Battery powered chainsaws?
- Thread starter Mus408
- Start date
#1rugerman
Single-Sixer
I have a 18 volt with a 12 inch bar, a battery gives me about 30 minutes of use (intermittent not constant) with a sharp chain I can clear a good bit of stuff. After cutting you have to drag the cut stuff away and during that time the battery has a chance to rest and cool a bit which gives a bit longer use between charges. For small home projects it works pretty good. For a large project I think you would be better off with a gas model, as far as starting problems I believe good upkeep will take care of most of those problems.
Captain America
Hunter
If you use a gas powered saw make sure you use non-ethanol gas and most of your starting and runability issues will vanish.
GunnyGene
Hawkeye
I have a 40 volt 12" Kobalt, I bought at Lowes a couple years ago. It's ok for small stuff. You'll find that the battery saw chain speed is about half that of a gas saw, so it will chatter some when you first start a cut. The big down side is that you usually only get 1 (very expensive, ~$100) battery with them, so when it quits you have to go back to wherever you're recharger is. Don't expect more than an hour of cutting time, and that will decrease over time as the battery gets older. Even Lithium batteries don't last forever.
I have borrowed a friends small Stihl saw,gas powered, and it was a beast to crank up and run. I've had a gas powered weed eater for years and it ran well until it just wore out.
Any ethanol free gas is available at one place I know but a good 20 miles from here.
Now I been using the regular E-10 pump gas in my 18 yr. old lawn tractor for years and when I recently tore the carb down for a rebuild it was shiny clean inside with no signs of corrosion on the aluminum body.
But you know Murphy's Law when you are 30 miles from home out in the woods and you really want to use your saw!
I do have an electric cord type saw and that works great around my home.
Any ethanol free gas is available at one place I know but a good 20 miles from here.
Now I been using the regular E-10 pump gas in my 18 yr. old lawn tractor for years and when I recently tore the carb down for a rebuild it was shiny clean inside with no signs of corrosion on the aluminum body.
But you know Murphy's Law when you are 30 miles from home out in the woods and you really want to use your saw!
I do have an electric cord type saw and that works great around my home.
GunnyGene said:
Is 3 yrs. about the life use on the batteries these days?
I know on my old cordless drill I had some years ago after 3 yrs. the battery was done and the cost for the battery was the same as I paid for the drill...if you could find it!
GunnyGene
Hawkeye
Mus408 said:
Lithium battery life is affected by several things, and there are several different types. They breakdown faster if you use a fast charge, than a slow charge for example. Here's a lot of info on LI-Ion, and others: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/
CraigC
Hawkeye
I've got a real nice Husqvarna 455 that has been collecting dust since getting the little 20v lithium Black & Decker saw. It's perfect for small jobs and I take it with me every time I go to the woods. The standard batteries are only $35 and the larger capacity less than double that. B&D ain't the best in the world but their stuff is affordable and the new lithium batteries are infinitely better than their old NiMH or NiCd crap. I always threatened to rebuild the old batteries with high quality RC racing cells but never got around to it.
http://a.co/eK5wxTW
http://a.co/eK5wxTW
powder smoke
Hawkeye
Love my Husky I suppose a battery powered saw would be OK for small task.
For what I do gas baby! I harvest logs and cut firewood can not imagine any
battery powered saw that be up for the task. Out of fuel just fill it up.
BTW my 55 Rancher starts no more than 3 pulls when cold, once started one
every time. ps
For what I do gas baby! I harvest logs and cut firewood can not imagine any
battery powered saw that be up for the task. Out of fuel just fill it up.
BTW my 55 Rancher starts no more than 3 pulls when cold, once started one
every time. ps
GunnyGene
Hawkeye
powder smoke said:
Yep. Just like guns, the right tool for the task. I have 3; a gas Stihl with 24" bar, the Kobalt I mentioned earlier, and a corded saw. And a couple different muscle powered tools usually go with me also. Nothing says you can't have more than one type in the vehicle at a time. :wink:
caryc
Hawkeye
For someone with a chainsaw that sees only occasional use, you can buy containers of ethanol free gas with the oil already mixed in it at the big hardware stores. They have it in all different ratio mixtures.
If I need to use my chainsaw, I'll just buy a fresh bottle of fuel...no storing and using old gas. I always dump out the fuel and run it dry when putting it away.
If I need to use my chainsaw, I'll just buy a fresh bottle of fuel...no storing and using old gas. I always dump out the fuel and run it dry when putting it away.
I have used every imaginable rechargeable tool. I've found them to be less dependable than 110v or gas powered tools. For a little job, they are great. Or if you have lots of spare batteries, they can be great.
But a feller really has no way of telling just how charged any given battery is, without keeping them on the charger constantly. And ya never really know how good any given battery is, until your tool works only a short time, even when the battery was freshly charged. And the cost of batteries for a quality tool is horrendous.
So I'm of the gas-powered or 110v crowd when it comes to bigger tools and bigger jobs.
We talk of ethanol-free fuel. I'm a believer there, too. But it's unfortunate that (IN MY AREA), there is severe scalping going on with the sale of ethanol-free fuel. Nearly 5-bucks a gallon.
This is not to mean I'm not sympathetic to the OP and his difficulties with gas-powered equipment. The best of the best can be at best, fickle. I've loved Honda lawn equipment. My latest however is a bear to start. If it's not above 60-degrees, it requires a little priming-gas down the carburetor to get it started. Even after the Honda shop gave it a $69 tune up last spring.
I'm surprised here to read at least one poster has had trouble with Stihl equipment. I've been switching to them, a little at a time, and have found the easiest starting gas-engine tools, ever.
WAYNO.
But a feller really has no way of telling just how charged any given battery is, without keeping them on the charger constantly. And ya never really know how good any given battery is, until your tool works only a short time, even when the battery was freshly charged. And the cost of batteries for a quality tool is horrendous.
So I'm of the gas-powered or 110v crowd when it comes to bigger tools and bigger jobs.
We talk of ethanol-free fuel. I'm a believer there, too. But it's unfortunate that (IN MY AREA), there is severe scalping going on with the sale of ethanol-free fuel. Nearly 5-bucks a gallon.
This is not to mean I'm not sympathetic to the OP and his difficulties with gas-powered equipment. The best of the best can be at best, fickle. I've loved Honda lawn equipment. My latest however is a bear to start. If it's not above 60-degrees, it requires a little priming-gas down the carburetor to get it started. Even after the Honda shop gave it a $69 tune up last spring.
I'm surprised here to read at least one poster has had trouble with Stihl equipment. I've been switching to them, a little at a time, and have found the easiest starting gas-engine tools, ever.
WAYNO.
My Stihl is easy to start. My old Homelite was easier. Both had 12 inch blades. Agree with non-ethanol fuel and correct mix.
gramps
gramps
Now I've been around a gas engine or two but just wanted to see folks opinions on the current new tech battery powered tools.
So far I've had great luck with my Sears 19 volt cordless drill used mostly for driving screws in wood projects.
Have to run him on 93 pump gas and running well for 7 yrs.
So far I've had great luck with my Sears 19 volt cordless drill used mostly for driving screws in wood projects.
Have to run him on 93 pump gas and running well for 7 yrs.
Mus408 said:
Drilling and driving are relatively easy tasks for battery power. Saws tax a battery unmercifully.
But you've gotta try it. Maybe for a very few, small cuts, it will do what you hope.
WAYNO.
Don Lovel
Hunter
the newer generation of Milwaukee battery powered sawzalls are pretty nice, rip through wood with the right blades
CraigC
Hawkeye
There's a time and a place for everything. Cordless electric saws aren't for felling large trees and big gas saws typically aren't very convenient for the occasional small job or tasks such as the OP mentioned, clearing trails.
Lithium batteries have changed everything. They have none of the shortcomings of the older NiCd/NiMH batteries. Especially when it comes to power tools where they typically would use the cheapest cells available. They don't have memory like NiCd. They don't need to be fully discharged before charging. They can't be overcharged. They don't lose their charge over time. Although my 14.4v Dewalt drill's original two batteries lasted me a very long time, I also properly maintained them. I now have several B&D 20v lithium tools and thus, several batteries. Have yet to wait for one to charge. All it takes is two or three to cycle through.
Lithium batteries have changed everything. They have none of the shortcomings of the older NiCd/NiMH batteries. Especially when it comes to power tools where they typically would use the cheapest cells available. They don't have memory like NiCd. They don't need to be fully discharged before charging. They can't be overcharged. They don't lose their charge over time. Although my 14.4v Dewalt drill's original two batteries lasted me a very long time, I also properly maintained them. I now have several B&D 20v lithium tools and thus, several batteries. Have yet to wait for one to charge. All it takes is two or three to cycle through.
I needed a chain saw for small occasional jobs only, so I bought an electric Maxon which works beautifully. My 150ft extension cord will let me reach anywhere on my property and other than making sure the chain oil is full there is no maintenance. I think I paid about $90 on Amazon last year for this tool.
