Are battery saws worth the money?

[Thumper88]

So I lm gonna be adding a new saw to the lineup for my groundie as well as some in tree work this coming year. Current lineup on the job site is an MS194T with a MM, limiters gone and timing advance that normally wears a 14” bar. My groundie saw/chunk down saw is a 24 year old MS250 with a MM and the limiters removed wearing an 18” bar. My main felling and bucking saw is an MS462 with bark box muffler and timing advance wearing a 28” light bar most days. I’ve currently got a set of 066 cases that I’m building for a stumping saw and backup. I’m looking to move the MS250 to backup duty this coming year. I had planned to add a MS261, possibly ported by one of the fine gentlemen here, with an 18” bar that will mainly see use by my ground guy limbing and bucking, as well as in the tree chunking. But I’ve been watching the Stihl MSA 220 with interest because it would really cut down on noise in a neighborhood environment. Most of my tree work in dead tree removal with a fair amount of climbing. A lot of places I work the sound of a saw never raises an eyebrow, but I’ve worked a few jobs where I was self conscious about how loud my saws were and how long we ran them. Are the new battery saws even a viable option for pro use? Do they hold charge well and how quickly do the batteries decline before they have to be replaced?

 

[Stump Shot]

I think it can be a viable option for some tree service folks.
Have to ask yourself some questions first.
Are you prepared to purchase the best pro version available and all the extra batteries that will be needed?
Will your crew keep the batteries charged at the end of every day?(this is where my tree guy decided to stay with gas)
Will the eventual repair or replacement costs be viable for your business?

I think battery saws are going to work their way into the future more and more as time moves on. There's some pretty darn nice ones right now from both Stihl and Husqvarna, they're only going get better.

 

[Thumper88]

I think it can be a viable option for some tree service folks.
Have to ask yourself some questions first.
Are you prepared to purchase the best pro version available and all the extra batteries that will be needed?
Will your crew keep the batteries charged at the end of every day?(this is where my tree guy decided to stay with gas)
Will the eventual repair or replacement costs be viable for your business?

I think battery saws are going to work their way into the future more and more as time moves on. There's some pretty darn nice ones right now from both Stihl and Husqvarna, they're only going get better.

Right now the start up cost it was is sour on me. An MS220 is the biggest and best Stihl offers right now. With a 16” bar and the big 300S battery and charger it’s $750 plus tax. I would want at least 1 extra battery, preferably 2 at a cost of $220 each. That’s a $1000 package out the door. I mean that’s 90% of the way to a 500i or two 261’s. Hopefully as battery technology improves the price will continue to drop as the run time climbs. I really want it to be a viable option, just not sure I can justify that kind of money

 

[Stump Shot]

Right now the start up cost it was is sour on me. An MS220 is the biggest and best Stihl offers right now. With a 16” bar and the big 300S battery and charger it’s $750 plus tax. I would want at least 1 extra battery, preferably 2 at a cost of $220 each. That’s a $1000 package out the door. I mean that’s 90% of the way to a 500i or two 261’s. Hopefully as battery technology improves the price will continue to drop as the run time climbs. I really want it to be a viable option, just not sure I can justify that kind of money

Yes, a nice new 201TC still looks pretty good yet.

 

[Ryan Browne]

I watched a YouTube video recently by Project Farm. He compared several battery saws, including a stihl (don't think the same model you mentioned). Anyway, the Stihl was about 2x the price of anything else. The echo smoked pretty much everything else in the video. If I was looking at battery saws, I think I'd check them out.

Regarding a tree service setup, it seems like a 261 and a battery saw would both be handy. A battery saw right next to the chipper would be dope. Often need to make a couple tiny cuts and set the saw back down, so not needing to pull start something seems ideal. A 50cc pro saw will always be useful. I will say though that regarding noise, there isn't much worse than a ported 50cc saw. They just have a scream to them that doesn't fit well in a residential setting.

 

[Philbert]

I'm a fan of battery saws in the right application. I have had some for 9 years now (!), and followed a lot of the developments. Based on the description of your fleet, you might not be happy with one. They are a great 'let the tool do the work' saw, but you cant muffler mod them or trim back the limiters.

With a sharp chain they do work. Is this for in-tree use or your groundie?

This is a photo I have posted of about a face cord of green, silver maple that I cut with one, 120V/2Ah battery of a consumer grade saw (they also had a 3Ah battery for longer run time):


I still use the 9 year old batteries I got with my first saw. I have had other batteries (different brand) that failed after just a few recharges; so quality, and a company that backs them is important.

Husqvarna is really proud of their new 'pro-grade' battery saw, but it is pricy. Depends on how you amortize your costs I guess.
https://opeforum.com/threads/newer-husqvarna-battery-powered-chainsaws.21060/

Philbert

 

[motoOzarks]

Do you have any other battery tools?
Where you could double up on your batteries?

Personally I don't use a saw often enough so I'm confident when I went to get it the batteries would be toast. Gas saw can sit and sit, clean out the carb or new fuel lines and it goes again.

 

[ayoungtexan]

What @Ryan Browne said. Get the Echo if you’re on a budget. If you wanna spend more for a high end model, get the Husqvarna 540iXP