Battery saws

[Saw-sick Steve]

I've never considered a battery saw before as I'd heard that they were under-powered and ran flat too easily, however apparently battery technology has come on a lot recently and I'm reconsidering so am after recommendations. 

 Not expecting to replace a 2-stroke entirely, but I've got a fair bit of hedge-laying to do this winter - nothing too large diameter - and quite like the idea of a quiet saw that's not sitting on tick-over a lot. Reading through some reviews doesn't show any brand that stands out, seems to vary with each review so thought I'd ask on here for any personal recommendations. 

                                    TY in advance🙂

[Doug Tait]

We've several saws at work from the Stihl battery range.

Our experience of them is top handle are decent enough for pruning, they'll do a lot of small scale cutting in a tree from a charge.

 

The smaller ground saws are great again for cutting small stuff, sitting at the chipper is their ideal job IMO but crosscutting smaller diameter logs is ok and battery life reasonable. We find the bigger ground saws less useful though and on site would usually pick up a 550 or 261, battery is used more around the yard.

 

This is all for general tree work. One of our lads does hedgelaying and he thinks the smaller battery saws would be ideal for it. I've no idea about different brands I'm afraid but probably the way to go if you're already invested in any batteries from a particular brand is stick with that brand and you've minimal outlay for the naked saw.

[aswales]

I run a husqvarna pro battery chainsaw and pole saw, (since 2017) both are great cutting stuff less than 10 inch...reasonable performance and battery life...once you step over 10 inch performance and battery life tails off... they get used more than my petrol saws and tend to grab these first...I do like the quietness, less vibration, no fumes etc...But I think it will be a while before a battery saw performs as well as a 50cc pro saw.

 

 

[pleasant]

Battery technology hasnt plateaued yet, which means what you buy now, within a few months it will be obsolete and a new, improved model will be available with more power and run time. This is fine, if you are a pro user as after three years your machinery should be  written down and new kit will replace it. A domestic user for occasional use probably wont be bothered if their new purchase is an 'old' model before the seasons out. However with constant near weekly improvement i am seeing a severe slowing of good, used battery machinery.....simply for this very reason. Unlike petrol kit which performs at the top of its game for many many years with a buoyant aftermarket, three year old battery stuff is nothing more than near landfill, it is invariably out of date technology and as a new battery can be  75% of the cost of a new machine people dont want to take the risk of battery failure....this will severely impact the used market

Edited November 18, 2023 by pleasant

[scbk]

Husky 540ixp is a great saw, its equivalent power to a 40cc. But without the exhaust fumes, less noise, less vibrations, no ticking over, no pull starting all day long, cheaper to run (esp. compared to aspen), can refuel from home (so you're ready to go every morning), less maintenance.

 

For any cutting below a foot diameter I would rather do it with the 540 battery saw than any petrol saw.

 

I think you can also get it as a "G" version (heated handles)

[organic guy]

use a Stihl MSA 160a for hedge laying.

Cannot fault it.

Chain will dull quick if you hit something nasty but always carry a spare, quick to change.

300 battery will do a 10m length for a competition, just take a petrol saw for anything big which needs a 10in pleach cut.

[Treemover]

1 hour ago, scbk said:

Husky 540ixp is a great saw, its equivalent power to a 40cc. But without the exhaust fumes, less noise, less vibrations, no ticking over, no pull starting all day long, cheaper to run (esp. compared to aspen), can refuel from home (so you're ready to go every morning), less maintenance.

 

For any cutting below a foot diameter I would rather do it with the 540 battery saw than any petrol saw.

 

I think you can also get it as a "G" version (heated handles)

Getting parts here in Ireland for husky stuff is beyond a joke. I’d recommend a 540i but mine was 4 months waiting for a part in warranty. 

[openspaceman]

5 minutes ago, organic guy said:

use a Stihl MSA 160a for hedge laying.

Cannot fault it.

Chain will dull quick if you hit something nasty but always carry a spare, quick to change.

300 battery will do a 10m length for a competition, just take a petrol saw for anything big which needs a 10in pleach cut.

I would love a battery saw for a bit of guerrila path maintenace but at a grand for a husky and with over a dozen 2t saws not worn out yet...

 

Anyway to diverge a bit; to me he cut was always a plash cut and the whole job was plashing and pleaching. Never really having done any other than simple demonstrations I wonder what the etymology is, after all if you pleach trees you bend and twist branches together with no cutting.

[organic guy]

Regional dialects

[Sviatoslav Tulin]

5 hours ago, Treemover said:

Getting parts here in Ireland for husky stuff is beyond a joke. I’d recommend a 540i but mine was 4 months waiting for a part in warranty. 

Getting any part in Ireland is a joke ,sadly main distributors is a wankers to say at least ,only chance is to double or triple every tool , last case 12 days awaiting rubber dampfers for my echo top handle,and 6 days for 261 air filter, 1 month for Stihl push more wheel🤣what can I say  it’s like Antarctic circle 2 delivery’s per year plus weather dependence 😂