Battery Power for Lawn equipment -- is it time?

Oregon, better known for their chains and files, makes both corded and battery saws. Don't know how good or what size, but was always happy with their other products.
Outdoor Power Equipment | Oregon Products

Stihl also has battery products.

Some of the older brands such as Stihl are still tops. Other legacy brands not so much.
kris

 

Sal,

I have a 1 year old Stihl Farm Boss that might fit your requirements. It currently has a 18 inch chain/bar, but can be fitted with a longer bar. Its a bit too heavy for my use.

JeffD

 

I live in the most forested state in the US. About 90 percent of Maine is forested, the highest percentage of any state. As such, cut log is dirt cheap. Cheaper than a roll of toilet paper per weight. I will have to pay someone have it cut into usable logs or lumber and have them removed from my property which cost roughly $2,500 per tree. Do the math for 12 trees.

 

I have both corded and cordless Oregon chainsaws. See this thread way back on Battery Power for Lawn equipment -- is it time? | Page 11 | PriusChat

Neither are up for the job I am planning to perform. They are way underpowered. The battery one bog down on a soft 12 in logs. The corded one is better, but where I will be working even a 100ft extension cord is not long enough.

Yes, Stihl Farm Boss and Husky Rancher are the two I have been thinking. They are both discontinued models, but I can still find them on the market new or used at reasonable prices. But they may be a bit too small for a 24" bar. Depending on the model, it is only a notch upgrade from my current Husky 353.

I am really thinking of getting a Stihl 500i with a 25" bar (which is the same as a 24" bar for Husky or other makers). But it's a $1600 chainsaw substantially heavier than the 353. Might be an overkill... and I may regret getting too large of a saw.

 

Gosh: I guess it was in the Salamander_King post that I first heard about the Oregon saws -- guess I just forgot the source.

Depending on your skill level, using full chisel chain can speed up your work quite a bit, but the down side is that it needs more frequent sharpening. Also more prone to kickback.

For your work, I would personally lean toward semi-chisel, as it is also better at cutting stuff on the ground and handles a bit of dirt better -- it is also called green label chain. Full chisel is yellow label, which also serves as a warning about kickback potential.
kris

 

must be a labor of love, how long will it take to recoup the cost of taking down the trees?

 

Don't forget- that's site prep work. You can claim a 30% tax refund on the arborist's bill.

 

I've used only OEM bar and chain on my chainsaws. On Husky 353, which was the smallest pro grade chainsaw on their lineup back when I purchased it over 15 years ago, came with only micro-chisel chain. Its cutting profile is in between full-chisel and semi-chisel, not as sharp pointed right angle as a full but not as rounded as semi. It works great on all types of wood and more forgiving on dirty wood and occasional ground hit.

I have not try switching the chain on my chainsaw. But I don't think chain type will be the issue. My 353 with only 2.4kW power will struggle bucking through 30" diameter hard maple on a ground.

 

It's already built-in. The arborist cost is about $5k. Remember, this is just for felling and dropping the log to ground, nothing else. It cost $400 per tree on average just to fell a tree. 12 trees costs $4800. If I ask them to delimb and buck the log and remove off the site, it will cost $2500 per tree. 12 trees will cost $30,000, almost the cost of solar panel.

 

Curious, I just did a "back of the envelope" cost to replace my saws and it made me blanch. Looking at Stihl's prices....
WHEW
kris

 

Are you asking recouping the cost of arborist just felling trees from the solar panels? Is so, it will be about 10 years for the total costs. If you are asking, recouping the cost of full service if I hire someone to remove trees, then it will add 9 more years. That's why I am DIYing delimbing and bucking part myself. I will use them for firewood and for wood mulching.

 

How many solar panels are you installing that they can be blocked by that many large trees?

Mike

 

36 panels 15kW system. But not all the trees I am felling are shading the roof. There are additional trees I included.

 

$400 to fell a tree ain't bad.
I gladly paid much more than that, more than once.
Large leafy oak trees in town near other houses......

 

That was the cheapest arborist quote I could find locally. And for them it is just one man job, less than 30min per tree with no heavy equipment other than a chainsaw. All trees are far away from any structure, buildings. If any of the tree needs to have bucket or any other equipment, the price would be easily double or triple just for felling a tree.

As I said, one company quoted me $2500/tree for felling, delimbing, bucking, chipping, and removing all derbies off site. I have paid close to that amount for trees removed in a city lot back when we were still city dueler.

 

I ended up purchasing the most powerful (and most expensive) gas chainsaw a local hardware store had. I knew it was an overkill and I could have got away with less powerful (thus less expensive) model gas chainsaw, but I wanted this to be one time purchase and never needing anything more powerful. I just knew there is absolutely no electric chainsaw that would be up to the task.

After spending almost a month with weekly use, I am now convinced that I made a right choice. It is heavy, but absolutely no comparison to any electric saw for the pure power it has. It had no problem felling and backing ~30" diameter mature hard maple trees.

Yeah, electric power tools have come a long way, but there is no way to replace some of the hardest working gas operated tools today.
Number crunching | Page 21 | PriusChat

 

I agree. Gas powered chainsaws are beasts. However, for the average homeowner, electric chainsaws generally work great. I have an Echo model, and it has worked out great for my needs ( but I'm not using it on 30" diameter mature trees ).

 

Corded, battery?

N'mind, looked it up, just seeing battery.

 

I also have Oregon Tool electric saws. The battery chainsaw (CS300 now discontinued) and corded chainsaw (CS1500) to be specific. Both serves well for light duty jobs around house like limbing branches and backing small logs. But they are under powered for anything bigger than 12" diameter hardwood trees. Have to have a right tool for the job. Most electric chainsaw are not built for felling 30" mature hardwood trees, or not even cutting 12" hard wood all day long. I really doubt there is a powerful enough electric chainsaw on the market yet for that type of jobs. Even if there is, it would be too expensive or run-time is too short.

BTW, this new chainsaw makes my 5th chainsaw. My first gas chainsaw was McCulloch 3816 with 16" bar almost 30 years old, but that one is long retired now. The ~18 years old Husky 353 52cc gas chainsaw is my go-to chainsaw to work in the woods. But I am glad now I have the Stihl 500i for occasional big job. I am planning to use it with 32 inch bar to mill the huge maple trunk currently laying on my back yard. It should make great maple slabs for table or bench.

 

And heavy!!