(Dis)Advantages to using battery powered chainsaws

[gtaus]

We have mostly Ryobi for this reason

I have become an advocate for using battery powered chainsaws. If someone asks me which brand to buy, I typically ask them if they are already invested in a tool brand because the chainsaws themselves are not all that far apart in quality at this point. But, buying into a new tool line with new batteries will be expensive. If they are not invested in any particular line of tools, then I tell them I am very happy with my Ryobi tools and that I am still able to use my ~20 year old tools with the newest batteries because Ryobi has promised to keep their old battery platform. To me, that's a lot of value.

Last week I was in our local Fleet store. I met a guy and his father at the service desk. They had to order a part for their DeWalt battery powered chainsaw. I asked him how he liked using a battery powered chainsaw and he told me that he loved it and that he seldom ever uses his gas chainsaw anymore. Like me, he just has an occasional broken branch to trim up. Maybe after a storm a fallen tree or two. But the battery chainsaws can get those small jobs done.

 

[Sammster]

I will say I have a love/hate relationship with my backpack leaf Blower. If it were gas-powered, it'd be too heavy for me. It's powerful and easy to maneuver. But, I have to charge the battery after 20 minutes of use. So doing the who yard takes days. But... it's still pretty great

 

[TXchickmum]

We got a battery powered chainsaw and lawnmower this summer. I like them both, because they are easier for me to use. We don’t have jobs that require heavy duty equipment. We keep a variety of battery, electric, gas, and old school manual tools around. Each have places for use, IMO.

 

[SueT]

We use our big gas powered chainsaws for big trees/logs, and have the smaller lighter battery model on hand for cleaning up the smaller branches, or if you have to go up in the tree, it’s lightweight and easy to start.

 

[fuzzi]

Great thread!

I did my homework before buying a cordless drill, bought a Milwaukee on eBay. It's been great, has two batteries plus the charger. During my hoop coop build the charger kept me going, never had to pause the work while a battery was charging.

Then while watching yard clean up videos (yes, I know!) I saw the workmen using battery chain saws. I checked out YT reviews, and the Milwaukee was on top. Guess what I found new on eBay? Yep. I also got a great deal on a new hedge trimmer. They all use the same batteries, it's fantastic.

Now I think I will go check out the Milwaukee reciprocating saws. One of those would have come in very handy when we dismantled our old sleeper sofa.

@Sammster we have a corded leaf blower we never use. I just run over the leaves with my power mower. The leaves are sucked up, chopped, and bagged. They make great mulch and compost! And my chicks are having a blast with my daily deliveries to their run of partially composted leaves.

 

[gtaus]

I did my homework before buying a cordless drill, bought a Milwaukee on eBay. It's been great, has two batteries plus the charger. During my hoop coop build the charger kept me going, never had to pause the work while a battery was charging.

Then while watching yard clean up videos (yes, I know!) I saw the workmen using battery chain saws. I checked out YT reviews, and the Milwaukee was on top. Guess what I found new on eBay? Yep. I also got a great deal on a new hedge trimmer. They all use the same batteries, it's fantastic.

I personally don't know of anyone who has bought a new battery powered chainsaw ever wanting to go back to using a gas chainsaw. That being said, if you make your living slinging a chainsaw, you still need the gas chainsaws for longer bar lengths and for longer run times. The only disadvantage to my 40v chainsaw is my limited run time on a battery. But now I have 3 batteries and can work as much as one hour cutting time. That's more than I usually need. Most of my chainsaw jobs are like maybe only 15 minutes.

Now I think I will go check out the Milwaukee reciprocating saws. One of those would have come in very handy when we dismantled our old sleeper sofa.

The reciprocating saw is one of my main go- to outdoor tools. I keep a long pruning blade on my reciprocating saw and use it to cut branches all the time. Works good for cutting most branches up to around 3-4 inches. Don't even need the chainsaw for most trimming.

And, of course, you can use the reciprocating saw for lots and lots of jobs around the house. I swap out a demolition blade on the saw for use in breaking down pallets to salvage wood. Many times I need to cut a rust old bolt and a metal blade on the reciprocating saw does the trick. There is just so much you can do with a good reciprocating saw. It's a great tool to have.

Like you have already found out, once you are into a battery platform, it's best to get the other tools that share the same batteries.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

The battery saw is great for someone who uses it to clean up an occasional fallen limb and thats the extent of their use of it. Same for the string trimmer when one only has a small ditch to trim and a couple flower beds.

I cut 3-4 chords of wood a year and I target trees in the 20”+ range. I use a professional grade chainsaw that can drive up to a 25” bar (though I only use a 20) and I’ll run it for several hours almost constant stopping only for fluids in the saw and my body. I’ll likely never go to an electric saw. Ive had mine for about 6 years and it has never failed to start on the 3rd or 4th pull, because I use stabil and start all my small engines once a month.

 

[gtaus]

The battery saw is great for someone who uses it to clean up an occasional fallen limb and thats the extent of their use of it. Same for the string trimmer when one only has a small ditch to trim and a couple flower beds.

I cut 3-4 chords of wood a year and I target trees in the 20”+ range. I use a professional grade chainsaw that can drive up to a 25” bar (though I only use a 20) and I’ll run it for several hours almost constant stopping only for fluids in the saw and my body. I’ll likely never go to an electric saw. Ive had mine for about 6 years and it has never failed to start on the 3rd or 4th pull, because I use stabil and start all my small engines once a month.

I agree, in your case, you might never see a battery chainsaw as a replacement for your gas chainsaw. I don't think I have ever said that the battery chainsaws are to the point where someone making a living with them can switch from gas to electric.

I suspect that most people, like myself, maybe only use their chainsaw once or twice a year if a bad storm comes ripping though town and knocks down a tree or some branches. For a small 15-20 minute job, my electric chainsaw is perfect. Just slap in a charged battery and go.

There are many years that I never took my gas chainsaw out at all. So, when I finally needed it, most times it was a pain in the butt to get started. No fuel, dried out, and sometimes that carb would need cleaning. Typical problems with a gas engine that does not get used.

I use the canned Tru Fuel in my gas Stihl chainsaw now. It costs a lot of money compared to regular gas, but the treatment and stabilizing additives they put into the Tru Fuel keep the carb clean and my gas chainsaw now starts when I need to use it. Although it sits in the shed all winter, I make sure to start the gas chainsaw at least a couple times every summer whether or not I use it. Mostly I use the battery chainsaws for the small jobs. But if I ever need long run times for a big job, then I take out the gas chainsaw.

For an average homeowner like me, having an electric chainsaw that shares the same batteries as my grass trimmers, mini tiller, cultivator, power sweeper, powered snow shovel, and brush cutter attachments adds a lot of value. One battery (I now have three) to run them all.

FYI, Ryobi came out with a 40v 18-inch chainsaw. It looks like the same motor as on my 40v 14-inch chainsaw. I contacted Ryobi Tools and asked them if I could just replace my 14-inch bar and chain with an 18-inch combo. They told me I could. So, I have upgraded to an 18-inch bar and chain and will see how well it works this summer.

That's still a long way from your gas 25-inch bar and chain max, but I suspect lots of homeowners probably don't need anything more than a 14-inch bar and the 18-inch bar upgrade is now longer than my gas Stihl 16-inch chainsaw.

 

[Hayden Goseek]

Our oldest son had to drag me, kicking and screaming, into the cordless tool world. I notice that once you buy one tool there is a strong incentive to stay with that brand because of the cursed batteries. Once you become loyal to a brand, that too becomes part of the fabric of a family. We're a Makita Family. We live next door to a DeWalt Family.

Careful. It sounds like the beginnings of a Capulet vs Montague situation.

Seriously, your right on all counts. If I had to start from scratch, I might find the battery system that I liked most and build my managerie from there.

 

[Hayden Goseek]

Now I present for you critique my tool situation.
First, too much information. When we bought our present home in New Orleans it was three weeks before Hurricane Katrina. I had a pretty good collection of tools as a small electrical contractor but now everything I owned was under 8' of salt & chemical laden sewage. (When I tried to clean my hand tools months later, they had been soaked in diesel and then clean water. When I scrubbed them and laid them in the grass, blowflies started landing on them! ) I didn't NEED many tools because I was now an RN. Except I had a house to rebuild from the framing and subfloor up. (I promise it will move faster from here.)
Two of my favorite power tools I bought to rebuild were a Skillsaw wormdrive cirular saw, and a Milwaukee M-18 cordless drill motor. When I broke them out recently to build a new coop in the backyard, neither worked. Confused and a little brokenhearted (I didn't think I would have to buy these tools again) I cut the frayed and patched cord and installed a new male plug without success. No broken wires in the handle. I even removed and cleaned the brushes and the motor wasn't frozen. Question, Would you try to have it repaired, get a new one, or go battery?
The drill motor, I THINK has a bad charger but I haven't had a way to test. (In the middle of the build when cash and time was of the essence, I had a chance to buy a M-18 circular saw for $200, not much more than just the battery charger set. I passed and they were gone the next day. ) I see now I can get a charger for @$30 on Amazon.
I am open to any suggestions.