EGO ST1300E vs Stihl FS 55: cordless vs petrol

The EGO ST1300E and Stihl FS 55 sit on opposite sides of the biggest decision in this category: battery or petrol. The ST1300E is a 56V cordless line trimmer built to close the power gap with petrol while staying quiet and fuss-free. The FS 55 is Stihl’s entry point into petrol brush cutting — light, dependable, and backed by a huge dealer and parts network, but tied to 2-stroke fuel and only available through a Stihl dealer. Neither is objectively “better”; they suit different buyers with different priorities around power, noise, running costs, and where they’re willing to shop.

At a glance

Attribute	EGO ST1300E	Stihl FS 55
Power source	56V ARC Lithium battery	27.2 cc 2-stroke petrol
Weight	Mid-weight for a battery trimmer	≈ 5.0 kg — light for petrol
Cutting width	33 cm	Line head, standard width
Blade option	None — line only	Line only out of the box
Noise	Quiet, no exhaust fumes	Typical 2-stroke engine noise
Running cost	Electricity to recharge	Mixed fuel and oil per tank
Where to buy	Widely available online	Stihl dealer only
Battery/fuel included	No — sold bare	N/A (fuel bought separately)

Clear wins: the ST1300E wins on quiet operation, running cost, and online availability; the FS 55 wins on continuous-use stamina, Stihl’s dealer support network, and not depending on a battery at all.

Power and cutting performance

EGO’s 56V ARC Lithium platform is genuinely near the top of what cordless trimmers can do, and the EGO ST1300E shows it, holding cutting speed through longer grass rather than bogging down the way lower-voltage cordless trimmers often do. Stihl’s 27.2 cc engine in the Stihl FS 55 is on the modest end of Stihl’s own petrol range, but a petrol engine’s advantage has never really been peak power on light work — it’s stamina. For an hour or more of continuous cutting, or repeated restarts across a big property, the FS 55’s tank of fuel doesn’t run down the way a battery does, and topping up mid-job is a two-minute job rather than a multi-hour recharge.

Weight and handling

Both machines are on the lighter side of their respective categories. The FS 55 comes in at around 5 kg, which is light for a petrol brush cutter and part of why Stihl positions it as a good first machine for beginners. The ST1300E is a mid-weight cordless trimmer — heavier than the lightest string trimmers but still comfortable for typical garden sessions, with the battery’s weight sitting where the fuel tank would be on a petrol machine. Neither will tire out an average user over a normal lawn-care session; the difference shows up more in engine vibration and starting effort, where the EGO’s electric motor is smoother and starts instantly at the trigger.

Noise, fumes, and running costs

This is the ST1300E’s clearest advantage. It runs far quieter than any petrol trimmer, produces no exhaust fumes, and needs no fuel mixing — just charge and go. For early morning or evening trimming in a residential area, that quietness is a real practical benefit, not just a nice-to-have. The FS 55, like all 2-stroke petrol tools, needs correctly mixed fuel and oil, produces engine noise and exhaust, and carries an ongoing fuel cost per session. Over a season, the EGO’s electricity-only running cost is lower, though it comes with the upfront cost of a 56V battery and charger that aren’t included in the box.

Blade capability and scope of work

Neither machine ships ready for brambles or scrub. The ST1300E is strictly line-only with no blade attachment offered at all. The FS 55 also comes with a line head as standard, and while it sits within Stihl’s petrol range which does support blade attachments on some models, this entry-level unit is really pitched at grass and light growth rather than woody scrub — for brambles, Stihl’s own range has better-suited models further up the line-up. If dense brush is a regular feature of your land, neither of these two specific machines is the end of the story on its own.

Where you can actually buy one

This is a practical difference that matters as much as any spec. The ST1300E is widely available through normal online retail channels, making it an easy, straightforward purchase. The FS 55, like the rest of Stihl’s petrol range, is dealer-only — Stihl doesn’t sell it through general online retailers, so you’ll need to visit or contact an authorised Stihl dealer to buy one. That’s not a downside for everyone; many buyers value having a local dealer for servicing and parts, but it does mean the FS 55 isn’t a same-day online purchase the way the ST1300E is.

Choose the EGO ST1300E if…

• You want quiet, fume-free operation for regular residential lawn care
• You’d rather charge a battery than mix and carry 2-stroke fuel
• Easy online purchasing matters more than a local dealer relationship

Choose the Stihl FS 55 if…

• You need stamina for long, continuous sessions without worrying about battery range
• You want the reassurance of Stihl’s dealer network for servicing and parts
• You’re comfortable buying through a dealer rather than online

Which should you buy?

If your priority is quiet, convenient operation for a typical garden — no fuel mixing, no fumes, and a straightforward online purchase — the ST1300E is the easier machine to live with day to day, so long as you budget for the battery and charger it doesn’t come with. If you want the long-run stamina of a petrol engine, don’t mind visiting a dealer to buy it, and value Stihl’s reputation for reliability and parts support, the FS 55 is a dependable, no-nonsense entry point into petrol brush cutting. Both are line-only out of the box, so if brambles or scrub are a regular part of the job, look further up either brand’s range rather than expecting these two to handle it.