Battery powered chainsaw

[WinterDeere]

Greenworks makes a DC-DC smart charger? I had no idea...tell me more!

Not that I’m aware of. The conversation got long, stretched over a few pages, but I was saying that I would want a vehicle-based charger to make a battery-powered saw a more practical replacement for my gas-powered saws. Then someone mentioned inverters (less efficient), and I suggested they’d do better basing it on a DC-DC converter, and skipping the 60 Hz inverter altogether. Then we got off on a tangent about battery capacities.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Not that I’m aware of. The conversation got long, stretched over a few pages, but I was saying that I would want a vehicle-based charger to make a battery-powered saw a more practical replacement for my gas-powered saws. Then someone mentioned inverters (less efficient), and I suggested they’d do better basing it on a DC-DC converter, and skipping the 60 Hz inverter altogether. Then we got off on a tangent about battery capacities.

From what little research I did, lots of inverters are 95% efficient. The bottom line to me is for all day tree cutting I'd want gas, but battery is great for an hour or less work.

 

[two_bit_score]

Of course. Every supplier knows if something better comes along then they are out. Whining about it isn’t going to make things advance faster.

Really, you actually think anything said on here is going to make things advance or change at all?

 

[ning]

I know most people here hate regulations, even the ones that keep you alive (I see complaints about these here almost every day, believe it), but I for one would love to see tool batteries standardized so there's no brand lock-in.

 

[ArlyA]

I know most people here hate regulations, even the ones that keep you alive (I see complaints about these here almost every day, believe it), but I for one would love to see tool batteries standardized so there's no brand lock-in.

I use makita brand and there are many aftermarket batteries made for them. Does that count? I agree in general with your statement.

 

[WinterDeere]

I know most people here hate regulations, even the ones that keep you alive (I see complaints about these here almost every day, believe it), but I for one would love to see tool batteries standardized so there's no brand lock-in.

Trouble is, this would seriously slow innovation and improvement. Maybe Li-Ion battery tech has reached a level of maturity where that is okay, but could you imagine buying tools today on batteries that had been standardized ca.2000, knowing the effort to officiate that standardization would have probably had to start ca.1995? Yikes.

I used to work in the long-haul opto telecom industry (fiber optic), and they liked to use the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) approach, essentially several manufacturers agreeing to adhere to a standard form factor or specification. No government involvement, it was essentially single large customers putting out spec's which would be negotiated and agreed upon by multiple suppliers. Trouble is, the tool-buying public is not a coherent entity, it would almost need to be driven by a huge customer like Lowes or Home Depot, which then gets you locked into a store.

 

[stevem5215]

The problem is a standard isn't always a real standard. minor variations cause problems with compatibility I've found.

 

[WinterDeere]

The problem is a standard isn't always a real standard. minor variations cause problems with compatibility I've found.

True, but packaging of batteries isn't exactly rocket surgery. While compatibility is a real concern, it seems the problems would be relatively easily overcome, in this particular case.

Power tool manufacturers are merely re-packing existing tech, not inventing their own.

 

[stevem5215]

True but how many aftermarket compatible batteries have you seen that were up to the quality of the OEM ones ?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My experience is OEM batteries are better and I have adapters so I can run, say, Craftsman 20v with DeWalt 20v battery.
Ebay sellers, they're about $20.