Battery powered chainsaw

[buckeyefarmer]

I just bought the makita battery chainsaw. Only cut some limbs so far, but I like the easy start.

 

[yomax4]

I just retired and no longer will be heating with wood. My only wood cutting will be for sitting around the fire pit. So I sold my 044 and will be selling my MS361 and 036 and buying a Milwaukee electric due to already having batteries. I'll keep my hopped up 026 pro for cutting campfire wood. ( being retired is amazing )

 

[ultrarunner]

I keep hearing that... retiring and the flexibility it can bring..

I too will always have at least one gas saw but the Stihl electric is my go-to for storm clean up and general maintenance...

I mix my 2-stroke in a gallon jug instead of the 5 gallon... don't want it going bad sitting around forever.

All of last year only used the gas saw twice... Oaks that toppled over the winter.

 

[BigGG]

This morning, I did my 5 battery use on my Ryobi 14" saw. Overall, I am satisfied, but, well you knew there would be a but. Twice now I have had the saw quit after cutting for maybe 20 minutes. The display on the battery is indicating "battery overheated". After removing the battery from the saw, the overall temp of the battery pack does not seem that warm, how ever, the bottom of the battery does seem quite warm. This is the area where the control circuit is. Here is a cut from a Youtube video of a 2.5AH 40V battery showing the control board.

View attachment 808476

I have just got a new 40V 4Ah battery for the saw. Now I have two of them. I sent a note to Ryobi asking if the "hot battery" thing is a battery fault. Doesn't seem that the battery should shut down that way.

Richard

You may be pushing it too hard. I have that Ryobi brushless saw and find that, like a gas saw, it cuts best if you don't overload it. Also, keep a sharp chain on it. It seems to overload more when the battery gets below 2 bars.

 

[John_Mc]

I just retired and no longer will be heating with wood. My only wood cutting will be for sitting around the fire pit. So I sold my 044 and will be selling my MS361 and 036 and buying a Milwaukee electric due to already having batteries. I'll keep my hopped up 026 pro for cutting campfire wood. ( being retired is amazing )

Keep in mind that while the Milwaukee chainsaw will run on almost any of their M18 batteries, to get the best power and cutting performance out of the saw, it needs to be running one of their "high output" batteries.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I am looking at the GreenWorks Pro, because I already have a number of their 80v tools. Reviews seem positive

 

[ArlyA]

Tools brought along while blazing a trail yesterday.

 

[Grumpycat]

I have just got a new 40V 4Ah battery for the saw. Now I have two of them. I sent a note to Ryobi asking if the "hot battery" thing is a battery fault. Doesn't seem that the battery should shut down that way.

The thing is LiIon batteries are fairly complex requiring precision control to prevent damage, as witnessed by that complex battery control module.

Perhaps the module knows what it is doing, that one cell is acting up necessitating shutdown to prevent a fire?

Does sound like you are due a replacement under warranty.

 

[John_Mc]

Shutting down for thermal regulation is the battery and tool operating as they are supposed to. The harder you push it, the more heat is generated. How long it takes to reach that point is dependent in part on the design of the tool.

One of the most important things a user can do to help prevent overheating is to keep the chain sharp. A logger and chainsaw safety instructor I know had a favorite saying when trying to convince people to be aware of their chain condition: "You don;t sharpen a chain because it got dull. You sharpen it to keep it from getting dull." His point was that if you are waiting until you have to lean on it to get it to cut, you are waiting too long to sharpen.

 

[ArlyA]

Shutting down for thermal regulation is the battery and tool operating as they are supposed to. The harder you push it, the more heat is generated. How long it takes to reach that point is dependent in part on the design of the tool.

One of the most important things a user can do to help prevent overheating is to keep the chain sharp. A logger and chainsaw safety instructor I know had a favorite saying when trying to convince people to be aware of their chain condition: "You don;t sharpen a chain because it got dull. You sharpen it to keep it from getting dull." His point was that if you are waiting until you have to lean on it to get it to cut, you are waiting too long to sharpen.

All true, but the more fully charged your battery is, the less prone the tool is to overheating. A new battery (charged) is your freind! We take 5 into the field with us.