Electric chainsaw

[Midniteoyl]

Interesting the HF Atlas 40v will accept 80v batteries. Does it run faster with the higher voltage battery?

No, it doubles the capacity, 2.5Ah to 5Ah.

 

[Jchonline]

I have a stihl and a milwaukee. Also have 3 Stihl gas saws. For quick limbing the battery is just awesome. I will never use another gas. For bucking and felling anything over 6 in gas all the way. If I expect to work for a few hours out in the forest, gas. However you cant beat the convenience of the battery.

Also for those at altitude...small CC gas saws SUCK at altitude. You can tune them all day and never get them running well. Battery...they dont care about the air so they are perfect for smaller stuff.

 

[RalphVa]

The Stihl 36v MSA 12 inch uses A LOT of oil. The Kobalts were much better (lower) on oil usage and had a good oil level indicator. Just didn't last mechanically though.

Anyone using a Ryobi 40v one? I love the Ryobi grass cutting and whipping stuff, even the battery ZT. Any comparisons I saw of Ryobi vs. Stihl, it came out worse than Stihl.

 

[Wagtail]

The Stihl 36v MSA 12 inch uses A LOT of oil. The Kobalts were much better (lower) on oil usage and had a good oil level indicator. Just didn't last mechanically though.

Anyone using a Ryobi 40v one? I love the Ryobi grass cutting and whipping stuff, even the battery ZT. Any comparisons I saw of Ryobi vs. Stihl, it came out worse than Stihl.

Just a reminder... I know that my Makita electric (battery) has an adjustment for chain oil. They come, pre-set, in the wide open position.
Consult your Owner Manual.

 

[ernemats]

The Stihl 36v MSA 12 inch uses A LOT of oil. The Kobalts were much better (lower) on oil usage and had a good oil level indicator. Just didn't last mechanically though.

Anyone using a Ryobi 40v one? I love the Ryobi grass cutting and whipping stuff, even the battery ZT. Any comparisons I saw of Ryobi vs. Stihl, it came out worse than Stihl.

I have a Ryobi 40 volt chain saw, it does good on smaller trees under 8 inches( it is several years old) I have been thinking about getting a new one with 16 inch bar as I already have 6 batteries and I have other 40 volt tools. Overall it does ok

 

[RalphVa]

I have a Ryobi 40 volt chain saw, it does good on smaller trees under 8 inches( it is several years old) I have been thinking about getting a new one with 16 inch bar as I already have 6 batteries and I have other 40 volt tools. Overall it does ok

How is it on oil use and being able to see the oil level easily. These are the Stihl sore spots.

Does it use the same 40v batteries, e.g. think hexagonal on ends and long; slide tends to stick; depression area on end of slide to release. What aH batteries do you have?

 

[RalphVa]

Just a reminder... I know that my Makita electric (battery) has an adjustment for chain oil. They come, pre-set, in the wide open position.
Consult your Owner Manual.

Just checked the manual for the msa 120 online. No chain oil adjustment.

 

[Wagtail]

Just checked the manual for the msa 120 online. No chain oil adjustment.

Bugger.

 

[mikester]

I picked up a Stihl MSA220 battery operated saw with 16 inch bar and really like it so far. Battery lasts about an hour. Very light weight. No two stroke vibration or exhaust fumes or stinky fuel. Reasonably quick charge times. Quiet compared to my 2-stroke saw. Feels faster for limbing than the gas saw, probably because I'm less fatigued using it.

On the con side they are very expensive. Batteries and chargers are sold separately.

It's my goto saw now, no regrets so far. The older I get the less I need to abuse my body.

 

[ernemats]

How is it on oil use and being able to see the oil level easily. These are the Stihl sore spots.

Does it use the same 40v batteries, e.g. think hexagonal on ends and long; slide tends to stick; depression area on end of slide to release. What aH batteries do you have?

It does not use much oil but the oil level is hard for me to see, but my grandson has no trouble reading it, maybe just my vision is not what it used to be. The batteries for all Ryobi 40 volt are the same and can be used with just about any Ryobi tool. I have three 4 ah batteries, 1 1.5 ah, 1 2 ah, and 1 2.5 ah . I would get the 6 ah battery but it will not fit my older chain saw but it will work in the newer chain saws

 

[greggyy]

Ha. Yes - even battery saws need bar oil.

One of the manuals I read said you could even use kitchen oil in the machine. Never did that as my wife would not be pleased.

MoKelly

FWIW I buy the cheap motor oil packs when on sale and have used that in all my saws, but, I am not doing any sort of large volume, so others mileage may vary....but chain oil is about twice as expensive to 3 times compared to cheap decent motor oil.

 

[Jstpssng]

FWIW I buy the cheap motor oil packs when on sale and have used that in all my saws, but, I am not doing any sort of large volume, so others mileage may vary....but chain oil is about twice as expensive to 3 times compared to cheap decent motor oil.

Chain oil has additives to make it stick a bit better... but just turn up the oiler a bit if it causes problems. I knew a service station owner years ago who would turn all of his used oil jugs over a bucket to drip, then sold the residue for saw oil.

 

[greggyy]

I dunno, 50w engine oil can be had real cheap down here at times, I rely on wood shavings to thicken it somewhat further....lol

 

[hslogger]

I'm amused at the gripes about bar oil use.It's lubricant well paid for and used. If you don't wanna buy bars, don't wanna have sloppy chain slap in your groove, then buy the oil and use the saw as it was intended. You can be an excellent chain filer but if your chain is loose and side to side movement is present, you are wearing out your bar groove and the chain doesn't do the job right.

 

[cqaigy2]

I'm amused at the gripes about bar oil use.It's lubricant well paid for and used. If you don't wanna buy bars, don't wanna have sloppy chain slap in your groove, then buy the oil and use the saw as it was intended. You can be an excellent chain filer but if your chain is loose and side to side movement is present, you are wearing out your bar groove and the chain doesn't do the job right.

Back in the day. My dad processed a fair bit of firewood. His bar oil of choice was used motor oil in his old (to me) blue homelite xl. I got pretty good at sharpening the chain, and cleaning the chain groove, turning the bar over from time to time. Then i "discovered" bar oil. My dad wasn't having any of it, not going to waste the money, so i bought a gallon for him. I swear the chain stayed sharper, but the biggest thing i noticed was bar wear went way down. I'm guessing partly because of better lubrication but also less corrosive by products as compared to used motor oil.

He had two different saws, both homelites so i could be mistaken, but i think the one was manual oil the other automatic.

I still use bar oil even though i don't cut much anymore.

 

[Alien]

I just bought a Ryobi 18V saw. Primarily for lopping small branches and not having to worry about mixing gas and going to the servo when I run out. I have about 9 Ryobi 18V tools and love them all. The chainsaw works better that I expected. The 2 Huskys can sit in the dust now.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I just bought a Ryobi 18V saw. Primarily for lopping small branches and not having to worry about mixing gas and going to the servo when I run out. I have about 9 Ryobi 18V tools and love them all. The chainsaw works better that I expected. The 2 Huskys can sit in the dust now.

LOL.. I bought the Harbor Freight Atlas chainsaw and pole saw for the same purpose. Figured with the extended warranty, if I ran them over I could still exchange

So far so good. In fact, picked up the trimmer and 80v leaf blower since I now had the batteries (that's how they get ya).

 

[Jstpssng]

I understand what you mean. However, you'd be surprised at how many people buy a battery saw and don't think about the bar oil. They do just plug in a battery and go... they just don't go for long without ruining their bar.

I currently have a couple of gas chainsaws. I recently added an electric chainsaw (Milwaukee M18 Fuel). It certainly is convenient for lighter work... and it's quiet. I sometimes start out the day with that when working in the woods in the early morning, so I don't disturb those living nearby. I'll clear saplings, or limb trees I took down earlier. I have to be careful though: with my gas saws, I'll run out of gas before running out of bar oil. If I start with a fully charged 12 AH battery in my Milwaukee, I'll run out of oil long before I run out of charge in the battery. I may have to switch to the 6 AH battery until I get used to checking on that more frequently.

When my father started getting Alzheimer's he burned up two brand new Stihls from running straight gas. My mother tried to explain but he showed right on the saw; "Gas here, oil there". There was a time when he was the one explaining it if somebody else made tha mistake... and would have taken the engine apart and fixed it for them. He probably shouldn't have been running a chainsaw by that time anyways.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

There are cheaper ones, a few like Sthil and Husqvarna are expensive but they no joke.

Here is a review by a very well respected tree removal company, sorry its a long video:

Battery Powered Chainsaw Review! Testing the Husqvarna T54?i xp - YouTube

I found a stihl on a 9" grinder motor. 9" angle grinders are tough.

 

[Torvy]

I have a 30 acres of forestland so my experience is probably different than most, homeowner grade electric saws are terrible. Professional versions cost more than a gas saw so for my use I might as well just buy the gas saw. I tried a couple to keep in the car for windfalls on the road and I was not impressed.

I had a Milwaukee M18.

I also had a DeWalt 20v saw.

Based on your examples, I am not surprised you were unimpressed.

I got an Echo 58v 16" bar. 13 lbs. Took down a very large 20"+ Ash tree in our back yard. Handled the felling and the breakdown like a champ. I have 2 batteries I rotate in. This saw is cheaper than the equivalent gas model. Cuts faster and has fewer potential points of failure.

The only real problem with a modern battery powered saw is that 16 is about as big as they come. You get used to it being quiet.

I got mine because I was sick of the failure on the gas engines. With this one, I put in a battery and it runs. Uses the same bar, chain and bar oil as a gas saw.