People don't yet take battery operated chainsaws seriously.

[J D]

I'd rather buy batteries once than P&C's on a regular basis...
On the other hand, if I left my saw sitting for a year I'd rather have to drop a carb kit into it than replace 500 bux worth of batteries

 

[softdown]

I'd rather buy batteries once than P&C's on a regular basis...
On the other hand, if I left my saw sitting for a year I'd rather have to drop a carb kit into it than replace 500 bux worth of batteries

How much money and time are involved in a typical carb kit? I have a number of saws requiring that.

 

[GrizG]

If you think any of the battery saws will be working to spec after 20 years you're dreaming... But we can compare them to some degree given the following estimates (based on my local currency & measures); Generally the current cells in use have a service life of 300-500 cycles & a battery will loose about ⅓ of it's capacity over its life.
A 6Ah battery costs around $250.
In my experience a couple of 5Ah/6Ah batteries give a comparable run time to about 200ml of mix in a similar size saw (purely an estimate based on my experience, adjust to suit your own if it's wildly different).
Said mix would be less than 50c.
So... My ~$500 of batteries would be replacing ~$200 in mix (+ whatever I would spend in maintenance over the course of ~400 tanks).
For us practical people (& fellow "CADies"), it only makes sense to use battery equipment when that's what's most functional/practical (until they improve them)... But for the average home owner that uses a saw twice a year (& probably has to get it serviced every other time it comes out) there is real merit in being able to plug your drill batteries on the saw for half an hour of cutting.
Another thing to note is that batteries don't like sitting around for extended periods, so having a saw that's part of a "system" should be a consideration for those not using it regularly.

As I was binge reading this thread I was thinking about what it costs me for fuel... currently about $6.40 U.S. per gallon for Stihl synthetic mix oil and non-ethanal 93 octane gasoline and I'm getting the mix oil at store employee price. Fuel costs for gas saws are like a parasite that keeps taking money out of your wallet a little at a time whereas the batteries take it all up front. As such, it could be that at the end of their lives the batteries themselves might actually turn out to cost less to own and operate even with charging costs...

It would be interesting to see some well done "fuel" studies of comparably powered battery and gas saws. Studies that also include other consumables and maintenance of comparably powered battery and gas saws would be useful also.

Given the small volume use by the typical home owner a corded electric saw probably makes more sense than either battery or gas in terms of overall cost and reliability... Yes they aren't as portable or powerful, but problems arising from stale gas and deteriorating batteries aren't an issue.

 

[sawfun]

I have a 36 volt Makita that does well for trimming and cutting hemlock. I use it when I don't feel the need to use one of my gas saws. They have a place.

Same here

 

[sawfun]

Tesla's have a lot of muscle but no soul. I do see the analogy though.

Thruth!!!

 

[sb47]

Electric power tools do have a niche market. They are practical for some people and some uses but are far from replacing gas tools. Just look at the screw drill market. There are more battery powered offerings for screw drills then corded ones. Battery powered blowers, string trimmers, and chain saws are good for many home owners that have small yards. Electric performance is very close to gas power it's just the ability to re fuel when needed. As more and more company's and people use electric power there performance will improve as does everything when it is used more and demand goes up.
Nothing is the end all be all of performance or practicality and each type has it's niche uses.

 

[dirtcurt]

Well, you could get a speaker and set it up like a RC electric with a sound computer and be whatever you want. Big V8, Formula One, or a two stroke!

 

[Franny K]

Had Fox business TV on earlier today. They did a piece on the CES show going on now. Bobcat had a wheeled skid steer there battery, they also had a small excavator somewhere between mini and midi maybe 8-9000 pounds my estimate and it had some fancy glass in front of the operator that projected pictures from cameras. Made in USA. The announcer lady did not seem terribly knowledgeable like there are only battery and motor in these things nothing about hydraulic systems.

 

[Stihl a grasshopper]

Asplundh just went thru my backyard this past week removing three cottonwoods for the new power line coming thru. They started early in the mornings and did the bucket work with battery saws until the neighborhood woke up. I kind of appreciated the less noise early in the morning.

The guys that did bucket work along my property used hydraulic pole saws. Thought that was pretty nifty.

 

[Philbert]

Had Fox business TV on earlier today. They did a piece on the CES show going on now. Bobcat had a wheeled skid steer there battery, they also had a small excavator somewhere between mini and midi maybe 8-9000 pounds my estimate and it had some fancy glass in front of the operator that projected pictures from cameras. Made in USA. The announcer lady did not seem terribly knowledgeable like there are only battery and motor in these things nothing about hydraulic systems.

Battery powered forklifts have been “standard“ in warehouses for many, many years. Of course, these are not hand held tools. But the improvements in battery technology have affected these as well.

Of course, ‘nuclear’ submarines and ‘diesel’ train locomotives are really ‘electric’. They seem to have plenty of power!

Philbert

 

[Work4Food]

Wrote earlier that battery chainsaws , at least I don't believe, won't be replacing above 50cc gas saws anytime soon. In my yonger days of collecting firewood a typical firewood day would go something like this. Wake up and leave before daylight to avoid the mid day heat. Get up on the hill....cut like heck....usually a mix of oak and fir and be home by lunch. I generally ran 60 cc saw with a 20 inch bar. I ran it hard and continually for as much time as it took to really fill up a 3/4 Ford with rounds. This was 20 to 30 years ago. I still have one of the 036 Stihl that I bought sometime around 20 years ago. There is no battery saw available now or in the foreseeable future that could duplicate this.

However there is a place in the firewood game for battery saws that I think they will be durable and the performance will be fine. Should work really well for the more mature guy that has a little more time to collect firewood and doesn't want to cut big wood. Something in the range of 6" to 12" stuff. From personal experience it works really well for a mixed bag day out in the woods. Take the half ton short bed out.....plan on maybe shooting the guns, having lunch, maybe scouting for deer and as you come across ideal ..although smallish....wood.....grab the electric 16" saw and eventually fill your truck. In Cali, during fire season, generally your not able to run gas chainsaw after I think noon....but never had a problem running electric after that by the wood cops.

I run Ego equipment and recommend them.

 

[J D]

Had Fox business TV on earlier today. They did a piece on the CES show going on now. Bobcat had a wheeled skid steer there battery, they also had a small excavator somewhere between mini and midi maybe 8-9000 pounds my estimate and it had some fancy glass in front of the operator that projected pictures from cameras. Made in USA. The announcer lady did not seem terribly knowledgeable like there are only battery and motor in these things nothing about hydraulic systems.

Battery makes a lot of sense with a small excavator as the motor is purely to drive a hydraulic pump & the extra weight can be utilized as counterbalance... Just need to ensure you can get charge to it

 

[KASH]

Heres what worries me.The price of gas has risen since we are using less I believe the price of gas will rise at about the rate of electric tools does.Back in the 80s lots of guys were switching to propane for their vehicles.Big money says we cant have that so they jack up the price of propane so it equals gas.I just filled a 100 lb cylinder for my stove 137.00 ten years ago it was 35.00 .Every time they creat e a gas scare such as a small refinery fire they will raise the gas prices and the propane also if the price of crude goes up they raise the price of propane even though it has no affiliation with the price of crude oil.
The more the use of electricity for vehicles and tools the price will rise for oil propane and natural gas.
Kash

 

[J D]

How much money and time are involved in a typical carb kit? I have a number of saws requiring that.

I'd say about 5-10 of your US$ for the kit.
Time really depends on the saw, tools available, & the expertise/experience of the servicer. I can't remember the last time I rebuilt a carb start to finish in one sitting, but an hour from evaluation to done & tuned is quite doable... could be half that under ideal circumstances, & will be longer if you're inexperienced, need to clean everything, the carb is a PITA to get to/off, is particularly gunged up, etc, etc...

 

[DutchWoodPecker]

Heres what worries me.The price of gas has risen since we are using less I believe the price of gas will rise at about the rate of electric tools does.Back in the 80s lots of guys were switching to propane for their vehicles.Big money says we cant have that so they jack up the price of propane so it equals gas.I just filled a 100 lb cylinder for my stove 137.00 ten years ago it was 35.00 .Every time they creat e a gas scare such as a small refinery fire they will raise the gas prices and the propane also if the price of crude goes up they raise the price of propane even though it has no affiliation with the price of crude oil.
The more the use of electricity for vehicles and tools the price will rise for oil propane and natural gas.
Kash

True. The same here. And then you even live in North America where gas and petrol are cheap as water because it is hardly taxed at all there. Here I pay (slightly) more than double your rates. Petrol at the pump is now to our great relieve down to the equivalent of about 9 US$ / gallon, 3 CAN$/liter. The prices of natural gas have literally gone up tenfold in a year and energy companies are dropping dead like flies (7 went bankrupt in just the last year). I seriously hope I can still shower warm in March. So solar panels and electric chainsaws is the way to go.

 

[SawTrash]

One important difference between battery trucks, trains, ships, cars, motorcycles, forklifts, whatever and battery chainsaws is the operator of the chainsaw has to carry the weight of the battery and saw.

Yes, there are saws with separate battery packs but they are not cordless.

Owning and using petrol and battery saws my experience tells me that any new battery saw designed to be the equivalent of a 60 or 70 cc saw would need a much bigger and heavier battery to compete. My MSA 220 would become an awesome beast with twin batteries attached but I doubt my arms could cope with such a weight for long.

Another aspect is one can't use a battery saw when there's rain about.

 

[sb47]

I saw a video the other day where two guys were in a huge pine tree and were liming it. One had a gas saw and the other had an electric saw. The electric saw seemed much handy'er to use then the gas saw. They even did a speed test to see witch saw cut faster and the electric won every time. This did not count start time only cutting time. The electric saw didn't have to be started every time, he just pulled the trigger away he went. But for big wood a gas powered saw will obviously be better then any electric saw. In another video I saw a lumber mill using a big wheeled electric saw for cutting big wood and it did a great job but it was so heavy it had wheels and rolled around much like a big floor jack. But it cut 4 foot logs like butter.
For just limbing small stuff around the home an electric saw could be the best for many home owners that only use a saw once a year. I can see where an electric saw might have some advantages over a gas saw.

 

[Philbert]

Another aspect is one can't use a battery saw when there's rain about.

Some are rated IPX4 water resistant for use in wet environments (splashes, but not under water).

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Heres what worries me.The price of gas has risen since we are using less I believe the price of gas will rise at about the rate of electric tools does.Back in the 80s lots of guys were switching to propane for their vehicles.Big money says we cant have that so they jack up the price of propane so it equals gas.I just filled a 100 lb cylinder for my stove 137.00 ten years ago it was 35.00 .Every time they creat e a gas scare such as a small refinery fire they will raise the gas prices and the propane also if the price of crude goes up they raise the price of propane even though it has no affiliation with the price of crude oil.
The more the use of electricity for vehicles and tools the price will rise for oil propane and natural gas.
Kash

That's one reason why it it good to have multiple options.

One important difference between battery trucks, trains, ships, cars, motorcycles, forklifts, whatever and battery chainsaws is the operator of the chainsaw has to carry the weight of the battery and saw.

Yes, there are saws with separate battery packs but they are not cordless.

Owning and using petrol and battery saws my experience tells me that any new battery saw designed to be the equivalent of a 60 or 70 cc saw would need a much bigger and heavier battery to compete. My MSA 220 would become an awesome beast with twin batteries attached but I doubt my arms could cope with such a weight for long.

Tool batteries are rated in Amp-Hours. 6Ah @ 40Volts = 240Watt-hours. 2Ah @ 120Volts = 240Watt-hours (2 of the batteries I happen to have: Oregon 40V and Redback 120V). My point is that that these cells have a certain output of electricity. A 6Ah battery will last longer than a 2Ah battery for the same tool, but will be larger / heavier (assuming same type and quality of cells). That is why I suggest having multiple batteries that you swap out and charge, instead of one, humongous / heavy battery pack.

Some hand held, battery powered tools already produce tremendous torque and power, although, some use larger, heavier batteries:







Philbert

 

[DutchWoodPecker]

Absolutely true. But material science advances and keeps making better batteries.
This is mostly motivated my the mobile phone / laptop / electric car industry.
We went from Acid to Lead to NiCad to NiMh to LiPo.
There is no reason to assume that this chain will stop here.
More efficient material combination have been created in the lab, although sadly we have not yet seen them into commercial products.
(Aluminium-air is a very promising one, as we do not have inifinite Lithium.)
So the batteries in ten years time will contain more power for the same weight and size.