Cordless Chainsaws

[Tom King]

Green Red Oak is maybe the easiest wood to cut with a chainsaw.  I think it would help if he sharpened that chain, but being able to sharpen a chain is key for any size saw doing what it is capable of.  They don't stay sharp long.

[Chestnut]

10 hours ago, Tom King said:

If someone wants to borrow a chainsaw, I go in that shop, and come out with the 066 with 42" bar running, and revving.  I say, "This one is running good."  It's ported, and has muffler mods, so it's really loud. Cut off, with the end of the bar on the deck, the end of the handle is about to the top of my shoulder.  So far, not one person has not backed up, thrown their hands up in the air, with wide eyes, and always left without a chainsaw.
 

I'd call your bluff, running a saw like that would be fun. That's like asking to borrow a car and getting the keys to a hemi cuda thrown at you. Though I'm also not likely to be a person to ask to borrow a saw.

[Tom King]

A couple of guys that I know are capable of running that saw have asked to borrow it.  They had big trees to cut up, but they didn't get it.  I don't loan tools, and especially not chainsaws.  I knew the ones who would be easily scared off. 

It's actually surprising how many people will come to ask about borrowing a chainsaw.  We are surrounded by lake houses mostly owned by city folks who just come to the lake occasionally.  They might have a limb fall in the yard, and easiest fix is to borrow a saw from someone else.  I do know one of these who bought a 170, and he ended up hurting himself with it.

[Bankstick]

11 hours ago, Tom King said:

If someone wants to borrow a chainsaw, I go in that shop, and come out with the 066 with 42" bar running, and revving.  I say, "This one is running good."  It's ported, and has muffler mods, so it's really loud. Cut off, with the end of the bar on the deck, the end of the handle is about to the top of my shoulder.  So far, not one person has not backed up, thrown their hands up in the air, with wide eyes, and always left without a chainsaw.
 

My uncle smoked Chesterfield cigarettes. After word got around, no one asked for a smoke. Tom, I would look on that saw as challenge. A bit overkill for rose bushes, though.

Have a Poulan gas saw and a HF electric saw for small stuff.

[Mark J]

6 hours ago, Tom King said:

Green Red Oak is maybe the easiest wood to cut with a chainsaw.  I think it would help if he sharpened that chain, but being able to sharpen a chain is key for any size saw doing what it is capable of.  They don't stay sharp long.

So what do think of saws with a self sharpening feature?

[Tom King]

The 1974 Craftsman electric chainsaw, that I'm still using today, came with a built in sharpener.  It worked, but ate up the chain really quickly.  After the chain that came in it wore out, I took all that stuff out, and never used anything but a regular chain on it again.  Today, it gets used with a dry chain, cutting out bad parts of old houses, since I don't want to throw oil inside the houses.

You need to be able to sharpen a chain regardless of what type of saw you use.  Ask Spanky for backup on this.  I just use a file.

[elrodk]

This thread is a little old but I just ran across it. I have the 18" 80v Kobalt saw. Essentially the same as the Greenworks. I got a deal where the saw was on sale plus a mail in promotion for a second battery.  

It cuts good. Plenty of torque from the 80v motor with the bar buried. I have had the thermal breaker shut off but that was trying to cut hickory slabs on my granberg mill. It's not the right saw for that kind of abuse. 

The benefit of a battery saw is the quick homeowner jobs. No need to run out and buy fresh gas or mix. Even dropping and cutting up a 10-15" tree can be done on a charge. No regrets but I would never have considered if it was in the 400-500 price range. I think I paid under 250.

[Tom King]

I like to watch this guy work, and remembered this thread about cordless chainsaws.  I have all the tree climbing gear, and have used it, but my feet get so tired that I don't like to do it much.  Ladders also have the same effect on my feet, so I avoid them as much as possible too.

 

[wtnhighlander]

Many moons ago, I worked a couple seasons for a landscape architect who got his start pruning the great pines along the fairways of Augusta National. He had two rules - Never use a ladder in a tree, and never use climbing spikes on a tree that wasn't dead. Hauling myself and a 30 lb. chainsaw up a 1" diameter climbing rope is probably the most difficult physical effort I have ever made. Gotta respect guys that do that every day.

[Tom King]

Looks like I'm going to end up with one sooner than I thought.   I haven't done any tree climbing since 1999, but still have all the gear, less a climbing saw.   Since I'm already invested in the Makita battery system, I'm sticking with that.  I just wish that I had known a few weeks ago that I would end up needing one, when several retailers had Makita stuff at 25% off.   My least favorite thing about being up in a tree with a chainsaw is starting it.  That's the real advantage to a cordless saw up a tree.

I don't have a whole lot to do with a climbing saw, but enough that it will be worth having one.  This one is 199 tool only, since I already have plenty of batteries, and chargers.

 

[wtnhighlander]

I would have LOVED one of those, back in my days as an arborist's apprentice! Cutting away bits of a tree you are standing in / tied to is scary enough, nevermind having to yank a pull rope with only one hand on the saw. All that on top of severe (as in trembling from exertion) muscle fatigue from hoisting one's self and gear up a climbing rope. We were never allowed to use spikes unless the tree was dead and coming down for good.

[Tom King]

I'll be using spikes.  These trees will survive.

[Bankstick]

16 hours ago, Tom King said:

I'll be using spikes.  These trees will survive.

The TN wildlife management areas don't allow bolts, nails, screws, climbing spikes for tree stands. Same with hunting in the Cherokee National Forest. Guess why. As long are you're on private land, OK.

[Tom King]

It's not only private, I own it.  We're going to start renting this lake house (it previously did not really have any waterfront-was there before the lake), and our point down in front of it this Spring.  I had all the Pine trees taken off a year, or so ago.  This Fall, we took all the Sweet Gum, and Hickory trees off. 

When the leaves are on the trees on the point, it restricts the view of the water from this house.  We trimmed them up pretty high with pole saws, but I need to limb them up some more, so you can see the water all the way across, like you can now that the leaves are gone.  I need to take out a few more trees, but want to leave enough to make good shade, while still being able to see water under the canopies.

Those Pine trees between the house, and the cove to the left, need to be limbed up too, but the bark is so thick, I'm going to try a rope, and chain first.  Plus those limbs are higher than I really want to climb.

I had a pro look at what I wanted to do, and with me doing all the cleanup, he wanted $1800.  Sounds like it's worth the cost of the battery saw, and a days work to me, or even a number of evenings early this Spring.

 

[Chestnut]

Man if that isn't a dang fine view Tom....

[Tom King]

It's better in the Winter, than when the leaves are out.    That's what I'm working on.  We don't live in that house, but I've owned that point since the late '70's, when it wasn't worth much.

I'm trying to get it ready for vacation rentals this coming Spring, but there is more that needs to be done than I will be able to get done.  We'll rent it at some reduced rate this season, and then I'll work on it some more next year.

Bathrooms have green, and gold fiberglass bathtubs, and popcorn sheetrock ceilings.  Here are some pictures of the one bathroom I've worked on so far.  I converted this green tub into a tile handicap accessible shower.  The shower is finished now, but I didn't think to take any more pictures.  That house also has nasty, dirty carpet in it that we will change to Luxury Vinyl Plank.

It was a cinder block buiding, that was converted into a house sometime in the early '60's.  I don't think the guys that laid the blocks used a level, or a square.  I cut that door opening out to change the 26" door to a 36".

 

[wtnhighlander]

Tom, please put the word out on here when you are ready to rent. I'm pretty certain more than a few of us would like to enjoy that view in person!

[Tom King]

We also have horses, a few miles of trails, 8 tenths of a acre of crystal clear water in an abandoned rock quarry, shooting range, plenty of space for dirt bikes, ATV's,  and other such toys.   Can also take you sailing on a racing 21' catamarran, or you can ride a jetski, or dinner on a pontoon boat.  RV hookup.  Helicopter landing spot.  Enough parking for a small army.  Etc., Etc.   That house needs a Lot of work though.  Too many dogs in our house for guests.

I have to build a dock, and boathouse somewhere on that point too.  The little dock you see to the left is too dangerous to even walk on.  One of the things on the to-do list is to demolish that dock, which needs to be done before I can apply for a dock permit for the new one.

The little brick house on the point also needs to have restrooms put back in it, for weddings on the point.   I don't think I'll even be able to start that for this coming season.  That point is about 2 acres.  It's larger than it looks in that picture. It's going to get planted with grass all over, as soon as the weather permits, early Spring.

[Tom King]

I found a picture of it after we had limbed up the trees, and taken out the gum, and Hickory trees, while the leaves were still on the trees.  It was better than I remembered, but I still want to take off some of the lower limbs.

 

[Tom King]

UPS delivered the little Makita chainsaw after dark tonight.  It's a cute little thing.  I'll post some pictures, with some testing tomorrow.

I've decided to bypass the climbing, and rent a towable 40' man lift.  They rent for 200 a day, and I can cut those high Pine limbs with it, and should be able to get all the others too.  Wind has been too strong lately, with the warm SW wind, but will get to it when things calm down. I have no desire to try to go up in one of those things when the wind is 25 mph.

[drzaius]

11 hours ago, Tom King said:

I've decided to bypass the climbing, and rent a towable 40' man lift.

We rent lifts a lot, but always the self driving kind. It's much easier to get them where you want them. The downside is that you need to have them delivered.

And yes, things do get interesting when it's windy.

[Mark J]

Well Tom, I'm anxious to hear what you have to say about this cordless chainsaw, after the wind calms down.

[Tom King]

Just came in.  The little saw is pretty impressive, for cutting limbs.

There was some assembly required, which wasn't so bad, since I'm used to working on chainsaws.  I can see where it would be frustrating for someone who wasn't familiar with them.  The little chain came with four loops in it, which at best, are a little bit aggravating to get out.  The tension adjuster pin was all the way out, to start with, which wouldn't allow the chain to go around the drive sprocket.   All that was really not trouble, since I'm used to looking at all that.

The drag links (that's what people call the depth gauges around here-see link below to explain) only allowed a cut depth of about ten thousandths (.010").  I imagine they set them there so a new operator, who might push down on the bar, would still be able to do some cutting.  I always cut with a light hand, letting a saw rev up before entering the wood, and then don't press any harder than the saw can eat.  I filed the drag links down where it would take a bigger bite, before I even put oil in the tank.

Cutting some White Oak limbs, not over 3", I didn't come close to binding the chain.   With my light hand cut, it would walk right through the cuts.  Holding it, and looking at it, it seems like a toy, but it's not.  

I took some pictures of the saw, holding it, and next to a circular saw for perspective, but am waiting for my camera to send them to the computer.   It's the ideal thing for a climbing saw, or lift bucket saw, but I remembered quickly that I really don't like a top handled saw for anything else.

Chain speed is a little slower than I would like, but okay for small limbs.   This is something you should check if thinking about buying another cordless chainsaw.  I wouldn't touch one with any slower chain speed than this one has, but I haven't looked at the specs.

Link to explain depth gauge height.  I like to just get them out of the way, and judge cutting speed by feel.   https://blog.stihl.com/practical-knowledge/2016/05/softwood-hardwood-choosing-best-setting-depth-gauge/   They're filed with a small, flat smooth file, with no teeth on either edge (to protect the cutting edge) made especially for the job.  https://www.pferd.com/int-en/products/files/sharpening-files/depth-gauge-files/flat-chain-saw-files-for-depth-gauges/flat-chain-saw-files-for-depth-gauges/1213-ruk-150-h2/

[Tom King]

I hold it a little farther than is intended, probably.  The balance is best for me with my thumb, and index finger forward of the side handle, which means I operate the trigger with my middle finger, instead of my index finger.

The day would have been perfect for the lift, but they were all rented out before I called, so I just played with the saw a little.