I’ve gone electric, but I have my reasons…

[JPGLSG1234]

Those of you that have seen photos of my place, know I live in the middle of the woods. Had I known then, what I know now, I would have cut back more trees from around the house. Most of the larger trees are well over a hundred years old, and 99.9% everything is hardwood, I think I have 3 pines on the 12 acres. Gentlemen this place has been my harbor at worlds end for 23 years now. I'm RICH with leaves and other seasonal fallings and this year the white oaks have been feeding the deer well.

But on to my findings. For as long as I can remember 2 cycle engines have been allergic to me. I gone through mid-priced to overpriced blowers and chainsaws for years. I get about a year and a half out of them and they start going wonky, I do everything it says to do in the operations manuals. After an expensive trip to the maintenance shop, and a little aggravation. That's it, off to the recycle center this POS is gone, and I've had it with trying to get these damn things running. Off to the store for new stuff…

Well I got to looking on the net, and spoke to my Dear Friend Thurgood who had gone the battery powered route for a blower and 18 inch chainsaw, 20 months ago. Although he doesn't live amongst the tree monsters I do, he's been quite impressed with his stuff. After doing some research, last May I purchased the EGO 765 CFM blower with the turbo button and an 18 inch chainsaw with 2 extra batteries and an extra charger. I think all total I spent right around $1,100.00 including tax for everything. The leaves are all down and off the drive and walkways, decks and roof valleys, this has been going on for a few weeks. Most of the limbs and the ones that needed to be cut in half for transport to the limb pile have been dealt with. All in all I'm impressed with their product and the run time of the batteries, we'll see just how long they last. The only issue I have, is the gadgets have a little weight to them with the batteries installed. I was up on the ladder the other day and hit the turbo button on the blower and about got off balanced. Man on man, when you get older you gotta be paying attention all the time, you can't be landing on your ass…..for stupid reasons.

 

[Mobuck]

Whatever works for you is fine with me BUT: I have a couple of older chainsaws that I'll bet money on third pull starting even though they haven't been started for months. The ECHO leaf blower that melted during my fire fighting attempt started first pull after sitting at least 3 months.
I use battery operated tools (drills, impact wrenches, recip & circular saws) but a chainsaw isn't on my list.

 

[JPGLSG1234]

Mo the 2 cycle angles have blessed you. If only you could have heard me swearing at these contraptions. You would have said, JP chit can that thing and go get a new one

 

[Johnnu2]

After several falls over the years, my extension ladders suddenly disappeared (sorta like my old jeans and shirts...).

Anyway, I'd been doing everything myself for 70 years and for the last 8 or so, I've learned that other people will do almost as good (for pay). My wife honcho's most of them, so quality is up to par, albeit never as good as when I did it.

On the subject of electric stuff... while no comparison to the OPs property, needs or equipment, I have been the owner of some consumer-level Ryobi electric saws (circular and reciprocal) for at least 12 years or more. I've cut things where they should never venture and they have preformed without fail. I even dropped one in the creek alongside our house and it submerged fully. I left it on the creek bank in the sun while I continued hand-cutting stuff. Result: runs just like it always did once it dried out. I'm willing to take a chance on some of this electric stuff (though not a car) and even on some people doing stuff for me. I don't like it.... but I just do it anyway. Good luck OP; but do eventually learn when it's time to give it up so we can continue to have you here with us.

IMHO,
J.

 

[JPGLSG1234]

I hear you Buddy, I was up at the top of an 18 foot ladder not long ago. I was asking myself while there, just what the heck are you doing up here ??

I've been doing my own stuff for years, but it's getting time for me to find Mr. Handyman.

 

[contender]

I hear you about the frustration of the 2-cycle engines. I own 4 chainsaws,, and only one is reliable. One COULD be but it's old enough that getting parts that are QUALITY made,, (not cheap chinese junk) is an issue. The one that's reliable,, a Stihl, the potential one, another Stihl. The other two,, did pretty good,, (Husky's) but once they started wonking out,, I haven't been able to get them "right" again.
But I learned to study the professionals. Tree pros almost always use the Stihl brand,, and even they will admit to having more than one to be dependable. But their livelihood depends upon having the equipment to do a complete job.
Just the other day,, I watched a tree crew taking down a couple of trees next to my old home. We recently sold it,, and the new owner wanted trees gone BEFORE they became an issue. I fully understood, as I also knew what could happen. I watched (2) guys, who had gone up in them, and the way they used a small Stihl to cut & prune the limbs & carefully section the tree until it could be completely taken down. ALL the saws they used,, Stihls. And they started on almost every first pull.

But I also see the potentials of using the electric stuff. I have all kinds of hand tools & such that uses that type of power. I wear out batteries in my work, to where I'm usually buying a few batteries every year. But the tools are capable & reliable.

But like Mobuck,, my chainsaws,, I still prefer a gas powered machine.

 

[WAYNO]

I am a fan of 2-stroke equipment. They always start for me, and do so relatively easy. I can't say that so much of my 4-stroke equipment.

For hand-held contractor tools, I've also switched to rechargeable. Love 'em when they have a good battery, but hate them when the batteries wont charge after a year and I have to spend another 75-bucks or more for a new battery and another 75-bucks for a spare. Finally gave up this year and for Christmas I'm getting another new DeWalt cordless drill. Cheaper than more batteries for the old one.

And that creates another issue. I have a total of five rechargeable drills, one rechargeable recip saw, and a rechargeable circlular saw. They all work well, but some are vintage enough, the original manufacturer no longer sells their own brand-name batteries. The replacement batteries from Amazon, sometimes pretty worthless. So at what time do you finally throw away an otherwise perfectly working tool, just because quality batteries are unavailable?

My point? I'm glad you're pleased with larger rechargeable lawn equipment. And I really hope they work out. I also know rechargeable equipment is taking over and eventually we'll have little choice. Til then, I just can't take that leap, and will continue to mix oil. ❤️

 

[Hvymax]

I discovered that expensive gas they sell in cans makes them work like a miracle happened or something. Even things I had given up on. This Ethanol Gas destroys everything. Usually after I run them a while on the expensive stuff I can run ethanol free mixed for a while.

 

[Mobuck]

" but hate them when the batteries wont charge after a year and I have to spend another 75-bucks or more for a new battery and another 75-bucks for a spare."
Go RIDGID and don't look back. LIFETIME warranty including batteries.
I've been toting a RIDGID impact wrench in my work pickup to ease flat tire replacement. Both tool and battery had been behind the seat for 3-4 months & when I needed it to change a flat on the farm pickup--worked like it had been inside (vs cold/hot/damp)all that time.
I use a RYOBI suitcase air compressor with an adaptor plate for RIDGID batteries. It resides in the passenger side floorboard of my farm pickup throughout harvest(read that as dirty/cold/damp/bounced/slammed). Occasionally, I push the little button to check battery status but otherwise, it's assumed (and proven) to always be ready.
The only widget I'd like to see available is a 12 volt charger for the 18V RIDGID batteries. I had one for the older DeWalt batteries but haven't found one available for RIDGID(the adaptors specifically state 'NOT FOR RECHARGING').

 

[32shooter]

I discovered that expensive gas they sell in cans makes them work like a miracle happened or something. Even things I had given up on. This Ethanol Gas destroys everything. Usually after I run them a while on the expensive stuff I can run ethanol free mixed for a while.

There are several gas stations in my area that sell rec fuel(ethanol free), and that is all that goes in my small engines. Usually costs about a dollar more per gallon.

 

[WAYNO]

None of my machines see ethanol, ever.

 

[the_leper_colony]

... All in all I'm impressed with their product and the run time of the batteries, we'll see just how long they last. The only issue I have, is the gadgets have a little weight to them with the batteries installed...

Just one word of caution on going electric, that I got from a neighbor. A few years back, we had a big wind storm, with trees & big tree limbs down all over town. Naturally, power lines were also down, and roads were blocked everywhere. One of my neighbors had a giant blue spruce next to his drive, that got snapped off above roof height; Murphy's Law being what it is, the top landed in his driveway, trapping his truck in the garage. I went over to see if I could help - he was laughing because he had pulled out his electric chain saw (out of habit), and it wouldn't run because the power lines were down. He said, "I didn't picture this when I went with the electric!"

Always good to have a Plan B available (lots of charged batteries, &/or a generator with fuel, &/or well-maintained hand tools, etc.)!

As always, IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc.

 

[blume357]

I have to say it... especially with 2cycle engines you get what you pay for.... now with that said, I bought a Milwaukee 18volt cordless chainsaw a while back and I now carry it in my work van... the developers around here are clear cutting areas for new 200-300 house subdivision all over the place and it is not unusual to be able to just park on the side of the road and in 5 or 10 minutes fill the back half of my van with 4ft sections of oak limbs 4-7" in diameter and then I don't even need to split it once cut into fireplace size lengths....
I've actually converted a Milwaukee cordless leaf blower to a dust control tool for my work and have plans to just buy another one for home and sometimes work.. the only down side is they only run for about 8-10 minutes on high speed with a 8-9 amp hour battery... but I have 3....

 

[kentucky yeti]

I don't have a battery chainsaw, but my Stihl dealer and me were talking about 3 weeks ago. He has a house on 10 wooded acres. He said he now used his Stihl electric saw almost exclusively and that I would be so surprised at the power and cutting time off one battery. The reason I was there was that my never-been-in-the-shop Stihl 028AV Super Wood Boss that I bought new in 1988 dropped compression. That saw has worn out its original bar and was well on its way with the second one. Dozens of chains worn out through the years. It has cut more wood that most people could think of. I sold it for parts (there is a huge 028 Super following online), and I also sold my barely used MS 310 Stihl due to the weight of it and my back issues. I bought a medium-size MS291 Stihl, and I have a small (lightweight) MS 170 for trimming/small trees. My back won't let me handle the old big saws anymore (I also sold my big-tree-cutter 1985 Stihl 048AV that weighed a lot less when I was young). At my age, these two saws should be my last ones unless my back gets worse, at which time I will get a battery saw. Yes, I like Stihl and have had nothing but good luck with them. I have a Stihl polesaw, a Stihl leaf blower (just sold my backpack one due to my back issues (I bought a handheld one), a Stihl straight-shaft weed trimmer, and my two chainsaws. Whenever I move to battery, it will be Stihl I'm sure. I don't have brand loyalty on most things- the exceptions are Ruger firearms, Ford trucks and Stihl outdoor equipment. AND- my gas cans for all my small engines including the ZTR, Polaris side-by-side and my push mower only get non-ethanol gas. I believe that to be why I get such good service from them all.

 

[Hvymax]

Getting older those pull starts definitely get harder. I've seen drill adapters to start weed eaters why not chainsaws???

 

[Mike J]

I discovered that expensive gas they sell in cans makes them work like a miracle happened or something. Even things I had given up on. This Ethanol Gas destroys everything. Usually after I run them a while on the expensive stuff I can run ethanol free mixed for a while.

There for a few years it seemed like every year I was fighting with all my small engine stuff. I don't buy the Tru-Fuel stuff they sell in cans but a station near me sells Non-Ethanol gas. Miraculously all my problems stopped.
I remember about 6 years ago, we had a bad storm & the wind got up. A Sweet Gum tree fell on the driveway. I went out to clear it and my saw wouldn't start. I dug around in the shed & went back out into the rain & cut it up small enough to get it off the driveway with a bow saw. I was so mad at the Poulan saw I never did fix it (carburetor). I did pick up a Echo saw a little later. I wound up giving the Poulan away last year to a friend that didn't have a saw. I let him use the Echo for what he needed to do right then & gave him the Poulan. I let him know the carburetor would require attention. Still not a bad deal for him.

 

[Fox Mike]

Bought a Ryobi weed wacker. Fired right up the first three times I used it. That was it. I had numerous people try to operate it and no one could get it to run properly. I finally gave it away and bought an electric one. It has worked flawlessly for many years. Never will go the 2 cycle route again.

 

[Dave P.]

More electric outdoor power equipment is coming.
Toro, one of the brands I sell is basically mandating that their dealers sell battery handheld equipment whether you want to or not.
I've had the battery powered walk mowers and snow blowers for a few years now, this season will have line trimmers, chain saws, power blowers, etc.
We.ve been careful to qualify the customers buying battery powered stuff and so far people seem very satisfied with it. Personally around the house
I no longer ever grab the gas powered hand blower or chain saw, still use an Echo gas line trimmer and a Honda 4 stroke trimmer for the heavy stuff.
For spring I've ordered some of Simplicity's new Blue Volt zero turn riding mowers, they're going to be relatively expensive vs. gas powered similar
units. The 48 inch cut will retail for about $9000. Some of the good things we're hearing about them is the battery is designed to go through
2000 charge cycles and at the end of that time retain about 80% of it's original 3.5KW capacity.....time will tell. Run time claimed up to two hours,
I'm guessing more like one hour to maybe an hour and 15 minutes in heavy cutting. Still plenty for our area's typical 1/2 to 3/4 acre lawns.
With the reduced maintenance required, savings in cost of fuel vs electricity I can initially see the extra up front expense washing out.
Simplicity is claiming more than 70% quieter than comparable gas units and I know a lot of our type of customers will like that.
Trying to work a "demo" unit out of them to mow my own lawn and have around the store for customers to try and gain a better
"real world" handle on what they can do. As always expecting some initial teething issues with the whole trend...but it's going to
happen...the electrics are coming !

 

[Cholo]

I'm another big believer in Stihl products. I have an all metal concrete saw I hadn't used in nearly 20 years, and it was old when I got it in '95. A friend needed to borrow it so I dumped out the old gas and filled it with fresh gas. It started on either the first or second pull.

I have a Stihl backpack blower I bought 30 or so years ago. It sat for 5 +/- years and I swapped the old gas for new and it started right up. I have a Stihl 028 chain saw that's been sitting since about '95 or earlier. I'll wager that it will start right up with a gas swap.

In the late 80's I bought 2 pieces of ECHO equipment and it was a constant headache fooling around with the carb adjustments. Every single day I used them I had to fidget with those damn carbs. I ended up dropping both of them in my garbage can LOL

 

[BearBiologist]

Last spring, we went on a 2-week vacation. One of our neighbors, Bill was helping my wife trim a spruce. She mentioned that we wanted it removed (~20-25 ft high). I loaned him my DeWalt battery chainsaw. He was also walking our dog (they are best buds!). Wife called to check on the dog and found out he had gone crazy and chopped down, sectioned, and hauled away the whole spruce, leaving me sections (I make "bee houses" for native bees). He then borrowed (with permission) the saw and removed several other trees for neighbors. During summer, he and his daughter's boyfriend put up an 8'x12' shed for me. He wouldn't take money but I bought him a new DeWalt battery chainsaw.

Today is his 71st birthday and we had a birthday party for him Friday night. While I was locked -up during COVID, I started making dioramas (I'm disabled with suppressed immune system). So, I made him "Bill's Chainsaw Massacre" in 1:64 scale. He's off-camera chopping down an evergreen and the chainsaw on the tailgate is painted in DeWalt yellow and black.