Battery Tophandle Chainsaw - any good?

[MrPaul]

I have the husqvarna battery top handled. I highly recommend it, i've heard great things about the Stihl one too. I recommend getting the best batteries available, I've got two, one usually lasts the whole day doing dead-woods or reductions. (Its nice to have a backup)

 

The pro's in comparison to a petrol saw would be you can hear, the saw is slightly lighter & eco friendly.

 

The con's would be anything 10" and over the petrol saw would perform better (but i dont find it that much of a problem personally)

 

You will also find yourself putting your ear defenders on from habbit with an electric chainsaw...

[JimM]

Used my Husky T536 last 3 days, two Syc dismantles and then Lime deadwooding today. Rigging down the crowns becomes easier when you can talk to the groundie below without the saw burbling away. Even while cutting you can hear any shouts much easier.

Jump to petrol topper as you go down to the thicker stems 10" plus as mentioned.

Using three 3.0 AH batteries, but Husky now has 4.2's. One battery has proved a bit crappy but the other two go for quite some time.

[Steve Bullman]

The pro's in comparison to a petrol saw would be you can hear, the saw is slightly lighter & eco friendly.

 

 

Do you mean it doesn't deafen you like a petrol saw?

 

I actually think this is a safety concern, much like handsaws. I like the fact that the groundies can hear when I am cutting with a petrol saw. Its not a problem, just something to be extra aware of.

[DanClimbsTrees]

As with motorcycles...Loud pipes save lives!

[corylus]

They still make a noise when you are cutting, just not as loud.

[TGB]

As with motorcycles...Loud pipes save lives!

 

 

No! They just disturb the quiet of others. It's the idiot holding the bars/steering wheel, that has a chance to save lives. If they chose to.

[openspaceman]

 

I actually think this is a safety concern, much like handsaws. I like the fact that the groundies can hear when I am cutting with a petrol saw. Its not a problem, just something to be extra aware of.

 

This doesn't make sense to me. The saw still makes a noise whilst cutting but between cuts it is silent so a normal conversation is possible.

 

I worry that one can get blasé with it as it switches on as soon as the deadman handle is squeezed whereas the engine can be heard by the user with a conventional saw.

 

Anyway I had a young chap who had never used one before take down a 30ft sallow and adjacent 2 stemmed norway maple on Friday. Used one battery, spare was available.

 

The skip chain means it can cut to its 14 inch length but that takes the battery out too quickly so in this instance he dismantled to 5 inch cuts and then the stems were felled and ringed up with a conventional (Husky 254 as I couldn't get a new saw in time).

 

His boss was there and didn't want to try the battery saw, preferring the ms200t, but I don't believe the job would have been any quicker with the petrol saw and communication was much better.

[Garyjp]

This doesn't make sense to me. The saw still makes a noise whilst cutting but between cuts it is silent so a normal conversation is possible.

 

 

 

I worry that one can get blasé with it as it switches on as soon as the deadman handle is squeezed whereas the engine can be heard by the user with a conventional saw.

 

 

 

Anyway I had a young chap who had never used one before take down a 30ft sallow and adjacent 2 stemmed norway maple on Friday. Used one battery, spare was available.

 

 

 

The skip chain means it can cut to its 14 inch length but that takes the battery out too quickly so in this instance he dismantled to 5 inch cuts and then the stems were felled and ringed up with a conventional (Husky 254 as I couldn't get a new saw in time).

 

 

 

His boss was there and didn't want to try the battery saw, preferring the ms200t, but I don't believe the job would have been any quicker with the petrol saw and communication was much better.

 

 

the husky has an on/off switch. the saw turns off after 5 mins.

[openspaceman]

the husky has an on/off switch. the saw turns off after 5 mins.

 

Yes and it remains good practice to apply the chainbrake before putting the saw down. I just mentioned it because it struck me it would be easy to develop bad habits.

[IVECOKID]

First trip out with the Stihl MSA160T and my brother fell over laughing at my new kitchen utensil and called it a Gay saw !

 

At the end of the day he was gob smacked at how well it coped and how long it lasted.

 

 

 

 

Ste