Shadowscape
Been here a while
- Location
- far north
I have had my 2500T probably longer than most of you as I got mine almost a year before they were available to the U.S. market. Took forever it seemed to be able to get a spare battery for it, but they also arrived in the U.S.
Yesterday I took down a clump of three basswoods that were 13", 13" and 17" diameter at waste level. Had to go up and delimb and chunk down the entire trees as there was only a small patch below to drop stuff because they were right between a bunkhouse and a L-shaped house, and of course they were all leaning outward from the center as basswoods do. Now mind you, basswood is soft and light so it was an easy job for the saw, but it was hard on my body manhandling all the pieces to my small drop zone. Did all but the last three cuts on one battery, but swapped that out and finished up the last chunks using a 14" .043 3/8 pitch bar and non-antikickback chain. Cut through that basswood like butter.
So to the long term review...
I have tackled hard maple tree limbs, sappy balsams, oak limbs, white pine, and black ash trees, along with a variety of others with this saw. The soft woods, like those basswoods, or pines I have been able to tackle a full 14" bar width, being gentle to not go overboard on pressure. Let it cut on its own and it does a great job. On the hardwoods like maple and oak I tend to put it away when I get to about 5" diameter stuff and pull out a gas saw.
I have heard so complaints about the metal clip on the back bending and coming off the saw body. I have not experienced this. Mine is tethered to the handle where it is supposed to be and the metal clip I only use to hang it on my harness. And it works slick with the Transporter gate. A one handed operation that become flawless. It is almost like they designed it for that holder.
The oil tank lasts longer than the battery does, so there has been no issue there. I have been attaching a small sack to the bottom of one of my climb lines that contain a spare battery and a small water bottle full of bar oil so that if I need to change the battery I can just lift it up and swap it out, and put in oil at the same time. Then lower the old battery back down. Ran into a problem where I buried the sack under limbs once and couldn't get it loose, but it has worked out well most of the time. Working alone has its problems from time to time.
I have not gone to 1/4" pitch as I find the 3/8" just fine, and the chains I want to use are a lot easier to find. I have not experienced and bouncing people have reported with their 3/8" pitch pole saws, but this is not a pole saw. I see no need to go to a smaller, more delicate chain.
I have not experienced any squeaking some have had. The saw has been flawless for me. The only issue I have encountered thus far was the lights on one of my batteries that indicate the charge level do not work, but I don't look at them anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
Would I buy this saw again? In a heartbeat. It has become my go to climbing saw for limbs on hardwoods and even chunking down softwoods to the point the bar doesn't reach the diameter of the stem. My favorite, long lived top handle gas saw sits mostly idle these days, feeling neglected and sad.
It is raining today so I am going to rest my body. I don't have to go out in the rain. But tomorrow I will return to where I was working because I have a clump of 5 more basswoods to take down a piece at a time, and I plan on doing it all with the 2500T, except for the stem on one 23 incher. For that I will break out the 550XP husky. Another great saw.
Yesterday I took down a clump of three basswoods that were 13", 13" and 17" diameter at waste level. Had to go up and delimb and chunk down the entire trees as there was only a small patch below to drop stuff because they were right between a bunkhouse and a L-shaped house, and of course they were all leaning outward from the center as basswoods do. Now mind you, basswood is soft and light so it was an easy job for the saw, but it was hard on my body manhandling all the pieces to my small drop zone. Did all but the last three cuts on one battery, but swapped that out and finished up the last chunks using a 14" .043 3/8 pitch bar and non-antikickback chain. Cut through that basswood like butter.
So to the long term review...
I have tackled hard maple tree limbs, sappy balsams, oak limbs, white pine, and black ash trees, along with a variety of others with this saw. The soft woods, like those basswoods, or pines I have been able to tackle a full 14" bar width, being gentle to not go overboard on pressure. Let it cut on its own and it does a great job. On the hardwoods like maple and oak I tend to put it away when I get to about 5" diameter stuff and pull out a gas saw.
I have heard so complaints about the metal clip on the back bending and coming off the saw body. I have not experienced this. Mine is tethered to the handle where it is supposed to be and the metal clip I only use to hang it on my harness. And it works slick with the Transporter gate. A one handed operation that become flawless. It is almost like they designed it for that holder.
The oil tank lasts longer than the battery does, so there has been no issue there. I have been attaching a small sack to the bottom of one of my climb lines that contain a spare battery and a small water bottle full of bar oil so that if I need to change the battery I can just lift it up and swap it out, and put in oil at the same time. Then lower the old battery back down. Ran into a problem where I buried the sack under limbs once and couldn't get it loose, but it has worked out well most of the time. Working alone has its problems from time to time.
I have not gone to 1/4" pitch as I find the 3/8" just fine, and the chains I want to use are a lot easier to find. I have not experienced and bouncing people have reported with their 3/8" pitch pole saws, but this is not a pole saw. I see no need to go to a smaller, more delicate chain.
I have not experienced any squeaking some have had. The saw has been flawless for me. The only issue I have encountered thus far was the lights on one of my batteries that indicate the charge level do not work, but I don't look at them anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
Would I buy this saw again? In a heartbeat. It has become my go to climbing saw for limbs on hardwoods and even chunking down softwoods to the point the bar doesn't reach the diameter of the stem. My favorite, long lived top handle gas saw sits mostly idle these days, feeling neglected and sad.
It is raining today so I am going to rest my body. I don't have to go out in the rain. But tomorrow I will return to where I was working because I have a clump of 5 more basswoods to take down a piece at a time, and I plan on doing it all with the 2500T, except for the stem on one 23 incher. For that I will break out the 550XP husky. Another great saw.
