Cordless electric chainsaw

I’m adding my voice for the virtues of a cordless electric saw.  

I had to do some tree trunk and limb cutting when I was at the end of some sort of food poisoning or stomach flu… in any case, I was very weak.  My usual chainsaw (a Stihl with an 18” bar), which isn’t really all that big, weighs a bit over 16 lb with oil & fuel in it.  Holdng and carrying it, along with lifting logs, was quickly wearing me out.  So I borrowed my neighbor’s Husqvarna 120i for cutting logs on the ground.  Wow, was using that a relief!  I could actually work long enough to get something done.

So I went and bought one when it was on “sale” for $400cdn, including battery & charger. (That price I’ve mentioned was here in southeastern BC, where things can cost a little more.)  It weighs about 7 1/2 lb with a full chain-oil chamber, has a 37-volt Lithium battery, a brushless motor, and 14” bar.  I find it to be well balanced.  The saw is made so the chain can be tensioned by hand without any tool, and the chain cuts efficiently as long as it’s sharpened.

I like the cordless electric for the very obvious reasons: it’s light weight, compact, low noise (as compared with any 2-cycle gas saw), and smokeless.  It’s also much safer to take it up a ladder, say for pruning, because the chain doesn’t move if you don’t pull the trigger with the power switch on.  Neither do you need to pull a start cord.

This saw doesn’t replace my workhorse gas-driven saw for hard work.  But with firewood trees, it’s very handy to use for cutting branches, or cutting dense softwood logs up to, say, 6” diameter.  Also good for odd tasks like rough-cutting 2x6, 4x4 etc.  The 120i seems to generally give about 45 minutes of service on a charge.

I completely agree!  I have NEVER regretted spending the money on an electric saw!

I will say this a close second is a cordless sawzall with a tree cutting blade:

You have to get a good tool of course.

Dan alan wrote:I completely agree!  I have NEVER regretted spending the money on an electric saw!

I will say this a close second is a cordless sawzall with a tree cutting blade:  You have to get a good tool of course.

Thanks Dan.  I do own a sawzall, a very good one (a Milwaukee pro model) but it has a cord for 120v AC, so I've needed to use a long extension cord. I have used it for pruning, as well as carpentry work, but for pruning (especially in older, larger spread-out trees) the cord is a major pain.  It just gets snarled and hung-up in branches, like crazy.  At this point, I can relegate the sawzall back to carpentry-type work.

For financial as well as philosophical reasons, I don't own every tool that would be great to have.  When buying I pick and choose, whenever possible, to acquire ones that can have multiple functions.

Guys, don't fool yourself with the safety factor of any chainsaw. I am sure Travis will pop up on here, but the inertia of the chain is what does the damage. Any chainsaw is designed to add energy to that momentum, electric or combustion. The fact that they are lighter would be somewhat better regarding kickback since generally that is acceleration of the bar while energy is being added by the motor of either type, but there is less mass on a lighter saw. Most of the time it happens so fast you don't remember it, it happens so fast.

I always use the lightest saw I can, and am thinking about getting a battery-operated saw for little stuff, but I would not consider them much safer unless there is active braking when the trigger is let up. I don't think any of them have that, because it would jerk the bar down every time you let off the trigger.

I am waiting for the prices to come down and then I think I will get a combo kit with a mower and strimmer. My poor mower is about spent and I hate the noise, hate the gas smell and hate the trips to get non-ethanol gasoline.  There is a nice review on here of those saws, will try to find and link.

Tj Jefferson wrote:Guys, don't fool yourself with the safety factor of any chainsaw...

I always use the lightest saw I can, and am thinking about getting a battery-operated saw for little stuff, but I would not consider them much safer unless there is active braking when the trigger is let up. I don't think any of them have that, because it would jerk the bar down every time you let off the trigger.

Tj, thanks so much for the sane advice.  Actually, about eight years after I started using a chainsaw, I had a mild kickback accident.  I learned something from that, both in terms of increased caution and as "muscle learning".  With any chainsaw you have to keep a good grip, watch what you're doing, and move carefully.

But there are several reasons why I consider the lightweight cordless saw I've acquired to be safer when I'm up a ladder.  One is that the machine is much lighter, so using it for a longish period of time strains and tires me much less.  It's more compact with a shorter bar, so there's less of that dangerous and awkward projection out front of my hands, which projection represents the major hazard.  Another big safety factor is that you don't carry a running saw up the ladder — and this is possibly the biggest safety advantage — you don't need to pull a starter cord against the compression resistance of the motor.  Pulling that resistant cord can be extremely awkward when you're up a ladder, and can unbalance you hazardously.  I feel this combination of differences really does make for increased safety.

Thanks for inducing me to spell out what I meant.

I bought a ryobi 18vchainsaw, first one was a 10 inch, and performed well enough so I stopped using my gas saw . when they came out with the 18v brushless 12 inch chain saw I bought that one too and it was more powerful and easier on batteries.  I was trying to keep away from the 40 v since I have so many of their 18v tools all using the same battery.

I also have an 18 volt mower, two 18volt chargers that will plug into a cigarette lighter and the system easily fits my off grid lifestyle

I've cut 10 inch poplar trees, and really, the main issue is keeping the chain sharp (like with any saw)  I don't cut any amount of firewood, and the main purpose is clearing   small weed trees in conjunction with many other tasks--gardening, chipping, using the backhoe, etc.  I can keep it right on the floor of the hoe and it's always ready to go.  Batteries will last for hours with intermittent use, but if I was doing production line firewood cutting, maybe gas would be better--maybe-  or maybe I'd just go to 40 volts-- but production line firewood cutting is not my idea of fun, so I feel pretty safe giving away my gas saws now.

I really do not have much to say on the matter as I have never had a battery operated chainsaw, nor even picked one up. But I am not a fan of battery operated tools overall, because they just seem to die when I need them the most. I am a goal-oriented person, so I have tons of projects and tend to knock them out and move on. I cannot do that waiting for a screw gun, Sawzall or chainsaw to recharge, so I do not have any. I just get out my corded tools, and save my frustration from the onset. With my little generator in the bucket of my tractor, a 100 foot extension cord, there is no place I cannot go, all with full power, until the job is done.

As for gasoline chainsaw...I have a Husqvarna 562XP that has been out in the woods everyday...ever since I got so mad at it and threw it over the brush pile and left it there that is. Absolute JUNK. That deserves its own thread granted, but I am just waiting now for the Stihl 462 to come on the market and I will swap it out. I cannot imagine starting my current chainsaw on a ladder, I not so affectionately call it my Forever-Crank for a reason.

I would say that if you regularly have trouble with your saw running well it's because it doesn't get enough use and you're a perfect candidate for an electric.  

I have the Ego system and I'm impressed with the battery life and ease of use.

One is that the machine is much lighter, so using it for a longish period of time strains and tires me much less.  

Really good idea to have a light saw for the reasons you mention. I use a Stihl 201T (actually an older 021T, but pretty similar) for 80% of my treework. It is a magnesium case, super light. In fact it is a full 3 lbs lighter than the EGO 40V saw! I have a couple bars for it, but mostly I use a 16" bar, which will cut like a beaver on crack in all but the hardest stuff.

I have some other saws too, but none compare with that one for versatility. I bought it from someone who had no idea what it was worth. Travis I feel your pain about the Husky. They have really gotten lower in quality with mass production for the homeowner. I have a 550, and it sucks. It uses way too much gas because of the emission controls and muffler, and the chain brake issue on them just blows my mind. Poor engineering. A way of making you take it to a shop.

The tiredness factor I think is also from the vibration of the saw, I know I am way more exhausted than I should be after cutting. That might be significantly less with an electric. The amount of trees I am cutting and limbing prevents me from using an electric right now, but once I have it cleared I will probably give them to friends and switch to electric. The only downside is they probably have different chains than the stihls, and I have invested quite a bit in chains.

Funny story about fatigue and accidents. Someone quoted me the line about "50% of accidents happen in the last 30 minutes of the workday" or something like that. I said, "of course, you get hurt your work day is over! I'm surprised it's not 100%."

Roy Hinkley wrote:I have the Ego system and I'm impressed with the battery life and ease of use.

I'm sure that one is a great machine.  Dale Hodgins has, elsewhere on Permies.com, given it a great review — and he depends on his tools and uses them professionally.  Haven't tried one myself, but I believe it's a powerful machine.

But I like that the Husky I bought is quite a bit lighter in weight and more compact.  Also, in British Columbia, the EGO seems to have most of its retail availability through Home Depot, and the nearest of those to my home place is a five-hour drive away.  The Husky machinery happens to be sold by an industrial-supply business that I have an account with  (mostly for my welding equipment and supplies).  That means that warranty, parts & service are kept simple.  And the dealer is just 50-minute drive away.  These are some pretty real considerations.

Roy Hinkley wrote:I would say that if you regularly have trouble with your saw running well it's because it doesn't get enough use and you're a perfect candidate for an electric.  

I have the Ego system and I'm impressed with the battery life and ease of use.

I am pretty sure that is NOT the case.

I realize you don't know me, or my situation so that is why I added the smiley face so you knew I was not being snide at all. I use my chainsaw almost everyday which is why I really hate this saw. I require a lot out of them, and this chainsaw just does not work well.

It is so top heavy that when sitting on a tree while measuring for logs, it will topple over. And it has rattled almost all the bolts out of the saw. Some I have had replaced, but others I have had to locktite. But the worst thing is, it is just gutless. Granted it is only a 62 CC chainsaw, but it should have more power than what it has.

Price matches its power output, so it is only a $750 chainsaw, but my dealer was right when he said it is a "disposable saw". What he meant was, buy it for $750, run it for a year, then trade it back in for $350 for a new one, and rinse and repeat." I had my reservations I admit, and knew better, but having just mashed my $1,100 chainsaw with my skidder, I was a little gun-shy on buying another $1,100 chainsaw, but you get what you pay for I guess!

This is my wife with the Husqvarna 562XP when I first got it...

Another application for the tool.  This year some of our garden produce did very well.  Our broccoli and cauliflower did especially well, and I'm showing an example.  With both broccoli and cauliflower, the main stems of most of the plants — I should call them "trunks" rather than "stems" — were around a couple inches in diameter and very sturdy and tough.  Since at brassica-harvest time I'd just recently acquired my Husqvarna saw, I tried cutting the stems with it, rather than the machete I started out with.  It proved to be very good for that, because it was easier to maneuver the saw's bar under the big, sprawling leaves to get right to the stem.

I was concerned, though, that the fiber & moisture in the plants would make the inside of my saw cruddy.  But I took the saw to my compressor and blew into (under) the part of the housing where wood chips are normally expelled, which cleaned it out well.

I have an Ego battery chainsaw, and two Stihls.  The Ego has pluses and minuses, as do all tools.  It's quiet, it's light, it's powerful enough to use for smaller chores and it's really great for small trimming jobs and the like.  There is no messing around with starting it, not having any mixed gas when you need it, no coming home stinking like exhaust.  It's most annoying trait isn't the lack of power I thought it would have.  It has the truly annoying trait of dumping all the bar oil out while it is sitting between uses.  It really bothers me that every time I put it away, I come back out to get it and there is a big puddle of oil under it and no oil left in the tank.  If it weren't for that, I would really like the saw.  On the other hand, if I am going to be out cutting wood all day, even if someone gave me an unlimited supply of batteries, I would use one of the Stihls.  Battery equipment simply can't compete with gas powered tools for power.  I have cut pretty good sized trees with the Ego, but it simply can't cut larger trees with the speed the Stihl can.  I'm certain I can cut much more wood in an 8 hour day with the Stihl than I can with the Ego.  It isn't really fair to compare the two.  They both have strengths and weaknesses, but they are designed for two completely different jobs.

I make no claim that the Husqvarna 120i is the the best available, just that I'm happy with it.  I know Dale believes very much in the quality of the EGO saws.  On the point about the EGO saw leaking chain oil, I have no idea whether all of the EGO saws do that.  I've tested my 120i by resting it on a clean surface and leaving it there for a four or five days, and seen absolutely no oil left behind.  On the other hand, my Stihl gas saw does leak to an extent, even though it's been well cared for and serviced (by myself and a professional small-engine guy I go to).

But this situation is: I'm a user of these machines, not an expert.

The saw at the beginning of this thread is the one I would choose if I were shopping for a new saw today. It wasn't available when I bought mine.
.........
My EGO saw leaks oil, but I have that pretty much under control by using only vegetable oil. It seems to gum up a little more and leak a little less. I'm doing a big hedge today. Far superior to a gas saw for this job. It's a big enough hedge that I'm climbing from top to top. No starting, no exhaust and nothing to get burnt on.

After 3 hours off the ground, I came down exhausted. It's my first big one of the season. If I were using a gas saw I would need ear protection and I would have started and stopped it 50 times already. Speed of cut doesn't mean much on this job. 95% of the work is getting into the right position and then heaving the material in the right direction. I'm going to feel this one tomorrow.

There's a battery-powered saw called Earthwise. It is one of the most useless pieces of equipment I have ever touched.

Here is an update on my Ego chainsaw. I now consider it the biggest piece of shit I have ever purchased.  It went from slowly losing the chain oil to immediately dumping all of it.  It literally drips out between the two sides of the case.  It also runs the chain bone dry. I attached a couple pictures and you can see the oil dripping.  It will empty the case in less than a minute.

Mine loses a couple tablespoons a week. I'm thinking there must be something detached inside. I haven't had mine apart, but I sure put a lot of miles on it.

Dale Hodgins wrote:Mine loses a couple tablespoons a week. I'm thinking there must be something detached inside. I haven't had mine apart, but I sure put a lot of miles on it.

I'll be treating it apart soon.  Maybe it will be an easy fix,  but I've only used it a free times and I read enough reviews of people having the same issue to convince me it's a design flaw.  I'll update this when I figure out the cause.

my ryobi uses a piece of felt or a similar absorbent material to transfer the oil to the bar, perhaps it is just something like that which can be adjusted or replaced if it has pulled loose or fallen out. On mine that part is easy to see, when I remove the bar

I loved my dewalt flexvolt saw at first, but it used way too much oil. It leaked but not as bad as the Ego from the sounds of things.

Now it basically doesn't oil, it's managed to get pretty thoroughly clogged and no access to unclog.

The toolless tensioner no long holds tension for more than 2 cuts. Junk.

And the battery longevity sucks because the flexvolt tools overdrain them; a dumbass design flaw due to trying for the last 5% in runtime comparisons, which slashes the lifetime cycles per battery to a fraction of what it should be.


I may try the M18 version next since I have batteries for it already. I am loath to invest in a whole new platform...


I really like the cordless saws when clearing trails, taking on a drive to clear any fallen trees, when using for redneck carpentry... many uses where a couple cuts are made and then the saw is shut off.

For felling or bucking anything of a decent 8"+ size I grab a gas saw. For what it's worth my 1984 husky 61 always starts 1st pull hot and about 4-5 after sitting a few hours or months.. I like it enough to be watching for parts saws..

Dan alan wrote:I completely agree!  I have NEVER regretted spending the money on an electric saw!

I will say this a close second is a cordless sawzall with a tree cutting blade:

You have to get a good tool of course.

Thanks for that pic of the pruning blade.  

For those interested, here's a link to it:  http://www.leevalley.com/us/garden/Page.aspx?p=71675&cat=2,42706,40721

I plan on buying one myself.

I have used that Diablo Blade, with good results. But now Diablo makes a blade that cuts faster and lasts much longer. The new one with carbide teeth, makes the Sawzall even more practical for limbing jobs.

It is a little bouncy if being used on limbs that are too thin and far from the main trunk. But for trees that have been felled, where you're looking to get rid of all of that little limbs between 1/4 inch and 3 in, it's great. I used it to limb some softwood that was processed into firewood. I also used it to cut off some rhododendrons, azaleas and other overgrown foundation plants, in order to prepare the building for moving. These were cut just above soil level, so no issue with shaking. Much better than a small chainsaw in this confined space. All so much easier to cut very close to the soil.

I have an echo, which also leaks some oil, though not a terrible amount. Is it really on to use veggie oil? I have some left over from deep frying...
Other than the oil leaking, it has been great. I had a small sthil I was using before, and after a $200 repair/overhaul it was still stalling out now and then. It was lovely to get the echo and just have it run. I can get through half a fallen honey locust tree before the battery dies - so definitely not for all day, but if you can work in stages, it is a solid tool.

Joel, everyone,

I have to agree with the virtues of an electric chainsaw as well.  For my purposes, the handiest aspect is that I can simply pick it up, press the trigger and start cutting.  When I finish cutting I simply set the chainsaw down wherever convenient.

Yesterday I was helping a friend trim up some trees with my chainsaw and tractor.  It was incredibly convenient to be able to set the chainsaw down on a tote on the rear of the tractor, load up the bucket w/forks, move a pile of cut brush and then go right back to trimming.  In fact, it was equally convenient to pick up the saw and trim a branch and just set the saw back down.

As if that were not reason enough for a battery chainsaw, the noise, or lack of it, is a compelling factor.  While cutting, the saw only makes about as much noise as an electric drill.  There was no need for hearing protection.  It makes less noise cutting than a gas saw does idling.  We could actually talk and plan our next cut without the saw blaring or being a hazard.

I still have a Stihl gas 18” chainsaw but I rarely use it, saving it for really big jobs.  I really can’t say enough about the benefits of an electric chainsaw.

Eric

I’ve got the Milwaukee M18 battery chainsaw. I like it very much, for pretty much all the same reasons as others have said: no fumes, lower noise level, weight (though a 12Ah battery is heavy).
A BIG factor for me was the battery system. I already have a lot of the M18 tools and batteries, and the tools, batteries, and chargers are ALL interchangeable!! No waiting for my ONLY chainsaw battery to charge, I’ve got a dozen batteries waiting....
Big job - big 12Ah battery
Quick job - the first battery you grab!
Just two more cuts and we’re done - any battery
One limb, up a ladder - 3Ah battery! So light!!

Very glad to find this thread.  And I'm posting mostly so I can easily find it to reference later.  

I've been thinking about buying a chainsaw for several years.  I took a safety course which reduced my enthusiasm.  The instructor's tree went in a direction he had not meant to fell.  My co-trainee left our tree hung up.  It was a disastrous day; thankfully also a bloodless day.

I lack experience operating and maintaining a 2 stroke engine.  That in itself was daunting.  My main tool has been a 3 ft or 4 ft bow saw, and that can take you only so far, though I've taken down 30 ft tall young trees.  (And laid them just where I wanted them to go.)

I love the battery tools I have.  Glad to know they now make battery powered chainsaws that can accomplish the work.

I had a 19.2v craftsman which was junk. It was lightweight and bouncy. The oil was designed to drip out. So drain it out when done cause it was coming out anyway.

I now have the dewalt flexvolt and I use it a lot. I never use a gas one anymore(except for milling). Same thing as kenneth stated about Milwaukee. The same battery is used in all my power tools, so i have spares.

I'll add that i dont live in a pine forest.  I am not logging big trees or cut firewood. My need are minimal.

Do these use much electricity to charge?

Does anyone also know whether battery life gets reduced over time like other lithium batteries?

I have heard good things said about the Makita 18v ones and wondered if one might be good for our homestead, we only fell smaller trees and cut those into logs for our wood cooking stove, so we don't need huge amounts of power or bar length.

Just want to chime in and say I'm pleased with the Dewalt 20v saw. Not particularly ecstatic about it yet as I haven't used it enough, but so far so good. I have a whole bunch of 15 y.o. softwood thats ready to thin, and I'm finding this to be easier and faster than the clearing saw. Time will tell if it will be a worthwhile investment.

You will likely hear good things about multiple  saws, 18v is actually 20 + fully charged, so 19.2, 20v 18v are all just name games when it comes to battery chemistry and voltage.

Your real key is amp hr per $ spent,  they are almost unanimously made in china, I like Ryobi since the same battery supports over a hundred different tools, quite dependable, and they are moving fast into the brushless tools which is another way to get a good bang for the energy buck.

Their batteries have a three year warranty, which is really about the average life span of the battery, although a lot depends on how you treat the battery, lithium is a little like lead acid in that shallow discharges lengthen battery life. extreme temps can play a part in killing bats also.

Earlier I heard someone mention a 12 amp hr battery, but I think I prefer smaller 4 ah batteries for general use, although ryobi is currently making a 9ah battery, and I did buy 2 6ah bats primarily for the sliding  10 inch miter saw I bought. The more ah, the heavier it is.

Remember the formula--amps times volts equals watts, and then a 4 amp hour 20 volt battery is 80 watt hours-- like burning an 80 watt bulb for an hour, one kilowatt hour should fully charge a 4 ah 20v battery about 10 times more or less (allowing for some electrical friction operating all the circuits that work the charger)

sometimes lithium chargers take longer than that to charge a battery, but that has to do with the way lithium recharges, ie: not a single amperage for the length of the charge, rather a surge of electrons right away into the battery, slowing to a trickle over time.

One of the selling points for me is that I can charge them during peak solar collection times, when my solar batteries are already full, and then use them early morning when I like to work but solar collection is less. I'm currently using Ryobi yard tools and looking to add the chainsaw that using the same battery pack. My use will be light, mostly cutting down small trees.

I just found this thread after Trace linked over from a new thread asking about electric chainsaws.  Since no one has yet mentioned the Oregon electric chainsaws yet here I'll copy what I posted on the other thread here.  

Electric chainsaws are what I use around my small homestead.  I don't have a ton of use for the chainsaw so most of the time it would sit idle.  I would worry about the gas going bad with gasoline powered ones.  With my electric ones they have thus far been ready to go and start right up no matter how long they've been sitting unused.  At the moment I think my personal favorite is the Oregon cordless chainsaw.  https://amzn.to/2XUfKLM  I have one with a 4.0 ah battery.  I bought an extra battery too so I could swap them out if I find I'm using it for extended periods of time.  I admit I haven't put this to the test yet.  It may happen this fall when I start felling more of my dead ash trees for next years firewood.  Part of what I like about the Oregon saw is the special PowerSharp sharpening system they have which can sharpen up a dull chain in seconds.  (Note it does require a special chain due to this.) This extremely easy chain sharpening feature was a big selling point for me!  I can keep a very sharp chain when cutting because it really does take just a few seconds to sharpen it up.

The cordless does have less power to it than a corded electric chainsaw in my experience thus far.  When I got the Oregon Cordless I also got a new Oregon corded chainsaw at the same time. https://amzn.to/2y3Ml2A This was to replace my Makita corded chainsaw.  https://amzn.to/2Y1lHGX  The Makita was working great but then kept locking up like the chain gears were out of alignment causing it all to bind up and stop.  I paid $100 for the local authorized Makita repair shop to fix it... and it still binds up.  Very annoying.  However, when it was running it ran great and I cut up a lot of firewood with it.  My hope is that the Oregon corded chainsaw will work with the same power as the Makita, but have the advantage of the PowerSharp chain sharpening system and hopefully not have the binding/lock up issue.  Again, we'll find out when I really get to cutting down the ash trees.  My plan is to use the cordless to take them down and cut into manageable logs I can then haul closer to the house where my heavy duty 100 foot cord will reach, allowing me to switch to the corded chainsaw to cut the logs up into firewood size.  Then I'll use my kindling splitter ( https://theartisthomestead.com/an-incredible-tool-for-splitting-kindling/ ) to split the logs up into smaller pieces for my Rocket Mass Heater ( https://theartisthomestead.com/rocket-mass-heaters-increase-your-wood-burning-efficiencies-50-to-90-percent/ ).  Depending on the log diameter size I might have to do some initial splitting with a traditional splitting maul until the sections are smaller for the kindling splitter.  

Hey Stacey,
if you're using the 18v battery (they also have a 40v line) then ryobi makes an 18v brushless 12" chainsaw that I could only order online, my local stores still don't know ryobi makes such a thing.

more efficient and more power with the same battery systemwebpage   The 10 inch is more common in the stores and a little cheaper but not near as good

bob - I'm using the 40v system. I currently have the lawnmower and the weed whacker. I plan on getting the chainsaw in the fall. I'm not allowed to use a chainsaw at this stage of the fire season anyway. Typically, I order this type of purchase, makes life easier for me.

occasionally those 40v items are available refurbished
webpage

My local tool dealer will be offering Snapper battery yard tools next season.  He didn't have anything on the floor yet to show, but gave me a brochure.  

This system is built around Briggs & Stratton 82VMax1 Lithium Ion batteries.

The chain saw uses the 2Ah battery.  It has an 18"bar, and full weight is 11.9 pounds.

Does anyone have experience with this product?

wayne fajkus wrote:The oil was designed to drip out. So drain it out when done cause it was coming out anyway.

Kinda tangential to the main topic, but this seems to be a pretty common gripe throughout this thread. So perhaps it's worth pointing out that virtually all chainsaws are designed this way. I say "virtually all" to allow for the possibility that there might be a brand out there I've never heard of that isn't. In practice, I've never seen one. All saws leak oil from the oiler mechanism even when turned off. The exact amount will vary based on what setting your oiler is tuned to but someone's estimate of a tablespoon every week or so is probably not far off normal.

You CAN drain the oil reservoir after each use. You shouldn't lose more than a few drops of oil from the chain and mechanism that way. While you're at it, if you have a gas saw drain the fuel tank, too, and then start it back up and run it until it dies. This will keep the gas from gunking up the carburetor and eating away at the fuel lines. Or, if you plan on using the saw again soon, just set it down on some cardboard or an oil absorbent pad. At home, mine hangs by the trigger guard from a hook in the rafters over a pan of kitty litter.

Bottom line: most chainsaws leak oil at all times. Even electric ones. That's normal. Draining the oil reservoir in less than a minute - THAT is a problem.

Ruth Meyers wrote:My local tool dealer will be offering Snapper battery yard tools next season.  He didn't have anything on the floor yet to show, but gave me a brochure.  

This system is built around Briggs & Stratton 82VMax1 Lithium Ion batteries.

The chain saw uses the 2Ah battery.  It has an 18"bar, and full weight is 11.9 pounds.

Does anyone have experience with this product?

No.. but have been eyeing their stuff, hoping someone else chimes in. Prices are tempting, very interesting that they offer a brushcutter. Most others only have a string trimmer. No serious local dealer near me is troubling. One listed on their site folded 6 months back, the other is a hole in the wall that doesn't carry much stock of anything..

The Briggs and Stratton aspect sounds like branding BS to me. They don't make batteries(cells). Maybe they are involved in assembling the battery packs... unless other companies are also going to offer compatible tools it seems pretty irrelevant.


I have a dewalt flexvolt chainsaw and blower just back from RMA, getting rid of them before they can fail again... So, the decision is between Milwaukee to match batteries I already have, or start another collection of higher voltage tools.

I bought a craftsman brush cutter tool several years ago. and recently discovered it is  interchangeable somewhat universally You can buy both gasoline and battery drivers that will power it.  I'm not sure how many different brands have adopted this standard, so far my experience is with poulan and craftsman as gas drivers, and the ryobi as a battery driver

The Ryobi 40v version of the driver  works quite well. It came with a string Trimmer, but easily connects to the brush cutter and heavy duty hedge cutters . It's just a matter of lining up the inner shaft and then sliding the tubes together that snap lock.  I was actually quite surprised that there was such a universal standard that allowed interchangeable brand compatibility. Now that I found it I wouldn't buy into any other proprietary system that tries to keep you exclusively buying their brand. The attachments can be somewhat expensive, and it's good to know there is a system that can upgrade drivers and still use  the same attachments

I have no real knowledge of snapper (other than it's advertisement)