Cordless chainsaw experiences and recommendations?

[Stuart02]

Has anyone had the chance to use a Stihl or Husky 14" battery-operated chainsaw? If they really do perform similarly to an equivalent-sized petrol saw then they'd be a very attractive option for keeping in the wagon (next to the axe, for readers of recent threads in this forum!). Only consumable required is bar oil. No fuel in/on the car - and never in danger of running out of fuel! I reckon they'd also be safer in use because of the narrow kerf and low-down torque.

BUT they're super expensive, and a very rare bird in the wild if you want to see or try one in action.

There's also a much cheaper Victa saw, which mainly interests me because it's packing a 16" blade, presumably with the grunt to match? They don't quote running time, just 'number of cuts' which is ridiculously arbitrary.

If I were one of these companies I'd be pushing them at the 4WD and camping shows very hard, cos they're a gear-freak's dream, and price range :)

[Vern]

Have used the makita one when away camping, was awesome. Am looking at getting one just for camping and small jobs around the house.

[Stuart02]

Have used the makita one when away camping, was awesome. Am looking at getting one just for camping and small jobs around the house.

Cool thanks, would you say it punched as hard as an equivalent little 12" petrol garden chainsaw?

[Vern]

Not as hard as my wifes stihl 017, but hard enough to cut up plenty of firweood for camping. But haven't used the stihl one though, only the makita

[PhilipA]

I have an ALDI 32Volt one and am very impressed with the performance.
Will cut 8Inch diameter Blackbutt easily.
Not equivalent for big jobs but great for firewood and also clearing large fallen branches.
Regards Philip A

[Stuart02]

I have an ALDI 32Volt one and am very impressed with the performance.
Will cut 8Inch diameter Blackbutt easily.
Not equivalent for big jobs but great for firewood and also clearing large fallen branches.
Regards Philip A

Should have known Aldi would have something to get the job done :)

[Avion8]

I bought one of these off eBay as I had several low hanging branches that I couldn't reach with the regular Stihl chain saw:

Baumr-AG Lithium 40V E-Force 400 Cordless Pole Chainsaw

It has been brilliant so far and easily cuts through 8" gum boughs. In fact I have also used it for chopping firewood - don't have to bend down so it is saving my back. Just have to be mindful to keep the chain saw oil reservoir topped up as the battery outlasts the oil supply. It is also quiet in operation being 3 mtrs away!

[Robmacca]

We bought a Bunnings Ozito 36v ($150) Battery operated Chainsaw and took it on our recent outback NSW trip - worked a dream, quick, no petrol smell, very little noise..... I've tried it on Hardwood w/o any issues but u can't really compare them with petrol as the petrol will always have more punch than the battery versions....

[isuzurover]

I was at UNSW recently and saw their grounds staff use all electric blowers and saws with battery packs.
On the weekend I was looking at the husky offerings at the local place. The pro saws are actually cheaper as electric saws than petrol. A lot of money for occasional use, but they won't wear out sitting around...
You might be able to get a trade in from an arborist, then throw a new battery at it???

[Stuart02]

but u can't really compare them with petrol as the petrol will always have more punch than the battery versions....

Thanks, and yes, that's what makes me wonder - if Stihl and Husqvarna have battery powered offerings, surely the technology has come of age? Are they the Tesla of the chainsaw world?

[Blknight.aus]

I have the ryobi 36V saw.

magic, the chargers run off of coke can inverters an a single battery usually lasts me for 3 days worth of campfire work. Ive filled just past level a 8x5 with probably 10cms average daimeter 3 foot lengths on one battery.

[Stuart02]

I have the ryobi 36V saw.

magic, the chargers run off of coke can inverters an a single battery usually lasts me for 3 days worth of campfire work. Ive filled just past level a 8x5 with probably 10cms average daimeter 3 foot lengths on one battery.

Yeah, wow

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[Ranga]

I've had my little Ryobi One+ 18V unit for about 4 years. Very bloody handy for collecting firewood, particularly dropped branches that are too long and/or far away to drag to the fire. Still haven't needed to sharpen or renew the chain yet.

Also very handy in a campground at 11pm at night, without waking anyone up!

[harro]

I have a makita, they come with either a straight 36v battery or an option for 2 x 18 volt batteries running as 36v.
I chose the 18v batteries one as I already had other makita gear on 18 volts so didn't need to get another charger or more batteries.

They are a great unit for around the yard and gathering firewood when camping but with only a 10" bar have their limitations especially if you have a tree of any size on a track blocking your way.
A 14" inch bar is starting to get in the realms of a realistic chance of clearing most obstacles so from that aspect a pretty good option (depending on the power).
Still can't beat a 16" petrol for all round work but.....
Yes they are pain to carry especially in a wagon and need regular maintenance.

Depending on price a good quality reliable 14" inch battery job is an attractive proposal, and I might even have a look at them myself;)

Cheers,
Paul.

[mick88]

The cordless leccy chainsaws would be good for poaching firewood ;) Cheer, Mick.

[weeds]

i'll stick with my baby stihl

[isuzutoo-eh]

Masters are advertising the Ego 56V Chainsaw on special for $279, save $180. My Dad has the Ego mower and reckons it is better than his old Rover and Victa four stroke mowers, pity as I bought a McCulloch 2 stroke saw a few weeks ago and may have been tempted by the Ego.

[Vern]

i'll stick with my baby stihl

All depends what your using it for. For in the fourby away camping, can't beat the fact of not having to carry extra fuel for the saw, worry about it leaking, the smell, and most of all the noise. Was very impressed when we used one on a trip around tassie, could cut wood at anytime without upsetting folk.

[weeds]

I have only seen one electric saw in use, one of the smaller ones........I'm still happy with my petrol.

To cut decent dry hardwood to get decent coals for the camp oven I reckon I would be done and dusted while the electric are still thinking about it.

Sure for a small fire to gaz at an electric would be OK.....

I've never upset camper by cutting wood during the day.

But nearly every tool has a cordless option so I guess it's only going to become more popular.

[AK83]

I've had my little Ryobi One+ 18V unit for about 4 years. Very bloody handy for collecting firewood, particularly dropped branches that are too long and/or far away to drag to the fire. Still haven't needed to sharpen or renew the chain yet.

Also very handy in a campground at 11pm at night, without waking anyone up!

+1
Got one about a year back.
Actually got it fro my brother, as I don't need it as much.
Lasted an entire 4 day trip on a single 5.0Ah battery. Couldn't say how many hours in total, but about 3 or 4 x 1 hr burst for collecting 4 or 5 foot branches, getting them back to camp and then chopping up half foot blocks. for another few hours at a time.
it's definitely not 2stroke fast, but there's a good job for kids to learn some stuff. For the price and portability, it's an awesome little device.
Most branches in the 8" range.
I also got a 12v charger car charger mainly for it, but also other stuff(like lights and so on.
I already have a few One+ tools, so the choice was natural, even tho we both thought it'd be hopeless at the job!

A few months ago, I bought my dad an AEG brush cutter(54v I think).
I was skeptical it would work as well as or even close enough too his old 49cc monster!
Dad's now 84 and can't pull start the 49cc, but it cut through crap better than his similarly sized Stihl(which went to Stihl heaven).
He reckons it's as good, and better as it's plug and go(ie. no mucking about with stop start).
It only lasts him about an hour per charge, but for him(at 84) he reckons he can't maintain that pace anyhow.
So his routine is cut for an hour or so, charge for a couple.. more for his rest break! :D
I'm liking battery powered tools more and more, and it seems as tho very soon petrol powered tools will be a thing of the past.

[Stuart02]

Yeah the little 18V Ryobi whipper snipper is more than enough for cleaning up the lawn edges etc. No fuss.

[Tombie]

Best Battery Chainsaw I've seen is by AEG...
A serious bit of kit!

[Stuart02]

Best Battery Chainsaw I've seen is by AEG...
A serious bit of kit!

Have you seen the Stihl or Husky in action?

[BMKal]

Haven't got a battery chainsaw, but if I was to buy one, I would probably go for the Ryobi One+ 18V unit. Might not be the best available, but the range of tools available using these batteries is second to none, and I already have quite a collection. ;)

Was looking at a Makita petrol chainsaw in Bunnings the other day - looks very well put together. I might be tempted if I was in the market for something that size - but I already have a Stihl with a 16" bar (and I would not be in the good books with SWMBO if I bought another one). :eek:

[weeds]

Bugger me dead....walked into bunning today and a guy is walking out with a Ryobi.....

[bee utey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWi1RjVu4uM

[Stuart02]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWi1RjVu4uM

It's a good ad, isn't it. I'm always a sceptic but it's telling me what I want to hear :)

[weeds]

Good demo but they are dip****s thinking it was petrol........

[AK83]

LOL!
Normally, I'd be 99.9% skeptical of that vid too .. just too much B$ around nowadays.
But that AEG battery system is the same as the whipper snipper I got my dad the other month, and I know from experience how powerful it is.
Battery itself is a little heavy(ish) .. not overly so, but the whipper snipper itself weights maybe a kg or two, but the battery doubles it easily.
Where with his old 49cc whipper snipper he'd HAVE to use the harness, with the AEG the weight is half what the old one was, so he didn't really need it.

I'd imagine that the chainsaw would work out to be about the same(probably less) in weight.

[Pinelli]

I'm collecting a few of the Ryobi battery powered tools. Was sceptical until I tried the angle grinder and was very impressed with the power it could muster. Just picked up a circular saw the other day.

What I'm not sure about with the chainsaws is they seem to have two different 18V versions available at Bunnings. Anyone able to shed any light on the difference? Same bar length and all.

[AK83]

.....

What I'm not sure about with the chainsaws is they seem to have two different 18V versions available at Bunnings. Anyone able to shed any light on the difference? Same bar length and all.

Is that difference price?
IIRC, one box had a battery and charger in it, the other didn't.
If you already have One+ batteries, you don't need any more chargers .. etc, etc.

But! .. if you do take it bush with you, and don't have many batteries, do consider the (expensive, but handy) 12v charger for long stays, heavy use.

[Stuart02]

I recently got a loan of a pre-release Dewalt battery chainsaw and I have to say it cut very nicely. Probably need 3 batteries to work non stop but for track/fence clearing and firewood collecting it'd be more than fine.
I'm waiting for the AEG chainsaw to come back to Australia to compare.

[Homestar]

Got a 36 volt Ryobi unit for Christmas with all the Bunnings vouchers I got. :)

Went the 36 volt unit as I want to get the mower too at some stage. I just wanted to be able to cut up a few small branches to make a small fire with when camping, but it is much more capable than that. I used it around the FIL's farm and cut up 10 hardwood fence posts into fire wood and the battery still had 3/4 charge left in it. It is the same size as a small petrol powered saw and weighs about the same too, but it also cuts better than the cheap ones which really surprised me.

Not as cheap as a petrol powered saw but suits me for what I want down to the ground. If you were heading out bush for weeks on end it isn't what your after but for a weekend saw you can keep in the back of the car and not have to worry about the smell of petrol, etc - they are great.

[Stuart02]

Got a 36 volt Ryobi unit for Christmas with all the Bunnings vouchers I got. :)

Went the 36 volt unit as I want to get the mower too at some stage. I just wanted to be able to cut up a few small branches to make a small fire with when camping, but it is much more capable than that. I used it around the FIL's farm and cut up 10 hardwood fence posts into fire wood and the battery still had 3/4 charge left in it. It is the same size as a small petrol powered saw and weighs about the same too, but it also cuts better than the cheap ones which really surprised me.

Not as cheap as a petrol powered saw but suits me for what I want down to the ground. If you were heading out bush for weeks on end it isn't what your after but for a weekend saw you can keep in the back of the car and not have to worry about the smell of petrol, etc - they are great.
Good feedback, I appreciate the petrol comparison - one of my mates who's got every chainsaw ticket under the sun used the Dewalt and admitted he'd probably be reaching for it for those kind of jobs before the baby petrol saw.
I was impressed with the torque and progressive feel - no sudden stalling and as good as impossible to get kick back from. Could bore cut hard wood no worries. And just easy, and quiet. I'm dead keen when I have some coin. The extra money is well worth it for the ease and convenience IM (now slightly informed) O.

[weeds]

I'm yet to see one of these in action......

Every camping trip seems to be only petrols.

Stuart, just reading some of your feedback

- no sudden stalling is this in relation to petrols or the smaller cordless units?

- impossible to get kick back, what do the unit ha to prevent this? Although I cannot recall the last time I had a kickback on a petrol.

- ease and convenience...both petrols and cordless easy and convenient.....

The only pro (a big pro) I see with cordless is no petrol smell which means it can be stored inside the car

The con is charging batteries.....I wonder how many batteries you would go through compare the the 2L of fuel I carry.

I'm not convinced on them yet...but that might change when I see one in the flesh and if it can do a decent job.

[weeds]

Not a bad comparo

36V Cordless Chainsaw Shootout Comparison Review (https://www.protoolreviews.com/tools/power/cordless/saws-cordless/review-36v-cordless-chain-saw-shootout/5979/)

I only had a quick read but the stihl sounds like a nice piece of kit.

[Stuart02]

I say no sudden stalling cos it's been suggested some cordless brands get high chain speeds using inappropriate gearing, making them gutless and prone to just stopping. But the Dewalt just neared down and let you back off if necessary, and had a good progressive trigger.

I say near impossible to get kick back cos I tried. I don't get kick back with petrol saws cos I know what I'm doing but there's always that time you're tired, catch a branch or nick some bark and get a kick. For the sake of the exercise of assessing it OHS-wise I (carefully) did as much as I could to induce kick back. Maybe it's the lighter and narrower chain, slightly lower chainspeed, bar design or other stuff I don't know.

Ease and convenience - no cold starts or starts at all, messing with 2 stroke, maintenance ever beyond basic cleaning and chain sharpening, no flooding or spilling if packed wrong, light, very little to go wrong...
I don't know how far 2L or even 10L of fuel gets you. The Stihl claims 30 odd mins of constant run time which, depending on the job amounts to plenty of time to quick charge a second battery, even if you have to make a cuppa after 45 mins of sawing and stacking/dragging. And once your 10L is gone, there's more chance you'll have solar/generator/other battery capacity for a recharge out in the bush.

I was the same in that I really needed to try one out, and given I found the Dewalt was surprisingly good I expect the Stihl to be quite a little cracker. If only they'd put a 16 rather than 14" bar on them!

[weeds]

Thanks Stu......

[DiscoMick]

As I'm impressed with our electric lawn mower I guess an electric chain saw would have similar advantages. My Stihl wouldn't start today so an electric is sounding good.

[Carnut1100]

I am a lawn mowing contractor, and for the last 7 months I have been running AEG 58v equipment commercially.
I don't have the full range yet, but I have used them all.

First the mower.
Pits main drawback is 18" cut. Ego does a 21" self propelled model now which will probably be my next purchase.
the AEG has similar grunt to an old Victa 2 stroke.
It weighs 26kg so it's not heavy to push around, but I'd still like a SP model.
4ah battery gets me around 45 mins of mowing on a well maintained lawn, 27 mins on a thick feral mess.
It has constant speed load sensing technology so it ramps up power as needed.
For my taste the blades are lacking in lift. Also they are too far above the chassis base height for me.
The Victa has a better base design, as does the Ego.
I have had 3 sets of handles fatigue crack through the lock pin holes in 7 months, but have just been sent the new improved handles that are redesigned to not crack....they do listen to feedback!
high lift blades are also on the drawing board with a warning that run time will be reduced as a trade off for better performance.
I'll take that any day.
6ah batteries are hitting the shelves with the next month.

the whipper snipper...
i love it.
It will run slowly and trim lawn edges for ages, or it will power through waist high grass...I have had 3 battery chargers cycling through 5 batteries while I ran it flat out through a backyard jungle for 2 hrs straight!
plenty of power!
it is a split shaft and will accept Ryobi Expand-It attachments, or the better quality MTD Trimmer Plus units.
I've got a pole hedger for it and a lawn edger. Getting the pole pruner saw shortly.
Run time with a hedger is awesome...over an hour and less than half a battery used.
Lawn edger chews power big time but works well.
whippy will run a battery flat in 20 mins if pushed at full power into waist high thick grass. Much longer on easier work.

the leaf blower is not bad. 400cfm is not super, and the Vocta is nearly 500cfm with the new Ego being almost 600 and Ego bringing out a backpack blower which has even more grunt...but the AEG does the job.

Hedge trimmer is relatively heavy. Similar weight to my Husqvarna petrol hedger.
It easily matches the Husky in cut capacity although the cutter bar speed is a little slower. Quiet and smooth with no fumes in the face, I'm buying one very soon and the petrol one is for sale.
An hr and a half on pittosporum hedges used less than half a battery. I was sad to give it back to the rep after having it for a week.

Chainsaw...feels a bit heavy and the body is a little longer than most petrol ones due to the battery slot.
Cuts well and is pleasant to use.
My 50cc Husky will eat it for breakfast, but I'd expect that.
Id happily cut a load of firewood with it.

Ive got 3 chargers and 6 batteries and I use this gear exclusively now. The chainsaw and hedger are my last remaining petrol tools and both are getting replaced with AEG stuff very soon.

[Carnut1100]

Www.electrichghway.net.au (http://Www.electrichghway.net.au)

[Stuart02]

I am a lawn mowing contractor, and for the last 7 months I have been running AEG 58v equipment commercially.
I don't have the full range yet, but I have used them all.

First the mower.
Pits main drawback is 18" cut. Ego does a 21" self propelled model now which will probably be my next purchase.
the AEG has similar grunt to an old Victa 2 stroke.
It weighs 26kg so it's not heavy to push around, but I'd still like a SP model.
4ah battery gets me around 45 mins of mowing on a well maintained lawn, 27 mins on a thick feral mess.
It has constant speed load sensing technology so it ramps up power as needed.
For my taste the blades are lacking in lift. Also they are too far above the chassis base height for me.
The Victa has a better base design, as does the Ego.
I have had 3 sets of handles fatigue crack through the lock pin holes in 7 months, but have just been sent the new improved handles that are redesigned to not crack....they do listen to feedback!
high lift blades are also on the drawing board with a warning that run time will be reduced as a trade off for better performance.
I'll take that any day.
6ah batteries are hitting the shelves with the next month.

the whipper snipper...
i love it.
It will run slowly and trim lawn edges for ages, or it will power through waist high grass...I have had 3 battery chargers cycling through 5 batteries while I ran it flat out through a backyard jungle for 2 hrs straight!
plenty of power!
it is a split shaft and will accept Ryobi Expand-It attachments, or the better quality MTD Trimmer Plus units.
I've got a pole hedger for it and a lawn edger. Getting the pole pruner saw shortly.
Run time with a hedger is awesome...over an hour and less than half a battery used.
Lawn edger chews power big time but works well.
whippy will run a battery flat in 20 mins if pushed at full power into waist high thick grass. Much longer on easier work.

the leaf blower is not bad. 400cfm is not super, and the Vocta is nearly 500cfm with the new Ego being almost 600 and Ego bringing out a backpack blower which has even more grunt...but the AEG does the job.

Hedge trimmer is relatively heavy. Similar weight to my Husqvarna petrol hedger.
It easily matches the Husky in cut capacity although the cutter bar speed is a little slower. Quiet and smooth with no fumes in the face, I'm buying one very soon and the petrol one is for sale.
An hr and a half on pittosporum hedges used less than half a battery. I was sad to give it back to the rep after having it for a week.

Chainsaw...feels a bit heavy and the body is a little longer than most petrol ones due to the battery slot.
Cuts well and is pleasant to use.
My 50cc Husky will eat it for breakfast, but I'd expect that.
Id happily cut a load of firewood with it.

Ive got 3 chargers and 6 batteries and I use this gear exclusively now. The chainsaw and hedger are my last remaining petrol tools and both are getting replaced with AEG stuff very soon.
Awesome, thanks. You must have picked up the chainsaw before they pulled it from the Australian market?

[Homestar]

I'm yet to see one of these in action......

Every camping trip seems to be only petrols.

Stuart, just reading some of your feedback

- no sudden stalling is this in relation to petrols or the smaller cordless units?

- impossible to get kick back, what do the unit ha to prevent this? Although I cannot recall the last time I had a kickback on a petrol.

- ease and convenience...both petrols and cordless easy and convenient.....

The only pro (a big pro) I see with cordless is no petrol smell which means it can be stored inside the car

The con is charging batteries.....I wonder how many batteries you would go through compare the the 2L of fuel I carry.

I'm not convinced on them yet...but that might change when I see one in the flesh and if it can do a decent job.

Only way to tell is to borrow one and have a play. I borrowed an 18 volt unit to try and that would have done me fine for cutting small stuff up but I'm glad I went the 36 volt unit in the end.

As you pointed out one of the biggest bonuses is no petrol smell so it can go in the back of the Rangie or any other car - that was the main reason for me. Easy starting also - while a good petrol saw will generally not give any issues I've seen plenty of people struggle to start a cheap Chinese version after it's been sitting for a year. Noise levels are also low - no hearing protection required and it's completely silent between cuts. :)

Hope you find one to borrow - I'd like to hear your feedback - either way, once you've used one. :)

[weeds]

Come to think of it I have seen Ranga's in action....18v I'm petty sure and yes fine for small stuff for fires but it didn't convince me to rush out and buy one.

The 56v range that carnut posted up sounds interesting along with he uses it for his day job.

I suppose when one has an investment in petrol equipment one looks for reason not to change.

[trout1105]

I have 2x petrol saws 1x 240v saw and yesterday I brought back a cordless 18v Ozito impulse buy saw, I now have to go back into town to get a battery and charger for it because to my dismay there wasn't one in the box and apparently they are sold separately [bawl]
I have been reading the various threads about these cordless saws and I got curious enough to try one out, I will report back after I give it run.

[Vern]

Don't expect miracles from an 18volt saw! It is what it is.

[trout1105]

Don't expect miracles from an 18volt saw! It is what it is.

Well the little 18v Ozito finally carked it, No wonder the abuse I threw at it.
Yes I got a 5yr warranty But seriously I got my 99 bucks worth out of it so I won't be BSing Bunnings for a free replacement, Instead I simply bought a new one[thumbsupbig]

[DiscoMick]

Love our Ryobi 18volt chainsaw.

[Tombie]

Love our Ryobi 18volt chainsaw.

My Ryobi 36v version is a pearler...
Keeps the 36v Line cutter and 36v mower happy.

[Homestar]

My Ryobi 36v version is a pearler...
Keeps the 36v Line cutter and 36v mower happy.

I've got the 36 volt chainsaw too - great little bit of kit. I only have the 18 volt trimmer, which does my backyard easy (around 4 times per charge) and I'm waiting for my cheap Chinese petrol mower to die before I get the 36 volt Ryobi mower, but the bloody $250 piece of crap is now 6 years old and still starts almost first pull every time - I thought I'd get a couple of seasons out of it, but it just keeps going. It does need new blades - is that a good enough excuse to buy a new one...? [biggrin]

[101RRS]

A few weeks back my cheap Homelite whipper snipper died after 10 years of perfect service. I bought a 18v Ryobi trimmer that works Ok - light weight but Ok for the suburbs.

Yesterday I was cleaning out my garage and picked up the old petrol trimmer and tried to start it and of course it started first go having previously died - whipper snippered the back yard with it and when finished it stopped and has died again.

To throw it out or keep it is the question.

Ryobi 36v stuff is very good but for suburban the 18v stuff works well - specially as I already have 18v chargers, two 5ah and one 2 ah batteries, the drill, trimmer, pole trimmer (chain saw thing) and the whipper snipper - may move to the chain saw but again the old Ozito I have still runs great. When the Masport 6 hp lawn mower dies I would like to go to the mower but maybe the 36v would be better than the 18v (a shame the 36v did not just run 2x 18v batteries).

Garry

[Tins]

As I already have way too many Milwaukee power tools,

155413:wub:

I'd be choosing the 16" M18 Fuel saw. I don't have one but I've used one, and it's way better than my baby Stihl MS170 that I have to carry in the car.


https://youtu.be/0Hl0HzjBtZA

[goingbush]

If your going to buy an Electric chainsaw get one with the "Quick chain tensioner system" no tools needed, Absolute best thing ever invented. end of story.
Have a look at the pictures in this ad to see what I mean

Victa V-Force+ 40V Cordless Chainsaw - FREE SHIPPING! SAVE $50.00 | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victa-V-Force-40V-Cordless-Chainsaw-FREE-SHIPPING-SAVE-50-00/301819148316?epid=633162644&hash=item4645d2b81c:g:1YEAAOSwnipWZk-q&frcectupt=true)

[Homestar]

If your going to buy an Electric chainsaw get one with the "Quick chain tensioner system" no tools needed, Absolute best thing ever invented. end of story.
Have a look at the pictures in this ad to see what I mean

Victa V-Force+ 40V Cordless Chainsaw - FREE SHIPPING! SAVE $50.00 | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victa-V-Force-40V-Cordless-Chainsaw-FREE-SHIPPING-SAVE-50-00/301819148316?epid=633162644&hash=item4645d2b81c:g:1YEAAOSwnipWZk-q&frcectupt=true)

Yep, they are brilliant - the Ryobi 36 volt has this on them, wouldn’t go back. 👍

[DiscoMick]

I suppose the 36 volt would be good but our 18volt is fine for cutting up firewood.
I can't imagine going back to a petrol chainsaw or mower.
It's interesting that half the mowers in Bunnings Cairns the other day were electric. All the brands are going that way now.

[Tombie]

18v Ryobi though is only a single sided cutter.
36v is conventional chain

[DiscoMick]

True, but it still works pretty good.

[DeanoH]

I bought one of these about 6 months ago.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/tool-time/155427d1573118107-cordless-chainsaw-experiences-recommendations-saw-wood.jpg


The pile of cut wood this chainsaw is sitting on is one batterys worth of 58 volt power :)
I splurged and replaced the standard 16" chain with a tungsten tipped one, best thing I ever did.
We've recently returned from 10 weeks travel in northern Australia and after (carefully) cutting wood for a group of up to 10 people the saw didn't require sharpening once!!, and that's northern hardwoods like mulga, desert oak, gidgee etc.

I never thought a battery chainsaw could ever 'cut the mustard' compared with my 'travelling' Stihl 009 arborist saw. This battery saw is easily its equal power wise and up there generally with my old Farm Boss. A big call but that's been my experience. IMO it's got a lot to do with the relatively high voltage (58 volts) and the inherent power efficiencies that go with this.

I've just replaced my Stihl 085 brush cutter/line trimmer with the AEG 58 volt equivalent and am very pleased with its performance as well.

Deano :)

[101RRS]

I bought a 36v Ryobi lawn mower as a gift last year - works really well.

Went to the house where the mower now lives and noticed the 5Ah battery sitting on a wet chair outside - yep the battery had been left out in the rain for a few days and was now dead [bigsad] with water pouring out of it.

I investigated and tried all the recommended ways to resurrect the battery, all to no avail. The management system has a circuit to stop over charging and a separate circuit that shuts the battery down if voltage drops to just over 30v - hence the appliance does not slowly run down when battery runs down but just stops. If the battery drops below 30v it will not charge so other means are needed to to get it above 30v so the charger will charge.

I bypassed the management system in the battery and the voltage at the battery was only 15v so a few cells have dropped. Put 38v to just the battery and it go to 22v but when power removed drops straight back to 15v. Not sure if the BMS is also gone.

Now while I bought this mower it is not actually mine and Bunnings wants $299 for a new 6Ah or 2x 4Ah batteries. If the owner wants Ryobi batteries he can buy his own - but I did spring for a 6Ah no name battery from ebay for $130. No great expectations but I have a couple of knockoffs myself and they seem OK.

Now the Ryobi 5Ah battery weighs 1.4kg and the 6Ah ebay special only weighs 1.2Kg so probably is only about 4Ah - low expectations achieved. Ryobi tends to use middle of the range LG batteries, though sometimes you might get Samsung so nothing special. The knockoffs are usually cheap low performance no name Chinese batteries hence the lighter weight.

The actual performance of the knockoffs vs cost is not so bad, the real issue is just their claims - claimed to be a 6Ah but probably about 4Ah - still a lot cheaper than Ryobi but is definitely not as advertised.

I am going to remove the circuit board of the Ryobi and find out how many of the cells have failed and see if putting new ones in brings the battery back.

garry

[Tombie]

I have 2 knock offs with Samsung Cells.

Work great.

[Vern]

Just bought this to compliment our mower and whipper snipper. 12" bar, haven't really tried it out, but equally as good as my 017, but a heap quieter https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220421/dd93b00a4015c0274f3e5f0bdf18227f.jpg

[101RRS]

I have 2 knock offs with Samsung Cells.

Work great.

Yes and if they have Samsung Cells it would show up in the weight of the knock off and with those cells it should work great.

[Tombie]

Yes and if they have Samsung Cells it would show up in the weight of the knock off and with those cells it should work great.

Just be careful comparing overall battery weights.
The casings are much heavier on the genuine.

[101RRS]

Just be careful comparing overall battery weights.
The casings are much heavier on the genuine.

Yes - true but in the absence of being able to dismantle for inspection it is a reasonable indicator of battery actual capacity.

[Corgie Carrier]

Just bought this to compliment our mower and whipper snipper. 12" bar, haven't really tried it out, but equally as good as my 017, but a heap quieter https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220421/dd93b00a4015c0274f3e5f0bdf18227f.jpg

What do you think of the Stihl whipper snipper?
Which model do you have?
Do you use the plastic blades or the cord?

Been thinking of getting one cos we don't have a service station within 40km. [bigsad]

[Vern]

What do you think of the Stihl whipper snipper?
Which model do you have?
Do you use the plastic blades or the cord?

Been thinking of getting one cos we don't have a service station within 40km. [bigsad]Without me going and checking, I'm pretty sure it's just the fsa 57 model. We only have a small block these days, but this is my favourite tool out of the 3, it's easily as good, if not better than our Honda whipper snipper. Obviously get a bigger model if you have a decent block of land

[350RRC]

If using cord............ go square section every time. If you can get it, get twisted square section.

Aldi do a great one once a year. Maybe others are doing similar now too.

DL

[OldGuy]

I have an EGO 56V saw, 36 is good but the 56 just goes and goes. Used recently on a red gum log that required a cut from both sides to get through with the 16" bar, no problem at all. Bit expensive but they are good.

PS: I have not read the complete thread so my apologies if this has been covered..

[Tote]

Having drunk the yellow tool coolaid I bought a 56 volt Dewalt for about $850. Pretty happy with it so far, I've been using it to break up the unsplittable white box we brought back from the farm and it goes very well.It has a 16" bar. The discharge slot does get blocked up occasionally if you are ripping with the grain but otherwise I'm very happy with it. It all packs into a plastic crate for trips away as well. If I hadn't already got a collection of yellow tools I probably would have got the Stihl one.
Regards,
Tote

[LRJim]

Having drunk the yellow tool coolaid I bought a 56 volt Dewalt for about $850. Pretty happy with it so far, I've been using it to break up the unsplittable white box we brought back from the farm and it goes very well.It has a 16" bar. The discharge slot does get blocked up occasionally if you are ripping with the grain but otherwise I'm very happy with it. It all packs into a plastic crate for trips away as well. If I hadn't already got a collection of yellow tools I probably would have got the Still one.
Regards,
ToteDewalt seem to be making a comeback in the last 12 months, I remember when they had the XRP range 15 years ago and they were some of the best HD drills around. Batteries took about 2 hours to charge but would last all day. Once bunnings started peddeling them they dropped off the trade market for a few years but now they have the flex volt range they are coming back again. Not my brand of choice but the mini demo saw is awesome, far better than the useless cordless 9inch grinders that other companies have brought out.
Cheers

[Fattima]

I've got the 54v Flexvolt chainsaw. Just had the oil pump die on it, replacement is pretty cheap but haven't got around to fitting it yet. I've done a lot of work with it and this is the only problem so far, plenty of grunt for cutting firewood and taking down some small to medium trees.

I've also got the smaller 18v and it is really handy. Very light and great for trimming small branches and taking camping.

[Tombie]

Dewalt seem to be making a comeback in the last 12 months, I remember when they had the XRP range 15 years ago and they were some of the best HD drills around. Batteries took about 2 hours to charge but would last all day. Once bunnings started peddeling them they dropped off the trade market for a few years but now they have the flex volt range they are coming back again. Not my brand of choice but the mini demo saw is awesome, far better than the useless cordless 9inch grinders that other companies have brought out.
Cheers

They are. All the brands are under the parent banner.

Dewalt, AEG, Milwaukee and Ryobi are all one parent business.

I run battery adapters and use Milwaukee batteries on gear from Ryobi etc and use Milwaukee, Makita and Ryobi gear depending on use requirements.

Ryobi gets the tick for domestic use, and their 40v gear for the garden does the job nicely. Wouldn’t use their 18v in the garden - the 40v chain saw does a good job where as the 18v has single sided chain and just doesn’t cut it (!)

[LRJim]

They are. All the brands are under the parent banner.

Dewalt, AEG, Milwaukee and Ryobi are all one parent business.

I run battery adapters and use Milwaukee batteries on gear from Ryobi etc and use Milwaukee, Makita and Ryobi gear depending on use requirements.

Ryobi gets the tick for domestic use, and their 40v gear for the garden does the job nicely. Wouldn’t use their 18v in the garden - the 40v chain saw does a good job where as the 18v has single sided chain and just doesn’t cut it (!)

All of my work gear is corded except for my Milwaukee drills, had some more cordless Milwaukee gear a few years ago but they grew legs.
I have some 18v ryobi tools I bought for the wife to use around the home and they definitely get the tick of approval from me very pleased with them. The 18v gardening tools are great for doing the small stuff around the place but anything larger I get the petrol gear out. Seen quite a few landscapers and gardeners use the stihl battery whipper snippers and they reckon its a massive step away from 2 stroke. I'm very keen to buy one

[trout1105]

I bought a whole range of el cheapo Ozito 18v cordless tools about 8 years ago including the dinky little chainsaw they make.
I have had to replace 3 batteries over this period (2 of which I foolishly left out in the rain) But otherwise All the tools still work perfectly [thumbsupbig][bigrolf]

The little chainsaw punches well above its weight and has come in very handy on quite a few trips away But for serious work I will still use my old trusty 2 stroke saw.

[DeanoH]

Don't discount one of these

MILWAUKEE 12V FUEL™ HATCHET™ 6" Pruning Saw Skin M12FHS-0 | Total Tools


(https://www.totaltools.com.au/159324-milwaukee-m12-fuel-hatchet-6inch-152-mm-pruning-saw-skin-m12fhs-0)If what you need is a chainsaw suitable for cutting firewood for your camp fire you can't really go past one of these :) It may be pitched as a 'pruning saw' but will cut up to 6" hardwood easily, certainly not as quickly as the old FarmBoss and not for heavy duty track clearing work or filling the trailer.

Using the recommended 4 ah, or better still 6 ah 12v battery it will easily give you 40-60+ cuts in 4-6" hardwood, plenty for that outback/bush campfire and it's small and light and easy to carry/pack away. I used one of these when touring around outback WA last year and was seriously impressed with its capability. It is definitely not a piece of junk 'rose pruning' saw like its Stihl equivalent. If 'size matters [biggrin] then the 6" bar and chain can be replaced with the 10" bar and chain from Milwaukees extendable shaft tree pruning saw but it really isn't necessary IMO. Another benefit is that it uses the same 12v batterys as other Milwaukee products ie. impact wrench, drill etc that can also be part of the outback/bush travelers tool kit :) Another plus for Milwaukee in general is that they make a 12 volt dual battery (12v & 18v) charger the same as their standard 240 volt dual charger, so no inverter required to charge the batterys on the road [bigsmile1].

Up till now I carried a 56v AEG 16" saw which is a very good saw and nearly as good as my old petrol FarmBoss but is still a heavy full size chainsaw and i needed to carry a 1000 watt inverter specifically to start and run the charger [bigsad].

For camp fire (not bonfire) wood cutting I can recommend this saw (Milwaukee 6" pruning saw), it's all you'll ever need.

If you need/want something more as I did (track clearing) I went for a Still MSA 140 in 12" with a mid size battery (plus spare) and the slow charge (not fast charge) 240 volt charger. Stihl don't make a 12 volt charger [bigsad] unfortunately so I still need an inverter to charge its battery. With the fast charger I would need a high power inverter (probably 1000 watt) but for the slow charger a 200 watt unit is more than enough. It takes 6 hours to charge but with 2 batterys who cares [biggrin]

Apart from the 240 volt charger the only down side of this Stihl model is that it uses the skinny 1/4" chain which is not available with hardened teeth (no sharpening required for at least 30 metres of cut hardwood [bigsmile1][bigsmile1][bigsmile1]). Stihl make a very, very good electric saw the MSA 220 which does take 3/8 hardened teeth chain and is a better saw than the MSA 140 but was 1.5 Kg heavier. My ageing 'rotor cuff' ruined shoulder won out with the lighter saw being the better choice for me [smilebigeye].


At the end of the day don't discount the Milwaukee 6" pruning saw, it is a very capable camp fire wood cutter when used with the recommended 4 ah or better still 6 ah battery.


Deano :)

[3toes]

Dewalt is Black and Decker in a different colour. Well at least their trade as opposed to domestic use product. They also own Irwin. Sidchrone and Stanley

Milwaukee, Ryobi, RIGID, AEG, Rockwell, WORX and Skil are all Chinese brands

[DeanoH]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/tool-time/178727d1652514960-cordless-chainsaw-experiences-recommendations-firewood.jpg



Here you go, filled up the back of the old ute, about one cubic metre, with a mixture wood of 50mm - 150 mm. The Stihl MSA 140 with 12" bar did this easily on one AK20 mid size battery (144Wh) :) The 1/4" Pico Micro PM3 chain wasn't one I'd used before but it did a very good job (way better than I expected) and didn't even need a 'lick' after filling the ute.

This was very easy cutting with no downward force needed, I let the weight of the saw (3.4 Kg with AK20 battery) do it all which I guess counts for the battery longevity and still sharp chain. I did have to top up the bar oil before the battery ran out but this was very light use for the chainsaw and I reckon under 'normal' use this would not be an issue.

A very good light weight general purpose chainsaw.

Deano :)

[ramblingboy42]

I bought a little 18v ozito chainsaw from the sausage sizzlers.

I am amazed at its capability.....if you just let it cut without weight on the blade it cuts whatever timber meets the blade.

It's helping me cut a lot of overgrown trees that I havent been well enough to attack since middle of last year and its doing a sterling job.

This is my 4th ozito light battery operated tool and each one comes with a 5yr warranty.

I have 2 batteries which lasts long enough for any gardening session for me.....then you've got to clean up.

the ice tools are gone except for the blower when I sometimes need a serious blast of air.....oh, and the ride on.

[Rick1970]

I bought a little 18v ozito chainsaw from the sausage sizzlers.

I am amazed at its capability.....if you just let it cut without weight on the blade it cuts whatever timber meets the blade.

It's helping me cut a lot of overgrown trees that I havent been well enough to attack since middle of last year and its doing a sterling job.

This is my 4th ozito light battery operated tool and each one comes with a 5yr warranty.

I have 2 batteries which lasts long enough for any gardening session for me.....then you've got to clean up.

the ice tools are gone except for the blower when I sometimes need a serious blast of air.....oh, and the ride on.

Would you be happy enough to use it against small trees, like 6-8" dia?
Got caught between a large rock and a small tree on a track at a mates place last weekend, used another mates Milwaukee cordless which done it effortlessly, but was thinking of something cheap to carry, without worrying about taking a petrol saw.

Been very mercilessly to a very cheap ozito cordless drill for 4-5 years, that just refuses to cark it.

[scarry]

Here you go, filled up the back of the old ute, about one cubic metre, with a mixture wood of 50mm - 150 mm. The Stihl MSA 140 with 12" bar did this easily on one AK20 mid size battery (144Wh) :) The 1/4" Pico Micro PM3 chain wasn't one I'd used before but it did a very good job (way better than I expected) and didn't even need a 'lick' after filling the ute.

This was very easy cutting with no downward force needed, I let the weight of the saw (3.4 Kg with AK20 battery) do it all which I guess counts for the battery longevity and still sharp chain. I did have to top up the bar oil before the battery ran out but this was very light use for the chainsaw and I reckon under 'normal' use this would not be an issue.

A very good light weight general purpose chainsaw.

Deano :)

The sons partner was given one of those,same model,about six months ago as a birthday present.
I borrowed it last weekend,and it went very well.
The batteries seem to last forever.

The small petrol one we have probably won’t be used again.

[loanrangie]

I bought a little 18v ozito chainsaw from the sausage sizzlers.

I am amazed at its capability.....if you just let it cut without weight on the blade it cuts whatever timber meets the blade.

It's helping me cut a lot of overgrown trees that I havent been well enough to attack since middle of last year and its doing a sterling job.

This is my 4th ozito light battery operated tool and each one comes with a 5yr warranty.

I have 2 batteries which lasts long enough for any gardening session for me.....then you've got to clean up.

the ice tools are gone except for the blower when I sometimes need a serious blast of air.....oh, and the ride on.

Just been looking at them since i have other ozito tools, currently $134 skin only or i just fond one on gumtree near me for $90 2nd hand.

[Stuart02]

The sons partner was given one of those,same model,about six months ago as a birthday present.
I borrowed it last weekend,and it went very well.
The batteries seem to last forever.

The small petrol one we have probably won’t be used again.

Yeah they're just brilliant for any small to medium sized job - can have the job half done in the time it takes just to mess around with fuel and starting.

I think there's also a couple of 3/8" chain versions of the Stihl out now?

[loanrangie]

Dewalt is Black and Decker in a different colour. Well at least their trade as opposed to domestic use product. They also own Irwin. Sidchrone and Stanley

Milwaukee, Ryobi, RIGID, AEG, Rockwell, WORX and Skil are all Chinese brands


Correct, Dewalt is under the Stanley-Black N Decker brand and Milwaukee,Ryobi and AEG are under Techtronic Industries - i deal with them at work.

[ozscott]

I haven't got an Ego brand chainsaw but if the blower I have is anything to go buy the chainsaw would be fantastic. The blower has more grunt than my Stihl 2 stroke blower. Build is excellent as is battery life. Cheers

[loanrangie]

Saw an ozito 18V chainsaw on gumtree for $90, asked the seller about condition and if it was still under warranty or not.He says no and it works find, i leave it a few and offer him $60 and replies with $80 cash and its yours. I counter offer $70 and he wont budge, so i check facebook and his daughter in law has listed it for $50 so i quickly go and collect :)

[Stuart02]

Saw an ozito 18V chainsaw on gumtree for $90, asked the seller about condition and if it was still under warranty or not.He says no and it works find, i leave it a few and offer him $60 and replies with $80 cash and its yours. I counter offer $70 and he wont budge, so i check facebook and his daughter in law has listed it for $50 so i quickly go and collect :)

I've never seen Stihl or Huskies second hand so I assume either - no one's buying them, everyone loves them and wants to be buried with them, or they don't survive and aren't worth selling on...?!

[loanrangie]

I've never seen Stihl or Huskies second hand so I assume either - no one's buying them, everyone loves them and wants to be buried with them, or they don't survive and aren't worth selling on...?!

Its a bottom tier item so i'm not expecting it to be great but from the reviews ive seen it will do what i want - cant lose for $50.

[Stuart02]

Its a bottom tier item so i'm not expecting it to be great but from the reviews ive seen it will do what i want - cant lose for $50.

Totally. Worth it for the battery.

[loanrangie]

Totally. Worth it for the battery.

It was just the bare saw as i already have batteries.

[Xtreme]

Had an arborist in to do some reduction pruning and deadwood removal from a couple of old gums recently. He used a small Stihl and said it was brilliant, would never go back to an IC saw again for timber up to about 200mm dia. I think the saw he used was a professional model, one hand operation and cost around $750 (skin only), battery & charger would probably add another $500 .......... so well out of my range!
I've had no personal experience with battery operated equipment like this and that probably won't change in the near future.

[rrturboD]

My AEG unit has proved much better than I thought.
The success is maintaining chain. Sharpen ever 2 or 3 battery changes. 3 x 5AH batteries lets me cut a trailer load (1T) of firewood (typically length of trailer). I have a 12v car charger, so find it takes using 2 batteries while the first is recharging, so with 3 I have the first used recharging while I use the next 2, and then first is available again if needed, or I want to cut timber into 500mm firebox lengths.

[loanrangie]

I cut up a barrow load of 8" box gum with the little ozito and i was surprised how well it did, a decent chain and bigger battery will make it better.

[350RRC]

My AEG unit has proved much better than I thought.
The success is maintaining chain. Sharpen ever 2 or 3 battery changes. 3 x 5AH batteries lets me cut a trailer load (1T) of firewood (typically length of trailer). I have a 12v car charger, so find it takes using 2 batteries while the first is recharging, so with 3 I have the first used recharging while I use the next 2, and then first is available again if needed, or I want to cut timber into 500mm firebox lengths.

Is that an AEG 12v charger doing 18v batteries?

All my stuff is 18v AEG.

DL

[Robmacca]

Guys...
The time has come whereby I need to upgrade my battery powered Ozito Chainsaw, so thinking ahead, whatever brand I choose I want to expand that into other battery operated tools for my shed.
I was initially thinking of a Makita Chainsaw as I have mates with those and they all seem to have good reports, but when looking at battery operated power tools, I'm not so sure. A lot of my mates also have the Milwaukee Power tools and I'm quite impressed with them but I know nothing about the Milwaukee Chainsaws...

Just wondering if anyone on here has experience with either Makita &/or Milwaukee battery operated Power Tools & Chainsaws??

thanks in advance....

[scarry]

Just wondering if anyone on here has experience with either Makita &/or Milwaukee battery operated Power Tools & Chainsaws??

thanks in advance....

My son has both,Stihl and Milwaukee,cordless.Not what you asked,but still sort of on topic,and others may be interested.
Last weekend,he said to me the Stihl absolutely ****s on the two Milwaukee's.
He has the larger and smaller Stihl,and same for the Milwaukee.

But the issue is the Stihl is not what you want as they dont have the other tools you need.

[rrturboD]

Having all your tools one brand is not always necessary as adaptors are now available:
eg: Use your Makita 18 Volt Battery on AEG Power tools - Adapter Plate - HVAC Direct (https://hvacdirect.com.au/use-your-makita-18-volt-battery-on-aeg-power-tools-adapter-plate/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6fyXBhBgEiwAhhiZskMZjZFmtbbptNSwBAI HX8h3xmi1Ho1P1BlPznhC7kUJS7vZnPF2nBoCKcAQAvD_BwE)

[Gravy]

Recently had a stint volunteering with Blazeaid who are using these as part of their tool trailers kit. I had a high level of skepticism that these saws would perform and have low battery life. I was proven wrong on both fronts, shame the price ticket is so high.

[steveG]

Robmacca - We’ve got 18v Makita tools at home, and can’t fault them. I’ve still got a couple of the 3Ah batteries from the original drill/driver kit I bought close to 10 years ago. They are down on capacity but have never faulted and mainly just get used in the radio now.

I was skeptical of cordless chainsaws until my SIL won a Dewalt one in a Totaltools competition and I got to use that.
I was impressed enough that I ended up with the Makita 2x18v chainsaw a couple of years ago - and am very happy with it. The narrow chain cuts quickly, and easily cuts enough firewood for 2-3 nights camping with still plenty of battery left.
One of the best things is that it doesn’t seem to leak bar oil like all the petrol saws I’ve had.

Over the 10 years of having the makita gear at home we’ve got a bunch of other tools and they have all been great. Only repair Ive had to do was put a set of brushes in the angle grinder.
Other bonuses are that SWMBO is happy to use the line trimmer as there’s no messing around with fuel and starting (I still have to refill the line when it runs out though). She loves the recip saw and hedge trimmer for garden work.

Recently I got the big 1/2” drive Makita impact wrench. I’ve been wanting one for years since a mate got a big Milwaukee, but until recently Makita didn’t make a decent one. They do now - and it’s a beast. Supposedly 1600Nm of undo torque - but surprisingly it doesn’t try and rip your arms off. Suspension bolts, the defender front radius arm to chassis nuts, puma output shaft it’s undone everything I’ve pointed it at. Absolutely love it.

I don’t think any of the premium brand cordless tools are particularly any better or worse than the others from discussing with users of them. The different brands each have a slightly different range of tools though. Milwaukee seems to have a better range of lighting options than Makita for example.
If someone was starting from scratch the choice of brand would probably come down to which brand did the best value starter package that suited them.

Steve