I bought an electric caw right before a 2.5wk trip to WY last summer. I went back and forth and settled on the 58V Echo. It's a beast. Seriously way more power than I imagined an electric saw could have. When I looked at it in person next to the smaller saws at Home Depot it was immediately apparent that it was really in another class. Very happy with it. The battery lasts forever too.
Electric Chain Saw???
- Thread starter jacobconroy
- Start date
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
Been there, done that... the sawzall with a pruning blade wins every time.
Motafinga
Adventurer
I carry a gas saw on all travels, I had a stihl, it got stolen in my last rig so I replaced it with a 14" echo (home depot) for about 200 bucks. It starts more reliably than the stihl honestly and always runs great at any temp or altitude. Like someone else said you can use motor oil for the bar which you should have anyways. I just buy the small pre-mixed cans at auto parts stores, available everywhere.
I've never tried an electric but I will say just having a saw is something I will always have in my kit now. It's saved me hundreds and hundreds in firewood and has cleared many fallen trees off the forest roads.
I've never tried an electric but I will say just having a saw is something I will always have in my kit now. It's saved me hundreds and hundreds in firewood and has cleared many fallen trees off the forest roads.
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
OK, I'm curious. Do you mean wins for convenience, comfort, or speed? I've used a Sawzall (like everyone else) and seem to remember holding it there, holding it there, holding it there a little longer, holding it some more, holding it despite my forearms burning, holding it anyway....finally done!
I haven't tried an actual pruning blade in one though. Maybe I'll pick one up this week and try it. It would be much easier to store a Sawzall in my rig than a chainsaw. Probably safer too.
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
A legit pruning blade on a recip saw certainly has its place.
For anything short of felling trees and/or very thick branches (8+inches), the pruning blade will do great, and I too prefer it over a chainsaw (if we are talking elec vs elec
)
Once you get to beyond 8 inches or so, it gets troublesome. A chainsaw can plunge, a recip saw cannot. Cutting anything beyond the length of the recip blade is asking for trouble.
You also have to manage your cuts a bit more as the recip blade does not selfg clean, or clearance as well as a chain. IE, especially in wet/green stuff, the blade will pinch/bind easier if you are not mindful.
So long as the depth of cut is less than the length of the pruning blade, and be mindful of where the leverage/weight of the branch/tree you are cutting exists(should be doing that anyhow with either saw), you are good to go.
I too have carried a small (gas) chainsaw for travels. Used it plenty of times over the years.
But for the simple sake of hassles (fuel, bar oil, stink, mess), the new truck will be set up with an electric.
And 99.999% of the times I've used the chainsaw over the years has been for limbs less than 8-10" in diameter.
So I'm strongly considering a cordless recip saw and legit pruning blade.
For anything short of felling trees and/or very thick branches (8+inches), the pruning blade will do great, and I too prefer it over a chainsaw (if we are talking elec vs elec
)Once you get to beyond 8 inches or so, it gets troublesome. A chainsaw can plunge, a recip saw cannot. Cutting anything beyond the length of the recip blade is asking for trouble.
You also have to manage your cuts a bit more as the recip blade does not selfg clean, or clearance as well as a chain. IE, especially in wet/green stuff, the blade will pinch/bind easier if you are not mindful.
So long as the depth of cut is less than the length of the pruning blade, and be mindful of where the leverage/weight of the branch/tree you are cutting exists(should be doing that anyhow with either saw), you are good to go.
I too have carried a small (gas) chainsaw for travels. Used it plenty of times over the years.
But for the simple sake of hassles (fuel, bar oil, stink, mess), the new truck will be set up with an electric.
And 99.999% of the times I've used the chainsaw over the years has been for limbs less than 8-10" in diameter.
So I'm strongly considering a cordless recip saw and legit pruning blade.
I had a Black and Decker 20V chainsaw that i used to carry in the back of my Crosstrek, mainly for downed trees on my commute (i avoid the highway here, too many idiots.) I let me GF use it for a few days for some yard work. since she fell in love with it and kept raving about how much easier life was with it, i decided that was a good enough excuse for me to get the 40v model. I had good luck with the 20v, the 40v is smoother running and quieter from what i could tell with my little bit of testing. I still havent had a chance to use it properly yet, but i feel like it will work for what i need.
Also, even the electric saws leak bar oil. on the B&D saws, the rotation of the gear is what spreads the oil to the chain, so when it sits, it just drips under the body of the saw. it appears that there is no valve or form of flow control for it, just the gear moving near the port and gravity.
Also, even the electric saws leak bar oil. on the B&D saws, the rotation of the gear is what spreads the oil to the chain, so when it sits, it just drips under the body of the saw. it appears that there is no valve or form of flow control for it, just the gear moving near the port and gravity.
NevetsG
Active member
In a word... No, don't get one if you don't use it that much.
Stihl is built in my home town, and I don't think the electric version is built there. With that said, I own a gas Stihl chain saw(s), cordless / electric reciprocating saw(s), and a number of hand saws (including Japanese pull trim saws).
Been sawing wood for over 45 years, and I picked up a 14" Silky folding saw for camping. All I have to say, is... HOLY ********, why didn't I know about these things sooner. Watch some videos online, and you will find everyone is very impressed with them. They come in many different sizes, and make "ALL" other hand saws look like a bad joke. I cut thru 1"-3" Oak branches in a few strokes, and I buzzed thru 5" Oak branch in less than 30 sec. If I had a longer saw it would have been even faster, and now I'm seriously considering a bigger one.
Below is the company web site, but you can get them MUCH cheaper on Amazon. IE I got the Silky Professional Series Bigboy 2000 for $57, but the company web site has them for $94.
http://www.silkysaws.com/
Stihl is built in my home town, and I don't think the electric version is built there. With that said, I own a gas Stihl chain saw(s), cordless / electric reciprocating saw(s), and a number of hand saws (including Japanese pull trim saws).
Been sawing wood for over 45 years, and I picked up a 14" Silky folding saw for camping. All I have to say, is... HOLY ********, why didn't I know about these things sooner. Watch some videos online, and you will find everyone is very impressed with them. They come in many different sizes, and make "ALL" other hand saws look like a bad joke. I cut thru 1"-3" Oak branches in a few strokes, and I buzzed thru 5" Oak branch in less than 30 sec. If I had a longer saw it would have been even faster, and now I'm seriously considering a bigger one.
Below is the company web site, but you can get them MUCH cheaper on Amazon. IE I got the Silky Professional Series Bigboy 2000 for $57, but the company web site has them for $94.
http://www.silkysaws.com/
Silky saws are amazing. I use them a lot with my landscaping company, most branches I just use the silky and save the chainsaw for anything over 5" or so. It's safer, lower maintenance, and still very fast.
I don't really do a lot of trees though so the silky is perfect for us. I do have a chainsaw when needed.
for the OP:
Not sure I'd rely on only handsaws for off roading if I were in an area that had lots of big trees though, unless I was confident I'd have alternate routes. A chainsaw certainly gives you more capability to deal with larger trees. I haven't used many electric saws but for an occasional tree I'm sure it'd be fine, even if it took a little while. I don't think gas engines are THAT finnicky, especially if you don't use them a lot. however, if its just something you will leave in your truck/trailer and just take it out when you need it (and you know that will be rare) then I think an electric is a great idea. then you won't have to worry about fuel going bad/spilling, etc.
To each their own. Find something that works for you. Don't be afraid to try something else
hour
Observer
Anyone who's brave. I don't know anything about either brand, but the ones on the left have excellent reviews on the battery itself and the tools running them - same with ones on right, could be fun to test. Purchase & charge the night before a weekend trip, use it to cut up all the ground score limbs for firewood, and return it Monday if it doesn't perform remarkably for my limited purposes. I know my little echo runs like piss at 10,000ft, leaks, and doesn't have a proper storage box for it that isn't overly bulky (to accommodate additional models) All it does is dismantle limbs for the fire.
The saw has a coupon not reflected on pictured page for $69 instead of $79. So $110 to see if it can cut it for a couple of days. I go through quite a bit of quick burning stuff that I wear myself out dragging back to camp, so I've avoided the hand saw
The saw has a coupon not reflected on pictured page for $69 instead of $79. So $110 to see if it can cut it for a couple of days. I go through quite a bit of quick burning stuff that I wear myself out dragging back to camp, so I've avoided the hand saw
Attachments
Last edited:
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
So, I've been leaving my Stihl battery saw sitting at different angles for a couple of nights in a row and think I've finally found the angle that doesn't leak bar oil with a full oil tank.
I'm waiting on some guy in Canada to quote me a price for a canvas saw bag...and if that works out...I'll build a custom platform in the Jeep to hold the whole unit. With a little luck there will be no more mess in the rig.
I'm waiting on some guy in Canada to quote me a price for a canvas saw bag...and if that works out...I'll build a custom platform in the Jeep to hold the whole unit. With a little luck there will be no more mess in the rig.
I've been using 120vac chainsaws for years. My favorite is a Remington 12", 8 amp model bought at a yard sale for twenty bucks years ago. It's had a bar, and numerous chain replacements. With an inverter in the camper, and a portable generator to get closer to the work, it has been very handy. I avoid the simple open line/push to squirt, gravity draining crude, messy oiling system by spraying lubricant from a pressurized can occasionally while sawing. All the ones I've owned have no centrifugal clutch. They have a direct drive, large nylon toothed gear that will strip if it's at top speed and the chain grabs something like fencing wire.
I'm old and my past is littered with dead and changed styles, obsolete batteries that turned me away from battery power whenever possible for years. Lithium technology now has me thinking a little lustfully. That power cord can be aggravating.
I'm old and my past is littered with dead and changed styles, obsolete batteries that turned me away from battery power whenever possible for years. Lithium technology now has me thinking a little lustfully. That power cord can be aggravating.
Most electric saws that are at the less expensive end of the range are powerless sauce.... Acquire or contract a gas saw. and if you still want it you can take some help from here. In addition, I truly don't care for the possibility of anything that can remove an appendage being utilized related to a live power rope more slender than your finger. Obviously there's cordless, yet a decent cordless saw won't be modest.
On the off chance that you need any more inspiration to go gas, YouTube stihl timber sports hotsaw, those things are boss.
On the off chance that you need any more inspiration to go gas, YouTube stihl timber sports hotsaw, those things are boss.
Ryan Barnes
Observer
I have a Greenworks Pro 80v and it rips. For the way I use my saw its perfect. I use it every couple months and don't have to worry about mixing gas or adjusting my carb for altitude. For clearing trails and cutting firewood at camp it's just right. My inverter charges batteries in 30 minutes and with two batteries I never run out.
