Makita EA3601...the most intriguing saw to date

[fordf150]

 

[ajschainsaws]

The rear handle is similar that in my 6100, it feels good in hand because of its curvy profile. It's also slightly higher than on husky 560 (see picture), giving better control when tilting the saw. The rubbery grip that the Makita battery saw has is my favourite, because it reduces the power needed to grip the handle firmly. Ps-352 has has a texrured surface casted in the handle, I find it rather uneffective.

Feel free to ask any questions, and follow me on instagram @Finnlogger

How does the battery saw perform

 

[Simondo]

View attachment 93377

@fordf150 Would you mind showing/describing how the carb is mounted to the other side of the reed /carb intake plate please ?

 

[fordf150]

 

[Simondo]

View attachment 93524

Thank you...thats the impulse tucked out of the way i assume.

 

[Finnlogger]

How does the battery saw perform

Took the Makita battery saw instead of the smaller petrol Dolmar to do some thinning today. I cut all sorts of wood with it, diameters between 1 and 12 inches. The temperature is about 2 degrees celcius, the wood is not frozen yet. With softer wood the cut felt smooth and effective, but with harder wood there was more vibration, and I had to push into the wood very carefully, not to activate the overload protection. This feature stops the chain, but doesn't turn the saw off, so you can continue the cut when not under heavy load. The saw switches itself off when the trigger or trigger lock isn't pushed in ten seconds. This should be a little longer, but hey, safety first! The batteries lasted about 40 minutes, while the petrol saw would have lasted almost an hour. One annoying thing is the stiff chain brake handle, otherwise I really like this saw, it accelerates fast, and revs high enough.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Took the Makita battery saw instead of the smaller petrol Dolmar to do some thinning today. I cut all sorts of wood with it, diameters between 1 and 12 inches. The temperature is about 2 degrees celcius, the wood is not frozen yet. With softer wood the cut felt smooth and effective, but with harder wood there was more vibration, and I had to push into the wood very carefully, not to activate the overload protection. This feature stops the chain, but doesn't turn the saw off, so you can continue the cut when not under heavy load. The saw switches itself off when the trigger or trigger lock isn't pushed in ten seconds. This should be a little longer, but hey, safety first! The batteries lasted about 40 minutes, while the petrol saw would have lasted almost an hour. One annoying thing is the stiff chain brake handle, otherwise I really like this saw, it accelerates fast, and revs high enough.

I wonder if the same load that triggered the overload protection on the battery saw would also stall out a gas powered saw of similar size? This sounds like a good test scenario - same bar/chain on a log, push down the battery saw till it trips overload, then do the same with a gas saw till it stalls out the clutch.

 

[CR888]

With the market share Dolmar/Makita has in OPE I imagine buying user right to MT/AT or to develop a system is to expensive. However they continue to impress with new clever 2T design in other areas that are keeping them well in the game. There is a good portion of the market that have not accepted AT/MT saws from the homeowner to the pro. I think what they are doing is clever & will serve their customers well.

 

[Finnlogger]

I wonder if the same load that triggered the overload protection on the battery saw would also stall out a gas powered saw of similar size? This sounds like a good test scenario - same bar/chain on a log, push down the battery saw till it trips overload, then do the same with a gas saw till it stalls out the clutch.

I have compared the battery saw mainly against the new Dolmar ps-352 that produces 1,7kw, it isn't a fair game since the maximum power of the battery saw is 1,1kw. They also use different chains, battery saw has 1,1mm wide and the petrol saw 1,3mm. The ps-352 has a lot of grunt for it's size, and light weight.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I have compared the battery saw mainly against the new Dolmar ps-352 that produces 1,7kw, it isn't a fair game since the maximum power of the battery saw is 1,1kw. They also use different chains, battery saw has 1,1mm wide and the petrol saw 1,3mm. The ps-352 has a lot of grunt for it's size, and light weight.

Makes sense. I don't even know how you could get truly 'equal' for comparison, but I guess if someone could find a 1.1 KW saw that would be able to run the identical bar/chain combo, that would be the fair test.

For trimming and cleanup work, 40 minutes 'real' battery life at 2 degrees C (35.6 F) is plenty in my book. Realistically, if you're cutting for 40 minutes, you're dragging brush for at least double that time. That means you can work for 2 hours or longer without needing to recharge, and that's a lot of brushing.

 

[Dub11]

Makes sense. I don't even know how you could get truly 'equal' for comparison, but I guess if someone could find a 1.1 KW saw that would be able to run the identical bar/chain combo, that would be the fair test.

For trimming and cleanup work, 40 minutes 'real' battery life at 2 degrees C (35.6 F) is plenty in my book. Realistically, if you're cutting for 40 minutes, you're dragging brush for at least double that time. That means you can work for 2 hours or longer without needing to recharge, and that's a lot of brushing.

Plus you can stick some extra batteries in a little bag or big pocket to take with you.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I'm not sold on battery powered tools because there is no standardization of batteries and chargers. Until that happens, I'm going to stick with gas and corded electric.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I'm not sold on battery powered tools because there is no standardization of batteries and chargers. Until that happens, I'm going to stick with gas and corded electric.

I get where you're coming from, but do you use a corded drill, or a cordless? Last time I checked, DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee all use different batteries and chargers, and it seems to work fine.

 

[ajschainsaws]

I'm not sold on battery powered tools because there is no standardization of batteries and chargers. Until that happens, I'm going to stick with gas and corded electric.

I gotta say makita / Dolmar have done the business on the battery standardisation they've got at least 150 different tools that use the same 18v battery Admittedly some tools use 2x 18v batteries
But you won't go wrong with makita producing the battery equipment

 

[Philbert]

I'm not sold on battery powered tools because there is no standardization of batteries and chargers.

That is why it is so important to select "a platform" as well as a specific tool. The batteries cost half (or more!) of the price of tool, so there are investment in themselves.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

I gotta say makita / Dolmar have done the business on the battery standardisation they've got at least 150 different tools that use the same 18v battery

If you are already invested in Makita, DeWalt, or other cordless carpentry / trade tools, it makes sense to take a look at their cordless chainsaws too, especially if only for a casual use.

If starting 'from scratch', or expecting heavy use, it makes sense to start by looking at the 'family' of OPE tools.

Philbert

 

[166]

I gotta say makita / Dolmar have done the business on the battery standardisation they've got at least 150 different tools that use the same 18v battery Admittedly some tools use 2x 18v batteries
But you won't go wrong with makita producing the battery equipment

I think its 175 or 180 right now. Next year this time expect well over 200.

Same 18v battery platform since 2005!

 

[FergusonTO35]

As little as I use electric tools, I think it would make more sense to get a small generator and stick with corded versions. This conversation has given me a hankering for an Echo gas powered drill...

 

[ajschainsaws]

I think its 175 or 180 right now. Next year this time expect well over 200.

Same 18v battery platform since 2005!

Iam well behind that's a lot of tools

 

[fordf150]

Makita has a pretty comprehensive and expansive list of cordless tools that all share the same battery platform. their catalog form 2016 claims 125+ tools sharing the same battery and current website says 175+ tools. https://www.makitatools.com/lxtadvantage