Battery powered chainsaws vs petrol powered chainsaws

[Charlie Allen]

Hi , I'm Currently doing my FdSc in Arboriclture, for my assignment I am looking into arborists opinions of battery powered chainsaws in comparison to petrol chainsaws for small , rural companies . What are your thoughts ? I would like to include opinions into my assignment. 

[James905]

Battery doesn't have the power of petrol so a lot of people out there will have a lot of bad things to say.

However.

 

For me i think the battery ones are great (in the right situation).

When your chipping and need to quickly cut something, the battery back handle is amazing as you just press button on and off, quick and easy. Now i never pick up a petrol in that situation. 

 

When I'm in a cherry picker basket, the top handle battery is good as there's no fumes. If you use a petrol saw it feels like your sucking the exhaust all day long, but with the battery its much better for your health. So if I'm in a basket for the day, i avoid petrol for along as i possibly can. 

 

When it comes to big wood, big take downs, there's no way id even pack the battery kit (apart from back handle for the chipper). But for day to day smaller jobs, its battery all the way, mainly for health reasons. 

People say use aspen its healthier but it gives me a sore throat.

 

Hope that helps a bit? 

[Mick Dempsey]

4 hours ago, Charlie Allen said:

Hi , I'm Currently doing my FdSc in Arboriclture, for my assignment I am looking into arborists opinions of battery powered chainsaws in comparison to petrol chainsaws for small , rural companies . What are your thoughts ? I would like to include opinions into my assignment. 

Use the search facility on here for the various models, you’ll get lots of material.

[Matthew Storrs]

Much as above really- if I think the battery saw can handle it I would take that all day long over the petrol. I love the cleaness of it- no mucking around with petrol and two stoke, no fumes, can have the saw in the passenger seat and it doesn’t stink the truck out. Will handle most brash and timber up to 8” pretty well. Anything bigger I’d begrudgingly get the petrol saw out!

[maybelateron]

I have invested in a Li ion top handle chainsaw.

 

This is great for light pruning, light dismantling, and also very good is sound sensitive situations, eh early morning start in residential areas. It is light and less tiring to use if you are like me, an older climber well past peak strength years.

 

Once I am at a point where I need to be making mainly cuts into 6 inch or more diameter I get the petrol saw sent up to me.

 

I also feel the electric top handle saw is a safer tool in the tree, as the chain spins much slower, so is less likely to do quite so much trauma if the event of mishap. No reason the get lax on safety though.

 

We don't have a rear handle saw yet, but this will come I am sure, as I agree entirely with James905 comment about battery saw for a quick cut by the chipper.

 

I can really see the power and versatility of battery saw increasing in the near future.

 

 

[aspenarb]

I know the battery saw topic has been beaten to death elsewhere but its always useful to get updates on progress , failures and user feedback. I have had mine a year or two now, I only keep them in the machines for cutting my way out if things go tits up or cutting stray sticks out of the mechancals so they are not really used in anger. I cant remember the model but they dont match even the smallest of petrol saws for power and anything other than a razor sharp chain will drag the life out of a battery in minutes. That said a sharp chain and very light use will see about three hours of use. I would happily replace these with the newer models as and when they expire.

 

Bob