Cordless Grass Trimmer Review: Husqvarna 110iL

Design and Features

• Integrated edging wheel
• Pass through battery compartment
• Cutting head uses a simple auto-feed system

As I expected from a landmark brand like Husqvarna, the 110iL FLXi is a solid piece of kit. The brushed metal shaft and premium plastics used in the construction ooze quality. And like other Husqvarna tools, you can see what bits are adjustable because they’re accented in orange.

Weighing 3.2kg without a battery and 5.1kg with the big orange 36V BLi30 battery in place, it’s a hefty beast. That’s to be expected with a tool this sturdy, and it certainly feels like it’s made to last. The battery end of the trimmer has a pleasing “pass through” hole for the battery to fit in. It pops in place with a satisfying click and sits snugly without any wobbles or rattles.

Like some of the other Husqvarna grass trimmers I’ve tested, the 110iL has a comfortable handle and two safety features that might divide opinion. Firstly, there’s a power button in front of the handle that needs to be pressed. And secondly, there’s a safety lock in front of the trigger that needs to be undone. It’s great to have multiple layers of security, but I know that some will struggle with this setup.  

This grass trimmer transforms into a versatile, split-shaft multi-tool. The FLXi shaft splits in two and accepts a range of different heads, including a pruning chainsaw, blower, and a hedge trimmer.

This means you only need to buy one handle, saving money as well as storage space. The must-have accessory to go with the 110iL is the excellent storage rail. It attaches to the wall of your shed or workshop and gives all the parts a handy place to live up off the floor.

This trimmer hides its best feature down near the business end though. Pressing a little orange button lets you rotate the head around so that it cuts vertically. This turns it from a grass trimmer to an edging tool in seconds. Add to that the little guide wheel attached to the safety cover, and it becomes an effortless tool for tidying the borders of your lawn.

The 110iL uses an auto feed cutting head. It pays out a little bit of 1.5 mm round line each time you pull the trigger. It means you don’t need to smack the trimmer on the lawn to feed more line, but can be a bit wasteful compared with a bump-feed system.

Performance

• Effective lawn edging mode
• Plenty of power for grass trimming
• No variable speed trigger

Setting up this cordless grass trimmer for its first cut took me about five minutes. All I needed to do was attach the safety guard to the head end with a couple of screws using the provided tool. Then I attached the “D” handle with a butterfly bolt and got on with trimming.

It does a great job of cutting the lawn, but in my opinion the 110iL really shines as an edging tool. I have a long strip of grass next to a pathway with an edge that disappears under matted grass. I rotated the cutting head and used the guide wheel to keep the line at the right height. It buzzed through the thick grass mats and even the soil underneath, leaving a brilliant crisp edge.

However, something that worked against this battery grass trimmer is that you can’t adjust the shaft length. I’m over six foot tall and found it not quite long enough to be comfortable for long term use. It’s fine if you’re under that height though. It’s a bit of a compromise due to the split shaft feature. Being able to switch out the cutting head end is incredibly useful but at the expense of a telescoping handle.

Although the front “D” handle is fully adjustable along the length of the upper shaft, I couldn’t get it to a point where it felt completely balanced. It’s something that was noticeable because of the weight of this tool. I think a shoulder strap would be a welcome accessory on this tool.

After a 25 minute grass trimming session my arms ached more than when I used the Stihl FSA 50. I put that down to the Stihl having a longer reach for taller gardeners. However, when it comes to stowing the trimmer away, the split shaft comes into its own. Unlike the FSA 50’s solid shaft, the 110iL breaks down into two pieces for east storage.

And, compared with some trimmers that have a variable speed trigger, the 110iL is simply on or off. There’s no way to go easy on delicate grass or push the trimmer to boost mode for heavy brush. It’s a shame because I like being able to moderate the trimming speed to suit the environment.

Should you buy it?