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I'd like to get a chain saw so I can take advantage of the free turning wood that appears around here with most wind storms. It would be for processing turning wood and a little cleanup around the 2 acres we have. I don't want to deal with a gas engine and it's inherent maintenance so battery power would be my choice. I now have el-cheapo 40 volt Lowes/Kobalt brand battery powered blower and string trimmer which are OK for my needs. The 40 volt chain saw they have gets horrible reviews so I'll change brands. I'll switch everything to whatever platform I choose and dump the Kobalt stuff. I'll also get chaps and steel toed shoes.
I think a 14" saw will be adequate. Looking around the Ryobi 14"- 40 volt gets very good reviews as do their trimmer and blower. I really don't need high end equipment like Milwaukee for my intermittent use. Does anyone here have experience with the Ryobi? Or recommend another comparably priced system?
Thanks, g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
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A friend of mine got a 60v harbor freight one and it works great and I would love to have one to. works for 12" trees and 16" limbs but the bigger the stuff the faster the battery goes down. He now has two batterys and can cut up as much as he wants and takes the stuff home to process later. He does use his bandsaw to cut it in half tho or ripping it.
I do not remember what he paid for it either but to me it was worth it.
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How large is your lathe?
If you are harvesting wood for bowls or peppermills, then you may find that a 14" saw is a bit small.
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(03-28-2021, 06:45 PM)shoottmx Wrote: I'd like to get a chain saw so I can take advantage of the free turning wood that appears around here with most wind storms. It would be for processing turning wood and a little cleanup around the 2 acres we have. I don't want to deal with a gas engine and it's inherent maintenance so battery power would be my choice. I now have el-cheapo 40 volt Lowes/Kobalt brand battery powered blower and string trimmer which are OK for my needs. The 40 volt chain saw they have gets horrible reviews so I'll change brands. I'll switch everything to whatever platform I choose and dump the Kobalt stuff. I'll also get chaps and steel toed shoes.
I think a 14" saw will be adequate. Looking around the Ryobi 14"- 40 volt gets very good reviews as do their trimmer and blower. I really don't need high end equipment like Milwaukee for my intermittent use. Does anyone here have experience with the Ryobi? Or recommend another comparably priced system?
Thanks, g
Check out Project Farm on Youtube. He tested some a while back. It may point you to the best value for what you are willing to spend. The reason I like his channel is because he goes out of his way to try to make his tests as fair and as scientific as possible and is transparent about his testing methods. He's a one man Consumer Reports.
Paul
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(03-28-2021, 09:09 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: A friend of mine got a 60v harbor freight one and it works great and I would love to have one to. works for 12" trees and 16" limbs but the bigger the stuff the faster the battery goes down. He now has two batterys and can cut up as much as he wants and takes the stuff home to process later. He does use his bandsaw to cut it in half tho or ripping it.
I do not remember what he paid for it either but to me it was worth it.
Arlin,
Hadn't thought about HF. Will take a look.
g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
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(03-28-2021, 09:39 PM)iclark Wrote: How large is your lathe?
If you are harvesting wood for bowls or peppermills, then you may find that a 14" saw is a bit small.
iclark,
It's a PM 3520--Hadn't thought about larger diameter stuff.
Thanks, g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
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03-29-2021, 06:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-29-2021, 07:42 PM by shoottmx.)
(03-29-2021, 06:33 AM)pprobus Wrote: Check out Project Farm on Youtube. He tested some a while back. It may point you to the best value for what you are willing to spend. The reason I like his channel is because he goes out of his way to try to make his tests as fair and as scientific as possible and is transparent about his testing methods. He's a one man Consumer Reports.
pprobus,
Wasn't aware of him, I'm headed there right now.
Thanks!! g
EDIT:
You are correct Paul, this guy is the guru of comparison testing!! Thanks!!
g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
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14inch saw with a sharp chain gives you a 28 inch reach. Myself, I haven't gotten above 14 bowl inch even though I can.
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(03-30-2021, 08:31 PM)gear jammer Wrote: 14inch saw with a sharp chain gives you a 28 inch reach. Myself, I haven't gotten above 14 bowl inch even though I can.
Well, with extreme caution and alternating directions so the buried nose of the saw doesn't kick the bar up into your face.
Really prefer having that nose in the open. A 20" bar is barely enough to work for a 16" bowl. Probably because I cut 18 long pieces to start, eh?
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Sorry for being late to the party.
I feel like it hasn't been explicitly stated: if you want cheap occasional use and you are confident in your skills allowing you to be safe, then get the HF or Ryobi. If there's even the slightest chance that you might exceed the capacity of the cheaper 14" saws, or you want safety features to compensate for your fallibility then get a higher end model.
Personally, I'd run gas saws for years and learned a lot about my abilities and limitations. When I switched to battery for the same reasons you mentioned (I don't want a small engine maintenance hobby), I went with Oregon Cordless. Their suite of battery devices isn't as broad as some competitors, which sucks, but their saw has safety features like on a gas one. And it has a built-in sharpener so I can get a new edge in the middle of the job. Also on the downside, their saw is only 16" bar so capacity can still be an issue for me.
