Gas or battery chainsaw

[Mr. Haq]

I have been using a battery pole saw for a long time. It's end to its life. So I would like to change this model. But one of my neighbor said to take a gas pole saw instead a battery one. I want to hear from the experts which is preferable; gas pole saw or battery pole saw. I use it only to my backyard.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jatoxico]

Not enough info here. Do you have other gas powered equip? How often and on what do you expect to use it on?

 

[mellow]

Stick with battery if only using around the house sporadically. Batteries have come a long way and for occasional use as long as you keep the batteries in good condition will work great when needed. I use a corded pole saw from Harbor Freight, that thing has been beat up and pinched I don't know how many times and still keeps on going but sometimes you can't get a cord to where you need to trim, that is when I use my portable generator to give it power.

 

[Mr. Haq]

Not enough info here. Do you have other gas powered equip? How often and on what do you expect to use it on?

No I haven't any gas powered. And I use my saw to trim the unwanted branches of trees in my backyard very often.

 

[jatoxico]

No I haven't any gas powered. And I use my saw to trim the unwanted branches of trees in my backyard very often.

If you don't have other gas powered equipment and unless you're trimming heavy branches I think I'd stick w/ battery. I have both gas and electric chainsaws. The elec is handy especially when having to do lots of starting and stopping and plenty capable though not as fast in bigger wood.

 

[Mr. Haq]

If you don't have other gas powered equipment and unless you're trimming heavy branches I think I'd stick w/ battery. I have both gas and electric chainsaws. The elec is handy especially when having to do lots of starting and stopping and plenty capable though not as fast in bigger wood.

Thanks a lot

 

[Matt93eg]

2 stroke or nothing

 

[jatoxico]

Need to consider that others may have different needs.

 

[Jazzberry]

Fiskars manual.

 

[TreePointer]

Need to consider that others may have different needs.

Exactly. My backyard is 75 acres, of which I maintain 4 of them like anyone's nice suburban yard. I also have a lot of tall hedges to trim, weeds to whack, and leaves to blow, so a gas Stihl Kombi unit makes sense for me. If I maintained only an acre or less, I'd consider some of the newest battery powered models.

 

[blades]

gas ( ethanol) urban environment- too much time sitting unused- fuel delivery system failure due to ethanol. I have a electric pole saw- for the few times or maybe once a year i need it- I have had way too much fun with ethanol produced problems on intermittent use of petrol powered equipment. Chainsaws are constantly being used so no problem there. weed wacker is gas , I have 3 acres worth. dang push mower dosen't get used enough, on 3rd carb. Ethanol wasn't worth squat in the 1930s ain't nothing changed except for it being forced down our throats. In the olden days i could clean a carb stick it back together and things were fine -now it is an exercise in futility.

 

[jatoxico]

I've cleaned, rebuilt and replaced my share of carbs on equipment I've saved from the dump or that landed in my lap one way or the other. But after getting them cleaned up I have had very good experience with Stabil. I add it year round since I never know when somethings gonna sit longer than I expected and drain my carbs when I know it won't be for a couple months.

I can't drain the carbs on some equipment and even after sitting for months I've had good luck (knocking on wood).

 

[mellow]

I have just been putting a fuel shutoff on anything I can and run it out of fuel before putting away, saved me a lot of headaches.

 

[jatoxico]

The problem with a simple fuel shutoff is that there is still a fair amount of fuel left in the bowl. It's not bad to have but doesn't fully eliminate the problem and in some cases it makes it worse.

To run an engine dry I let it begin to sputter then close choke and pump diaphragm if equipped. Mostly will run for another 30-60 sec depending. Let sit and repeat (elec start good for this) and will usually fire again as remaining fuel accumulates in bowl. Even after repeating process a couple times I've found there's still fuel in the bowl so carb drains are better IMO.

For some equip its better off leaving bowl full. Any fuel that evaporates is replaced as the float drops. Won't keep like that forever but if you get back to it in 2-3 months you're OK if Stabil-ized.

 

[mellow]

I also only use ethanol free gas in my small engines, but never had an issue with a bit sitting in the bottom of the bowl. Only had 1 station that carried ethanol free, now we have 3 as demand is strong for it for marine use.

 

[jatoxico]

Not a single place I can realistically get EtOH free gas unless you count Tru-fuel but that's not happening.

 

[mellow]

Not a single place I can realistically get EtOH free gas unless you count Tru-fuel but that's not happening.

Ouch. None of these places are near you? (broken link removed to https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NY)

 

[jatoxico]

Nope. There was one listed awhile ago that was about 20 mi away but sorta kinda on my way to work but gone now and one other that sells canned racing fuel fuel from what I can tell. That place is 45 min away so never even bothered. Otherwise I am SOL.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Lowes sells non-ethanol fuel in cans. Pricey though as you can imagin.

 

[cjgoode]

For around the house use, a battery one probably is best. These new batteries last longer and you can let them sit for months pick it up and its ready to go. If you use it a couple times a week, or when you do use it you are using it for hours at a time then gas for sure.

 

[Hasufel]

I have been using a battery pole saw for a long time. It's end to its life. So I would like to change this model. But one of my neighbor said to take a gas pole saw instead a battery one. I want to hear from the experts which is preferable; gas pole saw or battery pole saw. I use it only to my backyard.

Thanks in advance.

Did your old battery saw meet your needs? If so, get another. If you want something with a little more power or run time then a newer battery saw might work for you. If you need something with a LOT more run time then you'll need a gas saw. I find battery-powered tools to be so much more convenient that I use them almost exclusively for working in my yard.