Husqvarna 540i XP

[BCC_Burner]

Has anyone here picked one of these up yet?

I purchased a battery operated Husqvarna brush cutter a couple of months ago (along with 2 batteries and a charger) and have found it to be a great tool for all around property maintenance.

Since I need a chainsaw for firewood cutting and potentially clearing fallen trees off the road to my house, and I already have the batteries, I went ahead and ordered a 540i with a 16" bar. It's a pretty big investment, but I got lucky and the previous owners left a pretty nice push-plate splitter with a 1 year old Predator engine on it behind, so that freed up the budget to give these newfangled battery powered toys a try.

At some point in the future I may pick up a larger gas saw, but given the only tree species on my land are Aspen and Scrub Oak, with nothing much over 12" DBH, it seems like the battery operated one may be a very viable option for bucking firewood and general property maintenance. I live up a tree-lined, 1.5 mile long private dirt road, and I know there will be a handful of days each year where I'll have to cut my way out after a wind storm, so being able to keep a saw in the car without a gas can will also be really nice.

The reviews I've found online all seem to indicate it's a solid product. If it's as well built as the brush cutter, I'll be impressed.

It should be here in a week or so. I have about 2 cords of aspen in 4 foot lengths that the previous owners left, which will be the first order of business for the new saw once it arrives.

 

[SpaceBus]

I would like to try a battery saw, but I'm heavily invested in Dewalt batteries. I look forward to hearing your experience.

 

[johneh]

I would like to try a battery saw, but I'm heavily invested in Dewalt batteries. I look forward to hearing your experience.

Dewalt makes a chain saw (flex volt)
My youngest has one loves it

 

[usernametaken]

I have both the battery version and gas version of the top handle 540. Both are amazing tools. Have you gotten to use yours yet? I'm sure you will be impressed...

 

[ABMax24]

From what I've seen the 540iXP is a good saw, definitely on the level of the smaller gas saws.

I've got a 20volt DeWalt saw I bought a few years ago, it works alright for cutting limbs or the odd tree across the trail on the SxS, or some firewood while camping, but it doesn't come close to replacing my gas saw.

 

[SpaceBus]

From what I've seen the 540iXP is a good saw, definitely on the level of the smaller gas saws.

I've got a 20volt DeWalt saw I bought a few years ago, it works alright for cutting limbs or the odd tree across the trail on the SxS, or some firewood while camping, but it doesn't come close to replacing my gas saw.

How would the 20v be for cutting rough sawn 4x4's and 2x's? I've been using my 25cc Stihl top handle saw, but electric would be much more convenient and quieter. I'd like to get the 60v or 20v dewalt chainsaw for my next saw.

 

[ABMax24]

How would the 20v be for cutting rough sawn 4x4's and 2x's? I've been using my 25cc Stihl top handle saw, but electric would be much more convenient and quieter. I'd like to get the 60v or 20v dewalt chainsaw for my next saw.

It would be fine for that, I actually originally bought mine to cut 6x6's.

I think the 60volt would be a substantial upgrade though over the 20volt.

 

[BCC_Burner]

Well, I apologize for the tardiness of my follow up, but I wanted to share some thoughts now that I've cut about 4-5 cords with the 540i. About half of that was dead-standing Lodgepole Pine, the other half was Quaking Aspen.

In short, it's a great little saw. With a 16" bar, it will handle 90% of the firewood I cut, and it is damn fast working through things less than 10" in diameter. The oiler works really well and seems to have no issues keeping the bar properly lubed. The sprocket design makes it extremely quick and easy to swap chains or break the saw down for cleaning at the end of the day.

The lack of high frequency vibrations, exhaust stank and noise are all huge upsides, and the battery life continues to impress me. I bucked all of the wood in the picture below with a single, fully charged BLi300 battery. Granted, it is all quaking aspen, which is soft and low density, but I was also using a chain that had already been through a bit over a cord since it was sharpened.

I live at 8500', and process most of my wood on my property, so any gas saw will take a noticeable hit to it's power running at that altitude. For firewood processing where you have good access to electricity, I think the saw is a very viable alternative to gas saws in the 40ish CC range. I'll have to take it back east with me next time I visit my parents in the Adirondacks, so I can see how it deals with some higher density hardwoods. Not many of those around these parts.

Part of me wants to get the top-handle version for a Christmas Tree saw, but that would be a bit of a splurge for something so use-specific (I don't see myself having much need for a limbing saw, just like the compactness for hiking with it). I'll probably just set the 540i up with a 12" or 14" bar for that purpose and deal with the fact that it's a little clunkier to take out into the woods.

 

[walhondingnashua]

Kind of a random question, but related...
Do all the battery saws still use the same chains as gas saws? If I were to buy one, is it still going to be easy for me to buy an Oregon chain, for example?

 

[usernametaken]

Kind of a random question, but related...
Do all the battery saws still use the same chains as gas saws? If I were to buy one, is it still going to be easy for me to buy an Oregon chain, for example?

Yes, Oregon makes chain for the battery saws. They come with .325 chain but I have since swapped my bar and sprocket so that I can run 3/8". That way I don't have to run a low kickback chain. To my knowledge, there isn't a low kickback .325 on the market...

 

[salecker]

Yes, Oregon makes chain for the battery saws. They come with .325 chain but I have since swapped my bar and sprocket so that I can run 3/8". That way I don't have to run a low kickback chain. To my knowledge, there isn't a low kickback .325 on the market...

You can get it at Stihl dealer