cordless chainsaw

[woodsmaster]

When they make an electric saw that will keep up with my 390 that will run for an hour on a battery, I'll consider getting one.

 

[Sprinter]

The motor designs are transitioning to "brushless" motors recently. There are some brush-type still being sold, but will not be as efficient. They tend to be a little more expensive, but with no commutator brushes, should be more reliable in the long run and more powerful. So look for the term brushless in any ads. If it is brushless, they will be promoting it.

I just bought a Greenworks 40-v wilth a 16" bar. I haven't had it long enough for a review, but it seems really good so far. https://jet.com/product/GreenWorks-...-and-Charger/e61fd308dde8462cb14d751b755bc008

The reason I'm linking the Jet site is that they give a 15% discount for first time users (I'm still getting more 15% offers) Up to $30, so I got mine for around $205.

Technically, brushless "DC" motors have been around for a long time, but apparently this industry is just starting to embrace that technology for DC-powered equipment. (they are really an AC motor design driven by an electronic control/inverter system).

 

[Hasufel]

I just bought a Greenworks 40-v wilth a 16" bar. I haven't had it long enough for a review, but it seems really good so far. https://jet.com/product/GreenWorks-...-and-Charger/e61fd308dde8462cb14d751b755bc008

The reason I'm linking the Jet site is that they give a 15% discount for first time users (I'm still getting more 15% offers) Up to $30, so I got mine for around $205.

For those who are thinking about one of these but aren't in a hurry, it's worth keeping an eye on the Greenworks website. They sell direct and usually their prices are at or above what you find elsewhere but every now and then they have 30% off sales on select items. I picked up a 4Ah/80V battery that way for a whole lot less than I was finding elsewhere; not only was the battery on sale, all of the third party sellers had them marked up above list price at the time (I guess they were in demand).

Another consideration is the range of other tools available for a given system. Because the batteries can be expensive, it's easier to justify a purchase if you'll be getting other tools that run off the same battery. I don't have just a saw, I also have a leaf blower and string trimmer and might go for a snow blower some day. But I have the 80V version, and there aren't as many tools available as with the 40V. There are other manufacturers of 40V and 56V systems that might have an even broader range of tools. So it's worth shopping around with that in mind...

 

[Sprinter]

Another consideration is the range of other tools available for a given system. Because the batteries can be expensive, it's easier to justify a purchase if you'll be getting other tools that run off the same battery.

Yeah, that's the idea, but it didn't work out too well for me with the Ryobi line. I bought a 40v string trimmer and hedge trimmer with the idea that I could use the batteries for other Ryobi items.

Then, when they introduced the 40v brushless chainsaw, I discovered that Ryobi discourages the use of the other batteries with the chainsaw. I think they designed the older batteries for the less efficient motors. Anyway, that's why I went with GreenWorks. It was simply better better considering I would have to buy a new battery anyway. And I'm discouraged with Ryobi now.

Buyer beware. This is a pretty new industry. I'm still happy with both purchases, but less enthusiastic about the one-battery-for-all idea.