Worcester College Tests New Battery System

The nine-person gardens and grounds team at Worcester College, University of Oxford, has been trialling STIHL’s new ALLPRO battery system across its approximately 11-hectare site.

The grounds include sports pitches, formal lawns, topiary and meadows, creating a wide range of requirements for the team led by head of gardens and grounds, Simon Bagnall.

The trial has focused particularly on the system’s charging capabilities. Using the manufacturer’s new AL 1802 MO High-Speed Charger, ALLPRO batteries can be charged to 80% in less than 10 minutes, according to STIHL. The charger can be combined with the company’s PS 2000 Portable Power Supply to provide mobile charging from a van.

Simon says the system has reduced the number of charged batteries the team needs to transport around the site.

“In a team of four, we use about ten batteries in a single working day,” he said. “With the energy from the power station and the fast charger, we can charge six batteries on the go.”

During the trial, the team used a range of ALLPRO-compatible equipment, including the MSA 260 C-O chainsaw, FSA 200 R brushcutter, BRA 600 backpack blower and HSA 140 T hedge trimmer.

The FSA 200 R was used to maintain three meadows, while the BRA 600 was employed for leaf clearance. The MSA 260 C-O was used for tree work, while the HSA 140 T was put to work on a yew hedge.

STIHL says the ALLPRO batteries offer increased capacity over its previous-generation AP system, while the ability to recharge on site can reduce the number of batteries required for a full working day.

Simon concluded, “A real bonus is how quickly the batteries charge, so we can get lots of jobs done without long interruptions, swap the battery quickly and get straight back to work.”