Lithium powered saws?

[treebing]

My makita has one battery, is a top handle and is teeensy tiny. Awesome little prune saw. Much smaller than the ms150 or little echo. Had a hard time this winter with powering through gunky bar oil but now its spring its running great. We have two of the stihl back handle 200s Which are great. one of the makita dual battery which is a bit awkward but much more power than the single battery saw.

 

[ATH]

The Makita uses both of those batteries at once...right? It is not like one kicks in when the other runs out of juice? I think that is how they get cert good power out of it???

 

[treebing]

This is the makita I really like. A bit underpoweredbut soo light and compact.

 

[Recoveryeh92]

Do you mind me asking the focus (purpose) of your post? It seems if you just want to avoid something it's pretty easily done.

I was doing a bit of drinking when I posted this lol. Sorry

 

[Richard Mumford-yoyoman]

What I like until it gets too small for the trunk. Same batt for the 20v line of tools, no starting, no hearing protection 8 pounds.

 

[Bucknut]

Gotta admit, I didn’t know so many electric tophandles were already available. I’ll have to wait for Milwaukee to make one. Fingers crossed.

 

[RBJtree]

@TallTreeClimber do you have a top of the line gas top handle to compare your Makita to? I am interested in the electric saws, but I bought 2 stihl 201tc's in the last 8 months, so unless one explodes, my top handle budget is spent for now, lol.

 

[treebing]

@TallTreeClimber do you have a top of the line gas top handle to compare your Makita to? I am interested in the electric saws, but I bought 2 stihl 201tc's in the last 8 months, so unless one explodes, my top handle budget is spent for now, lol.

I would not try to compare a battery saw to a 201. Different tools for different situations.

 

[RBJtree]

I'm just curious what the power is like in comparison. I've had a 020 or a 200 or a 201 hanging from my belt for so long I don't even notice the weight, and I am very impatient when it comes to cutting, lol. When I wont be cutting anything over 2 or 3 inches, I just leave the power saw on the ground and use my hand saw. To me, a middle ground is useless. I see the possible good points of the electric, but if it isn't close in power, I wouldn't get one.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

@TallTreeClimber

I bought the top handle Dewalt chain saw. The saw seems like a B-grade and I really like my DW shop tools. It was $150 w/o batteries. I've got 10 and 20a batteries so I can lighten the saw for small jobs. Quck charge too. But I wonder if it would be a full time use saw.

 

[Burrapeg]

I have the 20v DeWalt. Love it. Auto-oiling, brushless (the brushes and communtator are often what goes out first on these type tools), and no tools needed for tensioning. Same battery fits all my other cordless tools including my DIY power ascender. I have three batteries and can go all afternoon without a charge and still have juice left. I don't notice much difference in cutting power over the small gas saws I have had in the past. My largest saw is still gas but I find that the DeWalt is becoming my No1 go-to for the majority of what I am doing. I must qualify my remarks by saying that only I rec climb so I am not using my saw at height very often. But I use it very heavily on the ground for cutting firewood and other stuff. I have even used the DeWalt for whacking up railroad ties for making raised flower beds. It is a tough little saw, just like everything else they make.

 

[Burrapeg]

Watched the video and enjoyed seeing the take-apart. I have not had my DeWalt apart yet. I have indeed noticed the bar wobble a bit on mine but have gotten in the habit of letting the blade take its own path instead of steering it sideways too hard. My larger gas saw benefits from this kindness as well. Like any tool, how long they last depends a lot on the particular user. I have a ham-fisted doofus neighbor who could wreck an anvil. He brings his saws and other stuff over to my shop for me to repair them so I get a pretty thorough close-up look at what can happen to any power tool. The little DeWalt would not last 5 minutes with this guy. But neither has anything else he owns.

 

[Merle Nelson]

As the conversation has turned to durability I will say the Husky is not a tough as nails saw. I think of it as "soft" compared to all metal climbing saws of decads ago. As a result I don't let it bounce off tree parts much etc. My criteria is, does it make me money.

 

[*useless info*]

Electric pull vs. explosion force into 2cycle system for total out the gate power will be tough race on these new breeds! But i still think these tools in their powerbands will show respectably, and in time close much of the gap.

 

[Merle Nelson]

By the way, this Fatmax toolbox.......https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-FATMAX-28-in-Tool-Box-028001L/100624569 is a perfect size to hold two 14 inch Huskies, 4 batts and a quick charger. And it's tough enough to sit/stand on etc.

 

[colb]

I was doing a bit of drinking when I posted this lol. Sorry

 

[Merle Nelson]

Electric pull vs. explosion force into 2cycle system for total out the gate power will be tough race on these new breeds! But i still think these tools in their powerbands will show respectably, and in time close much of the gap.

Uinfo, I looked back at your posts to see what batt saws you use but was not able to find that quickly. Batt saws productivity and usefulness is here now. Early adopters (some here) have gone through the pain for us. They will only get better with lighter batts that store 5 times the power etc.

If anyone wants to know all the worst things about a particular model before buying etc - that could be fun and productive. But, it's like listing whats wrong with a Mclaren F1 or something not like could I drive this car down the road at this point in their development.

 

[New2trees]

What?

Pretty sure a Tesla uses about a million little 18650 cells. The same type of cells that 99% of lithium batteries use today. Varying chemistries.

My post was about the electric motors used in the Tesla not the battery cells used for storage.

 

[New2trees]

In regard to balance and power, as said earlier for a top handle a belt carrying the cells would IMHO be the way to go. The belt would only be about an inch thick, the voltage could easily be 120v which would allow a much greater power density motor to be used on the saw. You need a leash for the top handle anyway so the power cord could perform both functions, and of course the user could be protected from any danger of a cut cord with a simple CGFI.

Watch the voltages on the saws in the next few years and I will bet you a cup of coffee my predictions hold true.

 

[rustykfd]

tell me why you believe tesla uses "better" motors than other brushless devices. I would be surprised if he made anything at all. I believe he's a parts bin guy with big ideas. Brushless motors are pretty advanced. Have you seen what is available to the RC world? Hobby cars have some awesome brushless stuff.

Look at the advances in RC helicopters with the introduction of brushless motors and lithium batteries. It's an incredible move forward from liquid fuel. It's coming, just a matter of time.