newbury
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
- Messages
- 13,462
- Location
- From Vt, in Va, retiring to MS
- Tractor
- Kubota's - B7610, M4700
I can't afford a bucket truck, but I've over a dozen trees on 3 residential properties that I need to "prune" from the top down because they are in locations that a large falling branch would damage the neighbors or my houses. Previously I used my little Stihl 021 while up on a ladder. Then I used my DeWalt 20V max "sawzall". Both work "ok" but the Stihl needs starting and the DeWalt isn't great when the limbs get up to 4" and bigger. The B&D LCS1240 weighs about 8 lbs (so it's sort of like holding a gallon of milk). It cuts through larger limbs like butter and starts easily.Ahem, that's why I carry my Stihl 660 with me wherever I go.
Times have changed my friend, batteries have far surpassed corded saws. As a wild guess I bet a modern battery saw would cut a 10" log half the speed of my MS201T which is a pro-grade gas saw. But the time is "made up" in other ways that end up as superior. I see it time and time again. I think only a fool would cut firewood with an electric saw. Or go after a large number of logs. But doing other work, it competes cuz it's "always on" and "instant off".
So often I have to start the gas saw to cut one peice of wood (sometimes firewood that's too long etc) and it seems absolutley silly in comparison to a battery saw which you just pull the trigger then set it back down. Or on the ATV, or tractor, pull, pull, pull, braap braap braap to cut ONE branch or log in the way.
I think the jobs where you never set the saw down, gas wins big. If you set the saw down after every cut, the Battery saw wins just as big. To claim that one is better than the other, ignoring the vast difference between the types of jobs that are done with a chainsaw, is a non-sensical tool comparison and thus useless information.
And up in a bucket.....no comparison.
It makes sense it has to be whatever brand my NEXT BATCH of battery tools are, such as Makita, or DeWalt. At least that's my current thought. But I have to buy into a whole line of new power tools. Main problem is my 18V Dewalts are still going strong (since 2006). I'm getting tired of the NiCad batteries though.
And note that DeWalt produces an adapter to use 20V Max batteries with the 18V tools.
That was my goal but DeWalt refused to build a powerful one that would use my present battery collection.Aren't the cordless chainsaws a much higher voltage battery than cordless handtools? Is one of your goals to use the same battery back in all the tools?
And DeWalt has just come out with the DCCS670X1 FLEXVOLT 60V MAX* BRUSHLESS CHAINSAW FINALLY.Makita and DeWalt (and others) are addressing that specifically. For example the Makita saw is a two-holer. If 18v is enough power, you put a battery in one hole. If you want 36V you put in 2 batteries.
DeWalt does it a different way. The battery and the tool have a little conversation and the battery connects its cells up (series or parallel etc) to put out whatever voltage the tool wants. They have a jobsite chopsaw that takes up to 120V DC. And they can run on a 120VAC cord too.
Times they are a changing.
I still prefer my 021 for on the ground small jobs, my 088 for big jobs, my 660's for CSM and overall making trees lie down, but a $120 electric is a sweet spot for cutting limbs above ground.