Just to clarify, for those considering a battery saw. You still need bar oil. The power source that's spinning the chain doesn't change that.
JeffinNE
Bronze Member
Another vote for the EGO 16" battery saw...love mine!
YLee Kioti
Veteran Member
I second the Milwaukee route. The city came to cut down tree limbs rocking our cable drop to the pole.
Little saw trimmed down that one and the hackberry sweeping the 2Kv feed for the neighborhood.
With aged body parts, cranking a 2 stroker versus battery powered trigger is no contest.
Tkekic
New member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 21
- Location
- Canfield, Ohio
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 1648 with a Massey DL130 Loader, Massey 1455v, NH 477 Haybine, NH 268 Hayliner, Pequea Rotary Rake 1140, Pequea Turbo Tedder TT2000, Dixie Cjopper Classic zero turn, Kubota RTV900XT, Woods BB72x 3pt rotary mower, Woods B96 mower
Love my Echo
I had a Stihl 028 with a bow for 41 years that started on the third pull forever, but finally gave up the ghost after multiple carb replacements. Bought an Echo and it is EVEN better(10 years and going strong)! But for smaller jobs(limbing, etc.) I would go electric. My brother-in-law has a Makita with dual batteries that's as fast as either of my 2 gas saws and a lot less trouble...
johneking
Bronze Member
I bought two of these and gave one to a friend who will probably not use it very much.
I did finally put mine together and recommend using ear protection as it is REALLY noisy.
I sent a message to the seller and he sent me a muffler to replace the original. I haven't done that yet but he said it MAY make it a little less aggressive, but I'm sure I won't notice it.
The only negative I can find is it is a little hard to start with the "method" I have used for over 60 years.
Messaging with Scotty {"Hockfire Saws" -- 614-989-8274} he puts the handle against his thigh and pulls slower than the typical "jerk" and lets the "springs mechanism" do the work after you start pulling -- I didn't know it even had one of those!
Sweet, handy, light very powerful little saw -- I also see them {different name of course} on Vevor for about the same price.
I did finally put mine together and recommend using ear protection as it is REALLY noisy.
I sent a message to the seller and he sent me a muffler to replace the original. I haven't done that yet but he said it MAY make it a little less aggressive, but I'm sure I won't notice it.
The only negative I can find is it is a little hard to start with the "method" I have used for over 60 years.
Messaging with Scotty {"Hockfire Saws" -- 614-989-8274} he puts the handle against his thigh and pulls slower than the typical "jerk" and lets the "springs mechanism" do the work after you start pulling -- I didn't know it even had one of those!
Sweet, handy, light very powerful little saw -- I also see them {different name of course} on Vevor for about the same price.
Again only thing my dad with bad shoulder closing in on 90 can start anymore is the easy start saws from stihl.
So far the 180 is easy for him.
I will be surprised if he can do it to the 250 bigger one too.
The spring assisted ones he cant start either done tried it.
He uses a battery polesaw.
But yet to get him to a battery saw that will pull at least a 18". Wish he would just give in and go that route.
Just a matter of time.
He did all of this with the 180 easy start with 14".
So far the 180 is easy for him.
I will be surprised if he can do it to the 250 bigger one too.
The spring assisted ones he cant start either done tried it.
He uses a battery polesaw.
But yet to get him to a battery saw that will pull at least a 18". Wish he would just give in and go that route.
Just a matter of time.
He did all of this with the 180 easy start with 14".
While I do have a Husqvarna 357XP, with 18' bar, two years ago I inherited an EGO with a 14" bar, and quite honestly, in the past 24 months, I have used the EGO almost exclusively. It is not very heavy, it 'starts' first time, every time, and the battery life and cutting power is truly amazing. I have 2 acres of hard wood and culling dead and fallen smaller items has been a breeze. If anything large is an issue, I have the Husky as a back up, but as I said, I have not really had the need.
Maybe most will not agree but look at the Chinse clone. VEVOR has some that I’ve used.
johneking
Bronze Member
It's obvious your dad follows Clint Eastwood's recommendation -- "don't let the old man in!" -- I bought a Toro 60V 18" and finally found an after market battery {bigger} that was somewhat affordable as the OEM Toro ones were $$$$$! -- now I can keep cutting when one runs down and put the other {that was put back on charge} and keep going instead of having to grab a gas one.
At 73 years young {74 in May} I find myself picking up the Toro as it doesn't bother my hearing aids, is easy to start
, and have been impressed with its cutting ability etc.I've got two McCulloch Pro Mac 700's {one 18" and one 24"}, two Stihls {one 14" and one 18"} as well as my dads Craftsman 16" and one of those foreign battery saws that's a "handheld" 4" -- I'll grab it for small limbs for kindling as it's easy to hold in one hand.
qualsite
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2010
- Messages
- 71
My gas saws hardly ever get pulled out anymore, and we heat only with wood... cutting and splitting a few cords a year. I may get some laughs, but I use and love my 18" SunJoe corded electric chainsaw. It has an Oregon bar and chain, cuts as well as my gas saws, is lightweight, no starting... just pick it up and it's ready to work, and the chain stops instantly, as soon as you release the trigger. They are cheap, and no worries about gas. I've cut lots of huge branches from the top of my boom forklift, and this is so much easier to use and much safer. The cord really doesn't get in the way at all, and you can buy a good 12awg long extension cord for the price of a few tanks of gas... and no batteries to worry about or charge, and it's much cheaper than the battery saws. I can usually get power where I need it around the farm, but have had to pull the gas saws out a few times, and then so much appreciate going back to the electric, particularly after trying to get the gas saws to fire up and wasting so much time working on them. Mine is an 18", but they seem to only have the 16" now in the corded saws. https://shopjoe.com/products/sun-joe-16-inch-14-amp-electric-chain-saw?_pos=10&_sid=559af5100&_ss=r
Richard001
Veteran Member
A medium sized tree is one that is not larger at the base then twice the length of the bar.
Richard
johneking
Bronze Member
Obviously everyone has their own opinion as to what "medium size tree" IS which may depend on what they are doing with it.
For home fireplace and shop heater, I will cut almost anything {not pine} that I can get my bar/bars at least half way through -- that way I can finish cutting from the other side.
Most of the trees/logs I cut and use are around 20"+/- and I have marks on all saws for 20" lengths as that is what I prefer and can handle better than a 24" on the splitter. I used to split all my wood by hand with a 10lb mall with a 1 1/2" pipe welded to the head as I got tired of "help" breaking handles {wedges when necessary} and it kept me in better shape -- probably need to get back to doing that as typing on a computer isn't producing much excercise! /))
For home fireplace and shop heater, I will cut almost anything {not pine} that I can get my bar/bars at least half way through -- that way I can finish cutting from the other side.
Most of the trees/logs I cut and use are around 20"+/- and I have marks on all saws for 20" lengths as that is what I prefer and can handle better than a 24" on the splitter. I used to split all my wood by hand with a 10lb mall with a 1 1/2" pipe welded to the head as I got tired of "help" breaking handles
{wedges when necessary} and it kept me in better shape -- probably need to get back to doing that as typing on a computer isn't producing much excercise! /))
Eagle1
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2003
- Messages
- 27,258
- Location
- Viburnum, MO
- Tractor
- Kubota BX2200, LS XG3135H, Grasshopper and Yazoo Zturns
I run either a 20 or 24" bar most of the time so medium is 40+ inch diameter?
I would say medium is anything I cut from one side....with a 18 or 20" bar.
pacosperson
Bronze Member
I heated my house and garage for 45 years mostly with wood cut with a 20” Husqvarna. I am old and lame now and don’t do as much OR as fast. I now use a 40 volt Ryobi electric. It’s great. Electric saws start EVERY time and are quiet.
The questions is, “How big is a medium size tree?”. Bad back, bum shoulder! I’d suggest an electric with the largest spare battery if you’re working with 8” trees or less. By the time you run out of battery you’ll probably run out of enthusiasm. That’s my experience.
When I was cutting many cords per year, I had lots of spare chains and had them sharpened by a person who’s ONLY business was sharpening saws. It’s well worth the money in labor saved. I doubt “Ralph’s Lawn Mower Repair and Gutter Replacement” would do a professional level sharpening.
Mudfarmer
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2009
- Messages
- 387
- Location
- Western Washington
- Tractor
- JD 3005, Kubota B2710, Kubota B2650 (sold the ford 1700 and kubota B7100)
Buy something from a reputable brand with a local dealer who can service it when you do something stupid. Avoid any big box store offers. I've found the most economical is a Stihl MS251. I am on my third one and keep the worn-out ones for spares. I [ab]use them hard, so they last about two years. The price of a MS251 (meant for homeowners) is about a third the price of the bigger MS261 (smallest pro saw). I have had a series of the latter as well and no longer use the current one that much. When it goes down, I'll replace it with a 251 - I like to have two saws on hand. I have no experience with the easy start. The 251 always starts on the 4rth pull, the 261 takes more effort despite its compression release. My only complaint about the 251 is that after significant wear on the sprocket the chain will flip off it easily. That is helped by replacing the sprocket, but I like to replace with a more expensive 261 sprocket which doesn't allow the chain to move across the gearing. Of course I get the 261 sprockets off my old dead 261s, but they are readily available at any Stihl dealership. Hope this helps.
BTW every time I have bought a new saw at the dealer the sales rep will take it outside and start it up before it leaves the shop. Usually since the new saw has been sitting on the rack for a while, the rep will pull and pull for several minutes before it finally turns over. It surprises me how often I have to explain to them how a choke works. The choke delivers a burst of gas to the combustion chamber to facilitate ignition. That gas has to vaporize before it will ignite. Each pull with the choke turned on delivers more gas. Continuously pulling sets up flooding. The proper thing to do is turn the choke off if the engine turns over on the second or third pull. If it doesn't turn over by then, leave the choke on and patiently count to 20 (30 on cold days), then try again. Often as not it will turn over then. If it doesn't give it more time to vaporize.
BTW every time I have bought a new saw at the dealer the sales rep will take it outside and start it up before it leaves the shop. Usually since the new saw has been sitting on the rack for a while, the rep will pull and pull for several minutes before it finally turns over. It surprises me how often I have to explain to them how a choke works. The choke delivers a burst of gas to the combustion chamber to facilitate ignition. That gas has to vaporize before it will ignite. Each pull with the choke turned on delivers more gas. Continuously pulling sets up flooding. The proper thing to do is turn the choke off if the engine turns over on the second or third pull. If it doesn't turn over by then, leave the choke on and patiently count to 20 (30 on cold days), then try again. Often as not it will turn over then. If it doesn't give it more time to vaporize.
Richard001
Veteran Member
I also have the 40 volt Ryobi saw with the 14 inch bar. The saw came with one battery and I purchased a second from one of the on-line retailers at a good price.
I'm in my 80's and those two batteries outlast my strength. Now yes, the batteries can overheat in the hot weather, so I developed a system of having a cooler near by, and I put the battery that is getting hot in the cooler and put the cool battery in the saw.
Here is a photo of the last tree in my yard that I cut down with my Ryobi:
Looks to be about 23 inches across.
Here is part of it cut up:
No, not all done in one day, but the tree and I were not going anywhere.
I think the Ryobi is a good saw and i love the fact that I don't have to deal with pulling the rope to get it started, if it ever does.
Richard
DB3TX
New member
With bad shoulders, I very highly recommend Stihl Easy-to-start, and MS180, MS210 are smaller and lighter, a good size. True, a longer bar makes for less bending over when limbong, but adds weight too.
dodge man
Super Star Member
I must live a charmed life, my saws as a rule have been easy to start. If they aren’t I fix them. I just used my Stihl MS261 and MS250 a couple of weeks ago. They hadn’t been started in about 8 months. They didn’t start easy after sitting that long but maybe 7 or 8 pulls. Unless they sit that long again they’d start in 2 or 3 pulls now.
