Battery Powered Chainsaw/Hedge Trimmer

[macrocarpa]

I didn't realize makita made a decent saw until recently too. Here is the video comparing the 36v makita to the husky. The 36v makita weighs 10.5 lbs, husky weighs 9.9 lbs. The 18v makita weighs 6.4lbs. The makitas are significantly less expensive but maybe the husky is a better saw in the longrun?

 

[evo]

So for those of you saying the batteries have issues in cold weather, what is that threshold? Are we talking below freezing? Near freezing or sub freezing?

 

[Jan_]

The batteries should have about half the capacity at freezing, below freezing things get progressively worse. If you store the batteries in a 30C°/85°F environment until you use them they might warm themselves and work perfectly fine. I still wouldn't use these saws in the winter.

 

[ppsavage]

I don't know exactly but the batteries often quit before me and I have a pretty low cold tolerance, around freezing I'd say. Below a certain temp they won't charge at all. If you park inside it might not be so bad or get an indoor charging ritual going. Too much pita for me.

 

[climbstihl]

I attempted to use the Stihl MSA120 in 8°C/ 45°F temperatures recently, and it would quit as soon as I touched wood with it. That being said, that is not a professional saw.
Also, all our Makita tools at work (about 15, and 20-25 batteries, old and new) work completely normally in those temperatures, they start quitting at around -15°C/ 5°F.

 

[macrocarpa]

I will test the 18V out on dead spruce removals & oak prune when we get colder temps next week 20-30 F. Be cool if Makita would make the chainsaws black like some of their other tools.

 

[Reach]

I will test the 18V out on dead spruce removals & oak prune when we get colder temps next week 20-30 F. Be cool if Makita would make the chainsaws black like some of their other tools.
View attachment 64767

I like the look of the black tools, but they’re actually their own series, a little lower-end with smaller batteries than the regular green/blue/teal? variety.

 

[Winchman]

I have a Kobalt 40V 12" chainsaw that I use for cutting up the limbs on the trees I've cut down. It's over a year old, and it's done a pile of cutting. I've used it up in trees several times for larger limbs, but I prefer using the 10" folding razor saw aloft.

The 12" Kobalt has been a great saw with one exception. It's so light that it tends to jump forward and up when cutting anything smaller than one inch. The chain takes too big of a bite, and you really need to be ready to hold it in check. I avoid using the top of the blade on small stuff, but it does just fine on anything larger than one inch. Unfortunately, the saw doesn't have a chain brake.

As for the battery, I've always quit because I was tired (usually after several hours) before the it needed recharging. It probably helps that I'll make some cuts, and then spend a few minutes moving cut stuff to the pile before cutting some more. I can't comment on cold temperature use since I'm in south Georgia.

 

[CloggerPete]

I really want an electric top handle, and didn’t realize until this thread that makita is a real contender but Food for thought; chainsaw pants/chaps may not be as effective. I’ll have to dig up the video but it was from wranglestar on YouTube doing a test on some cheaper ($40) chaps.

We heard the rumor here at Clogger as well. We borrowed a MSA220C off Stihl and did some testing with it. You will be glad to know that our trousers/chaps perform exactly the same with the battery saw as they do with the same sized petrol saw. I obviously can't speak for other brands of chainsaw protection but ours definitely work!

 

[CloggerPete]

 

[Merle Nelson]

That's refreshing.

 

[CloggerPete]

View attachment 64866

 

[Basswood]

Awesome test.

honestly I didn’t take the review very seriously. The chaps were obviously cheap and it was an anecdotal backyard experiment. I just saw another test, I think from arbortec, that also showEd their pants worked great against an electric saw.

 

[CloggerPete]

Awesome test.

honestly I didn’t take the review very seriously. The chaps were obviously cheap and it was an anecdotal backyard experiment. I just saw another test, I think from arbortec, that also showEd their pants worked great against an electric saw.

It's something we have been meaning to clear up for a while as we have some arb companies here that have apparently banned battery saws as they didn't have proof that chainsaw protection worked with them!!!

 

[macrocarpa]

Just pruned this 23” red oak using the 18v makita. Still has 2 battery bars left. Cut through some 5-6” with no problem. I am much more likely to use a handsaw Rather then lug around my gas echo, but as light as this makita is I see using it a lot on pruning.

 

[macrocarpa]

Since posting this I have bought three Makita chainsaws with six 18v batteries and 2 charger stations for a total of $964.00 + tax & 1/4” bar/chain upgrades. The echo dcs-2500t alone appears to be $1200 with 2 batteries and a charger. This would be the one pro battery chainsaw that would be nice because it is near as light as the Makita 18V with more power. But for three chainsaws well under the price of one.......