Buying Used Battery Tools and Batteries (UK)

What to Check Before You Buy Used Battery Kit

Check the battery as closely as the tool: ask how old it is and how it was stored, watch it run the tool under load, and use only the maker's charger. A photo can't prove a pack is genuine. Walk away from a pack that's swollen, cracked, leaking or very hot.

Everything below was checked on 25 October 2026 in the makers' own manuals and UK support pages, and in the advice of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) on GOV.UK. STIHL and Husqvarna are the examples; whatever the make, the tool's own manual comes first. The battery checks apply to any battery (cordless) tool, blowers included. For a battery chainsaw, also run the bar, chain and safety checks in our chainsaw guide, the way that saw's manual says.

TreeBay doesn't check a listing's kit, or whether a battery is genuine: what a listing says is the seller's own description. For what the law gives you when you buy, see your rights when you buy used kit.

The Battery

How Old Is It, and How Hard Has It Worked?

Ask when it was made or bought, and for the receipt. A battery ages even when it isn't used: Husqvarna UK says "the battery will experience ageing and capacity loss over time, even when not in use" (Husqvarna UK: lifetime of a BLi-X battery, 2 June 2025).
The makers count charge cycles, not years. Husqvarna UK gives "up to 600 complete cycles for consumer batteries and up to 1500 complete cycles for professional batteries", and STIHL UK says "lithium-ion batteries are suitable for up to 1,200 charging cycles" (STIHL UK: lithium-ion batteries, the basics). Those are each maker's own figures. Ask how many seasons the pack has worked, and how many days a week.
The date on the pack. Husqvarna's battery manual says "For technical data, refer to the rating plate on the battery", but neither maker's documents we read say how to read a production date from a battery. Husqvarna's tool manuals do explain the tool's own serial number on its rating plate: "yyyy is the production year, ww is the production week and xxxx is the sequential number". If you can't read the pack's date, a dated receipt is the better guide.

How Was It Stored?

Ask where it was kept (indoors, in the van, in a shed) and how charged it was. The makers say:

Husqvarna: store it at a temperature "between 5 °C (41 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F)", away from sunlight, and "Charge the battery 30% to 50% before you put it in storage for long periods" (Husqvarna 40-B battery operator's manual, 2025, page 8). Husqvarna UK adds that it should never be stored in a hot car, in direct sunlight, or in an outdoor shed or garage (Husqvarna UK: maintain and store a BLi-X battery, 7 November 2025).
STIHL: "STIHL recommends keeping the battery in a charging state between 40% and 60 % (2 green LEDs lit)", and if it isn't stored as the manual says, "the battery may become deeply discharged and irreparably damaged" (STIHL HTA 140–160 pole pruner instruction manual, 14.2).

Look It Over

Damage. SFRS says: "A damaged battery is a potential fire hazard. Pay extra attention if you have recently dropped the lithium-ion battery." Ask whether it's been dropped, and look for cracks in the case: Husqvarna's pole saw manual has you examine the battery for damage, "for example cracks".
Warning signs. SFRS says not to use or charge a battery that's "feeling extremely hot to touch", "looking swollen or has any type of lump or leak", "making a hissing or cracking sound" or "taking longer to charge or does not fully charge" (SFRS: lithium-ion batteries, last updated 27 November 2025). Ask the seller about the last one: you can't see it at a viewing.
Has it been opened? Husqvarna's battery manual says "Do not try to disassemble or repair the battery", and STIHL's manual says the battery "cannot be repaired by the user". Ask whether the pack has ever been opened or rebuilt.

See It Work

Charge lights first. STIHL's manual has you press the button on the battery, and says "If the LEDs do not glow or flash: Do not use the battery and contact your STIHL servicing dealer."
Then under load. Ask the seller to have the battery fully charged when you arrive, then watch the tool cut with it, not just run free, and see how far the charge lights fall. A full run-down takes longer than a viewing, so also ask how long a charge lasts them on a working day, and compare it with the maker's figure (below).

Genuine, Compatible or Fake?

A photo shows the case and the label, not the cells inside. OPSS reported an 18 V replacement battery for power tools, sold online, where "the battery contained only half the number of cells required for the rated capacity, and the battery capacity measured at 18% of the rated capacity" (OPSS product safety report, 4 October 2024). You couldn't tell that from a photo.
Where did it come from? Ask for the receipt, or where and when it was bought. That tells you more than a photo, but it isn't proof either.
Very cheap packs. NFCC says: "Make sure you never buy counterfeit or substandard products. Very cheap batteries, chargers or components may not meet the required safety standards." (NFCC: Charge Safe). SFRS says "Many fires are caused by counterfeit electrical goods."
Third-party "compatible" packs. Both makers' manuals approve only their own batteries: Husqvarna's pole saw manual says "Only use Husqvarna approved batteries", and STIHL's says to use its pole pruner "with a STIHL AP battery or a STIHL AR battery".

The Charger and the Battery System

Check the tool takes your batteries. Each tool's manual lists the batteries it takes. If you already own batteries for the same system, a bare tool can make sense; on a different system, you're buying batteries and a charger too.
Use the maker's charger. STIHL's AP battery leaflet says "Charge the battery only with an AL charger" (STIHL AP 300.0 P user information). Husqvarna UK says to "only use Husqvarna battery chargers to charge Husqvarna BLi batteries" and "You can use any Husqvarna charger with any of your Husqvarna BLi batteries", with one exception it names: "You cannot use the QC80F battery charger to charge the BLi 950X." (Husqvarna UK: charging a BLi-X battery, 9 December 2025). SFRS says to "use the manufacturer-approved charger for the product", and if a charger shows damage or wear, "replace it with an official charger from a reputable source".
Look the charger over too. OPSS has reported unsafe chargers sold for power tools. For an unbranded charger made for one brand's tools, it said: "Under fault conditions, this could lead the battery charger to overheat and ignite or explode." (OPSS product safety report, 8 March 2024). Ask whether the charger is the maker's own.

How Long a Charge Lasts

STIHL UK publishes "up to" working times per charge for each tool and battery. On an AP 300 S battery, for example: up to 70 minutes for the HTA 160 pole pruner, and between 130 and 167 minutes for the HSA 130 hedge trimmer (STIHL UK: battery working times). STIHL adds: "Working time & area covered on a single battery charge can vary based on battery type, charge level, tool model, operating conditions, user operating style and remaining battery capacity." On a used battery, the remaining capacity is the one to ask about. Husqvarna's pages we read give no working time for these tools.

Ask how many batteries come with the tool, and check each one.

Pole Saw Checks

The saw head. Look it over for damage. Neither maker's current manual we read gives the owner a greasing job for the head: Husqvarna's 530iPT5 manual says "Make sure that the saw head is not damaged. Replace the saw head if it is damaged. An approved Husqvarna dealer must do all servicing on the saw head." (Husqvarna 530iP4/530iPT5 operator's manual, 2025, page 24), and STIHL's HTA manual has a STIHL specialist dealer look at the pole pruner every year. Ask when it last went to a dealer.
Shaft and clamp. Extend it and lock it. STIHL's manual says the length is properly set when the shaft "cannot be pushed in or pulled out" and the clamping unit "is screwed tight as far as it will go". A shaft that still slides with the clamp done up fails that check. Husqvarna's says: "Examine all cables, couplings and connections. Make sure that there is no damage or dirt."
Chain, bar and sprocket. Husqvarna's manual says to "Replace the saw chain when the length of the cutting teeth has worn down to only 4 mm". STIHL's says to fit a new bar if "The guide bar groove is pinched or splayed", and to check the sprocket's wear marks with a STIHL gauge: if they're deeper than 0.5 mm, "Do not use your pole pruner and contact your STIHL dealer for assistance." Ask when the sprocket was last checked.
The chain stops. STIHL's manual: "If the saw chain continues to run after about 1 second: Remove the battery and contact your STIHL dealer for assistance."
Chain oil. STIHL's check is to point the bar at a light surface and switch on: oil should show on the surface. If it still doesn't after filling up, "Chain lubrication is defective."

Hedge Trimmer Checks

Blades. STIHL's HSA 130 manual checks that the "Cutting blades are undamaged", "not deformed", "move freely", "properly sharpened" and "have no burrs", and warns: "If they are in an unsafe condition, parts of the cutting blades may come off and be thrown at high speed." (STIHL HSA 130 instruction manual, 3.6.2). Husqvarna's 522iHD60 manual says: "Replace the blade or the blade guard if they have cracks or if they have been exposed to impact." (Husqvarna 522iHD60 operator's manual, 2025, page 15)
Gearbox grease: go by that model's manual. The makers differ. STIHL's HSA 130 manual says "After every 50 hours of operation" to "Lubricate the gearbox", with a measured 5 g. Husqvarna's 522iHD60 carries a "Do not lubricate" symbol, and its manual has you grease the blades, not the gearbox: "Lubricate the blade bars with a recommended spray grease before long periods of storage." Ask the seller what they did, and check it against the manual.

Charging and Storing It Safely

From SFRS's advice on lithium-ion batteries (SFRS):

"you should not charge your battery while you are asleep or away from home. Unplug the charger once the battery is fully charged."
"Do not cover the charger, battery, or device while charging. This can cause overheating or even a fire."
"Don't charge them in hallways or communal areas that serve as escape routes."
"Check your battery regularly for any signs of damage and if you suspect it is damaged it should be recycled and should not be used or charged."
A dead or damaged battery goes to recycling, not the bin: "They should never be placed in household waste", and "Most local recycling centres accept lithium-ion batteries." OPSS adds: "The terminals of lithium batteries should ideally be taped up first, to prevent any risk of fire." (OPSS: recycling batteries and electrical waste, 5 March 2024)
If one catches fire: "get out, stay out, and call 999".

Selling Used Battery Kit

In photos, cover all but the last 4 characters of a serial number or date code. TreeBay shows only the last 4 characters of a serial number on a listing; do the same in your photos, and give the year it was made or bought in the description instead.
Say what comes with it: how many batteries and the capacity printed on each, the charger, and whether each is the maker's own, as far as you know. Say how it was stored and anything wrong with it. Whoever you are, describe it honestly, and don't sell a pack you think is fake.
Selling as a business? In Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 say a distributor must not supply a product "which he knows or should have presumed, on the basis of the information in his possession and as a professional, is a dangerous product" (GPSR 2005 reg 8). So don't sell a battery or charger you know or should presume is unsafe, such as one that's swollen or damaged. These rules apply to business sellers, not private ones. "In Northern Ireland, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 were superseded on 13 December 2024 by the EU Regulation on general product safety 2023/988" (GOV.UK: general product safety regulations, 13 December 2024).

More on photos and listings: our guide to selling used kit safely.