(Dis)Advantages to using battery powered chainsaws

[gtaus]

I know many people are looking at getting battery powered yard tools these days. I hear in California that small gas engines are soon to be banned from sale. Anyway, just want to give my two cents of wisdom on the (dis)advantages I have found using almost only battery power yard tools for the past 5 years.

Yesterday I had to cut down a large, maybe 18-20 inch round tree that the top half cracked off last year in a wind storm. My biggest battery chainsaw is my Ryobi 40v 14 inch chainsaw. Normally, I would never consider using a 14 inch chainsaw to cut down a tree with a trunk that is maybe 6 inches wider than my chainsaw blade is long. Felling a large tree is not something I think my 14 inch Ryobi 40v chainsaw was designed for and I did not think it would be up to the task. However, I thought I would give it a try to test the limits of the chainsaw.

[Edited: Added picture of tree that I felled. It was 19 inches across.]

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I was able to successfully fell the large tree, but it took me almost 2 full batteries just to get the tree down on the ground. I had enough juice left in the second battery to limb most of the branches, and then it was spent. I don't know how well other battery powered chainsaws work, my little Ryobi cuts well with a sharp blade, but I got maybe only 20-25 minutes run time total from my 2 batteries, and then it was done for the night and time to recharge them. For anybody switching from gas to battery yard equipment, I think the first challenge to recognize is that you have pitiful runtime on most batteries, and if you don't have multiple extra batteries, you will get part way into a large project but probably have to spread out the work over a number of days. Especially with battery powered chainsaws.

Today, I went back out to that large tree and cut almost 5 rounds off the trunk before the batteries were spent. At this rate, I have another 3 days of work on this project. With a high drain device like a chainsaw, the batteries work hard and heat up. So when the battery is exhausted, you cannot just put it on the charger and start charging it. No, you have to wait almost an hour before the battery is cool enough that the charger will even start to recharge the battery. Then it takes maybe another 2 hours to charge the battery. Again, if you don't have multiple batteries, your downtime with battery powered tools can be really long.

So, what are the good points to battery powered chainsaws? I have a 40v 4.0 Ah battery and a 2.6 Ah battery. My total runtime on them was about 25 minutes. Granted, not very long runtime, but at my age, I was happy to call it a day to recharge the batteries and pick up the project again the next day. My strategy is cut wood for a bit, and then spend the bulk of my time cleaning up the smaller stuff. Each day, a bit more gets done, but it's not like going to happen all at once. I'm OK with spreading a large project over a number of days.

Another advantage to battery powered chainsaws is that it always runs with a freshly charged battery. I cannot tell you how easy it is to just drop a battery in the chainsaw and clean up a few fallen branches after a storm, and putting the chainsaw back in the garage. Back in the day, with my gas chainsaws, I might spend more time trying to get the stupid gas chainsaw even running! Unfortunately, that is true. If you don't use a chainsaw very often, the gas can go bad and foul the carburetor, causing all kinds of problems. Since I don't use my chainsaw very often, and usually it's only small to medium jobs when I do, my little Ryobi 14 inch 40v chainsaw is more than adequate for those jobs.

Many times I have to go and clean up a fallen branch or two after a wind storm, and in about 10 minutes the battery chainsaw will have everything cut up and ready to be hauled off to the wood pile. For those small jobs, the battery chainsaws really come out on top.

Another advantage to buying into these tool lines, is that my chainsaw battery also works in my grass trimmer, lawn mower, power sweeper, leaf blower, and cultivator for the raised beds. I really don't use my chainsaw very much, but I use my grass trimmer all the time. I also use the cultivator not only for the raised garden beds, but also for mixing up potting soil and compost when I want. Fortunately, the batteries usually last a lot longer with my other outdoor tools compared to the high demand chainsaw. I usually have more than enough battery run time for my non-chainsaw tools, allowing me to complete almost all tasks I need to do around the house.

Well, that's about it. I'm just burning some time on the BYC forums while my chainsaw batteries are on the charger.....

 

[Justso]

Thanks so much for this review!
I'm encouraged by the increase of battery powered tools rather than stinking gas. I understand it may not be as powerful and take a little longer, but remember, it took my grandparents and great grandparents a lot longer by hand! With more use of batteries, we can only improve.

 

[saysfaa]

The disadvantages I see are the environmental damage batteries do during manufacture and after they wear out. I hope that ban doesn't spread.

 

[gtaus]

I'm encouraged by the increase of battery powered tools rather than stinking gas. I understand it may not be as powerful and take a little longer, but remember, it took my grandparents and great grandparents a lot longer by hand! With more use of batteries, we can only improve.

In general, I am much happier with my battery powered equipment than with my older gas yard equipment. For example, I used to have to buy a new gas trimmer every 2-3 years because the carbs would always go out on them. I have had my battery trimmer now for almost 15 years - still works like day one. Of course, the batteries don't last that long and have been replaced.

I bought into the Ryobi line of tools, so whenever I buy a new battery I can use it in all my Ryobi tools. Whatever tool line you buy into, it's great that your batteries will work on your other tools. Over the years, I have purchased many batteries and tools that all share the same battery platform. For me, buying a few new batteries every 2-3 years is a lot cheaper than having to replace my fouled gas carb equipment.

FYI, I do have a gas Sthil 16 inch chainsaw. It starts up and runs fine for about 10 minutes, then it floods out and will not start again that day. Unfortunately, shop time repairs on gas engines too often exceed the value of the item to be repaired. About 5 years ago, I bought the Ryobi 14 inch chainsaw and does almost everything I need to do around the house. Would I like a longer run time on my batteries. Yes. But, I'm OK with spreading the job over a number of days and just taking my time.

I'm old enough to remember using hand tools out at my grandparent's lake cabin where we had no electricity. We had to hand saw all wood and I first used a manual drill that you had to hold in place while you hand cranked the thing. It worked, but not so fast or convenient as our battery operated tools of today. We built an entire new cabin without the use of any electricity, and no battery powered tools back in the day.

 

[gtaus]

The disadvantages I see are the environmental damage batteries do during manufacture and after they wear out. I hope that ban doesn't spread.

I recently watched a documentary that Michael Moore made with someone else. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the show. But yes, making and disposing of all these batteries is not talked about very much.

I like the portability of using battery powered tools, and I am glad when I don't have to fight with a fouled carb on my gas equipment, but in the end, like you mentioned, I don't know if batteries are more environmentally friendly. I lived in California in the 1990's, and the air pollution in the L.A. basin was just terrible. I'm sure they just want to do whatever they can to clean up their toxic air. I would agree to that. I don't think here in rural Minnesota that we have that same concern. I chose to use battery tools because they just work better for me.

 

[raingarden]

I hate, really HATE, gas yard tools. I'd rather fuss with corded yard tools and tangled extension cords.

Getting a Makita battery chain saw was the best thing we had done in a while.. It can cut a hefty log if you remember to bring along an extra set of batteries. It's light enough to use one-handed for limbing. Having extra batteries and charging stations is the key. We've also switched to battery circular saw, recip saw and drill/drivers; all with the same batteries. So there are always fresh batteries ready to go.

A battery mower and battery shredder are not in the cards and gas is the only option. Usually, one or the other of them won't start.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I pretty much have all battery powered yard tools for lighter weight + ease of use (frankly I don't know how to start gas powered versions), though some can share batteries and some can't (that's what I get for getting different brands). So chainsaw, mower, weed whacker, leaf blower, hedge trimmer x2 are all on battery. Everything else is corded, which obviously limits how far I can go.

The leaf blower burns through the battery the fastest, but it's really only used in fall. I have a corded back up that's a lot more powerful for anything closer to the house.

Gosh I used to use a corded mower... that was awful, since all you do is spend time trying to avoid running over the cord.

 

[gtaus]

I hate, really HATE, gas yard tools.

It's not that I hat gas yard tools, but rather that I got tired of having to replace so many of my small gas engines after a few years because the carbs would go bad.

Getting a Makita battery chain saw was the best thing we had done in a while.. It can cut a hefty log if you remember to bring along an extra set of batteries. It's light enough to use one-handed for limbing. Having extra batteries and charging stations is the key.

Yep, love my Ryobi battery powered chainsaws (I have both the 40v and 18v versions). I have been buying Ryobi 18v tools for almost 20 years, and have many batteries in my collection. For a high drain device like a chainsaw, you need lots of batteries if you plan on doing a big job. I could probably run my Ryobi 18v chainsaw all day and still have some batteries left to use at the end of the day. But, the 18v chainsaw is a smaller 12 inch bar, so you are not going to be playing lumberjack. The 40v chainsaw is more powerful and cuts faster, but I only have 2 batteries for the 40v line. Batteries are expensive, so I usually just do part of a big job each day using the batteries I have.

We've also switched to battery circular saw, recip saw and drill/drivers; all with the same batteries, so there are always fresh batteries ready to go.

Once you buy into a brand, you are pretty much locked into their tools. For my DIY/Home use needs, I found Ryobi to be the best fit for me in both price and quality.

A battery mower and battery shredder are not in the cards so gas is the only option. Usually, one or the other of them won't start.

I bought a Ryobi 18v 16 inch mower a number of years ago. I use it close to the house and in places where I cannot mow with my riding mower. It works great and runs on the same batteries as my Ryobi tools. There was a mix up with my order, and I ended up getting a second 18v mower for almost nothing. I came out ahead on that deal.

As for a shredder, if what you are talking about is a wood chipper, then I have mixed opinions of those options. I have a larger gas chipper that will chip up to 3 inch round branches. I have a smaller electric chipper that will chip up to 1.25 inch branches. For small stuff, I just use the electric chipper, but it takes forever to chip up a garden wagon full of wood. My gas chipper, is much, much faster, but sometimes it is a challenge to start.

I use wood chips for the chickens all the time. Since I found out that I can get a trailer full of free wood chips at our county landfill, which takes me about 20 minutes to load, I have been less excited about chipping wood at home with my chippers. That trailer full of free wood chips at the county landfill takes me 20 minutes of work to load up, but if I were to chip up that much wood at home, I would be spending hours and hours even on the bigger, faster, gas chipper.

I still use my chippers at home, but only for yard cleanup and I don't go out of my way to chip up wood at home unless I have the time. If I don't have the time for chipping yard waste, it just gets dumped in a big pile out in the tall grass/woods behind the house.

 

[gtaus]

some can share batteries and some can't (that's what I get for getting different brands).

And, it gets more expensive to buy different brands because the batteries for the home user are usually more expensive than the tools themselves. Being able to swap the same batteries in all your tools saves lots of money, and hassle. One of the big reasons I bought into the Ryobi line was because they seemed to offer more tools than other brands. That was important to me. The other major reason was that they promised to keep their 18v stem battery platform and not change. I had been previously burned on other brand tools that stopped making their batteries after a few years - essentially leaving me with perfectly good working tools but no batteries to run them! With Ryobi, I am still able to run my old Ni-Cad era tools with the newest Li-Ion batteries they sell today. Even better, my old tools run much better, and longer, on the newer batteries.

Gosh I used to use a corded mower... that was awful, since all you do is spend time trying to avoid running over the cord.

The second Ryobi 18v mower I got (for almost free) is a hybrid mower - running either on 18v batteries or you can plug in an electrical cord. In the 7 years I have owned that hybrid model, I have never, ever, used a power cord.

In theory, I do like hybrid tools that can run either on batteries or plugged into electricity. Great for a radio, fan, etc... If you have limited batteries, it would be nice to plug in some of the tools and still get use out of them while saving your batteries for the essential work.

 

[rosemarythyme]

And, it gets more expensive to buy different brands because the batteries for the home user are usually more expensive than the tools themselves. Being able to swap the same batteries in all your tools saves lots of money, and hassle. One of the big reasons I bought into the Ryobi line was because they seemed to offer more tools than other brands. That was important to me. The other major reason was that they promised to keep their 18v stem battery platform and not change. I had been previously burned on other brand tools that stopped making their batteries after a few years - essentially leaving me with perfectly good working tools but no batteries to run them! With Ryobi, I am still able to run my old Ni-Cad era tools with the newest Li-Ion batteries they sell today. Even better, my old tools run much better, and longer, on the newer batteries.



The second Ryobi 18v mower I got (for almost free) is a hybrid mower - running either on 18v batteries or you can plug in an electrical cord. In the 7 years I have owned that hybrid model, I have never, ever, used a power cord.

In theory, I do like hybrid tools that can run either on batteries or plugged into electricity. Great for a radio, fan, etc... If you have limited batteries, it would be nice to plug in some of the tools and still get use out of them while saving your batteries for the essential work.

Thankfully 3 of my tools, the ones I use most, can share batteries (I went with Black & Decker on those), so I have 5 batteries to swap around between the mini chainsaw, hedge trimmer and weed whacker. By the time those batteries are drained it's lunch time anyhow, so it's fine with me that they aren't going to last more than a couple of hours.

Hybrid sounds great, though I can't imagine running a corded mower ever again. I'm probably one of the only people in the neighborhood with a push mower instead of a riding mower, but I've seen what happens to those on my lot - they get stuck in the bog, and you end up needing a push mower as well, so I didn't see a need to have both. There's still an old abandoned riding mower that the previous owner ditched where it got stuck, out in the blackberries.

Free is great too. Can't complain about the fact that my extended hedge trimmer isn't cross compatible with batteries since it was nearly new and free. Just heavy as heck, so I don't use it much.