World’s Largest R&D Centre for Handheld Outdoor Power Tools

• 30,000 square meters
• 175 kilometers of data lines
• 525 kilometers electric cable
• 1,200 monitoring and control circuits
• Largest single investment in STIHL history: EUR 40 million
• Located in Waiblingen, Germany

In-house Development & Production

STIHL is the only company in our industry which develops and produces in-house all kinds of fluids, lubricants, fuels, cutting attachments, guide bars and chains. This ensures that all STIHL parts match perfectly with our products and that all the engine power gets used as efficiently as possible. Our engineers naturally continue to remain very focused on performance, functionality and convenience.

STIHL Development Centre: Brain Power

More than 500 employees work constantly in the development department of STIHL. Plus, about 200 trainees per year-mostly young engineers from various universities. STIHL also co-operates with various technical universities in Southern Germany.

150,000 Hours of Testing Conducted Per Year

• Hundreds of test rigs for engine tests (like those applied in Formula 1 racing)
• Test facilities for extreme climate conditions, sound emissions and vibrations

Prototyping

Various methods of prototyping are used. All prototypes are tested thoroughly, even outdoors under different climatic conditions. A new product usually gets tested for about 250,000 hours before its market release.

Large Variety: More Than 1,000 Types

To meet all our customers’ demands, we offer more than 1,000 different types of products. Carburetor or handle heating systems for extremely cold conditions, products for special operation requirements or environmentally friendly products, just to name a few. STIHL offers more than just one type per product category.

Changes on Existing Products Due to Customers’ Feedback

Every year, several thousand improvements and optimizations to existing products are made because of our customer feedback. Due of our distribution channel, the servicing dealers, we are a lot closer to our customers and their wishes or needs than other companies in our industry.