For Husky, Stihl, etc.... Is the chainsaw future battery powered?

Saegengott19 · October 08, 2019, 08:09:22 AM

Hey guys,

I'm student and currently writing my master thesis about the future development of chainsaws and trends in forestry.

And I need you as regular users of chainsaws to help me with it!

Since my personal knowledge about this topic is limited, I am conducting a survey to identify what's important for you working with a chainsaw and how you see the future.

Of course the survey is anonymous.

Link to the survey: https://www.umfrageonline.com/s/f4abc53

I'm very happy about any participant! Thanks a lot for your help!

Roxie · October 09, 2019, 05:51:24 AM

I hope you get lots of useful input, and welcome to the forum!

Ohio Dave · October 13, 2019, 06:07:25 AM

I believe it will be eventually., but its a long way off.
Right now the limiting factor is the battery. When in the field battery dies change it with a charged one. Do this a few times then your done until batteries get recharged. Run out of gas go down the road and get more.
So
We need very long lasting light weighf batteries. And a fast way to charge in the field. Until these happen battery saws will see limited use.

John Mc · October 13, 2019, 11:08:59 AM

Battery technology has come a long way, but still has a way to go to displace a gas chainsaw. The best battery chainsaws I've seen on the market now are the equivalent in power to about a 40cc gas saw.

Milwaukee has made some progress on the charging front: Their Rapid Charger has been out for years, which cut the charging times in half on most of their batteries as compared to their regular chargers. More recently, they came out with their Super Charger which charges their "High Output" model batteries in half the time of their Rapid Charger (or 1/4 the time of their standard charger). The Super Charger is not cheap, however. It lists at US$169. Another charging option is their 12 volt-powered battery charger which works on the M18 batteries (I own one. It's slow, but it does work. Handy for when you are away from a 110V outlet.)

IMO, the weight and battery life is still an issue preventing adoption of battery-powered chainsaws in more demanding applications.

Ljohnsaw · October 13, 2019, 11:46:44 AM

Very interesting. Never thought about a backpack battery.

Southside · October 13, 2019, 02:29:22 PM

I like my battery powered saw for stuff around the mill, and if I had to knock a small branch from something around the yard it would be fine, but I don't see me using a battery saw for felling, nor do I see any desire to strap on a battery back pack when I can keep 120 million joules of power in a gallon jug 50 feet away.

Pine Ridge · October 13, 2019, 04:00:36 PM

It would seem odd to be standing on a high ridge on a cool morning, listening to a logging crew working off in the distance , and only hear the crack, crack boom of a tree falling. It wouldn't seem right to me if you didn't hear a chainsaw screaming full throttle and then come down to an idle just before you hear the crack, crack boom of a tree hitting the ground. Just me personally but i hope its after i'm gone when you don't hear the chainsaws anymore.

lxskllr · October 13, 2019, 04:11:58 PM

I find the sound of electric tools especially irritating. They sound like a bundle of angry hornets. I'm not super crazy about the sound of gas engines unless I'm running them, but still better than electric.

Arctiva · October 13, 2019, 04:21:04 PM

They have a purpose but it will never replace a gas saw.

I've had a 18 volt ryobi pole saw for years and works great for branches but battery life has always been a issue.

It's a great option for a homeowner who needs to cut a few branches or a small tree 1 time a year but daily use, battery after battery and you'll just burn up the motor. I've done it with Milwaukee battery drills, and Hilti battery hammer drills. There just not meant to be used hard for long periods of time. Time is money and time wasted waiting for a battery to charge or a tool to cool down is throwing money out the door. I burned up 3 Milwaukee 18 volt drills 1 day rotating drills to cool down even cause the foreman didnt wanna get a corded drill. Sure I got the job done with no down time but it cost the contractor more money in the long run replacing tools

Andries · October 13, 2019, 06:40:14 PM

I like 'em.
As a truck saw, with a battery plugged in and charging whenever the truck is running.
As a mill saw, the hardened "no replacement for displacement" sawyers ( Customsawyer and Yellowhammer ) use electric saws at the mill.
As a quick trim, for small jobs around the logyard, woodshed or on a tractor - perfect!
Will it replace my Stihl 660 with a three foot bar?
Not in the future that I can see.
Use the right tool for the job, and electrics are coming on strong on the small end of the work scale.

Ianab · October 13, 2019, 08:52:55 PM

I can see the use of battery saws for lighter work. Around the mill, gardening, construction, arborist work etc. Lighter stuff, and only used part time over the course of the day. Where you have access to recharging the spare battery.

Technology isn't there yet to replace a 6-8 hp gas saw (with something you can carry anyway). And if today's mission is to break a 4ft dia hardwood log up into firewood. A big gas saw and a can of gas is what I'd be looking for.

In the future this will likely change... Electric cars are now practical to use, but you don't have to carry the battery for one of those. ;)

YellowHammer · October 13, 2019, 10:41:52 PM

I've got one of the Stihl high dollar rechargeables, and I love it. My little mill 362 doesn't get much use now. The 661 still gets lots of fuel run through it, so the batteried saws still have a way to go, but....I said the same thing about cordless drills and circular saws a decade ago, and look at where they are now.

I use it as a mill saw, or for the occasional spike limb or such and when I'm running the eeer to cut cracked and ends off boards, or to trim them to length, as a crude but fast chop saw.

I also use it for when I'm checking my fences for downed trees, and pretty much any kind of short duration, not too stressful work. The booklet says it will run 45 minutes per charge, and I'm not sure of that, but one day for kicks I cut down and then broke down a white oak, maybe 18" diameter, not very big, but big enough, and the saw did it on one charge and surprisingly fast for such a small saw.

I got introduced to these little guys when I was looking at buying a corded electric saw as a mill saw, and after asking my local Stihl dealer, came to find out the mega mill down the road had bought 5 of these and wanted more. So good enough for me, I bought one and am surprised with it.

lxskllr · October 13, 2019, 11:04:19 PM

Do you have the toolless chain adjuster? If so, do you like it?

donbj · October 13, 2019, 11:58:04 PM

This is the home owner realm at best, anything commercial/industrial has a long way to go

Ianab · October 14, 2019, 01:34:19 AM

Quote from: donbj on October 13, 2019, 11:58:04 PM
This is the home owner realm at best, anything commercial/industrial has a long way to go

The quality and durability of the saws can be good enough for "commercial" use, but the power and run time aren't enough for professional logging, or even serious amateur firewood cutting. But by commercial I mean around the sawmill, builders, landscape gardeners etc. Needs to be a "commercial" grade tool, but it only needs to run for maybe 15 mins? The sort of commercial use YH is using his for.

The energy density of even the best batteries is WAY less than a gallon of gas. Or more importantly, you can carry enough gas to run a saw all day. You can't carry enough batteries.

The issue of saw power isn't really a problem, it's possible to build very light and compact electric motors, it's the batteries that are the limiting factor.

John Mc · October 14, 2019, 02:42:36 PM

If a "professional" has a use for a 40cc gas saw that does not involve continual, all day use, there are some viable battery-powered options out there. (There are also some total pieces of junk out there.)

YellowHammer · October 14, 2019, 11:24:05 PM

I agree that there is no way my battery saw can do what my 661 can do. I wouldn't dream of cutting down big trees with it, after all, it's only got a 12 inch bar.

However, when I went to find the "perfect" saw for my application, I looked at everything, eyes open. Gas, electric, corded, whatever. Money was no object, I was looking for a solution, which is to find the perfect "edger and mill" chainsaw. It must be light, it must be fast (the Stihl battery saw seems to have a much faster chain speed than a comparable corded saw), it must last a reasonable time between recharges or refills, (the battery is rated at 45 minutes run time, my 661 would run out of gas at idle in 45 minutes, I believe.) It must be maneuverable to cut between the rollers on a roller table (to buck a board in half without lifting it off the table and this saw comes with a very nice carver blade). It must have a chain brake. It must be easy to start and turn off. It must be reliable, and start more or as easily than either my 661 or 362 (they are two pull start saws when cold). It must have a significant warranty, I was going to use the saw everyday, and I didn't want a piece of junk. Basically, the scenario is lift the saw up, buck a board, put it back down. That's about it.

The Stihl battery saw has a 1 year commercial warranty (2 years for farm use) as opposed to the Stihl 3 month commercial warranty for my 661 and 362 which can be doubled to 6 months if using their specialty oil.

I do like the tooless chain adjuster.

Here is a classic video of the problems with a gas powered chainsaw used as a mill saw. This isn't me in the video, but I think most of us can identify with the problems. Watch what happens at about 16 seconds into the video and I can't help but feel sorry for the tailgunner trying to get first one, then a second, gas saw started just to cut the end off a board. What a pain in the rear.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAF5gC9Ggk

Then, here is my battery saw, straight out of the box, a year or so ago, bucking a scrap board. Its plenty fast, and I routinely use it for bucking 2 and 3 inch thick boards being run through the edger. In the video below, I was able to do the whole operation with one hand while filming with the other. The amazing thing is how small the saw actually is. When I'm using it to buck boards in front of customers, I tell them I'm going to use my "rubber band powered saw" and when they see the size of it, I think some think it is run by rubber band. When they see it fly through a 2 x 16 inch hard maple board, all I hear are alot of "wow."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UGMngD7-mVo

So in answer to the OP question, for certain applications, IMHO, "Yes"...

Al_Smith · October 15, 2019, 05:57:26 AM

I don't own a battery powered chainsaw .I do however have 3 drills ,one is an impact drill plus a "sawzall which are battery powered ,9 batteries ,three chargers .For a short time job they are great .Longer job not as good as a corded tool .
I think in some applications battery saws would be great ,they always start if the battery has a charge .I can't see cutting a truck load of firewood though using a battery saw .Maybe trim the apple tree in the back yard once a year .There is a market for them .

sharp edge · October 15, 2019, 08:03:19 AM

I was wondering about camping with a battery saw. They are quiet and quick compared to a axe.

SE

btulloh · October 15, 2019, 08:12:53 AM

There's definitely a place for a battery saw in the arsenal. So far I haven't NEEDED one enough to for out the money.

Did anybody take the survey?

I wonder if the OP is checking his thread. @Saegengott19

Magicman · October 15, 2019, 08:23:35 AM

The survey was too restrictive with not enough options. It was either "this"or "that" and did not address my sawing situations.

doc henderson · October 15, 2019, 08:57:35 AM

I have the saw and about 4 other tools. after you get a charger and a couple batteries, the cost for additional tools is very little. no noise or fumes. can use it in my shop or in areas where gas saws are not used due to fire risk. can use it inside my shop for rustic furniture.

btulloh · October 15, 2019, 09:06:27 AM

Yep. Battery tools make life better. I just haven't stepped up on the chainsaw yet. It's a different battery world from my current crop. I wouldn't mind having the chainsaw plus a blower and a trimmer for quick chores.

Battery impacts have really made a big impact here. I still have to go to air for something that requires the 3/4 drive, but everything else gets the battery impact now.

ManjiSann · October 15, 2019, 09:09:47 AM

I took the survey though I'm not sure how useful my answers were considering my needs.

I like my cordless drills and I think the batteries and charging times have come a long way but for me the fun of running the chainsaw is the scream of the engine as it is cutting.

Brandon

OddInTheForrest · October 15, 2019, 09:39:37 AM

Here is my few ideas regarding batterysaws:

I do imagine that it would be a very handy tool to carry if one did operate a mill, as I see it beeing very handy for a "I just need to cut this" situation.

As far as proffesional use go, I do think there is a use for battery saws.
For example in a commcerial thinning situation, or "brashing", or like situations where one needs to cut branches of standing trees. This is where I can see the biggest use for things like this.

For my own use, I do concider a larger Stihl battery saw, like the 160 or 200. I see the 220 is also beeing launched now.

I have tended to carry my trusty MS200 with a 12" 1,3mm B/C option about 75% off all the time I`ve ventured into the woods this year. I have concidered getting a MS150 (Launched as the 151 now with the 3-gen M-Tronic). The 150 runs the same B/C as the batterysaws (at least here in Norway), and it seems to do the job, at least for smaller stuff.

The Husky batterysaws run a 12" 1,3mm B/C (here in scandinavia at least), and that seems to get the job done for things like commercial thinning and that kind of stuff.

Best Regards
Odd.