Battery powered chainsaw

[ArlyA]

I was participating in a community effort to eradicate Buckthorn in the woods behind our local elementary school. The school administration will not let us use herbicides on any of this, so it's pull what we can, and cut the rest, knowing that we will have to come back and cut the resprouts. We did a two hour session of pulling with Uprooter tools and cutting with chainsaws. Most of what we are cutting is +/-1.5"-2" diameter, with occasional 4" and rarely some over 6". (Under about 1.5" we pull. We can pull larger stems with the Uprooters, but it's time-consuming, not to mention tiring.)

Last year I used my Milwaukee M18 Battery saw with 12 AH, 18 volt battery (216 watt-hours). The battery would not last the whole session, but the saw did OK, even on the larger trees. I brought my 50cc gas saw this time around (an old Jonsered 2152 - basically the same saw as a Husqvarna 353.) My conclusion was that even with the limited battery life of the Milwaukee saw, it may be the better choice for these sorts of group efforts: Folks like to socialize while working, and the gas saw makes that difficult.

A friend brought his 80V Greenworks saw (I have no idea of the battery capacity). I was impressed. I confess that I had tended to dismiss the Greenworks saws as "Big Box Store junk" (not through any actual evidence or personal experience, just my own unfounded impression). However his saw held up well. He made it through the two hour session of cutting and still had capacity left in his battery. He did say that cutting larger hardwood stems tends to suck the battery down quickly, but it works well for this sort of work.

Nice post. We bring 2 or 3 extra battery's with us. This was one of the reasons we got a makita, we already had them. (it is tiny and not very powerful)

 

[ultrarunner]

For that you would want to start off with a fresh battery or be ready with one when needed?

No… just simple cuts.

The saws are MSA 200 which have the thin kerf chain… easier cutting but limited on resharpening.

Batteries AP300 and 300s

I’ve barely used much battery when clearing a oak that toppled across the fire road.

 

[Snobdds]

I’d be “all-in” on a “E-Saw” if someone could produce a high quality (as good as a pro Stihl or Husky) 20” saw with 2 batteries that could last 4 hours and a proper vehicle charger that can keep both batteries charged quickly. Like in under a 1/2 hour.

You build a 20” E-saw that can charge both batteries while we take a lunch break then be able to run the entire afternoon and I’ll jump in. And no, I’m not wearing a battery “backpack”.

I think Stihl is almost there.

Batteries continue to be the limiting factor in every situation. There is a hard and true law in the battery game right now and it's weight. The bigger the battery the heavier it weighs. So these saw are going to be forever constrained by size as long as the battery tech is where it is now. Now everyone says, but the technology has come a long way and it has, but rare earth materials are not light nor are they great for the environment. Until we get a real break through on the ability to store more condensed energy, batteries powered things will be size limited.

It's the weight...Even teslas are constrained by it. Those little cars are weighing close to 8k pounds, that's HD truck territory. A guy at work can't figure out why he goes through tires so fast on his tesla...weight and a car tire do not mix really well. He burns through a set every 18 months, and he drives like a old man.

So the batteries are good for low duty cycle things...when you need to work, the choice remains obvious.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have a small Echo top handle gas that has performed flawlessly and took down a 36” hazardous tree only having a 14” bar as I just happened to have that saw with me… big block cuts too get through and fell.

Since I got the MSA 200 I have only used my Stihl 251 once and it was helping a friend with firewood.

So my 2 gas Stihl saws and my little Echo are now backups for my battery MSA 200

As mentioned the MSA saws make thousands of cuts during Christmas season… basically going all day on one battery each.

 

[two_bit_score]

It's the weight...Even teslas are constrained by it. Those little cars are weighing close to 8k pounds, that's HD truck territory. A guy at work can't figure out why he goes through tires so fast on his tesla...weight and a car tire do not mix really well. He burns through a set every 18 months, and he drives like a old man.

Interesting that you mention Tesla and weight. Texas added a $400 tax on new EV's and yearly renewals are $200 to make up for not being able to collect motor fuel tax. Motor fuel tax supports TxDot and highway repair and construction and the weight was a concern on the roads. One of the more liberal legislators was arguing against the tax because she said her Tesla wasn't very heavy. She was quickly silenced when it was pointed out the actual weight of her Tesla.

 

[DarkBlack]

I have a small Echo top handle gas that has performed flawlessly and took down a 36” hazardous tree

Pictures, or it didn’t happen

 

[WinterDeere]

Even teslas are constrained by it. Those little cars are weighing close to 8k pounds, that's HD truck territory.

I was having a little trouble believing this, so I searched on “list Teslas by curb weight”, and this is the list I got, heaviest to lightest.



They’re not made of feathers, but none listed here are anywhere near 8k lb. Which ones aren’t listed?

https://www.way.com/blog/how-much-does-a-tesla-weigh/

 

[Hay Dude]

Batteries continue to be the limiting factor in every situation. There is a hard and true law in the battery game right now and it's weight. The bigger the battery the heavier it weighs. So these saw are going to be forever constrained by size as long as the battery tech is where it is now. Now everyone says, but the technology has come a long way and it has, but rare earth materials are not light nor are they great for the environment. Until we get a real break through on the ability to store more condensed energy, batteries powered things will be size limited.

It's the weight...Even teslas are constrained by it. Those little cars are weighing close to 8k pounds, that's HD truck territory. A guy at work can't figure out why he goes through tires so fast on his tesla...weight and a car tire do not mix really well. He burns through a set every 18 months, and he drives like a old man.

So the batteries are good for low duty cycle things...when you need to work, the choice remains obvious.

The batteries have come a long way. The Stihl 300 battery has been replaced by the 500 battery. Weight is similar, but output/run time is improved.

Thats proof the batteries are same size, but more capacity. Who knows, maybe a ”700” battery comes next and the gap gets even tighter and then a ”1000” battery….

Yes, gas saws are still better in most respects, but battery saws continue to improve. They are at the point where they will run with a typical 50CC gas mix saw in terms of cutting speed. If you have 3 batteries and a charger nearby, it’s awfully close.

I use saws for months at a time and still believe gas mix has an advantage, but it’s narrowing.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I'm not sure why all the debate. If you can only afford one saw, and do a lot of cutting, it would have to be a gasser. If you've got the $$, get an electric saw and own both types. It's that simple.

 

[jyoutz]

I'm not sure why all the debate. If you can only afford one saw, and do a lot of cutting, it would have to be a gasser. If you've got the $$, get an electric saw and own both types. It's that simple.

Yep. I use both. If I’m going to the woods to get firewood, I only bring the big Stihl gas saw. But the battery operated saws are oh so nice for trimming tree limbs and snow breaks around the yard, and doing light pruning, especially my battery operated pole saw.