Pretty good deal

[precaud]

After some thought and lots of reading, I decided that an electric chainsaw would really suit my needs better, and decided on the Makita UC4000. Happy accident, Amazon is having a 10% off promo on all Lawn & Garden products and have the UC4000 in stock... total price of $180 delivered. (BTW, the promo runs thru July 30th if you're lusting after something... )

 

[BrotherBart]

Here is the review from one of the people that bought one of the Makitas on Amazon. This guy needs to be in jail or a mental hospital.

"I wasn't aware that Makita made chain saws until my nephew told me about the UC4000 he saw on Amazon. The motor is quieter and much lighter than gas powered models with the same torque and horsepower. I bought him one for his birthday and he loves it. When he opened the box, he said he was the only kid in the first grade to have one. He earns extra money doing yard work and pruning his neighbor's trees when they aren't home. What he likes best is not having to buy gas and oil, and looking for a place to store the containers."

 

[precaud]

First grade - yikes!

 

[precaud]

Just did my first serious cutting with the Makita, and it is an excellent saw. Low noise, VERY low vibration, and cuts just as well as my gas saw. The Stihl will only get used now where there's no electricity available. Highly recommended!

 

[elkimmeg]

everyone here thinks the Stihl /Husky are the saws to purchase. I think up till now I am the only one to point out the Makita Dolar Sacks are every bit as good or better. There electric one like you bought, I believe is the best electric saw available.
I make a living using Makita tools. They just flat out work day after day

Too bad they did not make an electic splitter

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Well, in the gas chain saw market they are pretty darn good Don, if i were to get an electric i would get a Makita, i have heard good things about them. If i were building a house, makita or milwalkee tools would be in my box, if i were cutting trees for a living, i would have nothing else but a gas stihl or Husky.
Precaud, its good to hear you like your purchase! one questiuon, do you act as safe around the electric as you do a gas? I would think i would get slack about saftey with the electric and hurt myself.

 

[precaud]

Interesting question, MSG. Maybe I haven't used it enough to answer, but I don't anticipate that it will change my cutting habits. Except perhaps, I can really see going out and cutting for 10-15 minutes on a lunch break, for instance, which is something I would never do with the gas saw. With it, you know you're going to get all stinky and dirty so every session turns into a marathon...

 

[BrotherBart]

Interesting question, MSG. Maybe I haven't used it enough to answer, but I don't anticipate that it will change my cutting habits. Except perhaps, I can really see going out and cutting for 10-15 minutes on a lunch break, for instance, which is something I would never do with the gas saw. With it, you know you're going to get all stinky and dirty so every session turns into a marathon...

Stinky/Dirty/Chainsaw

Oh baby!

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Interesting question, MSG. Maybe I haven't used it enough to answer, but I don't anticipate that it will change my cutting habits. Except perhaps, I can really see going out and cutting for 10-15 minutes on a lunch break, for instance, which is something I would never do with the gas saw. With it, you know you're going to get all stinky and dirty so every session turns into a marathon...

Very good point. The gassers i would not condiser breaking out on a lunch break, but now that i think about it, i dont know why not. It probably takes as long to bust out the extension cord as it does to fill and start a gasser. One thing like you say, the electrics are alot cleaner. But i usually get dirty from all the chips flying. You know its weird, the reason i asked that question about safter earlier is because i have this 18volt milwalkee cordless set, the circular saw i play with like a toy, my regular plug in one i treat with respect, even though i know the battery one will take a finger off in a millisecond.

 

[suematteva]

One thing I have heard about the Sachs Dolmar Makita is the anti vibration system is not as good as the stihl or husky(this was from a long time husky user). I have not run one recently. Back in the 80's when I was logging it was a popular saw, that was pre makita though. At one of the logging shows, I spoke with there sales manager and it seems like they are strengthening the dealer network. He was was candid about some product problems in the past but he was very excited about the new products that they have come out with over the last few years.

 

[precaud]

In the one hands-on test of electric chain saws I read, they rated the Husky and Makita at the top of the pack, concluding that the Husky was a little smoother/quieter but the Makita cut better. I doubt you'd be unhappy with either one. Because of the way they're marketing it, the Makita can be had for less $$ right now... always a consideration...

 

[suematteva]

In the one hands-on test of electric chain saws I read, they rated the Husky and Makita at the top of the pack, concluding that the Husky was a little smoother/quieter but the Makita cut better. I doubt you'd be unhappy with either one. Because of the way they're marketing it, the Makita can be had for less $$ right now... always a consideration...

Precaud,

My above quote was in reference to their gas models only..sorry to cloud the waters..

 

[Randy S]

Hey Precaud, what kind of wood are you cutting w/ the electric Makita?

SG

 

[precaud]

Pinion.

 

[Eric Johnson]

In the one hands-on test of electric chain saws I read, they rated the Husky and Makita at the top of the pack, concluding that the Husky was a little smoother/quieter but the Makita cut better. I doubt you'd be unhappy with either one. Because of the way they're marketing it, the Makita can be had for less $$ right now... always a consideration...

Did they define "cut better?" Seems to me that's a function of the chain and bar, not anything to do with the rest of the saw. A crap saw with a new bar and chain will cut as well as a top-of-the-line rig with the same cutting gear. Do you think they mean the Makita has more power?

 

[precaud]

I thought the review was pretty well done, read it and tell me what you think:
http://www.nonoise.org/library/qz/ChainSawaPROOF.pdf

 

[Eric Johnson]

Good to see the pics of the operator wearing safety gear.

I agree, it was a good review.

The "cut better" designation goes under the heading of "subjective cutting performance" which is another way of saying (the way I read it) that the noise level was considered seperately from the rest of the saw's performance. So basically, you've got "noise" and "handling" as the two main considerations. And that makes sense.

Now I know something about electric chainsaws. Thanks for the discussion and the link, precaud.

 

[precaud]

I too learned alot from it... to be honest, I didn't take the electrics seriously until I read this article.

 

[velvetfoot]

It's interesting that the Stihl chaps I bought have a precautionary note about electric saws: they have too much torque and can go through the protection.

Another thing I noted when perusing electric saws at HD: they don't have anti-kickback chain brakes like the gassers. Is this true of them all?

 

[Eric Johnson]

Historically, the problem with the more consumer-oriented saws is that they lacked some of the essential safety features. The electrics might be following this unfortunate trend. Certainly you could engineer in some sort of clutch that would reduce the risk of a torque-induced chap cut. Of course, all these things cost money and add weight.

Another factor mentioned in precaud's link is the pollution potential with conventional gas saws, especially for the operator who's breathing it all in. I know that when I'm cutting multiple tanks, my wife complains about the lingering oily smoke smell that (she says) sticks around on my skin even after the Five Ss. Personally, with mosquitos as bad as they've been this summer, I'd like a little more smoke out of my saw sometimes. Anyway, along those lines, Stihl and Husqvarna have introduced a new engine design on their European saws that cuts emissions considerably and increases mileage in the process. Something about squirting more air into the combustion chamber and/or cycling the exhaust gasses back through the engine. Presumably they could cut noise emissions as well, if the EU required it.

 

[wahoowad]

Momma loved her new electric lawnmower until she cut her third or fourth electrical cord!

 

[tradergordo]

Interesting question, MSG. Maybe I haven't used it enough to answer, but I don't anticipate that it will change my cutting habits. Except perhaps, I can really see going out and cutting for 10-15 minutes on a lunch break, for instance, which is something I would never do with the gas saw. With it, you know you're going to get all stinky and dirty so every session turns into a marathon...

Very good point. The gassers i would not condiser breaking out on a lunch break, but now that i think about it, i dont know why not. It probably takes as long to bust out the extension cord as it does to fill and start a gasser. One thing like you say, the electrics are alot cleaner. But i usually get dirty from all the chips flying. You know its weird, the reason i asked that question about safter earlier is because i have this 18volt milwalkee cordless set, the circular saw i play with like a toy, my regular plug in one i treat with respect, even though i know the battery one will take a finger off in a millisecond.

Consumer Reports notes that electric saws took 2-4 times as long to cut wood as the fastest cutting gas powered saw they tested (the Husqvarna 345 at about $300). You'd certainly get a lot more wood cut during your lunch break if you fired up the gas powered saw instead. But I guess the major reason to use electric is to keep from annoying the neighbors with the noise? Still, how much cutting does one family need to do (with a chainsaw, on their own property)? Is 3 or 4 evenings a year going to bother the neighbors that much?

 

[Roospike]

I dont own nor have i ever owned an "Electric Chainsaw" only gas chainsaws . My question is : Why ? Really , what is the electric chainsaw good for , what are they being used for ? seriously . I can see having an electric chainsaw and not owning a gas chainsaw to trim stuff around the yard and such . Is anybody useing a Electric chainsaw to cut firewood ? again , seriously. Is the owner of an Electric chainsaw having 6' - 8' ect logs delivered to there yard to cut up ? What is the advantage over a gasser for firewood. Please explain to me the use if not just being a average home owner tree trimmer . I really cant see useing an Electric chainsaw to use for firewood supply . I do all my felling , bucking and loading out in the woods so an Electric chainsaw would not work for that . Hook me up with information .

 

[Eric Johnson]

You can use the electric saws in the woods, Roos, if you buy the backpack gen set.

 

[precaud]

Work interfered with my forum posting (I hate it when that happens) ;-)

velvet and eric, the Makita has a kickback shutoff built into the handguard, just like a gas saw. And the "too much torque" argument seems an empty one... should people not buy bigger gas saws to get more torque, then?

gordo, CR must have been testing the el cheapo electrics... this one cuts just fine (must be all that torque)

and roos, you're right, if you do all your saw work in the field, then this isn't for you. My ritual has changed over the years and I now gather logs and do all my bucking here. And since I only gather standing- or down- dead wood, I need a chain saw well less than 1/2 of the time even when I'm gathering. My axe gets used alot more than the saw...

Did I miss anything?