Battery powered chainsaw recommendations? (2017)

[dfkrug]

I just saw an ad for a 120V DC Li-ion chainsaw!

It comes with an 18" bar and weighs in at 13#. RedBack is the brand. Never heard of them. 300
clams, shipped.

 

[marchanna]

Redback 106493 18-Inch 120-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Chainsaw

Who wants to the first to buy and review it ?

 

[4570Man]

If you can get 100 people to send me $3 I’ll be glad to do a proper test.

 

[marchanna]

Haha! I知 game.

 

[RalphVa]

Many posts. Not sure I'd posted before. We've had 18v B&D chain saws, both a "straight" one and an alligator one, for years. Bought a Kobalt 40v one at Lowes maybe 6 or 8 years ago. Since having an ICD, I'm not allowed to use an engine-driven saw. Gave away my old Stihl back in early 2013. Probably bought the Kobalt then. Had had the B&D ones before that.

The 18v ones don't last long on a battery, but the alligator one lasts the best and is a great saw for small stuff.

We've been very heavily using the Kobalt and the alligator both recently in clearing debris piles made by the May 31 storm last year. Finally got dry enough to get down there with the tractor.

Today, the Kobalt saw quit. Think it's likely brushes got too short. If you have a choice, get brushless, since they're available now, not sure in Kobalt or not. Found a Kobalt 40v at Lowes online for $119 without a battery. Have 3 chargers because we've the grass whip and mower by Kobalt. Just recently bought a replacement 40v battery. Got plenty. The Kobalt chain saw lasts and lasts on each battery, generally around 2 hours of the wife cutting and pulling stuff out of the piles.

Ralph

 

[Molalla1]

Many posts. Not sure I'd posted before. We've had 18v B&D chain saws, both a "straight" one and an alligator one, for years. Bought a Kobalt 40v one at Lowes maybe 6 or 8 years ago. Since having an ICD, I'm not allowed to use an engine-driven saw. Gave away my old Stihl back in early 2013. Probably bought the Kobalt then. Had had the B&D ones before that.

The 18v ones don't last long on a battery, but the alligator one lasts the best and is a great saw for small stuff.

We've been very heavily using the Kobalt and the alligator both recently in clearing debris piles made by the May 31 storm last year. Finally got dry enough to get down there with the tractor.

Today, the Kobalt saw quit. Think it's likely brushes got too short. If you have a choice, get brushless, since they're available now, not sure in Kobalt or not. Found a Kobalt 40v at Lowes online for $119 without a battery. Have 3 chargers because we've the grass whip and mower by Kobalt. Just recently bought a replacement 40v battery. Got plenty. The Kobalt chain saw lasts and lasts on each battery, generally around 2 hours of the wife cutting and pulling stuff out of the piles.

Ralph

Great post Ralph . . . I've been looking into some of the electric ones myself . . .

 

[ernemats]

I guess no one has tried the Redback 120 volt lineup of battery tools, the reviews I have read sound good in most cases, battery life does not sound like it lasts a long time.

 

[marchanna]

Quite intrigued with the Redback. I would love to sear more about anyone痴 experience them. It痴 no wonder they don稚 have a great battery life, they come standard with a 2ah battery, with a 3ah option. My echo has a 4ah battery and I wish it had more.

 

[ernemats]

I bit the bullet last week and purchased a 120 volt Redback chainsaw. Have not used it much yet but so far I am impressed with it. Several days ago I cut up some hickory logs into firewood size lengths . The logs were from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. In total I made about 25 cuts with the saw, it handled the logs with ease and I still had 2 bars left on the battery. Several things I do not like about it are the tool less tensioning on the chain and the oil tank fill lid is hard to get on straight and the saw is rather heavy. There are quite a few on ebay for a lot less than the$299. advertised.

 

[atsah]

I have a Makita (all my battery tools are Makita), The saw is 36V and will in fact out cut my Stihl top handle gas saw for the first half hour. I use it to cut small stuff around my fence line, with both 18V batteries it weights 10lbs. I use it a lot..