What is the best battery operated chain saw

[dragoneggs]

Chain Saw MSA 200C-BQ
Blower BGA 85
Pole Pruner 10" bar HTA 65
Pole Hedge Trimmer HLA 65
Battery AP 300
High Speed Charger AL 500
replacement chains...

One thing I don't see is a car charger for the AP series...

I have used the cigarette lighter car charger for Makita since 1990 and sure is convenient.

Some of the chargers will work with my inverter and some don't.

Debated on whether to wait for the Pro AP Chainsaw but I do like the tool-less bar/chain change out of the 200...

I have the 86 gas blower (the largest handheld) and was hoping it would blow a little harder. I am assuming that the power of the battery vs. gasser tools are close when the model numbers are the same and the counter guy where I was ordering the Stihls seemed to concur.

I know this is a difficult question to gage, but how is the air power of your blower? Are you happy with it? I opted for the 100 battery blower after looking at the specs, but will need to carry the battery on my hip. Needed the battery belt and cord anyways for the 130R string trimmer as I have the 130 gasser and expect the same performance.

I wasn't aware of the tooless bar/chain change on the 200. Need to look at that too!

 

[ultrarunner]

The Pros don't like the tool-less chain replacement from comments I have heard but it sure is convenient occasional use..

Can't comment yet on the blower... won't have it until next weekend... I have a specific chore in mind... and quiet operation means I can use it just about anytime...

 

[dragoneggs]

The Pros don't like the tool-less chain replacement from comments I have heard but it sure is convenient occasional use..

Can't comment yet on the blower... won't have it until next weekend... I have a specific chore in mind... and quiet operation means I can use it just about anytime...

My dealer told me the most powerful battery backpack blower was specifically made for the California market due to environmental laws.

 

[ultrarunner]

My dealer told me the most powerful battery backpack blower was specifically made for the California market due to environmental laws.

Yes... many exclusive areas with multi million dollar homes outright banned blowers citing noise ordinance violation… some simply didn't like them and found noise complaints convenient.

It is most definitely a concern so keeping things quiet can be lucrative.

I have had a similar problem with mom's property... if I start a chainsaw/run the tractor there is a good chance the police will show up and ask me who I am and what am I doing...

Most everyone thinks her property is city owned so it is an ongoing issue... her backyard is 8 acres including my 1.5 that is surrounded on 3 sides by city open space... at one time Mom and Dad owned almost 20 acres but Dad thinned it down... the weed control of steep canyons and ridges became a second job...

Just last week, people that walk their dogs/trespass were calling in to the city saying a tree had fallen blocking their access... making it difficult for many to walk the trail...

In the old days... like the 70's friends would be lining up to cut and removed old fallen Oaks... but not anymore.

So anything that lets me avoid problems is one less thing I have to deal with...

 

[Professor Marvel]

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

So Aaron could I get a 80v power head from Kobalt and add a riobi pole saw attachment? Or could I use the oregon attachment? Are those pole saws really universal? Stihl wants 450 for the battery power head and 200 for the pole saw. Not sure I want it that much. I already have the Kobalt 80v blower so it looks like maybe I could get the power head with a weedeater(150) and add a oregon pole saw attachment(99) ? Really I just want a short battery pole saw and the smallest stihl is a little over 8 ft. Looking to put together about a 5 ft one for not too much money

 

[aczlan]

So Aaron could I get a 80v power head from Kobalt and add a riobi pole saw attachment? Or could I use the oregon attachment? Are those pole saws really universal? Stihl wants 450 for the battery power head and 200 for the pole saw. Not sure I want it that much. I already have the Kobalt 80v blower so it looks like maybe I could get the power head with a weedeater(150) and add a oregon pole saw attachment(99) ? Really I just want a short battery pole saw and the smallest stihl is a little over 8 ft. Looking to put together about a 5 ft one for not too much money

That is what I did, we had the 80 volt Kobalt and I happened to stop at a yard sale where they were selling a 8in Ryobi quick-change pole saw attachment for $7
If I remember next time I am over there, I will get a picture and part number.
As I recall, the quick-change is just a tube with a push in connector and a square connector on the drive shaft to transmit power down.
It looked like it was the same size and I figured for the price I wasn't out much if it didn't fit but it fit perfectly.

Aaron Z

 

[Professor Marvel]

That is what I did, we had the 80 volt Kobalt and I happened to stop at a yard sale where they were selling a 8in Ryobi quick-change pole saw attachment for $7
If I remember next time I am over there, I will get a picture and part number.
As I recall, the quick-change is just a tube with a push in connector and a square connector on the drive shaft to transmit power down.
It looked like it was the same size and I figured for the price I wasn't out much if it didn't fit but it fit perfectly.

Aaron Z

Thanks
Was the set up pretty short?

 

[fried1765]

I am old enough to remember when the first battery powered drills hit the market. They were expensive and weak. We have come a long way. No, I could not have imagined a battery powered chainsaw a back a few decades ago. I am predicting that they will rapidly become the norm for homeowner use. There are just too many positives to their use for a homeowner, and the negatives are becoming less and less as time goes by.

I am old enough to remember when the first battery powered watches hit the market.
Now I realize that I am VERY old!

 

[k0ua]

I remember when in the 60's the very first battery powered drills hit the market. They were very underpowered and had short run times. You rented them from lumber yards for jobs you really really needed a cordless drill/driver. Soon in the 70's even I owned and could afford one. They just got better and better each year. More power, less price.

 

[Oaktree]

I've never had anything bad Makita... it was my first cordless back around 1983 and still have it...

Just the opposite here. First cordless drill I had was Makita, I'm thinking some time in the 90s. It was a wimpy, underpowered toy IMHO. Batteries were not easily replaceable, and you had to plug a wall-wart into the drill to recharge them, so you were SOL if you ran them down mid-project. I'm sure they're greatly improved today, but it gave me a bad image of cordless tools (and the Makita brand) for a long time.
Pro's around here seem to mostly use Milwaukee.