Redback 18", 120V Lithium, Cordless (Battery) Chainsaw

[DHT]

Even our "little" 40v saw is getting some love....

http://gardeningproductsreview.com/redback-40v-12-li-ion-cordless-chainsaw-review/

We hope to be part of the "protoolreviews.com" shoot-outs next season.

 

[Philbert]

Ddid some 'serious' cutting with the 120V saw over the weekend. Doing some follow-up clearing of dead and downed trees at a summer camp in Central Minnesota.





The low-kickback bar and chain were not great on the bore cuts above, but the saw's ability to still pull them through says something about its power. A different bar and chain combo should be considered if you plan to do a lot of plunge cutting. Saw did much better on traditional bucking and limbing cuts. Love the low noise level, easy start, low maintenance, etc.

Philbert

 

[svk]

Some good looking wood there. Surprised to see that birch so solid with conks growing off it...was it a yellow birch?

 

[Philbert]

...was it a yellow birch?

It was a dead birch . . .

(Seriously, I don't know what kind it was. A lot of these trees had their tops broken off in the storm, so I just cut the ones marked with the yellow tape on them).

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised to find it solid at that height. Bore cut due to heavy lean on both those trees pictured.

Philbert

 

[svk]

What pattern is that saw? 041?

 

[Philbert]

What pattern is that saw? 041?

Yeah, it's an 18" bar with an A041 tail.

About a page back I did try the saw with a STIHL PS chain on a 16" bar, which would have been a better choice, had I known that I would be bore cutting. Expected to be doing more limbing and bucking, with maybe a few conventional felling cuts. And I want to give as much feedback as possible on the 'stock' saw. Plus, like I said, I would have had to think about that at the time!

Philbert

 

[Remle]

Do you have any idea how it compares to the Dewalt flexvolt saw? I've got the 40v Ryobi now and I'm planning on upgrading to something better. The Dewalt's had good reviews and I already own the platform, but if the Redback is significantly better, I might go that way instead.

 

[Philbert]

Do you have any idea how it compares to the Dewalt flexvolt saw?

Sorry, I have never tried the DeWalt. You really need to try these things side-by-side to get a fair comparison.

Already owning the DeWalt batteries is a big advantage, as they can easily be half or more of the price of the tools. Redback says that they will be selling more OPE that is compatible with their 120V batteries, but I do not have any information on them.

Philbert

 

[Remle]

Thanks for the reply. I'll probably get the Dewalt, but given that cordless saws aren't a mature technology yet I'm kind of expecting something much better to come out the minute I buy it.

 

[Philbert]

Thanks for the reply. I'll probably get the Dewalt, . . .

Cordless stuf keeps improving!

What ever you decide, please share your thoughts, comments, experiences here with other AS members. Start your own thread if it is a saw that others have not posted on; add to a thread that someone started on that brand / model; or add to a general thread on cordless saws, such as:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/stihl-and-other-36v-cordless-chainsaws.177392/

Philbert

 

[Arnie2]

Hi guys! Can't find info in one place, could you answer me how 120v model is different from 40v model, or compared to other products in the market. I am intrested in 120V model, what is the chainspeed, how noisy in decibels it is when operating it, what's the runtime/how many cuts it does with 2,4,6 amp batteries, I saw one pic but would love to see some more, how many wood you can cut with one full battery

 

[Philbert]

Hi guys! Can't find info in one place, . . .

Arnie,

Read this thread. Look at the pictures. Lots of your questions are answered.

@DHT may have more technical info on decibels, chain speed, etc.

Philbert

 

[DHT]

Arnie,
Send me a PM with your location in Europe and I'll see who has the product closest to you.

 

[Philbert]

Took the 120V saw up to a service project in northern Minnesota, this past weekend, helping a scout camp recovering from some damaging storms, and got some of the volunteers to try it. All were pretty impressed what it could do, compared to the 'real saws' that they were used to. For a few newer sawyers, the simple operation allowed them to concentrate on the sawing, rather than focusing on all of the things necessary to operate a 2-stroke motor. (*no endorsement implied by any organizations*).

'Why can't we be friends?'

Philbert

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Did some testing last week to see how it would handle chilly temps.

As expected, it didn't work in the cold.

I left it out overnight, was around 20*, and it was dead the next morning. Just to say would spin the chain, then it would beep and that was it.
Brought it in the shop and it showed 1/2 charge that evening when I checked on it.

The next day after charging it, I brought it out for about 2 hours, same problem.

I'm guessing the beeping means it's too cold?

Not sure what the min temp rating is, but I was told the same battery system is used on an ice auger, so I'd assume it could deal with at least below zero for a day.

My Milwaukee 18v tools generally do fine in the cold.

 

[Franny K]

If you use the tool the draw of electricity warms the battery. The manual for a battery motorcycle seems to say it will work normally once it has been used a bit. Philbert and I have discussed the low temperature recommendation both for storage and use. The husky manuals are downloadable. There is quite a difference from the Oregon manuals at least the way I remember. The way I read it the battery is not to be stored in Alaska outside conditions.

 

[Philbert]

I posted on some cold weather use a few years ago, with another brand of battery-powered chainsaw.

Batteries operate via a chemical reaction, which decreases with temperature. So reduced output or capacity is to be expected.

Working in 20*F temps, I kept spare batteries warm in an insulated beverage 'cooler' and worked outside most of the day. Batteries can also be popped out and placed inside a coat during breaks.

The bigger problem I had was bar and chain oil; with no internal combustion engine to heat it, I had to thin out even 'winter grade' bar and chain oil about 25% with kerosene.

Again, keeping the oil warm, inside a house or truck, until ready to use helps. Since the saws have no gasoline in them, this is safer than with conventional chainsaws.

Philbert

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I don't consider 20* very cold, it's well in the temp ranch a normal person would be working outside just about anywhere in the US. (I lived in Texas for a while... it snowed and was in the teens there even)

I'd expect the battery to have trouble at -30*, but it's pretty much a struggle to get anything to work at that temp, myself included! haha.

I'm going to charge it up and try it out again. It's in the 30s today.

 

[Duct Tape]

Interesting read. I'm looking for a quiet trail clearing option, to carry on a dirt bike or in a backpack.

But 16.3 lbs!!??

I'd like to see a direct comparison to the Husq rear handle. The largest battery Stihl prob not an option w max rec bar length of 14".

Thanks for all your work and info.

 

[DHT]

Interesting read. I'm looking for a quiet trail clearing option, to carry on a dirt bike or in a backpack.

But 16.3 lbs!!??

I'd like to see a direct comparison to the Husq rear handle. The largest battery Stihl prob not an option w max rec bar length of 14".

Thanks for all your work and info.

Yea I am guessing you don't want an 18" chainsaw in your back pack.... you want this, the top handle saw we are working on. Weight will be about 5 lbs.