Review of battery chainsaw

Re: Review of battery chainsaw

Joe shelton

I think you're asking about the Project Farm review of multiple battery saws, with a comparison to a Stihl gas saw. It's a good review, but it didn't give me buyer's remorse for buying the Milwaukee instead of the Makita.

They are surprisingly good saws

Joe

Re: Review of battery chainsaw

Philip F Duffy

Thanks, Joe, good info. I have since found the model nr that had been recommended and all is well. P.

Re: Review of battery chainsaw

William Duffield

I'm guessing what you are looking for are two posts by myself and subsequent discussions centered on the Makita XCU04 chainsaw. Here is a link to a starting point:

https://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/messages.pl/page/2/md/read/id/538304/sbj/battery-powered-chainsaw-recommendation/

All that observed and said, I don't think I would have hesitated to buy a Milwaukee or a DeWalt, especially if I had already invested in one of those manufacturers' power systems, because they also have reputations for building competent tools. I have not used any other battery powered chain saws, so I can't make any valid in-use comparisons with them. What is important is the overwhelming advantages of some features of any of them over any gas powered chainsaw.

20 years ago, I inherited a corded electric Remington chainsaw, but I was not impressed. But I knew nothing back then, so my disappointment may have been due to something as simple as a dull chain that I didn't know how to sharpen. At least, I didn't experience kickback, or saw through the cord and kill myself.

Safe chain and slow speed

David Weaver

My renter neighbor as a kid had one of those Remington saws. It had a safety chain, no weight and slow chain speed. Destined to test patience. The neighbor would tell us his saw overheated as an excuse to borrow one of our gas saws.

I think he just ran out of patience.

Re: Review of battery chainsaw

Bruce, a MN Galoot

Tom Dunlap, on the main board, highly recommends the Makita, battery chainsaw. He’s a professional arborist and all around good guy. Post over there. He doesn’t read this board.

You are on the wrong Forum

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

You need to talk to Dunlap, the professional arborist, on the main board.

Re: Review of battery chainsaw

Philip F Duffy

Hi William, I was hoping you would come up online to repeat and add to your earlier posting. Thanks very much! So far I have not found any in-stock models to ''walk out the door" but hope to have one soon. P

and these are?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

What is important is the overwhelming advantages of some features of any of them over any gas powered chainsaw.

I don't know anyone that owns one, hence, ignorant of their advantageous features and performance. The portability of a battery sawsall and drill is compelling compared to corded, with the disadvantage of battery charging and battery life. In these tools that is the only difference I can think of. There is smelling of burnt oil from the gas chain saw but what else?

Re: and these are?

Joe shelton

I'll give you my perspective, though it is not a compelling one for all chainsaw users.

I use my Milwaukee episodically, frequently just for firewood and minor trimming trees. I harvest as much 'yard wood' as possible in my neighborhood. Last time I used my saw was a week ago, when I sawed three 2 1/2" to 3" planks from a log I got when a neighbor had a large sweet gum felled. That piece also yielded two outer slabs that are becoming one bowl and one tray.

The saw had been idle over a month when I used it. It was ready to go as soon as I inserted the battery. I've had Stihl and Husqvarna saws before that would never sit idle for long periods, and then fire right up for a 15 or 20 minute session.

I got good straight cuts in that 22" section, and put my saw away confident that, when I next need it, it will be ready.

That's the kind of saw I need.

Re: You are on the wrong Forum

Philip F Duffy

Gee. I got the answers I wanted on this forum. P.

Re: You are on the wrong Forum

William Duffield

That's why I put links to the pertinent threads on the Messages forum. If you had followed them, you would have also found the answers to your advantages questions.

I'll summarize some of the more important advantages here:

• No need to mix gas and oil,

• Minimal chance of spilling gas or oil in your shop, truck or forest (of course, you can still manage to spill bar and chain oil),

• swapping batteries is a lot quicker than refilling gas tank, and you can keep them warm in your coat pocket,

• Much quieter, no need for hearing protection,

• No air pollution,

• Can't flood the engine,

• No need to drop start, which is dangerous,

• No wasted effort or arcane choke procedures required to start saw, especially after you've flooded it,

• Much higher torque, but this can be a disadvantage if your chaps are of substandard quality,

• No need to carry a scrench, or search for it in the underbrush. Swapping a chain in the shop or woods, is toolless. This is not a generic advantage, but is an advantage of my Makita battery saw over my Stihl gas saw.

Oh, and one other advantage that just occurred to me. I don't need my boot toe to fit through the saw's handle so I can start it without using the drop start method, which means I'm much less likely to leave the steel toed boots at home and wear sneakers for a quick trim job.

My next door neighbor couldn't start his saw; Someone had put the bar and chain oil in the gas tank. If you are dealing with only one container of petroleum products and one orifice on the saw, this can't happen.

Huh....

John in NM

None of those have ever been a huge problem for me.... There's more than just two ways of starting a saw - I can't say as I've ever used either the toe in handle or a drop start.

Electric saws are nice, as are gas saws. Keep the chain sharp and either one will do the average homeowner's work without a bit of trouble.

Biggest downside to gas saws is having to keep the fuel fresh. Since I switched to a steel can, that hasn't been an issue, I can use the 2 gallons in a couple seasons (same mix for the weed wacker too) and the steel can keeps it fresh that long. Plastic cans I remember having trouble with the fuel past about six months.

correctly starting a gas saw

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I wish we were having this conversation where it belongs but here we are, so.....

I don't need my boot toe to fit through the saw's handle so I can start it without using the drop start method,

The two means you name may be common in the suburbs but not in the woods. The second is dangerous and should not even be mentioned and the first is inconvenient, which may be why the first is used by the untrained.

In a timber cutters safety class a means of starting a saw is encouraged (highly encouraged if you intend to pass) that is none of the above. "3 point" is in its name but I do not recall the name. If right handed the handle goes under your right thigh, engine against left thigh and left hand on handle. The saw is in control in this position and easily started. No doubt it is illustrated somewhere on the Internet. This technique is what you see in practice because it is safe and convenient. Watched a timber cutter this week on a job and as usual that is how he was starting the saw.

In training (and on a well managed job) you are required to stop the saw if you intend to take more than a few steps (don't recall the number, 3?) Convenience means the saw needs to restart on the first pull. If a gas saw does not start on the first pull, once warm, it needs fixing.

Gas saws are noisy and one stinks of burnt oil after using. If I kept a saw ready for whatever in the truck an electric saw could be compelling. The rest of your advantages are not compelling, or relevant, to anyone experienced with a gas saw. For example, after running through a tank of gas on a professional weight saw I am delighted to take a break to fill the tank.

suburbs vs...

David Weaver

we cut and split wood for heat as a kid. Promac 610 (probably one of the worst saws made for power to weight, but it ran - slow cutting, heavy, doesn't resemble any other saw, but it ran), and now I live in the suburbs.

I intended to live somewhere with more trees (I have two and have to hope for something to fall in the community park to get run time and play with a mid level husky saw).

I run my saw sometimes 4 times a year, and sometimes every 3 years. It has a compression release, but will start in as many pulls as it takes to get fuel to it after it's sat for a while (usually about 5 or 6). Dad's saws were always the same way. When we went to heating oil, a few pulls and the promac was running.

But there are probably a lot of cheaper saws that don't keep fuel trim on the carb and become a real pain to get started because they're too lean or fat or have been run with overdone fuel mix (and a clogged carb screen).

I can see the appeal of the battery saws for someone doing some limbing or filling a SxS with some camp wood or a week or two of firewood.

But the thrill and feel of running a good running gas saw is missing (especially if the opportunity to on the handles of someone's worked saw is around). The battery saws are about halfway there vs. a good mid sized gas saw in terms of chain speed, though - maybe in another 15 years....

There are a lot of people in my neighborhood who couldn't get a saw started if it wasn't handed to them primed and previously started, though. I get it with the battery saws, but the need for a big battery makes them kind of expensive...

...oh...one other thing they do have on something like mid and upper trim saws - you can run them at 8 am on saturday next to someone's property line and nobody will complain.

Gas storage

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

You are right about storage. Plastic is permeable to oxygen and oxygen can make gummy which is death to a carburetor. Also more volatile components that making starting easier will diffuse out of plastic. Metal can or glass bottle is best storage. If near a lab that uses diethyl ether, the empty ether cans are dandy. Well, you could/should question the glass. It's is a long story why I use glass. Glass not recommended or relevant to most.

I fit that description...

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Yup, I'm not a really a chainsaw user and my life is better without small gas engines (easier, fewer !@#$% words needed).

If I ever acquire a chain saw, it will be battery (now have a corded one) for all the reasons David noted. Ease of use and ability to start it is much so more important than power to me... again I'm on the record as not being 'a power user.'

Should I ever need a real chainsaw, I have a friend with about 10+ Stihl saws of various vintages and sizes, and he knows how to use them! He won't loan them out, but he will come over with one...

Henry

This is the hand tool Forum

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If one is logging or cutting cords of firewood a chain saw could be considered a must have tool. But for the occasional cutting of branches and small trees why are we not talking about bow saws of one kind or another? A bow saw will fill the need for an electric chain saw with the benefits of hand tools as a bonus. All the satisfaction of cutting a tenon by hand is to be replicated by breezing through a 6" limb with a sharp bow saw, or by swinging a sharp ax.

While the skills to wield a sharp ax may not be available, anyone that can saw a tenon or dovetail can use a bow saw skillfully. And they are much easier to sharpen than a 12 point saw. It was not uncommon not too many years ago the pulp logs were harvested with a larger bow saw, often called a Swede saw. It can't be argued that a bow saw is uselessly slow.

For decades I carried a small bow saw for cutting firewood when camping, and still do. Manning a remote Adirondack fire tower with my father I cut all the white birch wood used for cooking with a bow saw.

It can be more difficult today to get well made and designed blades for bow saws. I find the Sandvik to be best. For a frame it might be best to go antique for the old steel frames or the wood ones provide better blade support. Of make you own.

The large wooden frame saw and its steel frame companion are for large limbs and firewood. I have cut mountains of firewood with it.

The red handled saw is for camp firewood, pruning and small limbs. I use it a lot for trail maintenance when I am not using an ax. The smaller wood frame saw I am experimenting with making for a camp saw. A lighter weight version is used back backing.

With luck this post will inspire a hand tool enthusiast to eschew the electric saw and embrace hand saws.

Re: I fit that description...

John in NM

Your friend is definitely suffering from chainsaw enthusiasm - something I share with him, though I don't claim to be any kind of expert. Give me any opportunity to show up and run a saw and I take it

I've also heard good things about Silky saws...

John in NM

Lots of good hand tool options. Axes are dangerous - once you've re-handled one you start looking for others to do

I burn some, every year

Jim Matthews

When our new Windows went in, our Winter heat load dropped. Before then I cut, stacked and split 2+ cords each year. I'll still swing the axe, but anything bigger ten inch diameter gets the Dolmar treatment.

Sawing local White Oak by hand is for convicts.