Stihl AP, Husqvarna BLi or Makita LXT: Which Battery Platform for a Landscaper or a Homeowner?

If you maintain grounds for a living, L'Atelier points you to Stihl AP or Husqvarna BLi: two 36 V systems designed for daily professional use, comparable in runtime, with the choice usually settled by your nearest dealer and the tools you need. If you also work in building, or simply look after a garden, Makita 18V LXT is the pragmatic choice thanks to its 300+ tools. One rule overrides everything: a battery only fits tools from its own platform.

Start with your profile, not the brand

L'Atelier's platform guide organises its recommendation by type of user. It is a good way to frame the decision, because the right platform depends on what else you run from the same batteries.

• Landscaper, gardener or arborist working full days: Stihl AP or Husqvarna BLi. Build quality, thermal management and battery life are optimised for intensive use, and Husqvarna's backpack battery is an asset on long days.
• Trades professional who does both building and garden work: Makita 18V LXT. The same batteries power the drill, the circular saw and the chainsaw. For the heaviest jobs, Twin 18V or a move to Makita XGT.
• Homeowner with a garden: Makita 18V LXT or a consumer range such as Stihl AK or Bosch 18V. Lower entry cost, and versatility matters more than outright power.
• Replacing one particular petrol tool: size by power. A felling saw (equivalent to 50 cc or more of petrol) needs 36 V or more (Stihl AP, Husqvarna BLi, Makita XGT); a hedge trimmer or blower works well on 18 V.

Stihl AP or Husqvarna BLi?

L'Atelier's Stihl vs Husqvarna comparison deliberately declines to crown a winner: both 36 V platforms are "excellent and comparable in runtime". Its verdict for a landscaper is to choose whichever platform covers the most tools you actually need; for everyone else, the closest and most competent dealer. It also notes that Stihl sells through authorised dealers rather than big retailers, except for its consumer AK range, while Husqvarna combines specialist dealers with some large retailers.

The compatibility traps

1. Stihl AP and AK are not interchangeable, even though both are 36 V. AP batteries do not fit AK machines and the reverse is also true.
2. Makita LXT and XGT are separate systems: 18 V versus 40 V max (36 V nominal), different connectors. An LXT battery does not fit an XGT tool, except with an adapter where one exists.
3. Several platforms per brand: Makita has 12V MAX CXT, 18V LXT and 40V MAX XGT. Check the platform logo on both the tool and the battery.
4. Cross-brand adapters: they exist, but L'Atelier advises against them (overheating, void warranty, no electronic dialogue between tool and battery).
5. Within a platform, age does not matter: a 2015 Makita 18V LXT battery works in a 2025 18V LXT tool.

Makita LXT: Twin 18V, and when to move to XGT

LXT batteries run from 1.5 Ah to 6.0 Ah (27 to 108 Wh). On some machines two of them combine for 36 V, which is how the Makita DUC353 chainsaw works: two 18V LXT packs in series, a 35 cm (14") bar, 20 m/s chain speed and 1.8 kW. Its owner's guide asks for two batteries of identical capacity and the same state of wear, and points out that a sudden drop in runtime often comes from a blunt chain forcing the motor rather than a tired battery. The limits L'Atelier lists for LXT: less power than a dedicated 36 V system for heavy tools, extra weight with Twin 18V, and less advanced thermal management. Makita XGT (72 Wh at 2.5 Ah, 144 Wh at 5.0 Ah) closes the gap but is a separate investment.

Runtime and power: battery versus petrol

The chainsaw guide's conclusion is that petrol still wins on power and on long felling days, while battery wins on noise (around 85-95 dB against 105-115 dB) and on maintenance: no mix, no spark plug, no carburettor.

What about DeWalt and Milwaukee?

Both come up when a building firm adds garden kit. L'Atelier's assessment is that neither has the historical outdoor specialisation of Stihl or Husqvarna, though both ranges are growing:

• DeWalt 20V MAX / FlexVolt: "20V" is 18 V nominal. FlexVolt batteries switch automatically between 20 V and 60 V depending on the tool and work in 20V MAX tools, but in 60 V mode the Ah capacity is halved. The outdoor range is smaller than Stihl's or Husqvarna's.
• Milwaukee M18 / M18 FUEL: 200+ tools, HIGH OUTPUT batteries from 6.0 to 12.0 Ah, and a growing outdoor range (chainsaw, blower, hedge trimmer). The publisher notes that availability varies by market: mainly the USA, less present in Europe in the garden segment, so check what your local dealer actually stocks.

The same logic applies as with the others: the platform you already own batteries for is usually the cheapest one to extend, which is exactly why the first purchase deserves thought.

Looking after the batteries

L'Atelier puts a professional lithium-ion pack at 500 to 1,000 cycles, which works out at 2 to 4 years in daily professional use and 5 to 8 years for occasional users. Storage habits make the difference:

• Store part-charged. The sources differ slightly: 40-80% with an ideal of 50-60% in the platforms article, around 40-60% in the winter storage guide. Never full, never flat.
• Keep packs between 10°C and 25°C: below freezing damages cells, above 40°C ages them faster. An unheated shed or a van in the sun is the wrong place.
• Take the battery out of the tool for storage, and check it once over winter: self-discharge is about 1-2% a month.
• Do not leave packs on the charger indefinitely, in damp places, or stacked on each other.
• Retire a pack that has lost more than 30% of its runtime, heats abnormally, is refused by the charger or swells. Recycle it; never put it in household waste.

For a specific compatibility or capacity question, the L'Atelier power tools and garden machinery base answers with the source passage. Try "What are the capacities of the Husqvarna 36V BLi batteries?"

Sources on la-telier.com: battery platforms guide, platforms, compatibility and storage, Stihl vs Husqvarna 2026, Makita DUC353 guide. Ranges change; check the maker's current documentation.