Time to convert from small engine to battery tools?

[ultrarunner]

Have not been able to find much on the MSA 161T pro saw...

I know there was a recall on the trigger sticking or being activated without safety...

What I have found says April USA launch... 10 or 12" bar...

MSA 161 T - Handy cordless chainsaw for professional tree maintenance

 

[dragoneggs]

Have not been able to find much on the MSA 161T pro saw...

I know there was a recall on the trigger sticking or being activated without safety...

What I have found says April USA launch... 10 or 12" bar...

I'm Stihl focused on the MSA 200 and with a 14in bar. Probably longer than I need but just seems more proportional than a shorter bar. I also wonder about the weight balance difference between say a 10in or 14in bar.

Just looking at the full catalogue, it shows the MSA161T at only 4.6lbs compared to the 200C-BQ at 7.3lb. That is a big difference. Also shows the 161T available only with 12in bar if I am reading the specs right. Correction I see 10in bar.

There is a flag note for the 161T that says, "For in-tree professional use only". Wonder what that means?

 

[rangerfredbob]

Lithium batteries should be stored at 1/2-3/4 charge and are shelf stable as long as temperature is kept reasonable, the only issues arise when the charger fails and overcharges the batteries. So when the tool hits the low voltage cutoff charge it and take it off when done and you should be good... I haven't had an issue with leaving lithium batteries fully charged, they will self discharge some but not too bad...

 

[dragoneggs]

Lithium batteries should be stored at 1/2-3/4 charge and are shelf stable as long as temperature is kept reasonable, the only issues arise when the charger fails and overcharges the batteries. So when the tool hits the low voltage cutoff charge it and take it off when done and you should be good... I haven't had an issue with leaving lithium batteries fully charged, they will self discharge some but not too bad...

Where is this charge/storing advice coming from? I always keep mine fully charged (minus any self discharge) so they are ready when I am. I put them on the charger at the end of the day if I used them a bunch, or when they are more than half discharged over multiple uses.

 

[dmccarty]

Thought about that so I have my charger and batteries away from anything that might burn... they are on a metal table...

Likelihood of a charger failure and fire I think is pretty dang low, but I might do the same and make a metal shelf for my chargers. Right now they are on a wooden shelf that has a outlet strip behind. I have all my chargers and a couple battery tenders on a dedicated shelf. Maybe I will frame up a piece of expanded metal. Another project to add to the list.

10ish? years ago I gave up on battery powered tools. I have quite a few Dewalt 18V tools but they just sit and gather dust. Why? Well, the batteries eventually all died off but one. One day, I needed to drill a couple of holes, so I took my last battery from the charger, drilled the holes, replaced the battery and sat down at the computer. Most likely reading TBN. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing: After awhile, I started to smell something burning. Got up and started roaming the house and eventually noticed the battery was smoking like a chimney. :shocked: Figured this was not good.

I really did not want to touch the dam...d thing but I unplugged the battery and charger and tossed them outside onto the gravel driveway. It cooled off and did not catch fire. My guess is that the battery would have eventually caught fire, and given that it was sitting on a counter with wall cabinets overhead, there was a good chance it would have burned down the house. That ended my use of battery powered tools.

Why that battery failed, I do not know. I don't think it was abused but I would guess it had an internal short for some reason.

The new Lithium batteries are interesting but the actual chemistry matters. For boats, the safest Lithium chemistry is LiFePo, which is not supposed to be able to catch fire or explode.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Where is this charge/storing advice coming from? I always keep mine fully charged (minus any self discharge) so they are ready when I am. I put them on the charger at the end of the day if I used them a bunch, or when they are more than half discharged over multiple uses.

Read the tool manual, it should say, but I would expect the charger to be smart enough to correctly charge the battery. Lithium batteries, at least the LiFePo Lithium batteries do NOT want to be over charged, or drained very low. That will damage the battery. Charging when cold can also cause problems. The advice for LiFePo is to store roughly half charged but a different Lithium chemistry could be different. Do what the manual says to do.

Later,
Dan

 

[downsizingnow48]

Just checked on cordless battery and charger recalls. DeWalt seems to have had several problems. Makita (what I have) none I could find. Did not see any Stihl charger or battery issues.

People buying cheap Makita clones (ie from BatteriesPlus) have had troubles. But that is a different kind of problem.

The Makita instructions give a number of safety warnings all pretty intuitive. I have never given a thought to fire and explosion hazard. All the same I only charge when I am around, unplug everything overnight, and do not toss the battery into a toolbox with screwdrivers and wrenches that could short out the contacts. Pretty commonsense but of course that is asking a lot these days.

 

[rangerfredbob]

What I said above is just the general consensus for Lithium batteries that I've heard over the last 15 years flying RC airplanes and such... for simplicity I nearly always store at full charge without issue as I have some batteries from 2007 that still hold 90% of rated capacity and I've followed nearly no recommended storage advise

 

[ultrarunner]

10ish? years ago I gave up on battery powered tools. I have quite a few Dewalt 18V tools but they just sit and gather dust. Why? Well, the batteries eventually all died off but one. One day, I needed to drill a couple of holes, so I took my last battery from the charger, drilled the holes, replaced the battery and sat down at the computer. Most likely reading TBN. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing: After awhile, I started to smell something burning. Got up and started roaming the house and eventually noticed the battery was smoking like a chimney. :shocked: Figured this was not good.

I really did not want to touch the dam...d thing but I unplugged the battery and charger and tossed them outside onto the gravel driveway. It cooled off and did not catch fire. My guess is that the battery would have eventually caught fire, and given that it was sitting on a counter with wall cabinets overhead, there was a good chance it would have burned down the house. That ended my use of battery powered tools.

Why that battery failed, I do not know. I don't think it was abused but I would guess it had an internal short for some reason.

The new Lithium batteries are interesting but the actual chemistry matters. For boats, the safest Lithium chemistry is LiFePo, which is not supposed to be able to catch fire or explode.

Later,
Dan

Had several instances with electronics at work...

Two that had far reaching impact were computer monitors... they were in the business office and set off the hospital fire system... not a good thing for the disruption it causes...

One was acrid choking plastic smoke... these were not abused or moved around...

I have had more issues with office electronics and housekeeping and kitchen items than all of the engineering equipment by far...

As someone new to Stihl Batteries any tips for the proper care and feeding is much appreciated...

 

[piaffepony]

I have used my Milwaukee 18v Fuel for punching a 3/4" auger through 8-10" posts when hanging gates, hasn't missed a beat, they are a brute.
Got a 5 piece kit with 2 x 5ah batteries, drill, impact driver, sabre saw, circ saw, angle grinder, all get a good workout.

Milwaukee 18v Fuel ALL the way!!!! Even my old Milwaukee drill is 11 years old and still going strong and it’s been beat to **** on the farm. Finally had to buy a new battery 2 years ago. My newest favorites are the 3/4” impact (it way outperformed an snap on air) and makes boring large wood fence braces a breeze! I’m also SUPER impressed with their leaf blower!!! I’ve tried a few battery ones and they all died quickly and had no balls. The Milwaukee blower was even better than my electric one!

All of my small engine stuff like my weed trimmer and my chainsaw is Stihl.

 

[MAD777]

I'm moving to a new house & used that as an excuse to re-tool. Went with EGO battery powered outdoor equipment. YouTube research showed EGO to be a cut above others, which is logical since they make only battery powered outdoor equipment. It's all too new to judge longevity. My decision was based on getting away from gas/oil mixtures, carburetor problems, pull starts, noise & air pollution.

 

[ultrarunner]

Looks like it is still some time before the Stihl MSA161T chain saw will be available...

Earlier reports said the Spring of 2019 but I heard today maybe Fall 2019???

 

[Rebeldad1]

My DeWalt batteries are warranted for 5 years. I've had some for 6 years and only one has failed and that was just recently.

How did you get a 5 year warrantee on your batteries?

Around here Dewalt offers 3 years on everything.
Let us all know, that would be amazing!!!

 

[dragoneggs]

OP here... picked up my Stihl battery/charger and three tools yesterday. String Trimmer, Blower, and a Hedger. Used the hedger today and it worked great! Already decided to sell off my gas hedger. I have no question the battery life will be enough that I shouldn't need more than one. Might get another to be able to run two tools at the same time... but time will tell on the need.

Haven't been able to try out the Trimmer and Blower because these models do not have the battery on board. Instead the battery is carried on your hip on a belt and attached with a cord. The battery belt didn't come in with the order so I will have to wait to critique this set up.

I like the idea of lighter weight yet powerful trimmer and blower but second guessing my decision now that I have the cord in hand.

 

[ultrarunner]

I gave the pole extended hedge trimmer a good workout yesterday and I am pleased... not as powerful as my gas model but did everything asked...

Still new to battery power and I had been going on and off for a couple of hours and the unit just stopped... I mean dead... nothing.

Thought maybe something was amiss… popped out the batter and put it back in and it worked... then noticed the battery was depleted…

Swapped batteries and kept going... the depleted battery charged quickly in the fast charger but never needed it...

The new top handle saw is delayed... but I will take a look when it comes out if for nothing else than to compare...

PS... I like my new dealer... small family operation and they are actually happy to see me come in... I went in this morning to pick up extra chain loops...

 

[Bill Groom]

Last summer my gas weedeater bit the dust, and in frustration bought the Echo battery operated trimmer. What an incredible tool it is, a joy to run, powerful, quiet (relatively) and gets about 40 minutes per charge. It does take about an hour to recharge, but I mow while it charges. A bit expensive, but I am done with two stroke engines.

 

[jjp8182]

All of my cordless tools are Makita, and I'm waiting for them to come out with a line of tools that use their 18 volt batteries. That's when I'll go cordless on my lawn care tools.

I don' trust the brands out there that specialize in cordless lawn care tools with their own brand of batteries. My fear is that the batteries wont last very long, that they will be expensive to replace and then they will eventually go out of business and there will not be a source for more batteries. The most important aspect of cordless tools is the battery!!!

No need to wait as Makita already has a fair number of cordless outdoor power tools that use the LXT batteries. In fact I just had my second Makita chainsaw (more traditional style than their earlier top handle/read battery versions) arrive Friday. It uses two 18V LXT batteries and has a 14" bar -- got it on a Makita special through Home Depot with 2 extra batteries when purchased with the full kit.

Also have one of the LXT split shaft trimmers with a string trimming head that I bungee to the tractor's operator station handle when mowing -- and a Makita hand held leaf blower for cleaning the tractor & mower off when I'm done.

Personally I like using battery powered outdoor equipment when I need to do a lot of start/stop lighter usage (e.g. hop of the tractor and trim around a mailbox of sign post so I don't have to come back to the same spot later).

However, for harder/longer continuous use I'm still going to grab gas tools as I've had problems with battery tools getting hot/overheating with hard continuous usage (not to mention they discharge faster when they start getting hot). So if/when I'm trimming fence line(s) out comes the Stihl Kombi with a string trimmer....

 

[bigtiller]

I am starting to depend more on Makita and less on compressed air also. Just this week I bought my second 1/2" drive impact wrench.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-...rive-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-XWT08Z/206637027

 

[dragoneggs]

I gave the pole extended hedge trimmer a good workout yesterday and I am pleased... not as powerful as my gas model but did everything asked...

Still new to battery power and I had been going on and off for a couple of hours and the unit just stopped... I mean dead... nothing.

Thought maybe something was amiss… popped out the batter and put it back in and it worked... then noticed the battery was depleted…

Swapped batteries and kept going... the depleted battery charged quickly in the fast charger but never needed it...

The new top handle saw is delayed... but I will take a look when it comes out if for nothing else than to compare...

PS... I like my new dealer... small family operation and they are actually happy to see me come in... I went in this morning to pick up extra chain loops...

Decided to peruse the manuals a bit last night after using my hedger and charging the AP battery. Seems the LED charge indicators on the battery can be green or red. Green apparently is good, red means there is an issue. Could be overheating of battery or the tool or some other reasons. I wouldn't have noticed the color thinking it only indicated power/charge level.

 

[ultrarunner]

Mine turned RED and when I check charge is was empty...