Now I have really gone off the deep end.

dhrivnak · Oct 4, 2014

First I get my Tesla Roadster, then I got a battery operated lawn mower, and now a battery operated chain saw. So who need gas???

By the way the Chain Saw is a Kobalt and does a good job.

brianman · Oct 4, 2014

About how long do you get to use it before it feels like it's losing spunk / cutting power? Also, how long does it take to charge (on 110 I presume

(Curious from a buying standpoint, not nitpicking.)

bonnie · Oct 4, 2014

Ooooh!!! I didn't think there was a good battery-operated chain saw. That was the one thing that I thought would keep gas around my place for a long time.

lorih · Oct 4, 2014

Oh no! Brianman goes on tree cutting spree just to use new tools. All you tree-huggers beware!!

dhrivnak · Oct 4, 2014

The saw cuts for about 30 minutes before needing a charge on a std 110V. It takes less than an hour to charge back up. Since I only rarely cut down a tree this works well for me. This is a relatively big tree and will likely take 4 charges to fully cut up. Most of my trees are smaller. I did not want a corded saw as some of the times we have had to clear trees is after a bad storm when power is out. So I make sure the Li-ion battery stays charged.

Auzie · Oct 7, 2014

dhrivnak said:
View attachment 60754

Are you allowed to cut a tree, just like that? No tree cutting permits?

Here in Australia it is a big undertaking, cutting a tree, as they are protected by various laws. One must get council approval to cut a tree on their property. Many trees are registered and protected species (must not be cut).

AnOutsider · Oct 7, 2014

dhrivnak said:
The saw cuts for about 30 minutes before needing a charge on a std 110V. It takes less than an hour to charge back up. Since I only rarely cut down a tree this works well for me. This is a relatively big tree and will likely take 4 charges to fully cut up. Most of my trees are smaller. I did not want a corded saw as some of the times we have had to clear trees is after a bad storm when power is out. So I make sure the Li-ion battery stays charged.

Any issues with it sitting on the charger constantly? I know with some things they warn you not to (like power wheels for example).

Also which mower did you get? I was considering one of those automatic ones like the roomba/neatos but for the lawn.

taurusking · Oct 7, 2014

Auzie said:
Are you allowed to cut a tree, just like that? No tree cutting permits?

Here in Australia it is a big undertaking, cutting a tree, as they are protected by various laws. One must get council approval to cut a tree on their property. Many trees are registered and protected species (must not be cut).

I wish that kind of law existed in the U.S and every where in the world...

dhrivnak · Oct 7, 2014

As for cutting trees in Tennessee not aware of any needed permits we just do it. I am so glad we do not have such silly laws. The tree was dead so something needed done. Of the 40 trees we planted I have two more I need to take down. They have gotten too large next to the house and one is impinging on solar production.

As for the mower I have a WORX brand which ad worked now for 3+ years. The wife likes it as it is EASY to start and relatively quiet.

Finally on the question of leaving on the charger there are no warnings but with Lithium you do not need to keep it on the charger so why pay for vampire drain?

Auzie · Oct 7, 2014

taurusking said:
I wish that kind of law existed in the U.S and every where in the world...

Laws are useful if they are reasonably applied. Councils often get carried away with their powers to say no to reasonable requests to remove dangerous trees.

dhrivnak said:
As for cutting trees in Tennessee not aware of any needed permits we just do it. I am so glad we do not have such silly laws. The tree was dead so something needed done. Of the 40 trees we planted I have two more I need to take down. They have gotten too large next to the house and one is impinging on solar production.

Plenty of silliness here, in the application of these laws. Problem trees are often a matter of dispute between affected citizens and councils. Disputes are often settled by unexplained tree death. Unfortunately there are cases when tree kills someone before concerned citizens can get approval to remove it.

AnOutsider · Oct 7, 2014

dhrivnak said:
Finally on the question of leaving on the charger there are no warnings but with Lithium you do not need to keep it on the charger so why pay for vampire drain?

So it keeps its charge when left alone? That's always my concern. Charge it. Store it. Go to use it and it's dead.

Al Sherman · Oct 8, 2014

bonnie said:
Ooooh!!! I didn't think there was a good battery-operated chain saw. That was the one thing that I thought would keep gas around my place for a long time.

Stihl has a full line of battery operated equipment.

mibaro2 · Oct 8, 2014

Al Sherman said:
Stihl has a full line of battery operated equipment.

I looked at STIHL's battery powered chainsaw (not too seriously, but was surprised to see them have one), but decided to go for a gas one. And their gas models have that premix that you can buy to save you a trip to the gas station. I went with a gas model mainly because of my experience with electric chainsaws which is that they lack horsepower to cut efficiently.

However, with the info provided by dhrivnak , it seems the battery powered chainsaws are better than the electric cord models.

Al Sherman · Oct 8, 2014

mibaro2 said:
I looked at STIHL's battery powered chainsaw (not too seriously, but was surprised to see them have one), but decided to go for a gas one. And their gas models have that premix that you can buy to save you a trip to the gas station. I went with a gas model mainly because of my experience with electric chainsaws which is that they lack horsepower to cut efficiently.

However, with the info provided by dhrivnak , it seems the battery powered chainsaws are better than the electric cord models.

All of Stihls battery powered equipment is powerful enough for most homeowner jobs. If you're a professional lumberjack there isn't a cordless model for you. The Stihl chainsaw is small and you'll want two batteries (probably) but it works. It has plenty of horsepower. If I need more I should probably be calling the "guy" anyway. Maybe actually try one instead of just looking next time.

lorih · Oct 8, 2014

I would think if you are looking to purchase a chainsaw, you would want battery or gas. Electric with a cord sounds potentially dangerous if you trip over cord, or cord gets stuck on a branch. The idea of falling forward on moving chainsaw is too gruesome to imagine.

Peter_M · Oct 8, 2014

I have the Kobalt mower and string trimmer, which use the same battery and charger as the chain saw. I have 3 batteries, one 4 Ah and one 2 Ah. After learning about how storing Li-ion batteries at full charge can reduce their lifetime, I now charge them only to 3 bars out of 4 (they have an LED charge indicator on each battery) and then store them off the charger. It means rotating through batteries a bit more, and doing the 3/4 charge involves setting a timer to check on them before they charge fully, but I figure that what will eventually render the tools useless will be dead, obsolete, unreplaceable batteries, so I'm trying to make them last. This 3/4 charge thing may be unnecessary, if the designers arranged for the charger to not charge to the theoretical maximum anyway, but it can't hurt.

BTW, if you want a second battery, consider buying the string trimmer, hedge trimmer or leaf blower. They come with a battery for only $50 more than the battery alone.

And the batteries don't seem to lose charge on the shelf.

mspohr · Oct 8, 2014

I've gone full electric:
- electric bicycle (Server Error)
- electric snow blower (Snow Joe) - works great even with the deep heavy snow we get in the Sierra Nevada
- electric chain saw (18") for the big trees
- battery electric chain saw (10") for the small stuff
- electric leaf blower
- Tesla S and Tesla X (waiting...)
And, of course, solar panels to power everything.

TEG · Oct 8, 2014

taurusking said:
I wish that kind of law existed in the U.S and every where in the world...

Some places have more localized ordinances.
Tahoe Agency Launches New Tree Removal Permit Website - capradio.org
( In that case they are trying to make it easier to get permits to reduce fire danger. )

mspohr · Oct 8, 2014

I live in Tahoe and we have to deal with these permits. They are very strict about it and can levy serious fines for violation.
Fortunately, anything less than 14" is fair game. Over that, you need a permit. Most of my tree removal is small trees and brush. The 18" chain saw takes care of 14" trees handily.
I also forgot to list the electric chipper/shredder. It only takes small stuff but is handy for brush cleanup. Fortunately, the local fire department will come and chip larger branches so I just pile them by the road and call them.

Now I have really gone off the deep end.

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