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Battery operated chain saws

Started by ForestMan, January 03, 2018, 04:02:58 AM

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HolmenTree

Buyers need to shop between Stihl and Husqvarna .
As I said before the powerhead is the accessory for the sawchain and only Stihl makes the ultimate narrow kerf chain for a 10" battery saw.
The Stihl 71PM  .043 1/4" chain from my experience on my T536 LiXP stays sharp longer, cuts faster and cuts longer on a battery charge then the lesser quality chains that came with this Husqvarna.

Future looks good for cheaper lithium for the battery industry.

Why Lithium Stocks Are Plunging Amid Electric Car Boom | Investopedia
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

weimedog

The point is that while performance can be improved with price, that only matters if there is a cost justification. The person most likely to want the lower cost option won't cut enough often enough to justify blending brand bars and chains to get some percentage point difference in cutting speed. And as will all chains, they eventually get dull. Some can sharpen, and with the cost of those chains many will just toss the old and buy new for the weekend of work.....the next year it needs to be used.

For a guy who cuts all day every day, maybe it matters. Even then it depends on return on investment. But for 90 percent of that market its a non issue. Entry price is a big deal. And brand loyalty also is a big deal. As with all decisions, a portion is logic and a portion is emotion. The Like/Dislike either a brand or dealer can over ride any rational cost / benefit discussion. And ultimately when you are talking A a workable deal for under $300, the money side isn't that big a "deal"..:) As long as it performs the desired function in an acceptable manner. Any more than a few minutes of actual cut time will if the size of the job is a couple of hours every year.

AND you don't have to buy gas....just to have it sit in a "saw gas" can to be tossed a few months later....
And with the extra $300 bucks you have more pocket change to do things with you family...

There are a few lower cost options, the Husgvarna 120i being just one. Bottom line for me is I used it. It cuts wood as expected. It can be put away for another time without all the baggage attached to a gas powered saw. Its doesn't need another bar & chain option. Its a complete package. More batteries are available. ..$250 Bucks
wow. This is the beginning of the end for those $150 dollar gas saws. And as with the gas saw's there will be this divide between homeowner and pro determined by actual required use time....bet the next few ice storms and subsequent video records on social media will drive the concept home...and with all things price matters.

LOL and there will always be those wanting to improve performance. Whats a GTG going to sound like full of electric saws?? Big capacitors dumping copious amounts of electrons like nitrous dropping oxygen? Have the Nikolai Tesla Nationals? (NTN's ? )
Husqvarna 365sp/372xpw Blend, Jonsered 2171 51.4mm XPW build,562xp HTSS, 560 HTSS, 272XP, 61/272XP, 555, 257, 242, 238, Homelite S-XL 925, XP-1020A, Super XL (Dad's saw); Jonsered 2094, Three 920's, CS-2172, Solo 603; 3 Huztl MS660's (2 54mm and 1 56mm)

Spike60

One of the sweet things about the 120i is that it takes the standard 095 mount and runs a very common 52dl .050 3/8 lo pro chain. Items you can find just about anywhere. It would be counter productive and an unecessary expense to switch it to 1/4 pitch chain from the "other company." There may not even be a sprocket option to do so. The brushless motor on the 120i doesn't need to run the baby chain anyway.  :laugh:

The battery that is on the 120i is NOT the same battery that comes with the 536 pro series, and obviously not the same charger either. But, and this is important for guys shopping for these saws: The batteries and chargers DO interchange between the 100 series and the 500 series. Not sure if that's the case with the other company. So, this opens up some options for the end user. You could upgrade either the batteries or the charger if need be.

I'd lean toward the better charger myself. I experienced the same recharge time as Randy did with the 120i charger. About an hour and a half for a full charge. But it does get to a usable 80% in less than an hour. Upgrading the battery and not the charger would mean that it would take even longer to get a full charge.

Randy's test is interesting. I did a few trees in the 6-8 inch range. Haven't tried it in anything as big as the 10-14 stuff that he was cutting. Impressive that it would handle that size wood.  :)

Edit: Had a member from Georgia call and talk about these 120's. Had a good conversation and he pointed out an error that I made on the bar mount. The 120 takes the 095, not the 041 mount. Needs the oil hole in there. I corrected it above, but want to add this note to avoid any confusion. Sorry boys!
Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

Randy Richy

Everyone makes great points!

The 120i is a solid machine - it just didn't quit fit my needs.  Yes, the faster charger would have made it work but I didn't want to spend another $140 ($390 total).  

I haven't read that anyone is using the Kobalt 18" 80v chain saw with 2Ah battery and fast charger included for $300.  This is the one I was using before the 120i - I have other kobalt 80v tools so I have extra batteries (lawn mower, weed wacker, trimmer)  The chain saw stopped working and I went to return for a new one (under warranty) but they were on hold for some reason - hence, that is why I tried the 120i.

For my purposes - mostly taking dead/dying trees during the winter and milling them for my projects - maybe 10 trees a year  -  the kobalt works for me.  The chain doesn't dull as quickly as the 120i and a battery charges in about 30-40 minutes but lasts an hour plus.

The Kobalt just became available again and I will be picking that one up. It fits my work profile perfectly. :-)

BobbyG

Quote from: starmac on January 06, 2018, 10:07:20 PM
Why would it be recommended to sharpen the chain more often than a gas saw? A gas saw should have a sharp chain too.
Because the sharper the chain the less cutting effort therefore extending the battery's charge...

wild262

Quote from: BobbyG on March 24, 2018, 06:50:16 AM
Quote from: starmac on January 06, 2018, 10:07:20 PM
Why would it be recommended to sharpen the chain more often than a gas saw? A gas saw should have a sharp chain too.
Because the sharper the chain the less cutting effort therefore extending the battery's charge...

            I totally agree.  I own the Oregon 300 model.  I have noticed how much more important it is to keep my chain very sharp.  Even more so with these electric saws.  Performance wise, were on the ragged edge with these anyway when compaired to a gas.   If you bear down on them because of a dull chain, your stopping the saw all the time, which drains the battery more, and harder on the saw and you.    Heck, these are actually a good teaching aid for people that's never ran any chainsaw saw before.  They teach you good habits right on the start. 

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