proof. Very strong unit, especially the engine. Great for cutting up prunings to fit more into the trailer. It's a loud unit, louder than any of my other trimmers. Also, the position of the exhaust means that you end up breathing 2 stroke exhaust.