Electric chainsaws safer?

[Dan23]

Hey team,

Do you think battery-powered chainsaws are safer than gas chainsaws?

In this article on electric chainsaws, they say "Why go electric? The reasons are simple: they’re safer..."

Do you think this is true?

I mostly disagree. I think they could even be considered less safe. Because people believe they are safer, they could take more risks and less care.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

It’s been shown that electric (battery) chainsaws cut through chainsaw pants.

i,m not sure about the ins and outs about why. But I think it’s to do with the clutch and I,m guessing a battery don’t have a clutch like gas powered saws.

Just saying. if a person was to just get to learn on a battery saw, they probably wouldn’t like gas saws.

I don’t think the two should really be compared to each other thou.

btw. I will have a read later of that article you linked to

edit..
Btw....maybe you should add another box in your poll. Is a battery/electric chainsaw easier to use than a gas saw.
And my answer to that would be yes for a homeowner that don’t want to piss the neighbours off

 

[drf256]

Less safe, because all the torque is available at start up rpm, unlike gas motors. It’s why clutch brakes work.

 

[Sawrain]

And a gas chainsaw that is shut down is stopped, no doubt about it.

Electric saws can jump to life any time if triggered, of course they have trigger lockout, but if the battery is in you pretty much need to treat it like a running gas saw, which won’t always happen.

 

[Dennisthemenace]

Hey team,

Do you think battery-powered chainsaws are safer than gas chainsaws?

In this article on electric chainsaws, they say "Why go electric? The reasons are simple: they’re safer..."

Do you think this is true?

I mostly disagree. I think they could even be considered less safe. Because people believe they are safer, they could take more risks and less care.

Depends.... on whose hands they are in

 

[USMC615]

All depends on the brain surgeon or rocket scientist using the thing...

I think I would change the poll question to "Are electric/battery chainsaws safer than GAS chainsaws?"

 

[Mastermind]

Burp.

 

[Philbert]

How many of you guys ^^^ have used a decent quality battery powered chainsaw?

It’s been shown that electric (battery) chainsaws cut through chainsaw pants.

Really? Ever seen that? Got a video of that? The YouTube videos I have seen show the opposite.

Less safe, because all the torque is available at start up rpm, unlike gas motors. It’s why clutch brakes work.

Why is this less safe? Just sounds responsive. Battery saws have brakes too.

Electric saws can jump to life any time if triggered,

If they did not turn on when the trigger was pulled, people would complain about that too. Do your firearms make humming noises when loaded?

How about no explosively flammable liquids to spill / pour / dispose of?
How about no strains from jerking pull cords repeatedly?
How about less vibration and chronic vibration injuries (HAVS, white finger, etc.)?
How about quieter (long term hearing loss, able to hear others, etc.)?

They are not any 'safer' as far as cutting your bare legs off, or getting killed by the tree that you are cutting, but I would not generally go to a hunting and fishing magazine to learn about chainsaws.

Philbert

 

[Sawrain]

If they did not turn on when the trigger was pulled, people would complain about that too. Do your firearms make humming noises when loaded?
Philbert

I consider all fire arms loaded, that’s my point.

 

[Skeans1]

How many of you guys ^^^ have used a decent quality battery powered chainsaw?


Really? Ever seen that? Got a video of that? The YouTube videos I have seen show the opposite.


Why is this less safe? Just sounds responsive. Battery saws have brakes too.


If they did not turn on when the trigger was pulled, people would complain about that too. Do your firearms make humming noises when loaded?

How about no explosively flammable liquids to spill / pour / dispose of?
How about no strains from jerking pull cords repeatedly?
How about less vibration and chronic vibration injuries (HAVS, white finger, etc.)?
How about quieter (long term hearing loss, able to hear others, etc.)?

They are not any 'safer' as far as cutting your bare legs off, or getting killed by the tree that you are cutting, but I would not generally go to a hunting and fishing magazine to learn about chainsaws.

Philbert

To that you could say they aren’t as safe because someone can’t hear one running if you’re falling tree, remember electric cars now have to have noise makers so they don’t hit pedestrians. I’d be curious if with electric you’re solid mounted I’m guessing how much of the vibration is from the chain alone vs the engine.


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[SpaceBus]

I don't think they are less dangerous than non electric chainsaws. E saws are apparently more likely to cut through chaps than a gas saw. I think the quick nature of the e saws will also lead to more injuries since most people won't put on PPE for "just one or two cuts"

I do see what @Philbert is saying about less exposure to carcinogens in the fuel and other related injuries.

@Skeans1 before chainsaws folk used one or two man crosscut saws that are no louder than an electric saw. Just like loud pipes do not save lives on motorcycles despite the "common knowledge" saying otherwise. I like loud exhaust on my bikes, just under no illusion it makes the bike safer. Just like the loud noises of a chainsaw do not make it safer.

 

[SpaceBus]

Maybe the chaps thing is just a myth. I can't find anything definitive.

Edit: Maybe some of the "big" corded electric saws could actually make it through the chaps? Just watched a Stihl, Dewalt, and Ryobi battery saws all get stalled by chainsaw chaps.

 

[Ryan Browne]

For clearing brush and other tasks where the saw isn't doing much work but requires lots of starting I think they are a benefit to working safely. Some saws are worse than others, but not having to yank the pull cord all the time reduces fatigue in my experience.

 

[Skeans1]

I don't think they are less dangerous than non electric chainsaws. E saws are apparently more likely to cut through chaps than a gas saw. I think the quick nature of the e saws will also lead to more injuries since most people won't put on PPE for "just one or two cuts"

I do see what @Philbert is saying about less exposure to carcinogens in the fuel and other related injuries.

@Skeans1 before chainsaws folk used one or two man crosscut saws that are no louder than an electric saw. Just like loud pipes do not save lives on motorcycles despite the "common knowledge" saying otherwise. I like loud exhaust on my bikes, just under no illusion it makes the bike safer. Just like the loud noises of a chainsaw do not make it safer.

Have you ever been around a site when timber falling is going on? Normally if you hear a saw off it’s safe to walk out, take the same site where you’re jacking a tree saw is normally shut off it’s not hard to get someone killed when it’s dead silent. One of my former employees was in a camp back in the crosscut days the biggest difference is they’d do a tree maybe two a day so they weren’t moving around like we do today.


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[Philbert]

To that you could say they aren’t as safe because someone can’t hear one running if you’re falling tree,

Gas chainsaws typically run around 110db. Yet some groups I work with still make me shut off the saw, and yell, ‘STARTING BACK CUT!’, before proceeding.

Never fully understood that, because most of them have their ear protection in too!

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

I consider all fire arms loaded, that’s my point.

Consider all battery & electric tools as ‘live’, unless you have personally verified that they are not.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Maybe some of the "big" corded electric saws could actually make it through the chaps?

Yes. So can some of the ‘big’ gas saws.

That’s why they are considered ’protective’ versus ‘cut-proof’.

Philbert

 

[Skeans1]

Gas chainsaws typically run around 110db. Yet some groups I work with still make me shut off the saw, and yell, ‘STARTING BACK CUT!’, before proceeding.

Never fully understood that, because most of them have their ear protection in too!

Philbert

Do they make you yell timber too?


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[Philbert]

Do they make you yell timber too?

No. But some expect, "STARTING SAW!", as if the noise was not self-evident. . . .

I guess that the key take-away is that different people have different work methods and expectations, and when you are working with new or different folks, you should not assume things. Individual knowledge and experience is important, but working with a crew or team is a different kind of experience.

Philbert

 

[Sawrain]

Consider all battery & electric tools as ‘live’, unless you have personally verified that they are not.

Philbert

Well that was my implied point.