What is the best battery operated chain saw

John_Mc · Mar 9, 2019

cqaigy2 said:
Back to chain saws. As these battery saws get stronger, has anybody noticed if they've been tested against protection gear. I'm thinking the torque characteristics of electric motors, as compared to gas engines.

I have yet to find chaps that are certified for use with electric chainsaws

k0ua · Mar 10, 2019

Professor Marvel said:
are you happy with its performance?
if so could you tell me the model number?
Thanks

If you are refering to the Ryobi pole saw, yeah it is fine for cutting limbs overhead, I have even cut down small trees with it, but it isn't the best for that.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...-Battery-and-Charger-Included-P4361/203444119

Professor Marvel · Mar 10, 2019

ultrarunner said:
Very happy with it and it has been trouble free... survived be dropped out of a tree once and during a storm I used it to cut a 32" diameter tree that had fallen across the road... it has a 14" bar but I worked with it.

It is the only top handle arborist saw they had for many years... will need to check the model number as I when I just checked the website I see several but not the one I have.

In my application the oil not leaking is very important.

CS-303T closely resembles mine

thank you

Professor Marvel · Mar 10, 2019

dfkrug said:
I have been using my Greenworks 40V exactly that way in the recent tree carnage we have had here in the mtns.

ok thank you

SirMaxwell · Mar 10, 2019

shooterdon said:
How many cuts through 10" diameter logs (mix of maple, birch, ash, oak) do you estimate the saw will make before a recharge?

Thanks,

Not sure about 10", as I haven't cut much around there in the last year. I have spent quite some time with 8 and 6 or below. Lots of Oak, Walnut, Popular. I would estimate several dozen full cuts, and probably more. Buy the time I get through limbing and starting to cut them up, I've stopped for lunch and re-charged. Once I forgot for a couple days when I was trimming in the JLG. Ran out of power appx O'beer thirty.

aczlan · Mar 10, 2019

k0ua said:
If you are refering to the Ryobi pole saw, yeah it is fine for cutting limbs overhead, I have even cut down small trees with it, but it isn't the best for that.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...-Battery-and-Charger-Included-P4361/203444119

We have the Ryobi quick change pole saw (a $7 yardsale find) on a Kobalt 80v power head and it works very well. We limbed out a 60 foot maple tree last summer (cut anything smaller than 4" to drag to the burn pile) and it did the whole tree with 2 bars of battery left.

Aaron Z

lostcreekranch · Mar 10, 2019

Professor Marvel said:
How much is the cost and inconvenience of a 600' + extension cord?

Not to mention the "Voltage Drop".

k0ua · Mar 10, 2019

rlgustafson said:
Not to mention the "Voltage Drop".

Yeah, I think that would suck bigtime. Especially the 16 gauge ones!.

Professor Marvel · Mar 10, 2019

k0ua said:
If you are refering to the Ryobi pole saw, yeah it is fine for cutting limbs overhead, I have even cut down small trees with it, but it isn't the best for that.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...-Battery-and-Charger-Included-P4361/203444119

I have the stihl battery pole saw that extends to 12' and it works great for things i would not be able to get to otherwise. I was even considering getting the shorter non extending stihl and modifying it by cutting out about 4' and shortening the wires inside the pole but didn't want to spend the money if I wasn't sure i could make it work.
A couple years ago i had a troy built pole saw that looked a lot like the Riobi. It worked pretty well. In fact it got me into all the stihl battery stuff. I used the troy built as a sample of what battery chain saws can do. I used it A LOT with the middle section out but it broke and they stopped making that. Most of them can not have the middle removed now. The riobi you pointed out is how I will go if I can't bring myself to chop the stihl. That short pole saw was just SO useful.

Back to the OP's question "what brand battery chain saw to use" i am very happy with my stihl and makita and i think that several of the others are probably fine at this point.

SirMaxwell · Mar 10, 2019

Professor Marvel said:
How much is the cost and inconvenience of a 600' + extension cord?

At 600ft you need a heavy gauge cable, and really should be running a higher voltage that is later split/dropped. As to cost, a 100ft Copper, 10GA Extension cable, will run you around a 100 bucks currently.

600ft extension, even at 10ga, gonna cost you some losses. In reality you would need appx a #2 or 3 Cable for 20Amps at that distance.

Too many questions, but what are you trying to accomplish?