Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
So why use a battery-powered chainsaw over gas or corded models? There are several key reasons why these unconventional OPE tools are on the rise. Chiefly, new noise ordinances are driving Pros to integrate new battery-powered blowers, trimmers, and mowers into their workflow. Other reasons include the fact that battery-driven outdoor power tools are often easier, cleaner, and quieter to use than similar 2-cycle or 4-cycle products. That might make sense for you—and it might not. We’ll go over the reasons in detail so you can make an informed decision
Aside from the noise, obvious health benefits also come into play when switching to battery-powered lawn equipment. You avoid handling petrochemicals, breathing toxic exhaust fumes, and having prolonged exposure to loud engine noise. This goes triple for those using tools all day long, five days a week. And, while clean-running corded tool options exist, dragging a power cord severely compromises how you move around as you work.
Both Pros and DIYers alike already experience the convenience and simplicity of cordless tools for other tasks. Why not use battery-powered chainsaws, trimmers, and mowers as well?
Small engines are notoriously finicky and often require lots of expensive maintenance over the years. This goes double if you make the common mistake of leaving fuel in them over the winter. For the average consumer, dealing with transporting, mixing, and storing gasoline is hazardous.
It also involves more time and energy compared to popping a battery into a tool. Obviously, winterizing your equipment can alleviate problems, but over time, 2-cycle engines simply have more parts to wear out.
One of the most overlooked advantages of using a battery-powered chainsaw over 2-cycle involves what happens when you’re in a tree or a lift. Typically, to communicate with your man on the ground, you must turn off the chainsaw. That also means you need to pull-start it again while at height. That’s not a recommended practice, but it’s often necessary.
With a battery-powered chainsaw, 100% of the noise output stops when you let go of the trigger. Want to give instructions to your man on the ground? Just stop cutting and talk.
Excellent power-to-weight ratios exist on some of the newer top-handle cordless chainsaws like the Makita XCU08 top handle chainsaw and the many Greenworks chainsaws. This changes the game for arborists who want to tactically integrate these battery-powered saws into their workflow.
High upfront costs may be the chief reason why you may not want to use a battery-powered chainsaw. Tools with fuel have the edge on runtime and may remain a necessity for long workdays unless you have enough batteries to cycle. And that can be an expensive investment.
If a battery-powered toolkit seems to cost more than gas, a dealer I spoke to put it in perspective. According to him, you can figure that you’re paying all of your fuel costs upfront. You’re probably also saving all of your yearly tune-up expenses. Over time, you can probably plan on 3-years of operation before having to do significant maintenance on a battery-powered tool and/or replace the batteries.
Paying for the electricity to charge batteries almost seems negligible compared to the price of gallons of fuel. If you can choose products that give you the run-time you need, or even integrate solar charging into the equation, you may find that you can save a significant amount on operating costs over those three years.
Of course, manufacturers hope that buyers invest in more than one of their tools. Once you have a charger and batteries, buying bare tools after that could mean significant savings over the 2-cycle competition. It’s easy to see the utility of starting out with a cordless string trimmer, then adding a chain saw, blower, etc, that can share the same battery packs.
Why use a battery-powered chainsaw? At the end of the day, it comes down to less noise and more convenience.
We also cannot ignore reduced maintenance and no exposure to petrochemicals. While you may pay more upfront, you stand to gain some cost savings. All-but eliminating fuel, oil, and potential repair/maintenance charges adds up quickly. There are more powerful chainsaws with larger bars in the gas realm, but cordless is maturing. We feel it has now reached a point where it’s a legitimate option for both property owners and Pros.
Craftsman and writer Michael Springer specializes in testing tools and covering the tool industry for construction and woodworking professionals. Based in Boulder County, Colorado, but going wherever the story takes him, Michael crisscrosses the country yearly to visit manufacturers and attend trade shows, and occasionally gets as far afield as Europe. When he’s not running the kilowatts through power tools, Michael enjoys drumming and rustic woodworking with chainsaw, axe, and adze.
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I have recently converted many of my power tools to battery. Where I’m sure it benefits in reducing pollution and such which is great, my reason is ease of use and convenience. Quick start, the eliminating of buying fuel,engine maintenance, weight of the tool,storage options etc..make it a no brainer for me. I am currently doing research on purchasing a battery powered chainsaw. While fully understanding there are some shortcomings associated with this tool type, it is worth it in my world.
My biggest reason, not mentioned here, is the beauty of instant on and off when limbing a cut tree. Limbing is normally the bulk of the work of cutting down and disposing of a tree. The work consists of cutting, removing, accessing the next limb, cutting, removing, accessing the next limb, etc. With a fuel powered saw, you either leave the saw idling the whole time you are not actively sawing (while burning fuel, smelling, making noise, etc.) or you turn it on and off over and over again– pulling the rip cord over and over again. The battery saw… Read more »
You should examine the dangers of battery-powered chainsaws and chainsaw chaps. Chainsaw chaps are designed to stop gas-powered saws but cannot handle electric saws.
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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros