Anyone interested in a battery saw needs to look at Huskys new 350i, supposedly only sold at Lowe’s - $450 all in, saw, battery, charger. We’ve been running one on our crew for a couple of days and it seems pretty good.
BATTERY POWERED CHAIN SAW
- Thread starter Jondoe
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As with 2-cycle saws, there is a range in product quality.
With battery saws, that can include the battery pack. One cell going bad (‘36 Volt’ saw = Ten, 3.6V battery cells wired in series) can make the whole pack refuse to charge.
Choosing a brand with good warranty service, and replacement parts and batteries, should be part of the consideration.
If you are already invested in a battery platform (Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc.), that can be a good starting point.
Philbert
With battery saws, that can include the battery pack. One cell going bad (‘36 Volt’ saw = Ten, 3.6V battery cells wired in series) can make the whole pack refuse to charge.
Choosing a brand with good warranty service, and replacement parts and batteries, should be part of the consideration.
If you are already invested in a battery platform (Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc.), that can be a good starting point.
Philbert
Jondoe
ArboristSite Lurker
The Ryobi saw (14" 40V) arrived at my house this morning. Haven't had time to look at it yet.
We have a Ryobi mower, leaf blower and power head for weeding and headgear trimming...all share the 40V batteries. If that chainsaw had been available a few months ago I'd have gotten it instead of a used Husky 440.
Jondoe
ArboristSite Lurker
I don't know, but it sure sounds like a comment to me. You understand that this thread is about battery powered saws, right ?
Absolutely, I just stated my feelings about battery powered chainsaws and candidly I did buy one a couple days ago for my wife, not that she cannot start an Echo with the I30 starter because she can. Having said that I bought the Harbor Freight 20 volt Bauer for her because I have many Bauer cordless tools and numerous battery packs. I'm not gonna use it anyway and tool only it was 50 bucks and has a Oregon chain and bar. The Bauer is brushless just like most of them are today and made offshore, just like the rest, except the Stihl. Probably be good in tree saws until the battery poops out.
If I was ever to buy one for myself, it would be an Echo, not that I would. Not an electric chainsaw fan, or electric car fan for that matter
I read all the comments about them. My issue with them is chain speed 100%. The slower the chain revolves around the bar, the slower it cuts and a dull chain magnifies that issue. Not an issue here as I grind chains for customers so her chain will stay razor sharp. The other issue is the short bar length for me. Fine for pruning but non can do the heavy bucking stuff
Jondoe
ArboristSite Lurker
OK understand.
I just came in from the first use of my Ryobi 14" saw. I was very impressed. It cuts like crazy and I never had it stop on me. Now I'm an old man, and pulling the rope doesn't work for me anymore. But I was cutting up the tree I fell a few days ago, an it kept working as long as I could. So I'm happy with it so far. If I was a younger man, a second battery would be in order, but after about 40 minutes in the heat sawing, I was ready to quit. After coming back inside, I checked the battery level, it was also ready to quit.
I just came in from the first use of my Ryobi 14" saw. I was very impressed. It cuts like crazy and I never had it stop on me. Now I'm an old man, and pulling the rope doesn't work for me anymore. But I was cutting up the tree I fell a few days ago, an it kept working as long as I could. So I'm happy with it so far. If I was a younger man, a second battery would be in order, but after about 40 minutes in the heat sawing, I was ready to quit. After coming back inside, I checked the battery level, it was also ready to quit.
A second battery is nice, when the first one runs out of juice in the middle of a job, and you want to keep going.
Sometimes, you can buy an additional tool, for not much more than the cost of a second battery. For example, you might find a compatible string trimmer , WITH a battery and charger, for just a few dollars more than a second battery.
Or, a pole saw, hedge trimmer, leaf blower, etc.
Then you have ‘spare’ batteries for ‘both’ of your tools.
Philbert
Sometimes, you can buy an additional tool, for not much more than the cost of a second battery. For example, you might find a compatible string trimmer , WITH a battery and charger, for just a few dollars more than a second battery.
Or, a pole saw, hedge trimmer, leaf blower, etc.
Then you have ‘spare’ batteries for ‘both’ of your tools.
Philbert
I'm guessing that it's been a long time since you took a vacation.
Chainsaws are pretty cheap by comparison.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
Mines not big, but has a lot of power for what it is. i got it for cleaning up smll stuff. it works just fine. only 18 volt. but i bought two more batteries on sale. i looked at the 40 volt ones but didn't need one that big. plus the batteries was over 200 bucks each. I used it to clear a path to get at two big downed trees.
Weeding is traditionally done, by hand......and taking a machine to your head, sounds beyond dangerous.......how much is a quick trim at the local barber shop! Yikes. Headgear trimming under power!!!!
Chucksta
What could possibly go wrong??
I'm 5 years (ish) in to having electric stuff in my arsenal. It was like most things.. What's the worst that could happen.. What could possibly go wrong? It started with an Echo trimmer, with a 56 volt battery.. Well.. only having one battery sucks, so I picked up a second battery with it. The charger ran ( barely), off the power port in my truck, so keeping a battery on the charger was easily do-able when I tried it out with my landscaping crew. And, as it was the Echo P.A.S. system, I could also use the power head of the trimmer to run other attachments. Sure, not the big ones, but it'd run most of them.
It's like drugs.. they get you hooked cheap, and then they want to sell you more! So.. Since I already have the batteries and charger, why not grab a saw? The "bare tool " was pretty cheap. But, you know what? Although it's not my "go to" saw, during the Summer.. it's my "go to " saw during the Winter, when my other Stihls and Echos have been Winterized and fogged and are put away. Toss it in the back of the truck, and forget about it.. no fuel issues, no worries about starting.. Just grab it and go, if I needed to cut up a fall, and get it out of the driveway. Even at sub zero temps, it worked fine. Just give it a bit of light duty, before beating on it, to let the battery warm itself up. No different than an I.C.E. saw needing a bit of idle time when it's colder than a witches tit.
My neighbour has a 33 cc Poulan. I've tuned it and sharpened it. The electric Echo kicks it butt under any cutting scenario, and one battery lasts about as long as a tank of fuel on the Poulan. He hates me for being right .. I hate him for thinking that a Poulan is considered a SAW. so, we're even
If I was going to upgrade to a new system.. It'd be...
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/battery-saws/msa220tco/
But, after cutting a ton of crap with the Echo, ( O.K., truth be told, I give it to people who want to help, but may be a bit clueless), the batteries are holding up just fine, and other than that it has plastic dogs, I can't find anything to complain about it, for the price point. It just effin works.
Unfortunately, for all of us, the future is electric... whether we like it .. or not..
Personally, I've learned not to tilt at windmills, as we are effed into this by C.A.R.B. , and lilly white handed tree huggers who don't understand what some of us do for a living. But, as a group, we are too dis-organized to properly lobby Government for a logical solution to the crap we're having jammed down our collective throats.
Battery operated saws, are just going to keep getting better and better.. Gas powered saws, are just going to get legislated out of existence.
It's like drugs.. they get you hooked cheap, and then they want to sell you more! So.. Since I already have the batteries and charger, why not grab a saw? The "bare tool " was pretty cheap. But, you know what? Although it's not my "go to" saw, during the Summer.. it's my "go to " saw during the Winter, when my other Stihls and Echos have been Winterized and fogged and are put away. Toss it in the back of the truck, and forget about it.. no fuel issues, no worries about starting.. Just grab it and go, if I needed to cut up a fall, and get it out of the driveway. Even at sub zero temps, it worked fine. Just give it a bit of light duty, before beating on it, to let the battery warm itself up. No different than an I.C.E. saw needing a bit of idle time when it's colder than a witches tit.
My neighbour has a 33 cc Poulan. I've tuned it and sharpened it. The electric Echo kicks it butt under any cutting scenario, and one battery lasts about as long as a tank of fuel on the Poulan. He hates me for being right .. I hate him for thinking that a Poulan is considered a SAW. so, we're even
If I was going to upgrade to a new system.. It'd be...
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/battery-saws/msa220tco/
But, after cutting a ton of crap with the Echo, ( O.K., truth be told, I give it to people who want to help, but may be a bit clueless), the batteries are holding up just fine, and other than that it has plastic dogs, I can't find anything to complain about it, for the price point. It just effin works.
Unfortunately, for all of us, the future is electric... whether we like it .. or not..
Personally, I've learned not to tilt at windmills, as we are effed into this by C.A.R.B. , and lilly white handed tree huggers who don't understand what some of us do for a living. But, as a group, we are too dis-organized to properly lobby Government for a logical solution to the crap we're having jammed down our collective throats.
Battery operated saws, are just going to keep getting better and better.. Gas powered saws, are just going to get legislated out of existence.
Hey guys I want to throw something in here about battery saws and chaps. Ever since I’ve started using them I kept hearing chaps won’t protect you from battery saws. Well that is BS. I actually did a test myself with some old chaps and my Stihl MSA220 and the chaps worked perfectly, The chain was stopped instantly and did not go through the chaps. But it does make a mess in your saw 
Any chainsaw battery or engine drive with a virgin loop will cut like crazy, because it's sharp. I'm an old man as well (73) and I can still start a gas saw easily.
I've got 2 of the Ryobi 40v saws and love them, I also have 14 gas saws between my house and cottage do it's not like I don't have anything to compare them to. The battery saws are great tools, we had a tree come down across the driveway a few months ago when I was up at the cottage. Wife came home with one of the grandkids and could not get up the driveway. Sent her into my barn to get the battery saw and she cut a couple sections out and got up the drive. Would I have been comfortable with her using a gas saw to do that? I doubt she could even start one. I run the gamut from an Echo CS-670 down to an Echo CS-345 in the gas saws and love them all but I would never give up my battery saws now. For trimming the trails and driveway they are perfect, push the button, cut a branch and move on.
My brother has an 80v Kobalt saw up North and that saw has been a workhorse, I would put it up against any 50cc saw out there. My CS-590 will out do it, but it's probably got more grunt than my CS-400.
I'm 62 years old and the weight and balance of my Ryobi saws is good, I can change it a bit depending on what battery I am using. As stated by others having extra batteries is a good thing as well as the fast chargers to keep going. I have never run out of juice before my last battery was charged back up using 4 or 5ah batteries, and yes I keep my chains sharp.
I would never give up my battery saws, they are a great addition to the tool box. I would not take mine out to the woods for cords of firewood, but that's not what 14" or 16" saws are for. If I am up at the cottage and I am going to section a down tree for the evenings fire I would not hesitate to take one. So far they have been reliable and have held up. I know the Kobalt up North has been working hard for 3 years now without an issue.
My brother has an 80v Kobalt saw up North and that saw has been a workhorse, I would put it up against any 50cc saw out there. My CS-590 will out do it, but it's probably got more grunt than my CS-400.
I'm 62 years old and the weight and balance of my Ryobi saws is good, I can change it a bit depending on what battery I am using. As stated by others having extra batteries is a good thing as well as the fast chargers to keep going. I have never run out of juice before my last battery was charged back up using 4 or 5ah batteries, and yes I keep my chains sharp.
I would never give up my battery saws, they are a great addition to the tool box. I would not take mine out to the woods for cords of firewood, but that's not what 14" or 16" saws are for. If I am up at the cottage and I am going to section a down tree for the evenings fire I would not hesitate to take one. So far they have been reliable and have held up. I know the Kobalt up North has been working hard for 3 years now without an issue.
Right.Hey guys I want to throw something in here about battery saws and chaps. Ever since I’ve started using them I kept hearing chaps won’t protect you from battery saws. Well that is BS. I actually did a test myself with some old chaps and my Stihl MSA220 and the chaps worked perfectly, The chain was stopped instantly and did not go through the chaps. But it does make a mess in your saw
Lots of videos on YouTube too.
Corded electric and battery saws do not ‘fit’ the chaps standards, because the standards are based on conventional, gas saws, with conventional clutches, etc. That has led to a lot of misinformation.
Of course, chaps will not stop every saw. But most of the battery saws I have tried also have overload / cut-out circuit protections that stop a chain very quickly.
Philbert
Just for some perspective, it’s now about 12 years since my first battery powered saw (!). My original Oregon batteries still work, although, I can’t state at what percent of original capacity.
https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/review-oregon-powernow-cordless-chainsaw.179262/
Other battery packs (different brands) have failed with limited use. We have also seen Li-ion batteries in some consumer products catch fire! So battery quality is an important issue, although, hard to judge, except by brand reputation.
Philbert
https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/review-oregon-powernow-cordless-chainsaw.179262/
Other battery packs (different brands) have failed with limited use. We have also seen Li-ion batteries in some consumer products catch fire! So battery quality is an important issue, although, hard to judge, except by brand reputation.
Philbert
This technology is moving so fast its hard to keep up with. Not only battery technology but electric motors, I'm not saying it's there yet, but if a Tesla can outrun most supercars I'm not going to say in the next 5, or 10, or one year we won't see battery operated saws out performing gas saws. In the last ten years, I'm going to say we have seen the peak of 2 stroke development... 201t as a perfect example... how do we meet modern emissions standards and match the performance of the legendary 200t? And the answer always seemed to be undo the emissions controls on a 201 to make it run like a 200.
Meanwhile, every year battery saws have continued to become lighter, faster, better battery life, etc. That video Treeson posted on YouTube was eye opening... those were truly viable climbing saws. Will we see a viable 880ms battery operated replacement in the near future? I don't know, but I feel like it is no longer a laughable concept.
Meanwhile, every year battery saws have continued to become lighter, faster, better battery life, etc. That video Treeson posted on YouTube was eye opening... those were truly viable climbing saws. Will we see a viable 880ms battery operated replacement in the near future? I don't know, but I feel like it is no longer a laughable concept.
Well, I live far enough away from Kalifornia to not smell the stink. Far as ICE powered chainsaws, considering I have one that is 45 years old and runs like a top, I don't see that happening and if it does, I won't be here to worry about it anyway. Used to support your provinces with hunting. Haven't been up north in years now
