# Review Oregon PowerNow Cordless Chainsaw



## zogger (Aug 26, 2011)

Variation on a meme: go six amps or go home! 

I've just spent the last two days, in between my regular work, running the just hitting the markets shortly Oregon PowerNow CS250E.

Fast take: This is a real saw! A real tool you can do real work with. The Oregon guys have done their homework. It's small, but within design parameters, it does the job.

FULL DISCLAIMER: I now own this saw. My opinions and considerations were unsolicited by me towards the company, nor did I do the first day review thinking I was going to wind up owning it. I was approached to give the saw a workout, using it like I normally would my current small saw, and I did just that. I cut the same stuff I normally do during my day to day workday, various species and small to getting on to medium sized wood, one to around eight inches diameter, with a little more "extra" as noted below. I am keeping the saw now and will be providing further observations and notes, both here on this thread as updates, and directly back to the company. There was no "quid pro quo" arrangement of any kind set up in advance for the purposes of testing, nor is there one now, this is all voluntary on my part and the generosity of the company. 

Their product page is here, OREGON® PowerNow™ 40V MAX* Cordless Chainsaw Tool System Home, and it is available at a popular online book and merchandise place for pre orders, search for cordless chainsaws. 

Background: I was contacted and meeting set up where I live. The company rep came out, and we went to cutting in the afternoon. I had set up a stash of downed wood in advance down where I clear at the creek and fencelines, had targeted some standing dead to take down, and an area where I am thinning small live trees, so we had a nice variety of wood to try it out on. I took it out again today and bucked some more on a larger deadfall tree. I have a few pics I will post as attachments here, and sometime soon I hope to have the professional pics taken by the rep, and perhaps a video, not sure on that yet.

First impression, like I said, this is a real saw. I have seen and hefted a couple other small cordless saws, this one is much more realistic in size and capability. It is roughly equivalent in size to a small gasser. The ergonomics is fine, good spread from front to rear handle, excellent balance with the stock Powersharp system bar and chain. Until you get close, it "looks" like a normal small chainsaw.

The Powersharp system is integrated into the saw, the sharpening stone is under what would be called the clutch cover on a regular saw. There is no clutch though, being electric and direct drive, and the bar attachment is tool less, with a front tensioner, a normal slotted screw. I have been told a regular bar and chain may be used with the system, but you have to remove the sharpening stone. It is primarily intended to be used as shipped, part of the "no hassles" they want to emphasize. It does use regular bar oil, and has a clear window to watch the level. It does oil well.

The battery itself is pretty large, much larger than any cordless drill battery I have ever used. We used the "endurance" 20 cell pack batteries for the testing. In the pictures you can see most, but not all, I what I cut with around three full batteries. I am deducting a little because some of the wood is not in the picture, I left it down to de-ant for a week, some of the dogwood is in another pile for splitting, plus..I had to do it...I buried the thing in a 30 inch oak log and ran it until I was satisfied It would keep cutting. It would as long as long as I didn't push it too hard. The system has a thermal overload protective circuit and it most definitely will kick in if you try to overwork it. It protects the battery and the electric motor. Stay within design parameters, it keeps cutting. Again, part of the no hassles idea, no one wants broken equipment.

Ha, I also cut a ten inch or so hickory cookie..OK, it cut it, won't win any GTG races though,,but it cut it.

I cut wood of various species, a lot of sweetgum thinning, dogwood, some cherry, some maple, just a few little pine cuts, some other hardwood I don't know the name of, grows along the creek and is sort of like an aspen with catkins (burns good, I have cut a lot of it), there's some elm in there and just generic local woods whatever. Eastern deciduous mostly. Size went from around an inch to a lot of two-three inch pieces all the way to beefy enough rounds they should be split, six to eight inches.

By my measure, I can easily cut one day's worth of midwinter wood with one charged battery. Call it at least two full wheel barrows, going on three. That's one to three days for me, shoulder season to midwinter coldest days.

Small pieces make the battery last longer, cutting larger stuff once over around four inches tends to deplete it rapidly. 

RPMs are slower than modern gas saws, but fast enough to get the job done.

Oh, BTW, this saw is really quiet! What a bonus! As in much less noise than a circular saw going through plywood. Way quieter than any gasser saw. 

The Powersharp chain "bites" different from other chains, the cutter is sharpened on the top. You get different looking chips as well, sort of a cross between noodles and square grind. It tended to want to skate on me until the kerf was started. Then I noticed you just had to really aim it in square and perpendicular and get your first bite solid, then it went. It's just different, that's all.

The sharpener works perfectly fine, takes just a few seconds to go from cutting rough to back smooth. Just give it some gas...err..amps, pull back on the sharpener lever for a few seconds, done. I cut a buncha dirty wood right off the bat, to try and dull it, just so I could use the sharpener.

Speaking of giving it some gas, this is ON/OFF. No sitting there idling, no tuning required, the full torque and speed is just there as soon as it gets going, no yank start, just on, cutting with a fast spool up, or off....that's it. Normal finger throttle with the safety interlock built into the side, that you close with your thumb.


My GF goes "I don't have to yank it!!!cool"! She is just not very fond of yank start devices......

Supposedly the batteries can sit for a pretty long time and retain most of their charge, and they claim they can be recharged like around a thousand times. I don't know that yet of course, but all my other modern Lithium battery devices are similar. That's a lot of cutting. Recharge from full depleted takes around two hours with the 20 cell endurance batteries I have. The charger itself is low watts, looks to me like besides charging from a wall you could use an inexpensive vehicle 12 VDC to 115 VAC inverter to recharge out in the field or like camping. I know from my other experience that a single decent solar panel, with a controller/deepcell batt/inverter, would be way more than enough to keep one of these things going as long as the LiIon battery could hold a charge. That's a couple years plus change full time at a charge a day, or a quite a lot of weekends at your remote camp/cabin, with no worries about gunked up carbs, stale gas, etc. That's pretty spiffy actually if you think about it... 

Each battery has its own built in circuitry with the protection features plus the status indicator, LED lights. It fits where the air cleaner and carb usually go, simple lever pops them out, and slap a fresh one back in. 

I have no other cordless saw experience except my combo unit drill/jigsaw/sander, so there ya go. I do have a small Remington plugin electric saw, the PowerNow cordless is "more saw" than that, no contest. It isn't as powerful as a small gasser, but it IS powerful enough to do honest real work, and the battery does last long enough to make it practical, especially for smaller jobs. It's bone stock easy to use, the smaller the cut, the longer run time-more cuts you can make on a charge. The larger the cuts, the less cuts you can make. Run it a bit and you get the feel for it, in order to maximize your output with it. It can do light limbing and small diameter bucking, just learn the saw and let the chain do the work and it will keep pulling. The thermal overload protection works, it will not let you damage it. That's cool, too. 

I think it has potential for a small saw in your "plan", a car trunk or pickup toolbox saw, trail clearing, keep it handy for those fast backyard cleanups or that oddball "whoops, a little too long" piece you pull from the woodstack..even say if you use your lawn tractor and trailer cart, it will for sure fill that up for you on one charge out at your woodlot out back. 

And like I said, I know for a fact now one battery charge can do at least one, going on two day's worth of firewood for me at midwinter heating demand level. More than adequate to deal with some yard trimming and downed branches. I get most of my firewood from these same fenceline trims and cleanups, so in effect it was doing what I normally use my little Husky for. I cut up nice branches, dropped a few standing dead, and some live trees. It worked.

My first impression on just hearing about it and reading about it in the threads here..it worked better than I thought it would. 

Any questions, ask! Pics below, I will post more as I receive them, these are just some I took today.


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## Cliniford (Aug 27, 2011)

I wonder if it would be more battery friendly with a different bar and chain. Does the power sharp do as good a job as say hand filing a standard chain? I understand its a different style chain which is why im wondering if a good hand filed chain would allow the battery to last longer and your cuts faster. 
A good idea though, something i would leave in the woodshed for that errant piece thats too long or ?


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## zogger (Aug 27, 2011)

*I'll try it*



Cliniford said:


> I wonder if it would be more battery friendly with a different bar and chain. Does the power sharp do as good a job as say hand filing a standard chain? I understand its a different style chain which is why im wondering if a good hand filed chain would allow the battery to last longer and your cuts faster.
> A good idea though, something i would leave in the woodshed for that errant piece thats too long or ?



I'll poke through my stuff and find a small bar and loop to fit, remove the stone and give it some cuts. Looks to be low pro 3/8ths 50 gauge. The stock powersharp setup (14 inch bar BTW) though was throwing decent chips, sorta long, like I said, almost a noodle. Supposedly it takes a couple of sharpenings with a new stone and chain to get them "matched" well together, so it actually might cut even better after I use it more. And I asked about those little dual thin rakers, the system will keep taking them down at the correct height to keep them below the cutters.

I'm going to keep using it like my small gasser, give it a decent long term test. I mean really it isn't a logging or production firewood saw, it is what it is, a small saw for limbing, trimming trees, shortening that too long piece in the wood pile, camping saw, something someone who isn't a regular hard core cutter could use and not be intimidated by a loud gasser that is hard to start, etc. The main features are the no hassle aspects, just use it. It can sit, then go cut instantly. On a big felled tree I think you could do a lot of the smaller stuff on a batt or two before you switched to a gasser for final bucking. Haven't tried it like that yet though (I don't have any fresh real big trees felled), just a couple small live sweetgums, but it did them all fine, all the way down. The small limbs I took some pieces from, then the trunk. Those are the larger chunks you see in the pictures. The largest one is a little oblong, six inches at the narrowest, eight at the widest.

Now, I cut those short, because I won't be splitting those sweetgum chunks so I wanted them to fit my little heater. With the same amount of battery use, they could have been twice as long and fit as is in a bigger heater (something that could take a 20-24 inch piece), so the wood volume harvested would have been twice as much, or three times if you could fit three footers. 

I think it is a decent replacement for all those cheap barely running small gassers you see wind up on craigslist. Ya, costs more upfront, but it will keep working for the owner. 

Ha! Try to imagine the sheer volume of cussing and yanking and yanking and yanking with no start on those homeowner gasser saws over the years, with no wood cut. Just eliminating the aggravation factor is a big plus.


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## Philbert (Aug 27, 2011)

zogger said:


> Try to imagine the sheer volume of cussing and yanking and yanking and yanking with no start on those homeowner gasser saws over the years, with no wood cut. Just eliminating the aggravation factor is a big plus.


 

That is one thing I really like about my electric chainsaws (3). If they do not start, either the cord pulled out of the outlet or I tripped a breaker. Of course, I am limited by the power cord.

Philbert


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## wdchuck (Aug 27, 2011)

Well written writeup and thank you for the dial-up friendly pic size. 

My reciprocating saw may collect dust if this product finds a home in the garage. It would fit the bill on noise, ability, portability, and can remain behind the truck seat without fumes until needed. Two batteries and a vehicle charger would make it a useful travel saw. 

Depending on battery/chain/stone life it may be cheaper to own/operate than a gas saw. That would make it a good investment. 

What is the servicability of the unit, will there be parts available or is it a landfill product? How long before the batteries/charger/saw design changes to force an upgrade for profit? 
These are issues that would stop me from buying or recommending it to anyone.


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## zogger (Aug 27, 2011)

*Parts*



wdchuck said:


> Well written writeup and thank you for the dial-up friendly pic size.
> 
> My reciprocating saw may collect dust if this product finds a home in the garage. It would fit the bill on noise, ability, portability, and can remain behind the truck seat without fumes until needed. Two batteries and a vehicle charger would make it a useful travel saw.
> 
> ...



For charging in the vehicle, because it is 40 volt, just use the supplied wall charger, plug that into a vehicle dc to ac inverter, and plug the inverter into the cig lighter. I asked about a dedicated vehicle charger and it was recommended just do it the way I outlined, any truck stop or walmart has vehicle inverters.

As to long term parts, I don't work for the company but the rep indicated they are in it for the long haul, so I imagine there will be some. I mean this is Oregon, they aren't going away. I haven't done a tear down, but this is a simple machine being electric. There's a motor, a controller, the external housing and..that's it, the bar and chain and sharpening stone, and the sprocket for the chain. Looks like a regular old sprocket. More engineering is ongoing with the saw, so ya, there will most likely be upgraded models, so it goes with products in general. I think a lot of the emphasis is just the realtionshiop with the battery and motor and the controller, make all that stuff just keep working together better and better..soo..who knows, maybe there will be an upgrade option in the future?? Can't say, just guessing. Besides that I have no idea on different models coming out (a top handle? A much larger one??) or anything like that, proly depends on how well this unit does. 

For what it is worth, the rep told me about some of the internal testing they did, they ran it in some *extreme* conditions and it kept cutting, way outside what most people would encounter out in their woodlot or backyard.


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## trailmaker (Aug 27, 2011)

Stihl will be releasing their own cordless saw sometime soon. It's good to see cordless saws progressing, I bought one by Ryobi a few years ago but it was total junk. These new saws look much better and we should see some really nice ones in a few years. Thanks for the writeup and keep us posted on the long term performance.


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## zogger (Aug 28, 2011)

*No probs!*



trailmaker said:


> Stihl will be releasing their own cordless saw sometime soon. It's good to see cordless saws progressing, I bought one by Ryobi a few years ago but it was total junk. These new saws look much better and we should see some really nice ones in a few years. Thanks for the writeup and keep us posted on the long term performance.



I didn't use it a lot today, but I did noodle two pieces. One sweetgum chunk, and a nasty shagbark hickory crotch...well...it did it but..let's say this is a light duty trimming, topping and small bucking saw.....think I'll skip any more noodling with it. Had to try it though. 

GF tried it out today, she likes it. She has a hard time because of arthritis in her hands starting and running a gas chainsaw, this one she liked because it was simple lightweight and she could cut with it. I walked her through dealing with a potential pinch point, then we just did some branches and the oddball long piece in the stack. Again, I think this is a plus factor being so easy to use, just about anyone in the family could use it, especially in an emergency, like a branch in the driveway or whatnot.

Anyway, some pics. Some here then I will do another reply and add some more. First batch are the pieces I noodled, then some shots under the bar cover of the sprocket and sharpening stone installed, then the inside of the cover.


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## zogger (Aug 28, 2011)

*A few more pics from today*

In order will be the sharpening cutter that dresses the stone, the battery housing area, the front facing part of the battery showing the charge indicator lights, the battery removed so you can see the size of it to scale with the saw, then a closeup of the chain after a few sharpenings, you can see how the safety bump and rakers are being taken down right with the cutters.


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## Whitespider (Aug 29, 2011)

Neat... cool...
Not something I would have any need for, but... I wonder if the line will be expanded?
A cordless pole saw with a little 8 or 10-inch bar and the Powersharp system would be the tits.


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## zogger (Sep 7, 2011)

*First outing as a truck saw*

So, today I am going into town so I wanted to show the new saw to my friend the wrench at the local saw shop. I am also thinking "targets of opportunity" as I am driving, and I didn't have to wait long! A few miles down the road into town I am driving by this stump, with three guys standing there staring at it, and a tiny little poulan on the ground next to it (turned out to be an 1800)

Just too good an opportunity to pass up, to push the envelope a little and see if the batt saw had the guts for a stump flush job, it did!

I pulled over, offered my services, they said go for it man! Their little poulan was a tad neglected and not up to the task (I did adjust reality for them and gave them some chain sharpening and adjustment advice before I left)

They had managed to make one long cut down the middle of the stump, leaving two halves to flush cut off then the saw more or less gave out for them. That's why they were standing around staring at the stump. So, I went at it, success! 

Pretty much wayyy outside the design parameters, but sliced through both halves of that decent stump, and still had 25% batt capacity showing on the indicator lights when I got finished. Definitely "bar buried" action.



Just two pics, the bar is 14 inch for scale, you can see the size of the stump, looked to be beech.

Next time out I want to actually nail some decent branches I have been driving by, start grabbing some more real firewood.


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## Philbert (Sep 11, 2011)

*OREGON 40-Volt Saw - First Impressions*

I had the opportunity to try the Oregon ‘PowerNow’ 40 volt, cordless chainsaw today. We used it at a friend’s heavily wooded suburban lot, on a variety of spruce, balsam, juniper, apple, and box elder wood, ranging from branches less than an inch in diameter, up to logs over 18 inches in diameter.

The saw we used has a 14” bar, the Oregon PowerSharp chain (3/8” low-pro), and the extended run battery. Weight with oil was about 12-1/2 pounds.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is a good saw when used within its capabilities, as long as the battery power lasts. Battery powered saws are not for everybody, but this model would be a good choice if one meets some of your cutting needs.

It would be especially good for trimming tasks, intermittent use, or maintenance activities where the saw is not used everyday, or it is inconvenient to gas up a saw and drain it afterwards, or to store a gasoline saw.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Up front - #1) I am a big fan of electric chainsaws; #2) I have been generally impressed with the PowerSharp chain; #3) 2 of my favorite Oregon reps were present for most of the cutting (*note that there are still opportunities for anyone who wants to become my favorite STIHL, Husqvarna, or other major brand reps!).

The saw has an overall, well-made, quality feel. It is labeled ‘Made in China’, but I was told that it was assembled there with many US made components. The Lithium batteries were reported to be made in Japan.

The saw cut well as long as you let the chain do the work. We were asked to bear down on the saw, which causes it to stop. This was explained as part of the circuitry to prevent overloading. If you are a guy that really likes to lean on your saw, or if you like a high rev saw, this one is not for you. It does not cut as fast as even a modestly powered gasoline saw of the same weight. But it cut through almost everything we asked it to.

The only thing it did not cut well was some large (18” diameter), old, dry, box elder logs that I tried to noodle, just to push its limits. It made slow progress, and would have eventually made it though, but this was clearly beyond the reasonable capability of this size and type of saw.

It cut cleanly though14” spruce logs, 5” apple branches, and some really knotty box elder sections (photo at bottom of post). It did fine for the types of limbs and branches that you would normally expect to cut with a 14” saw.

HANDLING

The saw is well balanced, but slightly heavier than I expected at first; this is really only an issue when held high for cutting branches. The body of the saw is comparable in size to a comparable gasoline powered saw, and has a loop handle (top and left side) comparable to a conventional saw.

There is a trigger with a thumb operated trigger release, similar to many electric tools. There is (obviously) no choke or stop switch, no starter rope, etc. The saw does have a chain brake. We were advised to pop the battery from its slot, via a simple, finger-operated lever, when handling or adjusting the chain, as a safety measure similar to unplugging an electric tool.

I had tried the STIHL 36 volt chainsaw only briefly a few days before, and only on a very limited basis. That saw felt lighter and more streamlined to handle, but did not appear to have the cutting power of this Oregon saw.

CHAIN

The saw uses the PowerSharp chain which has been discussed in other threads. It has a built-in sharpener, operated by a lever, so you do not need to use a separate bar-end cassette. The sharpener is removable with a few screws if you want to run the saw with conventional chain.

Some people like or dislike the PowerSharp chain - that is a separate discussion. What is important is that this saw has the power to pull this fairly aggressive, 3/8” low profile chain. The STIHL 36 volt saw, uses a smaller, 1/4” pitch chain, and subjectively, cuts much slower.

We had some stringy material get caught underneath the sharpener stone and lever. We were able to pull this out after removing the clutch cover, and without removing the sharpener, but it is something that I would watch for with extended use, and depending upon what you cut.

At first glance, the saw appears to have a tool-less chain tensioner. The large, wing-nut-like screw clamps the bar and holds the clutch cover on; no scrench needed. A conventional screwdriver, however, is used to tension the chain from the front. I am not a big fan of tool-less chain tensioners (that is also a separate discussion), but I am a big fan of side access chain tensioners. This seems to be a significant design oversight, as this is such a simple and common feature on modern saws. Perhaps this could be changed on future models.

BATTERIES

The saws use Lithium-Ion batteries. This is a technical topic which is critical for any battery powered tool. However, I do not have expertise in this area and will defer questions to Oregon. I did ask several questions about the batteries.

I was told that these batteries do not develop ‘memory’, and that you can leave them on their smart charger indefinitely. I was told that they will run at a constant level - i.e., you will not have the saw slow down toward the end of a battery charge, but it will simply stop. I was told that the batteries will not work in very cold environments (below 32*F?), so this might not be the saw to take for cutting your ice fishing holes. I was told that battery life and performance can degrade if exposed to high temperatures (above 105*F?), so don’t leave them on the dashboard of your truck.

Cutting time is hard to estimate from one afternoon of use. Because it is an electric tool, it is only using battery life when you are actually cutting, not when you release the trigger, stack or move branches, walk around the tree, etc. It may be obvious, but you will cut more, smaller branches, than large limbs or rounds.

We used the larger capacity batteries, and had charged, replacement batteries to swap out when they wound down. This is important if you are planning on doing extended work with this type of saw. We used 2 batteries over a few hours of non-continuous cutting. The batteries have an LED display to let you know approximately how much charge is left, but take an hour or so to recharge in the 120 volt charger, so if you only have one battery, you need to plan your work accordingly.

As Zogger noted, we were told that we could charge the batteries in a vehicle by using a 12-volt inverter with the 120-volt charger, but were advised to avoid the cheap inverters to optimize battery life and performance. This is important as vehicle-based recharging is common practice for battery powered contractor tools.

OTHER/MISC.

The saw still requires the use of bar and chain oil. Surprisingly, a tank of oil significantly outlasted a couple of batteries. There is a see-through oil level window, but in my experience, this is something that is easier to overlook on an electric saw than on a gas saw.

Another surprise is that the saw we used has been sitting on a piece of newspaper next to my computer for several hours and has not leaked any oil! I thought that that only happened with new saws that have never been filled with oil.

The chain catcher is molded into the plastic clutch/side cover. This is a pet peeve of mine as one of my volunteer storm clean up groups went through several expensive covers for STIHL MS210s and MS250s with a similar design until we discovered a STIHL replacement chain catcher that worked with a modified cover. This is something that I would like to see Oregon do on this saw so that the entire cover does not need to get replaced.

It is an electric tool, so you can't get away with cutting in the rain, or pressure washing the crud off of it, like you can with a gas powered saw.

Somehow, even without the pervasive smell of 2-cycle exhaust, we still needed a shower at the end of the day.

PROS

Handles well.
Pulls a 3/8” low profile chain through reasonable wood.
No gas/oil to buy, mix, store, drain, or dispose of.
Instant ON/OFF (no pull starting, no flooding, etc.).
No idling when not cutting.
No 2-cycle fumes.
Relatively quiet (compared to gasoline saws) - sound level similar to an electric reciprocating saw.
No cord (compared to electric saws).
Stores indoors with no gasoline vapors.

CONS

More expensive than a gasoline saw of the same cutting capacity.
Run time is limited with a single battery.
Front screw chain tensioner.
Some stringy material gets hung up in the built-in chain sharpener mechanism.
Chain catcher molded into clutch/side cover.

Philbert


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## zogger (Sep 12, 2011)

*Way cool!*

I'm glad you got one or got to use one!

My real impression..just spiffy fun. I felt exactly the same way when I got my first real cordless drill, just WISH I had had one years earlier.

I have held out on a battery saw for a long time now, because they all looked like a waste of time, a joke. This oregon saw though, it is small, but it isn't a joke, it's a *real tool*.

Ya, it ain't a redwoods saw, but for grab and go..I like it. First saw my GF would even consider using. I mean she has tried a few of my other small saws, but has an impossible time starting them or using them becauae of arthritis..this saw..vroom, she was cutting with a smile on her face. similar to when I showed her, yes indeedy, she could drive a tractor.

And I got some for real honest firewood from it! If you milk trees out like I do, it works just great once it is on the ground for the first saw to grab as you work back to the trunk.

I think I will like it better if they get a family of tools for those batteries. Right off the bat as mentioned above, a pole saw attachment thing. It could use the same bar and chain and powerhead for that matter, and keep the powerhead weight down low where it belongs. Take chaincover off, attach pole and adapter (very small chain and pinion gears??), transfer bar and chain to the end of the pole, done. And whatever else, basically your normal yard tool stuff. One powerhead and set of batts, half a dozen tools maybe. 

Snort..I am still a kid...already thinking of how I could bolt the thing to a bicycle for a little hill assist...


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## Philbert (Sep 15, 2011)

*High Tech Battery Cases*

Oregon recommends removing the battery for transport and storage. I guess they want to reduce the chance that your pet will trigger the saw. Battery terminals make me nervous - I have seen damage when small batteries short out, let alone these 40 volt things. So, even though the contacts are recessed, I thought about making some kind of slip case to protect them in storage.

First, I thought about cardboard. Then, corrugated plastic (you know, lawn signs from the last election). Then I came up with this high-tech solution. Waddaya think?

Philbert


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## zogger (Sep 15, 2011)

*Excellent!*



Philbert said:


> Oregon recommends removing the battery for transport and storage. I guess they want to reduce the chance that your pet will trigger the saw. Battery terminals make me nervous - I have seen damage when small batteries short out, let alone these 40 volt things. So, even though the contacts are recessed, I thought about making some kind of slip case to protect them in storage.
> 
> First, I thought about cardboard. Then, corrugated plastic (you know, lawn signs from the last election). Then I came up with this high-tech solution. Waddaya think?
> 
> Philbert



I was thinking the same thing, but hadn't gotten around to actually doing anything about it. Field expedient genius there man!

I *was* thinking about a batman belt holster though for spare batts, have dug through my spare army junk but don't have the right do-dad to fit. Got to be some web gear would fit those batts...


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## zogger (Sep 15, 2011)

*Oh ya, wanted to ask you*



Philbert said:


> Oregon recommends removing the battery for transport and storage. I guess they want to reduce the chance that your pet will trigger the saw. Battery terminals make me nervous - I have seen damage when small batteries short out, let alone these 40 volt things. So, even though the contacts are recessed, I thought about making some kind of slip case to protect them in storage.
> 
> First, I thought about cardboard. Then, corrugated plastic (you know, lawn signs from the last election). Then I came up with this high-tech solution. Waddaya think?
> 
> Philbert



--just wanted to know if you had run into the "thermal overload" shutdown yet? I've hit a few times now with the "pushing the envelope" experimental cuts. On regular cutting though, on the smaller stuff, never. It takes a few minutes to cool off enough, then it works again. Faked me out at first, thought I was out of battery. Nope, wait a bit, batt comes back to life.

Man, I WISH gas saws had this, in two stages, to save the saw, a warning light at getting a little close to a redline heat reading, then "shutting 'er down, cap'n, I told ye ya couldn't push her so hard"! Just an auto shutoff.


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## Philbert (Sep 16, 2011)

zogger said:


> --just wanted to know if you had run into the "thermal overload" shutdown yet?


 
I just had the saw stop when they told me to push it hard - part of the overload circuit. Is that the same thing, or are you talking about battery temps?

Philbert

(BTW - I may cut down some empty 5W30 oil bottles to store the batteries in when the temps drop).


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## zogger (Sep 16, 2011)

*Yes, that's it*



Philbert said:


> I just had the saw stop when they told me to push it hard - part of the overload circuit. Is that the same thing, or are you talking about battery temps?
> 
> Philbert
> 
> (BTW - I may cut down some empty 5W30 oil bottles to store the batteries in when the temps drop).



I believe that is what happens, pushing it hard increases resistance on the motor, which increases the demand on the batts, which causes it to start to get hot, then it stops.


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## kubotakid (Sep 17, 2011)

*Sales / Spam*

zogger,..Sorry, I tried to read threw your First post and couldnt,..then Skiped threw the whole barage, and thought, I wouldnt buy it, IF you gave it to me, , I must be just old time,..I see a couple others posted so I wont report spam yet,...LOL.. Eric


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## zogger (Sep 17, 2011)

*What?*



kubotakid said:


> zogger,..Sorry, I tried to read threw your First post and couldnt,..then Skiped threw the whole barage, and thought, I wouldnt buy it, IF you gave it to me, , I must be just old time,..I see a couple others posted so I wont report spam yet,...LOL.. Eric



It's a saw review on a new saw. I don't get that many new saws. In fact in my whole life it is the number three, three new saws total. That's about it. And there have been other articles/reviews done on the Oregon powersharp system posted on the main chainsaw forum. I'm not selling them per se, and I didn't even link directly to any place that does sell them. Yes I linked to the main product page. Oregon is a big dog manufacturer of saw related stuff, I would imagine the bulk of the site sponsors sell oregon products, and the parent company makes other things like splitters which I am sure have been discussed. OREGON. If you can't talk openly about an Oregon product HERE, wth? That's it. Being a battery saw it is different from most other saw articles and posts here, and I gave my honest opinion of it, with a full disclaimer. If it violated any of the terms of service I am not sure how, but mods are free to do what they do.

I was just asked to give it a full complete workout, real world use, not cutting little demo pieces of wood in a controlled environment. Oregon wants the feedback, because they want to make good useful products, and I was asked at the end of the day to just keep doing that, keep the saw, keep using it (and I did not know this in advance that this would happen) and to see what others think about it, etc. And I was 100% upfront about all this, absolutely nothing hidden. And this is just a single post by me, I'm not talking about it constantly in all my other posts on this site, just mentioning it whenever it actually fits what I am talking about or the thread warrants, same as if anyone else is talking about a new saw to them.

So back atcha-your sig is "kubotakid", which appears on every single one of your posts, all of them, does that mean you are shilling/spamming kubota equipment, for whatever reason, all the time, without being a site sponsor?

Well, it is obvious that is just goofy but if you want to get hyper technical, it is product "spam", but I would think it is a stretch, too and that is why you aren't warned off.

If arboristsite wants to delete this thread, etc, give me a warning, for talking about a sort of radical new Oregon product, they can do it. It's been up long enough now, I am sure it has been looked at and no one in authority has contacted me about it. If any of them wants to chime in that would be cool with me, no problems.


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## Philbert (Sep 19, 2011)

*Keeping It Together*

The Oregon saw did not come with a case, and I wanted a way to keep the charger and spare battery together with the saw. So, I purchased a generic chainsaw case from Northern Tool (almost identical to the Husqvarna PowerBox, but black). I had to modify it slightly to provide clearance for the side cover/bar knob, and to carve just a nick out of the bottom to fit the saw's profile.




It's a little hard to see because everything is black - I created a recess to hold the charger in the cover and a screwdriver (chain tension) in the wall. A bungie cord and Velcro strap hold the cord, and a hook holds a few brushes and a bar groove cleaner. There is plenty of room inside the box for bar oil, spare batteries, gloves, wedges, etc., and for a small inverter for vehicle charging.

The blow-molded poly cases are easy to modify. Cut through the inner wall with an Xacto blade or sharp utility knife, then mask and fill the wall cavity around the hole with expanding foam. Trim the foam and paint. I used pop rivets to attach small things. The cord holding the charger in place is run through small eyebolts secured with 'T'-nuts and some metal pipe strapping, foamed in place.

Philbert

_EDIT: I believe that Oregon now offers a fabric, 'soft case' for this saw._


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## zogger (Sep 19, 2011)

*Excellent work!*



Philbert said:


> The Oregon saw did not come with a case, and I wanted a way to keep the charger and spare battery together with the saw. So, I purchased a generic chainsaw case from Northern Tool (almost identical to the Husqvarna PowerBox, but black). I had to modify it slightly to provide clearance for the side cover/bar knob, and to carve just a nick out of the bottom to fit the saw's profile.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You do excellent work! All I have been doing is cutting and splitting and getting saws dirty..need to slow down and do some mods like you have been doing! I got most of the stuff here for the first one, a portable solar charging unit for field use. Mounting it all on a hand truck. Panel, charge controller, inverter and a single 12 volt..whatever, old big truck battery, anything. I got half a dozen spares there. And someplace I have a spare charge controller..just needs finding...now where did I put my dowsing rods...


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## Philbert (Sep 19, 2011)

zogger said:


> I got most of the stuff here for the first one, a portable solar charging unit for field use. Mounting it all on a hand truck. Panel, charge controller, inverter and a single 12 volt....


 
We are going to need some photos of _that!_

Philbert


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## rmh3481 (Sep 19, 2011)

Repped you guys for the thread. Neat little tool. Caught the last 5 minutes of one of their infomercials the other night going to bed. What kind of price point is on it and where is it made?


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## Wife'nHubby (Sep 19, 2011)

Well, I can see where I might like this nifty new saw also except for one thing:

When I started out I was using an electric (Craftsman) chainsaw when I found out that chaps wouldn't stop the chain of an electric chainsaw. 

Should I assume chaps will also not stop the chain of a battery powered chainsaw? 

Shari


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## zogger (Sep 19, 2011)

Wife'nHubby said:


> Well, I can see where I might like this nifty new saw also except for one thing:
> 
> When I started out I was using an electric (Craftsman) chainsaw when I found out that chaps wouldn't stop the chain of an electric chainsaw.
> 
> ...



Not sure! It is on/off, finger off throttle trigger and it stops, no idling or anything. Chaps work by binding up enough material to stall the engine, plugs it up, overloads, stalls out or gets the RPMs down enough so the clutch disengages and the chain stops turning. Seems like they should work if they can bind up enough material to stall the electric motor. I can't see where chaps would make a distinction on motive power. This is the first I ever heard of chaps not working with an electric saw, corded or cordless. Where did you hear they won't work with an electric saw? Is it because of no clutch and they are direct drive?


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## zogger (Sep 19, 2011)

*I'll post some then*



Philbert said:


> We are going to need some photos of _that!_
> 
> Philbert



Ya, I'll take some pics of it static and working out in the field, doing a recharge. I already have a spare panel, the modified handtruck, the inverter and my luck with dowsing see if I can find my other controller, seems I have a spare c-40 someplace in my alt energy stuff. I have just boxes and boxes of old gear...no idea where it is....

Hey, wanted to ask you! You've run both now "top of the line" battery saws, the Stihl and the Oregon...well? Which one is topdog? On specs, power, battery, bar length shipped, built in sharpener, Oregon comes out on top no contest, on price, they win again by at least a full smiling Benjamin. But working, I have only run the Oregon. When will the first GTG battery saw race be? hehehehe gonna happen too, some time or another.

I can't wait until they come out with one with twice the motor, twice the battery and gear drive to double the chain speed, and run it with a 20 inch bar. Something like that, maybe three lbs more? Still not bad. And a switch for dual use cutting, light pruning to bucking wood, "economy cutting" mode, then "gitRdone!" mode.


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## Wife'nHubby (Sep 19, 2011)

Let's be clear here: I'm not dissing the product you are reviewing as it does sound very interesting, I am just pointing out a warning I have read and heeded regarding the use of chaps/electric chainsaws:

Source: Chainsaw Protective Clothing - Chain Saw Protective Wrap-Around Chaps | STIHL

"WARNING FOR ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW USERS! 
The fibers will not stop the sprocket on most electric chain saws because of their constant high torque."

It might be interesting to see if the Oregon product designers have any comment on this Stihl warning.

Shari



Wife'nHubby said:


> Well, I can see where I might like this nifty new saw also except for one thing:
> 
> When I started out I was using an electric (Craftsman) chainsaw when I found out that chaps wouldn't stop the chain of an electric chainsaw.
> 
> ...





zogger said:


> Not sure! It is on/off, finger off throttle trigger and it stops, no idling or anything. Chaps work by binding up enough material to stall the engine, plugs it up, overloads, stalls out or gets the RPMs down enough so the clutch disengages and the chain stops turning. Seems like they should work if they can bind up enough material to stall the electric motor. I can't see where chaps would make a distinction on motive power. This is the first I ever heard of chaps not working with an electric saw, corded or cordless. Where did you hear they won't work with an electric saw? Is it because of no clutch and they are direct drive?


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## zogger (Sep 19, 2011)

*Price*



rmh3481 said:


> Repped you guys for the thread. Neat little tool. Caught the last 5 minutes of one of their infomercials the other night going to bed. What kind of price point is on it and where is it made?



Price I have seen quoted on their site is 4 bills with the smaller batt, five with the larger. It is a better deal to go ahead and get the larger batt first, unless you really only need very light cutting once in a great while. Their battery price itself for spares is very competitive, i have looked at some of the other big name manufacturers "big" portable tool batteries and Oregon is (in some cases by a lot) cheaper for more volts and amphours.

From what I was told, the saw was totally developed inhouse by Oregon, down to they designed their own logic boards for the saw and battery and charger, then prototyped, and now mass production comes from that big manufacturing nation over the pacific. That's where all that electronic stuff is made now. So it goes. 

Build quality seems quite good. It looks good, balances well, fit and finish seem fine. I haven't knocked mine out of a tree or bounced it out of a truck going down the highway or anything so can't tell you on actual "whoops" durability. Hope I don't have to either! I did bury it in a real big log, it kept cutting as long as I didn't lean on it, and I flush cut a decent stump, and it cut that. That's about as rough as I have handled it so far. Dropping small trees, works fine. Bucking up to around 4-5 inches is fast, then to around 8-10 is just as fast proportionally, but the batt level drops off rapidly. So I would say...hmmm...keep it down to the four inch stuff you are cutting if you want a lot of pieces per batt charge, the first cuts out at the end of the tree where you want the pieces, it will work well there. Just like anything else, depends on species you are cutting, all that stuff. Switch to the gasser at around six inches diameter or so if you are doing a lot of cutting all day long. For like big branches in the yard, just fall out of the tree, I'd buck the whole dang thing up with it as long as the branches weren't tree sized themselves. It'll cut to bar length or you can cut from both sides, same as any other saw. 

Judgement call there as to be expected. I tried mine exactly the same as I would be running my little husky with a sixteen inch bar. On the same stuff. The gasser has the edge on power and chain speed, but the batt saw *will* cut the same stuff. It's about the same as comparing your cordless drill to your heavy plug in drill.

It's a light duty grab and cut "no hassle" saw, that's the main focus they want folks to see, "no hassle". No wasted bucks on a cheap homeowner gasser that won't run when you need it. No stale fuel, no ethanol rotted out fuel lines or carb diaphrams, no hassle starting, no hassle sharpening, can store for a year and grab it and be cutting in..one second. No using a small saw twice, let it sit, then you have to take it to the shop for repairs, and the estimate is as much as another small saw. 

And like I noted earlier way back up above, it runs pretty darn quiet, and even for folks intimidated by gas chainsaws, it is easy peasey to use. My Gf is a prime example, she has run a few cuts before with my smaller saws, just to try it..didn't like it, not interested, hard for her to start them, sorta intimidating to her. The battery saw, grabbed it and got to cutting good in a few minutes. No hassles. She told me she wouldn't hesitate now to grab it if a tree branch came down in the yard, etc (and we get our fair share of sky delivered firewood...), or, if she had to, go cut our firewood with it. She drives the tractor once in awhile no probs, so sticking to smaller stuff, she could do it. And *she* volunteered that statement, if push came to shove, she could do it, because of that saw. That, to me, was a significant factor in "practicality".


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## zogger (Sep 19, 2011)

*Oh, I didn't take it as a dis*



Wife'nHubby said:


> Let's be clear here: I'm not dissing the product you are reviewing as it does sound very interesting, I am just pointing out a warning I have read and headed regarding the use of chaps/electric chainsaws:
> 
> Source: Chainsaw Protective Clothing - Chain Saw Protective Wrap-Around Chaps | STIHL
> 
> ...



Ya, I just had never heard about that with electric saws. Yes, electric motors have gas engines beat on torque at any rpm. There's no contest there. 

But if Stihl is saying something along the lines of their chaps will stop one of their 660s but not an electric saw...hmmmm...isn't that interesting...

I have owned three electrics so far, two plug ins and now this one, but that's the first I heard about the chaps deal. Ya, we'll find out probably. Seems like though that is the *chaps* manufacturers job to make their products work with the saws, yes?


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## Philbert (Sep 19, 2011)

rmh3481 said:


> What kind of price point is on it and where is it made?



The list on the saw with the standard battery is $399. $499 with the extended run ('endurance') battery. Frankly, I don't know if I would really consider the smaller battery, as the run time is going to be limited. The charger works with both batteries, so if you decide to buy another battery later on, you can still choose either one.

The saw is labeled, 'Made in China'. The Oregon reps stated that it is assembled in China with many US made parts, in order to save costs. They stated that the Lithium batteries are manufactured in Japan. I can only take them at their word on this.





Wife'nHubby said:


> I found out that chaps wouldn't stop the chain of an electric chainsaw. . . . Should I assume chaps will also not stop the chain of a battery powered chainsaw?



Yeah, most chaps have a big warning label stating that they are not effective on electric saws 'due to their constant torque'. Basically that means that they will not stall out like a gas saw will when clogged with those fibers (take that you guys that think electric saws are for sissies!). I don't know if an electric saw will eventually gum up and blow a fuse, but I take them at their word. The manual on this saw is evasive on the topic, saying that you should wear protective clothing, but not getting specific. Got to love those lawyers.

I have three electric chainsaws, plus this battery powered one, and I love them (that's a separate discussion). I also have an old pair of chainsaw protective chaps that I no longer have confidence in due to their age. I am thinking of conducting some applied, public research with an electric chainsaw and this battery powered saw at a future get-to-gether.





zogger said:


> You've run both now "top of the line" battery saws, the Stihl and the Oregon...well? Which one is topdog?


 
In fairness, I only briefly tried the STIHL 36 volt saw in a demo situation at the State Fair. I did some actual cutting with the Oregon saw. They both feel well made. I recall the STIHL feeling a bit lighter and more nimble to handle. But with the 1/4" chain, it cut like 'a really nice hobbist saw'. The Oregon saw felt more like a 'real' saw in terms of cutting ability, although, as I noted in my posted comments, it does not have the power of even a modest gasoline saw. 

The STIHL saw also comes with different batteries, although, you have to buy a different charger for each size battery(?). Their batteries are also part of a larger system that includes string trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc., but as you noted, at a STIHL price.

Philbert


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## Wife'nHubby (Sep 19, 2011)

Philbert said:


> I also have an old pair of chainsaw protective chaps that I no longer have confidence in due to their age. I am thinking of conducting some applied, public research with an electric chainsaw and this battery powered saw at a future get-to-gether.
> 
> Philbert



Looking forward to your review!

Shari


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## Philbert (Sep 19, 2011)

Wife'nHubby said:


> Looking forward to your review!


 
And, hopefully, some cool video!

This is almost a separate topic - electric saws and chaps. I would like to think that they at least provide _some_ protection, but I can't assume that because of they way that chaps work. That said, the OSHA standard is not specific about requiring them only for gas powered chainsaws:

Logging operations. - 1910.266 Section 1910.266(d)(1)(iv) 

The interesting thing about this saw, is the overload protection feature that Zogger mentioned in some earlier posts. During demos, we were encouraged to push down hard on the saws when cutting. Instead of the motors bogging down, an overload sensor in the circuits simply stopped the saw - it re-starts when you lift the saw off of the wood and re-press the trigger. I don't know if the load applied by pulled fibers in chaps would be sufficient to stop this saw. I don't know if there was any factory testing on this.

I still wear my chaps with electric saws as a matter of practice (and because I know there are a lot of people dying to snap a photo of me operating a chainsaw - ANY chainsaw -without them). 

This saw is equipped with a chain brake that also cuts the electrical power when tripped. I don't know enough about the other battery powered saws to know if they have similar overload features. 

Philbert


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## iowawoodcutter (Sep 19, 2011)

I have a cordless MS460 that is pretty awesome.


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## zogger (Sep 20, 2011)

*Bwahahaha*



iowawoodcutter said:


> I have a cordless MS460 that is pretty awesome.



Well, I guess so! hehehehe

Went to muffler mod the oregon and had to add an ipod dock first...


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## Philbert (Sep 20, 2011)

zogger said:


> Went to muffler mod the oregon and had to add an ipod dock first...


 
I'm thinking laser light cutting guide, like on the chop saws.

Philbert


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## zogger (Sep 21, 2011)

*Great mindz, etc*



Philbert said:


> I'm thinking laser light cutting guide, like on the chop saws.
> 
> Philbert



I *already* ran that idea by them and it was forwarded to the engineering guys at product development.

Great minds think alike!


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## zogger (Oct 1, 2011)

*One charge tests*

I've started to do a once a day (or so when I can) test with the saw using just one charged battery, and running it out. Today I wanted to finish cutting what was left in the field from last month when I dropped that big poplar tree. I always take those trees down to negligible sticks, so there is no hassle mowing over them later on. I literally milk the trees out in other words. No mess, no brushpiles to deal with, plus more wood in the stack.

It worked out pretty good! I cleaned it up nice, and there's a pic of the harvest. I got a little more than two hundred pieces for the wood stack on one full charge. That's a lot of cuts!

Tomorrow I am going for a little more cubic volume, see if cutting slightly larger green saplings and sucker trees will yield more per charge. Trying to find the ultimate sweet spot there. Today's score was 15 cubic feet (1/8th cord), over 200 pieces, from around one inch to four inch, pretty varied, that we mixed in with the splits from three real large oak rounds. We pretty much always do this in our stacks, mix in the small with the medium and we slide in big "overnighters" often enough that there is one handy when unloading the stack into the house. And you can see what was left in the pasture grass, mostly nothing. 

I think cutting just a little larger overall will bump up the harvest volume enough so you could realistically say, using one full charge a day, you could cut one cord per week, with fair sized pieces. If you did that as a somewhat regular regime, that's it, it could easily cut a normal household amount of firewood in a year to year basis. 

If it was just a fast weekend deal, say two days a week, just a quick run out one battery, @ 110 days year, divide by 7 or 8 would yield somewhere's around 13.75 to 15.71 cords. At 1,000 charges per battery, that's about exactly 9 year's worth of cutting. We'll see how it goes tomorrow with larger pieces of green wood. I'm trying to stay under what needs splitting, just cut and stack, but I am going to shoot for slightly overall larger pieces than what I cut today. I'll take some that will need split in half, that's it, but not many. I think the saw has the torque to do it, it felt real easy taking those smaller ones, like it was using more battery just moving the chain around than it was doing the actual cutting.


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## zogger (Oct 2, 2011)

*Test on larger green*

Today I continued the test, this time on larger fresh green small cull trees. I did a couple small sweet gums and one winged elm, all decent firewood here.

Although I normally always start at the top of the tree and work back to the butt end, for the purposes of this test, I started at the butt ends and only took the largest stuff I could. Sizes around 1.5 to six+ inches, much heavier on the larger pieces.






Total count was 45 pieces, then I ran out of battery and took home one small log that needed two more cuts to complete. There is a noticeable difference past three inches with cutting, it still cuts quite well, good chips and the chain speed stays steady as long as you aren't pushing it real hard, but you can tell it is starting to impact heavy on the battery. Sort of a feel. 

I'd say with what cutting I have done so far, along with this two day test, up to that point three inches with one inch to either side, is very decent cutting, you get good mileage, and the most BTUs for the charge. That middle size piece in the pic is about perfect for this saw, you get the best wood harvest and the highest number of cuts. The saw itself *will* cut all the way out to the end of the bar, but you won't get many cuts that way. If you had to, big branch in the yard, yep, you could cut even a large branch up over a few charge cycles, or drop a fair tree and cut it up. Chain guard for scale, 16 inch bar.






I walked away with less cubic feet-around 10-but the "score" was much better hardwood and ready for the stove pieces, with several needing split in half. 

We mixed in what I got today with the splits from one of these bad boys, old redoak, makes a very nice stack. The Fiskars is there for scale.






Tomorrow I will be starting on half a dozen or so dropped trees I have down already, part of "pushing the woods back" on the pasture sides. Leaners, branches in the way while mowing, etc trees. All real decent, should be an interesting week. The Oregon will be part of the saw plan,(3 or 4 I will take out) and will be taking off the little stuff on the top ends before switching to the gassers. I'll be working one tree at a time, complete "milkout" like I do normally. I still have plenty of big rounds left to split that will be mixed in with the little stuff as I bring it up. I prefer mixed species and sizes-rounds and splits- generic type stacks.


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## Philbert (Oct 2, 2011)

zogger said:


> . . . . Sizes around 1.5 to six+ inches, much heavier on the larger pieces. . . There is a noticeable difference past three inches with cutting, it still cuts quite well, good chips and the chain speed stays steady as long as you aren't pushing it real hard, but you can tell it is starting to impact heavy on the battery. . . three inches with one inch to either side, is very decent cutting, you get good mileage


 
Coincidentally, I also did some 'production cutting' testing today with the 40V at the Charity Cut for Interfaith Caregivers (link: http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/170526.htm - today's event starts around post #223). Too late to post it all right now, but I was struck by a similar thought. 

Four-inch diameter or smaller logs (mostly maple), the saw cut through at a speed that was fine for that type of work. Six inches was slower, but acceptable for occasional use. Grandpatractor, Thorcw, and I each cut through larger logs with it (up to 14 inch diameter), and the saw did it, with patience, but it was not something that I would want to do on a regular basis.

Thorcw confirmed this by showing me how fast he could cut the same logs with his ported and modded 372xp.

Will post some more comments tomorrow.

Philbert


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## Philbert (Oct 3, 2011)

*Heavy Use Feedback*

As noted above, I put the saw to heavier use at the charity wood cutting event yesterday, and passed it around to others interested in trying it. I had a great photo of Grandpatractor cutting a 14” log with it, until I realized that I had grabbed the GPS from my glove box instead of my camera. At least I know _where _he tried it.



Steve NW WI

As noted, the saw worked best on logs up to 4” diameter, although, it would cut through larger stuff if you were very patient. I gave up on the larger stuff after Thorcw showed me how fast he could cut the same logs with his 372xp. I asked a few A.S. members what kind of wood we were cutting. They replied, ‘firewood’. It was mostly some type of green, scrub maple.



Denny - event sponsor

I used the saw mostly to clean up and limb some maples that had gotten tangled and felled together, then used my 353 to cut up the trunks. This was an interesting comparison. The OREGON saw was quieter to use, and silent in-between cuts, whereas the Husqvarna kept idling. For stop-and-go limbing and clearing, the quiet saw, and instant start was nice. For limbing, it worked comparable to other, small saws. For production cutting, it could not keep up with the gasoline saws.

I got less than an hour of working time for each of the higher capacity Endurance batteries, doing the stop-and-go cutting with a variety of wood sizes. Zogger’s post is much more quantitative and scientific on this. The bar and chain oil in the tank outlasted 2 batteries - it is probably still a good idea to check this each time you change out a battery.

One problem we had was saw chips building up under the cover. I think that this is related to the design and location of the self-sharpener device. It is pretty easy to clear with the tool-less side cover removal, but not something I want to do on a continuing basis.



'firewood' chips

It takes a little getting used to the saw stopping when the battery runs out of charge. It is a sharp cut off, as advertised, instead of winding down, so I kept thinking that the circuit cut-out had engaged, or that the battery might have popped loose. After a second or so, I would remember to check the LED battery life indicator, and figure it out.

One positive feature I discovered is that, without a muffler, the saw does not get hot. So after cutting, it can go right into the case. The 353 had to cool off a bit before I could pack it away. Oregon may want to say that this is not just a ‘grab-and-go’ saw, but also a ‘stop-and-stash’ saw.

Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 3, 2011)

*Started on the field sides cleaning*

Today my canine supervisors and I started on the cleanup of all the trees I dropped last week. I went out with a three saw plan, but wound up only using the Oregon, and two batteries.







The goal today was a white oak, 12 inches at the stump











OK, I limbed off all the real small stuff, and bucked to this point..end of battery one, got a lot so far, and very little -negligible- trash left in the field






Final haul. finished the whole tree down to the real thick pieces, still had enough battery left to buck up one small big dry pine branch that was handy, plus a standing dead dogwood, all going into the stack at home. Total volume, 12.5 cubic feet....but..this is all mostly real dang good serious pieces of white oak, some I split into fourths, some into halves, and dog wood, with just a few pieces of the pine kindling mixed in. And that's a tight stack in the box, I filled in the nooks and crannies well. 

In retrospect, because I had so much battery left over after finishing bucking the oak, I am thinking I could have dropped the tree and bucked it all up on two batteries. I also noticed that the batteries, towards end of charge, if you get the thermal overload shutdown or they show zero LEDs lit up for state of charge, indicating nothing..wait a few minutes, like three minutes or so, they come back to life for three or four more decent cuts. Then that's *really* it, they need recharge.






That's the smallest tree of this week's work, so I know I will be using the gassers as well. Next all battery saw test will be after they are done, and I go back to taking out some smaller standing dead trees, got my eye on two decent elms.


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## Philbert (Oct 3, 2011)

*Heavy Fuel's Cell Phone Videos*

Cell phone video by Heavy Fuel.
Taken at the charity wood cutting event (a little embarrassing that my hearing protection looks like Elmer Fudd. Not needed for this saw, but, I could have at least parked them a little neater!)

On YouTube:

Philbert demonstrates electric saw with no throttle blipping. 
Philbert demonstrates electric saw with no throttle blipping.  - YouTube



Philbert Sharpening Chain
Philbert Sharpening Chain - YouTube


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## zogger (Oct 3, 2011)

*Instant on/off is great*



Philbert said:


> As noted above, I put the saw to heavier use at the charity wood cutting event yesterday, and passed it around to others interested in trying it. I had a great photo of Grandpatractor cutting a 14” log with it, until I realized that I had grabbed the GPS from my glove box instead of my camera. At least I know _where _he tried it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Instant on off is great! It's real nice to just set it down, it is off, take your time, remove all the trim branches that are in the way, then get back to cutting. I like the trims out of my way, plus makes it easier to find and grab all the bucked off pieces you want to save once they *are* out of the way. No sitting there with an idling saw wasting fuel, no reyanking it to get started again. I like to clean up as I go, instead of wading and tripping through mess piles.

Glad the other guys got to try it out.

I still haven't tried mine with regular 3/8ths low pro, I will once this sharpening stone is shot and I have to take it off anyway, see how the chip clearing does then.
I would also like the tool-less cover to have a bit finer threads, so it takes more turns, but tightens better.

Yep, bar oil life is fantastic. I am getting the same, two + batteries worth per tank. And it is a small tank, so a jug of oil will last a long time. And it does oil very well, the chain stays clean and lubed, and it leaks so very little at rest it is almost non existent. So bar life should be pretty good.

Did you look at that chain close? Sure looks like you could, if you wanted to or had to, keep it sharpened with a flat file, at least somewhat sharpened. I guess you'd need a diamond flat file for that diamond sharpening cutter though, or something like that.

Did the other guys like it, knowing what it was designed for?


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## Philbert (Oct 3, 2011)

zogger said:


> Did you look at that chain close? Sure looks like you could, if you wanted to or had to, keep it sharpened with a flat file, at least somewhat sharpened.


 
On this chain, I have really only sharpened it to show people how it works. A couple of times over 5, full battery charge/runs (I'm starting to keep track like other guys measure tanks of fuel run). Not sure that I want to get creative with this as I don't think I could get each tooth consistent.



zogger said:


> Did the other guys like it, knowing what it was designed for?


 
Most of these guys are accustomed to running bigger saws. There was definitely some curiosity, and I think that several were impressed, compared to their expectations. I am hoping that a few will post comments; positive, negative or neutral, in their own words.

Philbert


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## Steve NW WI (Oct 4, 2011)

> Originally Posted by zogger
> 
> Did the other guys like it, knowing what it was designed for?



That's me in Philbert's first pic. I do think it's a nice little machine that would work well for a homeowner that does occasional pruning, or for someone that wants a no fuss saw up at the cabin to cut some campfire wood. I was pretty impressed with the torque it had, but kind of expected that out of an electric. My only dislikes were the price (perhaps it will come down in the long run, but right now it's not competitive with even the smaller Stihl, Husky, etc. saws, let alone the box store stuff), and the fact that while everything else (sharpening, bar cover, etc.) is toolless, you still need a screwdriver to tighten the chain.

Based on the little I've run it, and you guys' reviews, I wouldn't hesitate to mention it as a good option for homeowner friends.

To use the car dealer line: "What's it gonna take to put you in one of these babies?" Probably half or less the current $400 price tag, and a little more long term testing (but that's just me - I'm not an "early adopter").

What would I change? A little smaller sizewise would be good. Philbert and I speculated that probably it's size and styling was deliberate to make it look as much like a "real" saw as possible, probably good for a first generation tool like this, but after they catch on, lets not make em bigger than they need to be. Also the chain cover plugging issue, which I suspect is due to the cupped cutter style on the Powersharp chain, could possibly be fixed by diverting some cooling fan airflow to the area.


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## zogger (Oct 4, 2011)

*Chip plugging and today's tree and economics costs*

On retrospect, the only time I got a cover fulla chips was noodling a beech crotch.
I remembered this morning, and seeing as how I hadn't cleaned it since yesterday, I opened it up..bupkis, nothing, just a bit of oily dust and a few chips. Looked like any other saw with a sharp chain after one tank of fuel. And that was two full batteries in mostly green white oak. Nothing like what Philbert got. 


So todays project was a much larger wild cherry. I was three saw planning it, so only took one battery. I ran it out, got all the trims off completely, then bucked, and I counted as I stacked, 146 pieces, worked out to 6.5 cubic feet. I stacked that in the forward row to get a pic, before I bucked with the gassers, didn't want to confuse the two "score" amounts of wood. Final tally was 18.5 cubic feet in the back row, the 6.5 in the front, leaving a dozen or so of the largest main trunk rounds behind. I'll pick them up later... Call it a fifth of a cord, close enough, 100% pure cherry.

Here is the saw sprocket area and the cover, showing one full battery of debris, after I cleaned it (rag and little stick action in the field) before I started cutting today
.
(notice it is six pin, with the 14 -need to change that above where I brane pharted and got that wrong bar, kept calling it a 16. I am thinking a 7 pin and maybe a 12 inch bar with normal low pro as an experimental mod....)(the shipped bar also looks like it will take the regular external powersharp sharpening cassette..so you could lose the internal stone and just use external, along with the stone moving apparatus, if you still wanted the self sharpening system. That would open up the discharge area more, and take some weight off the saw, not much but some)











I got this far on the tree, trims off and the smaller pieces bucked off with one charge.






The battery only part of the score.






As to the over all size issue, I don't think it is too big. It's small saw size. For one, it needs to be that wide to fit those big batteries. You want some length in the rear handle for a balance with the bar. The ergonomics of rear handle styled chainsaws are pretty set, I don't see how they could make it much different. the other little battery saws have the battery in the handle, but these batts are so big and heavy that would seriously screw up the balance.

Some rainy day coming up I will clean it well then disassemble it for a tear down set of pics, so we can look at it better.

As to cost..hard to compare. It isn't a gas saw. It's not sold as a gas saw, it is sold as the ultimate "you grab it anytime and it just works, on/off" no hassle saw for various jobs. No fuel, no mix, no taking it to the shop for sharpening tool. I checked around for an hour or so on google this morning, I can't find anything close to it for a fair comparison, which would be battery powered saws. There are much smaller, less capacity, teeny bar length battery saws for cheaper, and only two others in the same "class", the Stihl and the Bosch (as far as I know). Both of those are 36 volt (close enough to the same class). The Stihl is at least a hundred adjusted bucks higher, and the Bosch is close to the Oregon. Both have smaller shipped bars. Neither of them has built in self sharpening. Both batteries stand alone replacement cost are higher in price. Heck, even the smaller you can get it here now Makita cordless saw battery is much more expensive than the Oregon. Oregon is the *cheapest* of the better battery saws out there now, looking at performance specs at least.


The deal with homeowner saws is...they buy one with the do dads, use it twice, it sits, next year they go to use it and it won't start. They take it to the shop, shop quotes them a ridiculous high figure, they sell it a big loss on Craigslist and go buy another cheap saw, or entry level big name brand saw. The next year the same thing happens again, even with the alleged good saw, because we know they just slap will not do maintenance, and cut with a dull chain, or put it on backwards, and use incorrect mix and so on, then leave half a tank in the saw for six months to a year or more, put the mix in the bar oil and vice versa, all that stuff.... No start, endless yanking and cussing, back to the shop, where they get hit with repair sticker shock all over again. 

They have now spent what one of these Oregon saws cost, plus the aggravation of no start/no cut when they need it, and they still *don't own a reliable for them running saw*. They have to buy another one, or get the old one fixed, now they are way over the cost of one of these.

And we all here know that happens, because we buy those gunked up dirty saws they sell at a loss, yes? Millions of them out there, and millions of annoyed homeowners. This saw was designed to address all those issues, and pretty much nails it. The only thing left to do is somehow come out with a bar and saw chain that doesn't require bar oil....

If you look at it that way, this is a much better deal economically for them up front.


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## zogger (Oct 7, 2011)

*Chip buildup revisited and I think solved*

OK, I have gone several charges without getting the massive chip build up scenario..until this morning. This morning's job was a 12 inch at the base sweetgum. Got all but the last three cuts with the Oregon saw, it was still cutting fine and just ran out of battery, and still throwing chips.

However, when I pulled the cover for inspection, it looked like this:






Ok, that sucks, but I know why it happened now! It was definitely the self sharpening system. What happens is, there is a small gap between the moving stone assembly and the case side, real thin, but there. I carefully flicked out those chips a little at a time so I could follow the buildup pattern. Found it. A tiny sliver which was quite long had gotten wedged behind that assembly. The stick (mostly a long bark sliver) sticking out in the discharge chute was long enough so that chips flying by bent it back. It finally bent enough to jam, causing a pile up of chips, which in turn, made the jam worse.

I believe this happens when limbing off the real small branches, you are cutting at an angle off a larger branch or the trunk, not exactly a nice neat perpendicular bucking cut, the "slashing' styled cut in other words. If you don't get a perfect clean cut, you get a tear, it throws those long slivers, and if it hits just right, gets wedged back in there and can cause problems.

Like I said, I wasn't getting this that often, and I wanted to analyze it when it happened again, because Philbert brought it up so I went "hmm, OK, this is a design issue if we are both getting that".

The solution is be more careful and try to make sure your cuts are clean and as perpendicular to the wood as possible, or just lose the internal sharpener and put a regular low pro chain on, or switch to the external powersharp system.

I think next tree, Mr. Fiskars hatchet and machete are going with me, I am going to Conan off the real small stuff I leave in the field, then start bucking cuts only on the smaller stuff I want to keep with the Oregon saw. 

I should get more wood to take home per charge that way, plus, we'll see if it eliminates the chip buildup problem, retaining the stock saw config with the internal sharpener (I like it, pretty handy thing really)

Oh, no pic, but I got about 8 cubic feet of take home wood though. Last three larger rounds I bucked with the husky. 

I tell you, I think I have a coupla of the best "little" saws out there.


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## zogger (Oct 8, 2011)

*Ehancing Productivity with the Fiskars Upgrade Module*

Today's project was the large ash tree, the largest tree of my experimental trees in this batch this week. I toted out a three saw plan, plus the fiskars hatchet and the machete.

First, the machete was a no go on limbing, not real suitable for whacking very hard wood like ash. Whereas the hatchet was superb! The little Fiskars hatchet comes pretty sharp, and it worked admirably on taking off the trims I didn't want. Why the heck I haven't been using the old woodman's tried and true standard is beyond me. Guess I got fixated on having to do everything with an engine.






Anyway, because I wasn't using any of the battery for trimming, all the cuts with the Oregon saw were "take home wood" cuts. You get a LOT more you want to keep per battery charge then. 

Tree ready to start bucking, after first limbing with the "upgrade biodrive module"






Some of the small saw score (some was stacked already)






Follow up on chip build up: nothing today, perfectly empty inside after a full charge, just some normal oily dust stuff. I had just enough charge left to wipe off the stone with my finger, then run the sharpener for a coupla seconds before pulling the battery and putting it back on the charger. Keeping those long tears out keeps the chute from plugging up.

Bonus pic! The cute one with her first ever in her life split! I called her over and say "here try this, it just doesn't get any more fun or easier than these straight dry poplar rounds" (I mixed in a standing dead poplar with the ash today) A few whacks later, once she got the range and did more than a token girly swing, POP, should have seen her face,,she goes "I did it"!!!!


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## zogger (Oct 9, 2011)

*Cherry is just Cherry*

Got to do another nice cherry tree today, and had determined this was going to be an all electric day, no matter what it took, with the fiskars hatchet doing the trims as before. (that is working out nice, fast and efficient and lets the saw do the saw work)(plus it is fun to do a little hatchet work..)

Here is the tree after the trim






Traditional saw on a stump shot-the hard working CS250E






And the score, 25 + cubic feet, or a fifth of a cord! And decent wood too, a lot of very nice rounds! Total run time, 2.5 battery charges. Had enough left on the third battery to buck up a lot of the still hanging around the back yard big pine that got dropped earlier (got tons more to go, too)






This is the third largest round from the trunk, for some scale






That's some fun stuff to split, too!


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## zogger (Oct 11, 2011)

*Woo HOO I beat the mud!*

I didn't take any pics yesterday, but I did two more sweetgums,which were the end of my first batch of experimental + needed to go work trees. BEAT THE MUD HAPPY DANCE! hehehehehe Mom's nature nailed me on that before, and this old dog can learn new tricks then, go ahead and get hot in the summer and get r done while you got access. I got to be past well past 2013 into 2014 now. Started getting our first heavy fall rain last night and still raining today, and this will happen off and on all winter, closing up my easy access to what I call the "swamp wood" in the lower pastures. I still have upper pasture woodlot access, but it just ain't the same, and less choices. (for cull wood I mean, I just take woodlot management/pasture cleaning cull wood, small to large). You guys way up north got to wait until the ground freezes hard, down here, you have to go out when it is sun baked hard. Mud is mud, just two different ways to go about avoiding it.

No pics yesterday, but here is the final split and ready to go stack, a lot, well over 50% cut with the Oregon (bleeding edge new tech) most of the felling and much larger cuts with the grampaw (old and reliable tech, but man is that geezer thirsty for mix and bar oil) saw, the 245a, with the little husky doing some work in between. This is three rows deep, Mr. Fiskars in there to show the work he did, and for some scale. 

There's another stack nearby, somewhat larger, with still a big pile of unsplit rounds, all the real big stuff yet to go. That'll give me something to do with wood (my daily woodrobics workout) once access gets limited, I can go out and split for fifteen minutes a day or something.


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## Philbert (Oct 11, 2011)

Zogger,

Sorry I missed your 'Happy Dance' - got any video of that?

I really appreciate your quantitative evaluations on the battery life. Saying, 'I get a half-hour to an hour of work time' is one thing, because work habits and methods vary. Saying that you got '25 cubic feet of cherry', or 'a fifth of a cord of hardwood in 16 inch lengths', is something that people can visualize.

Philbert


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## Steve NW WI (Oct 11, 2011)

Nice work, Zogger. I always thought I was pretty conservative, not leaving anything over 2" or so in the woods. You take that to a whole new level!

The saw just doesn't fit my uses, probably never will, but if I were an Oregon dealer, I'd want to have one on the shelf and another demo model ready for when the homeowners come in. I think they'll be a big success in that market.

PS - spent 3 years at Ft Benning, I know well the wet season you speak of. Luckily for me I have just a couple low spots that I have to wait for a freeze for up here, most of my cutting is done on sandy upland woods. That "Georgia Clay" has well earned its reputation for being slicker than whale snot when wet, yet still being able to stick to everything when it gets slung around. Fun to 'wheel in, not fun to clean up afterwards!


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## zogger (Oct 11, 2011)

*Ya, fun*



Philbert said:


> Zogger,
> 
> Sorry I missed your 'Happy Dance' - got any video of that?
> 
> ...



Bwa, no vid of the happy dance. Last wheelbarrow to the pile then we covered it I stood and stared at the thing for awhile, then went whoop! that was it, good enough...

I liked doing the analysis and chronicling the actual production and what worked and what didn't etc. Old frustrated non scientist here....coulda woulda shoulda, water under the dam now, so I make do when given the opportunity, and this was an unexpected and fun opportunity for me.


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## zogger (Oct 11, 2011)

*Mud..lookit the bright side...*



Steve NW WI said:


> Nice work, Zogger. I always thought I was pretty conservative, not leaving anything over 2" or so in the woods. You take that to a whole new level!
> 
> The saw just doesn't fit my uses, probably never will, but if I were an Oregon dealer, I'd want to have one on the shelf and another demo model ready for when the homeowners come in. I think they'll be a big success in that market.
> 
> PS - spent 3 years at Ft Benning, I know well the wet season you speak of. Luckily for me I have just a couple low spots that I have to wait for a freeze for up here, most of my cutting is done on sandy upland woods. That "Georgia Clay" has well earned its reputation for being slicker than whale snot when wet, yet still being able to stick to everything when it gets slung around. Fun to 'wheel in, not fun to clean up afterwards!



It's fabulous ballast weight and a fantastic undercoating...

..gives me a great excuse to own a pressure washer 

I take that little stuff in the pastures as much for being able to drive over it as anything else. I am the onliest guy who drives down there, so I don't want any problems hitting stuff, or leaving ruts. You know what tractors and tires cost.... Up on the hillsides I am not *quite* as meticulous and picky, I still takea lot of small, and use some of the slash to build little berms if I see any runoff spots handy that look like they need it. I use slash and drag around deadfalls that are half rotten. Doesn't take much time and after some years here now I can see where it makes a difference in the areas I have done that. I've got this like 20 year plan that eventually a lot of these woods will look like parks.... It's good to add to the soil tilth as well. 

There's nothing that will stop the cows from making deep trails though...

This is funny, I've got this spot where the cows insist on walking across a ditch. I would rather they walked around that part, just downhill a little. Nope. They think different. No matter how much junk I have dumped in that place, I mean mountains of branches and even cut down wads of rose bush pickers and scrap rotten lumber and assorted folderol, with a week or two they got it beat down to a cowpath again. 

The keeping the little stuff habit I got when cutting by hand, it works fine, just takes a little more time when doing a tree, (and you feed the stove more often, no big deal either) but I don't care about that, cutting is fun, little saw, big saw...when you get paid to cut, even indirectly, life is good!


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## Philbert (Oct 16, 2011)

*Suburban Safari*

I have a friend who lives in the suburbs, who is not very handy with yard tools. But he had a brush pile that needed to be tamed, and a half-dead tree that he wanted cut back, but not removed. We used a long handled lopper on everything 1 inch diameter or less, and the Oregon saw on everything larger.

The 'kicker'? We did it across the street from a church on Sunday without disturbing anyone. Later in the afternoon, we heard a conventional chain saw about 2 blocks away.

The pile here took just less than one charge on the Endurance battery (we finished it off on some other stuff not shown).

Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 16, 2011)

*Much coolness*



Philbert said:


> I have a friend who lives in the suburbs, who is not very handy with yard tools. But he had a brush pile that needed to be tamed, and a half-dead tree that he wanted cut back, but not removed. We used a long handled lopper on everything 1 inch diameter or less, and the Oregon saw on everything larger.
> 
> The 'kicker'? We did it across the street from a church on Sunday without disturbing anyone. Later in the afternoon, we heard a conventional chain saw about 2 blocks away.
> 
> ...



Hope that gets used for firewood! It's fun running it when it is quiet, isn't it? I mean, I like all saws for different reasons, the cs250e is just spiffy to run in ..what's a word..stealth mode.


How did your friend like the saw? Did he run it any?

Dang now ya got me thinking again, I *have* a couple of loppers, but never take them with me out cutting..hmm..the fiskars hatchet is fast, but loppers could work over head better when a tree is down and branches are way up...hmmmm

I still like that branch holder Bailey's has for like..120? Something like that. Good for those branches that go WAY up there once the tree is down, so you want to whack the whole dang branch off and do it on the ground.

Best use of battery power and so on..you had commented before on what I was writing...it comes from me being caretaker at a big spread that had a really large solar installation (well, and running my own, all my electricity for almost a year was one panel and one battery)(and plus being an amateur lay scientist..I am way more that than being an engineer..sometimes good, sometimes not so good..). I monitored and ran everything and got real good at sizing and timing jobs. For instance, keeping track, I would know within fifteen minutes or so when the battery banks were at full charge (past records, keeping track of how sunny it was, time of year, etc, previous demands during the day, that stuff), that is when we would fire up the well pump to water the garden, run the washing machine, etc. After awhile you get used to adjusting your electricity demand to when it is the most practical and economical. Really large savvy corporations do similar, saves them a LOT on their electric bill. (Homeowners could too if they offered time of day rates...)

Small mindset change, that's all, real similar to getting used to running your woodstove. You don't even think about it after awhile, you just know what size chunks and what species go in and when depending on what sort of heating day you are having. You become the biothermostat...

I am finding with the battery saw now it is about automatic, I know exactly when I should not cut a piece off the tree, and move back to smaller stuff, working around and around all the branches, and when to whip out the small gasser, or medium or large gasser. No sense wasting fuel (and engine longevity), running too of big a saw on too small of a piece, and conversely, no sense wasting battery go-juice on too big of a piece either.


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## Philbert (Oct 22, 2011)

*Totally Subjective Chain Comparison*

A common question with the PowerNow saw has to do with the PowerSharp chains. Some people are not familiar with these, or not comfortable with them, or simply prefer their standard chains. Since you can run conventional chain (3/8" low profile) on this saw, I conducted a totally subjective comparison using the following 3 chains, on the same log, with the same user, same time of the day, day of the week, same point in the election cycle, etc.:

- PowerSharp (91PS);
- 91PX - low kickback with bumper drive links;
- 91VG - low kickback with bumper tie straps.

The PowerSharp chain was used, and I ran it through a 5 second sharpening cycle, whether it needed it or not. The 91PX and 91VG chains were new, out of the box.

The log was a 5" diameter, knotty, box elder trunk that has been down for a few months. I suppose that results could vary with the type of wood. I cut several cookies with each chain, as fast as I could swap them out, and even went back, and tried each a second time. Out of respect for bobt, I only changed chains with the saw in an upright position.

I don't have a digital video camera to show any quantitative test results.

Much to my surprise, the PowerSharp chain actually cut the fastest, averaging around 6 seconds per cut. The 91PX and 91VG were pretty close together, with the PX maybe being slightly faster, but each came in a few seconds slower than the PowerSharp chain. The edges of the cuts were not any smoother with the conventional chains either. I don't think that chip clearance is a big issue with wood this small, so the similarity between the 91PX and 91VG is not surprising. But I was not expecting the PowerSharp chain to be the fastest. It also had the least tendency to bog the cordless saw down.

Bottom line: the saw worked with all three chains, but worked the best with the PowerSharp chain on this wood. Another finding was that the dogs thought that the cookies, were, well . . . cookies and cheerfully distributed them throughout the yard.

Philbert



Test Fixture



Test supervised by unbiased inspectors.



Paws down - this cookie wins!


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## zogger (Oct 22, 2011)

*Pretty cool!*



Philbert said:


> A common question with the PowerNow saw has to do with the PowerSharp chains. Some people are not familiar with these, or not comfortable with them, or simply prefer their standard chains. Since you can run conventional chain (3/8" low profile) on this saw, I conducted a totally subjective comparison using the following 3 chains, on the same log, with the same user, same time of the day, day of the week, same point in the election cycle, etc.:
> 
> - PowerSharp (91PS);
> - 91PX - low kickback with bumper drive links;
> ...


 
cool experiment! Glad you did it, now I don't have to! %^)

Ya, surprising the powersharp beat the other chains. 

The other cutting experiment like that I want to do is find a one pin larger drive sprocket, a shorter bar, like a 10" maybe, and get one of these PS loops made the correct size for it, or just go buy one for a shorter bar....

I'll have to take that drive sprocket off and see what it compares to. I know it won't balance as well with a shorter bar, but I'd like to bump up the chain speed a little.


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## Philbert (Oct 22, 2011)

zogger said:


> The other cutting experiment like that I want to do is find a one pin larger drive sprocket, a shorter bar, like a 10" maybe, and get one of these PS loops made the correct size for it, or just go buy one for a shorter bar.... I'd like to bump up the chain speed a little.


 
I don't know what to tell you about the sprocket. Maybe see if there is an Oregon part number on it that will tell you if it is compatible with another saw brand/model. As for the chain, I think that you would be better off finding a pre-made loop the right length - an Oregon rep told me that the PowerSharp chain does not seat well in most chain breakers, resulting in damaged links. I am sure you could still do it, but would take more effort than with conventional chain.

Might be an easier experiment to do using just 91PX/VG/VX chain if you need custom lengths.

Chain speed would remain the same (ft/second) regardless of the bar length.

Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 22, 2011)

*Yes*



Philbert said:


> I don't know what to tell you about the sprocket. Maybe see if there is an Oregon part number on it that will tell you if it is compatible with another saw brand/model. As for the chain, I think that you would be better off finding a pre-made loop the right length - an Oregon rep told me that the PowerSharp chain does not seat well in most chain breakers, resulting in damaged links. I am sure you could still do it, but would take more effort than with conventional chain.
> 
> Might be an easier experiment to do using just 91PX/VG/VX chain if you need custom lengths.
> 
> ...



Yes, knew that about the bar length, the speed increase comes from more pins on the drive sprocket. Just wanted to also try and keep the torque up a little, in the cut, from reduced chain friction going along the shorter bar. I don't know how much it would effect it, just wanted to know. So far, I like the PS system fine, as I did way back in the day when all I had was a craftsman plug in that had it. It always worked fine for me then. 

Although..in advance..I am tempted to think the oregon engineer guys already have done this and put what works the best on the saw as for sprocket and bar and chain, etc. What works best and what balances the best and to give joe homeowner something that can cut up the largest branches that might typically fall in the yard. 

It's the same with any saw, speed versus torque, finding a sweet spot that just works well with whatever engine or motor you have, in what wood ya got. But, you can't always guarantee the perfect wood for your system either. That's one reason why I tried it in a 30+ inch oak log, buried, I found out it will cut it. Slow, but it'll do it. You can cut from two sides, meaning it would handle, with some charges, even some pretty beefy downed branches or larger trees, as-is, stock.


Another sprocket with one more pin (or two, I don't care), if I can find one that fits, just can't be that expensive, good for a hoot more than anything..mods...

I know you know from running it, it needs to crack 10 thou RPMs somehow, that equivalent chain speed, to take it to the next serious level. One or two pins won't do it, but it'll get it quite a bit closer. After that is amateur EE time....


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## Philbert (Oct 22, 2011)

zogger said:


> I know you know from running it, it needs to crack 10 thou RPMs somehow, that equivalent chain speed, to take it to the next serious level. One or two pins won't do it, but it'll get it quite a bit closer. After that is amateur EE time....


 

Run 2 batteries in series - see what it does at 80 amps!

Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 23, 2011)

*volts*



Philbert said:


> Run 2 batteries in series - see what it does at 80 amps!
> 
> Philbert



ya, that's the easy way to get more power in a DC motor, run more volts, just I haven't scoped the computer interface yet. That's a large part of the price of the saw and why it works and I don't own an electron microscope to do a sliced wafer breakdown on the chips.nor would I know what I was looking at anyway..snort. Just an omega nerd here, that is alpha level hyper nerd stuff....those guys would just hire a harvester and put remote controls on it to go cut wood anyway......****

It is *most likely* possible to up the volts a scosh though....The RC hotrodders would most likely be way more into that stuff and would have a better idea on more exotic motors, etc. 

Next rainy day I'll take it apart and look at the components. I've been working on my gasser saws in my spare time lately, that and my truck and repairing the greenhouse before winter..and cutting wood.

"spare" time, who thought that up, it's silly....


**** boss told me a story about one time back a spell when he had a ton of loose cash, he bought a radio controlled commercial big mower, one that could cut on some unreal slopes, etc. Not a backyard mower, a big industrial commercial mower..just radio controlled. It was for doing dangerous to humans mowing jobs next to highways and stuff, real steep stuff. So he has this thing out and is sitting in a chair over here and runs it-remote controlled-across the street and starts mowing his old geezer buddy's yard for him, another rich dude. The dude comes out and is flabbergasted, here is this pilotless mower running across his yard.

So, eventually the boss walks over and gives him the controls and the other guy is running it, his wife walks out, hands him a blank check sez "he has got to have that toy!" So he sold it to her, for him. I never got to see it though, and that other geezer moved over the other side of town to his larger ranch, so that is where the mower is now.

Supposedly, they were always doing that to each other, one would buy something cool, the other guy would immediately buy it from him, it was the deal, got cash, you had to sell..pretty funny actually. "hey, lookit my new caddy limo"...blank check goes over... "you mean MY new caddy limo"..all kinza stuff, tractors, cars, etc.


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## PowerNow Eng (Oct 31, 2011)

*Do not apply overvoltage*

Hello,
I am an Engineer at Oregon PowerNow. I have reviewed the comments regarding putting two (2) batteries in series to increase speed and power. I want to advise that this should not be done.

The chainsaw motor and electronics are designed for 40V max DC. Putting two batteries in series will provide 80 V max to the saw. This high voltage would overload the system and cause the electronic control board to short and burn out causing smoke and/or fire. If the board did allow the voltage to get to the motor for more than a few seconds, the motor would also burn out. Neither the electronic control borard not the motor are designed for 80 Volts.


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## Philbert (Oct 31, 2011)

PowerNow Eng said:


> Hello,
> I am an Engineer at Oregon PowerNow. I have reviewed the comments regarding putting two (2) batteries in series to increase speed and power. I want to advise that this should not be done.
> 
> The chainsaw motor and electronics are designed for 40V max DC. Putting two batteries in series will provide 80 V max to the saw. This high voltage would overload the system and cause the electronic control board to short and burn out causing smoke and/or fire. If the board did allow the voltage to get to the motor for more than a few seconds, the motor would also burn out. Neither the electronic control borard not the motor are designed for 80 Volts.


 
While my comment was meant sarcastically, I appreciate your common sense caution, especially, since you have a much deeper understanding of the saw's architecture. 

We are always interested in learning the technical stuff behind these tools, so please feel free to add anything more you can tell us about the inner workings, or the design choices made.

And welcome to A.S.!

Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 31, 2011)

PowerNow Eng said:


> Hello,
> I am an Engineer at Oregon PowerNow. I have reviewed the comments regarding putting two (2) batteries in series to increase speed and power. I want to advise that this should not be done.
> 
> The chainsaw motor and electronics are designed for 40V max DC. Putting two batteries in series will provide 80 V max to the saw. This high voltage would overload the system and cause the electronic control board to short and burn out causing smoke and/or fire. If the board did allow the voltage to get to the motor for more than a few seconds, the motor would also burn out. Neither the electronic control borard not the motor are designed for 80 Volts.




Howdy! There's no way I was actually going to do that (two batts in series) to this spiffy saw! Just commenting on DC motors in general is all. I am fully aware of the nuances and technicalities involved in such an endeavor.

I'd bet a nickle though you have a few volts safety margin built in though...

As long as you are here, any hints you can give us of any new products to use the existing battery, or attachments like a pole saw for the existing powerhead? Or a tophandle? I've heard a couple comments now on a saw with that configuration. I like rear handles myself, but the heavy pruners and climbers like and use tophandles a lot more.

Thanks in advance, hope you liked our input on using the saws so far. I think these saws rock! They do *much* better than I first anticipated, and since I have gotten a lot more familiar with using them, I have upped productivity to a large degree (as you can see in my reports above)

Side issue on powersharp

Can the battery saw powersharp stone and mount be used on the older model previous generation on board powersharp system saws? If not, any thought to making upgrade models to fit?

Any word on a longer stronger powersharp system for general chainsaws? Some guys have expressed interest in a rough duty bar and chain with the external cassette system. like a 20 inch bar on a medium duty level gas saw.

Thanks again


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## PowerSharp Eng (Nov 1, 2011)

zogger said:


> Side issue on powersharp
> 
> Can the battery saw powersharp stone and mount be used on the older model previous generation on board powersharp system saws? If not, any thought to making upgrade models to fit?
> 
> ...


 
Zogger,

The stone used on the 40 V PowerNow chain saw has a radius specifically designed for the current version of PowerSharp chain on a 6 tooth drive sprocket. No consideration was given to fit the 1980's and earlier versions of top sharpening chains or the chain saws. Even if the stone radius is close to what was used on a system you may have, the chain will not have the diamond coated dresser links. With out the dresser links the stone will not get dressed when you sharpen. A poorly shaped groove will form in the stone and dull the chain so your cutting speed will drop off after a few sharpenings. 

There is a chain being developed to fit larger saws that are typically used with 20 inch long bars. No release date has been set yet.


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## Philbert (Jan 2, 2012)

*Free Chainsaw*

Oregon is having a drawing for one of their battery-powered chainsaws on their FaceBook page. This is the one with the longer life battery.

Free is one of the best kinds of chainsaws!

Philbert



> Oregon PowerNow Tools
> OREGON PowerNow CS250E Chainsaw Give-Away!!! Now’s your chance to win OREGON’s new 40V cordless saw. We will be announcing the winner on February 1st, 2012. Complete the 5-minute survey at the following link to submit your entry . . . .


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## zogger (Jan 2, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Oregon is having a drawing for one of their battery-powered chainsaws on their FaceBook page. This is the one with the longer life battery.
> 
> Free is one of the best kinds of chainsaws!
> 
> Philbert



thanks for the update, Philbert!

Hey guys, these really are spiffy, goferit, enter the drawing!

I already have one, so I won't enter, but it would be neat if someone from here won it!

Oregon PowerNow Tools | Facebook


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## jropo (Jan 5, 2012)

I tell you what that is an Awesome write up on it!!! I'm sold!!
How in the world did you get a gig like that!!!!?????


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## zogger (Jan 5, 2012)

jropo said:


> I tell you what that is an Awesome write up on it!!! I'm sold!!
> How in the world did you get a gig like that!!!!?????



--just ratchet jawing here on the site. Bro Philbert was talking about them, and powersharp and so on, I opined that I really liked battery technology and that lithium ion tech was really opening up the portable tools market a lot, compared to the old nicads and NiMh batts. They contacted me to be a test cutter,(and also leading me to clean out my PM box so this could happen, thanks to Philbert again), a date was set to meet at the farm here, and that was it. 

Ha! I cut loads better with it now over that first day, you have to adjust to it, it's a little different from running a gas saw. Chain speed is lower so you need to come into the cut with a little more authority and perpendicularly, then let the chain work, and that top sharpened chain cuts differently as well. Then you find the torque from the electric motor is great. Sort of like all those real old saws used to be, slower, but beefier for what they are. 

That saw, and the fiskars hatchet and splitter, you're set, you can get the work done.

I *imagine* they will eventually have more tools to use the same battery with, that will be cool.


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## jropo (Jan 5, 2012)

zogger said:


> --just ratchet jawing here on the site. Bro Philbert was talking about them, and powersharp and so on, I opined that I really liked battery technology and that lithium ion tech was really opening up the portable tools market a lot, compared to the old nicads and NiMh batts. They contacted me to be a test cutter,(and also leading me to clean out my PM box so this could happen, thanks to Philbert again), a date was set to meet at the farm here, and that was it.
> 
> Ha! I cut loads better with it now over that first day, you have to adjust to it, it's a little different from running a gas saw. Chain speed is lower so you need to come into the cut with a little more authority and perpendicularly, then let the chain work, and that top sharpened chain cuts differently as well. Then you find the torque from the electric motor is great. Sort of like all those real old saws used to be, slower, but beefier for what they are.
> 
> ...




A 12-14' pole saw would be Awesome!! Hot seller I'd bet. I'd buy one!


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## Philbert (Jan 8, 2012)

*Cold Weather Trial*

Took the Oregon saw to a G-T-G / charity wood cutting event today ( http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/170526-40.htm ) in West-Central Wisconsin, hoping to get some idea of how the saw performs in colder weather. Especially interested to see if the battery performance drops.

Temps were in the low 30's F, which is unseasonably warm for this time of year. Topped off the batteries the night before in the charger, and kept them in the house until about 2-1/2 hours before cutting time, but even then they were in my car, while driving, so they should not have gotten too cold.

Cut the wood in the photo, below. About 15 pieces of 5 to 8 inch diameter oak. Took a full 'Endurance' battery pack (the larger, 2.4 Ah version) and half of a second one (based on the LED charge indicator lights). The saw stopped several times in the cuts - assuming that it was the overload protection cutting in. I hit the sharpener a few times to make sure that the chain was sharpened.

As noted in some earlier comments, I think that this saw is best suited for wood up to about 4 inches in diameter, with occasional cutting of larger stuff. This wood, today, was definitely at the larger end of it's capacity, but was on the smaller side of what was being cut at this firewood event. Although I did cut some 14 inch spruce with this saw in warmer weather, this was oak, and it was frozen, which slowed down even the larger, gasoline saws used.

So I really did not get a good evaluation of how cold temperatures might affect the battery performance - this might need to be done in a more controlled test. But I did get to further evaluate the capacity of the saw, and see how it is affected by by conditions such as frozen wood. It could be used for pruning or removing downed limbs following an ice storm, but probably would not be the saw to take the big trunks off of your driveway.

Philbert


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## Steve NW WI (Jan 8, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Took the Oregon saw to a G-T-G / charity wood cutting event today ( http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/170526-40.htm ) this was oak, and it was frozen, which slowed down even the larger, gasoline saws used.
> 
> but probably would not be the saw to take the big trunks off of your driveway.
> 
> Philbert



Philbert does however, recommend the use of one of these (which was NOT slowed noticably by frozen oak) for the larger trunks on your driveway. Your tester Philbert playing with an 090G (owned by member Beefie):







Phil, if ya need some test material, I've got tons of 5' pine 4x4s here from work. If you want to stop out some cold day, or I could get em to ya, you're welcome to em. Cost to me was nada, and I can get more any time I want. They should be a nice size match for your saw, and fairly repeatable.


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## Philbert (Jan 8, 2012)

Well, in fairness, the Oregon saw _WAS_ a whole lot easier to start than any other saw I used today. Especially, that 090!

Philbert


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## mcdarvy (Jan 20, 2012)

a few questions on the Oregon saw that Oregon may not want to answer, 

what kind of cells are in the batt pack, most batt packs even smart ones have a series of individual batts within the pack, does the 40v pack have many cells or one solid cell (within the pack)?

what is the fine specs on the batt,(couldn't find them at oregon sight)? 
do they make a direct cord? probbally not, but what was the power requirements for a cord power supply?

it would be nice to not have to spend 300 on additional batts, i rebuild my old dead batt packs, (did you know a cordless dremil takes 4 AA batts within its pack, or most cordless drill packs are C or D rechargeables) 
it would be nice if there was a cord option.


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## Philbert (Jan 20, 2012)

mcdarvy said:


> a few questions on the Oregon saw that Oregon may not want to answer,
> 
> what kind of cells are in the batt pack, most batt packs even smart ones have a series of individual batts within the pack, does the 40v pack have many cells or one solid cell (within the pack)?
> 
> ...



The Oregon reps I have spoken with have been pretty up front in answering questions. Just make sure that you get a hold of one of the 'PowerNow' guys (this line), instead of a technical rep who works mostly with chains, grinders, etc.

I can tell you what is printed on the battery packs: 'Lithium Ion Battery Pack, Model:B400E, 37V, 2.4Ah/89Wh, Made in Japan'. This is the larger battery.

As I understand it, most battery packs are multi-cell - the guys at a Batteries Plus store showed me this. I have not opened up the case on this one (and don't plan to while it is still working!). I don't fully understand the 37/40 volt thing - this may be like some tools that used to state 'develops X horse power'; one is in a test stand and one is in use.

The saw itself says 'Made in China', but they noted that there are 'only a few manufacturers' making these types of batteries in Japan. They did not tell me which one makes theirs, but if you know batteries, apparently, you can probably narrow it down.

The batteries recharge in a separate charger (included) - not on the saw. If you want to recharge in your vehicle, you need to use a 12V to 120V inverter - there is no direct 12V option, but apparently, you can use one of the smaller, less expensive inverters ($20?). 

You cannot run the saw directly off of 120V current. If you want to do that, you can buy a corded electric saw for much less money, and have unlimited run time. The trade off is the convenience and the portability with the battery powered saw.

Philbert


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## zogger (Jan 20, 2012)

mcdarvy said:


> a few questions on the Oregon saw that Oregon may not want to answer,
> 
> what kind of cells are in the batt pack, most batt packs even smart ones have a series of individual batts within the pack, does the 40v pack have many cells or one solid cell (within the pack)?
> 
> ...



I haven't take any of mine apart, but I'd be surprised if it is anything but a group of individual cells. Every batt pack I have ever looked at was like that. The pack has some built in test and display circuitry as well.

They claim 1,000 recharges before replacement. By then, some years down the road, maybe they will have a recycle deal, turn in an old one for rebuilding, get some credit, etc. 

Yes, a cord option would be nice. The routing would be hard the way the saw is designed though, batt pack at the top. 

All I have are the numbers on the battery pack charger, they are (your household current) then 60 watts for the charger draw, 1.25 amps and 41.50 VDC for the output. 

The E series batt itself reads 37 volt, 2.4Ah/89Wh

use/store between 0 and 40 C

What are LiIons single cells anyway, like 3 and small change volts? Something like that? 



I take it you bought one, or are thinking about it?

Anyway, I bet you already know the answer to your overall question as regards rebuilding packs in general...no manufacturer wants you too, will tell you how, will advise don't open them up, yada yada. I don't expect them to be any different with this product. All sorts of liability issues and so on, and once you start getting up into bignum DC volts it can get.."exciting"

I know the laws get rad past 48 VDC.


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## PowerNow (Jan 20, 2012)

mcdarvy - The Standard battery has 10 Li-Ion cells and the Endurance battery has 20 Li-Ion cells. We do not have a corded version of the saw, nor do we make an attachment to do so. A standard battery retails for $149.99 and the Endurance battery retails for $199.99. We do not recommend tampering with the batteries in any way.

Philbert - 40 volts is the measurement of the battery when it comes off the charger. When the saw is running, the nominal voltage is 37. We have a 12V DC charger coming out this summer. When charging the batteries on an inverter/generator we recommend using an inverter/generator that outputs a pure sine wave to avoid damage to the batteries. This is not unique to our batteries. All battery technologies would be affected.

zogger - There is a phone number on the bottom of the battery for recycling. This is a service we have already paid for. At this point in time we do not have a battery exchange program.

Hope that helps!

Luke
OREGON PowerNow Tools


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## Philbert (Jan 20, 2012)

PowerNow said:


> Philbert - 40 volts is the measurement of the battery when it comes off the charger. When the saw is running, the nominal voltage is 37. We have a 12V DC charger coming out this summer.



Thanks Luke. Look forward to the DC charger.

I actually have not tried an inverter yet because I do not want to drain my car battery when it is parked while cutting; especially in this colder weather. And when I start it up again, I am usually heading home, where I can plug it in. The 12V charging option would work well when driving between cutting jobs.

And welcome to A.S.!

Philbert


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## zogger (Jan 20, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Thanks Luke. Look forward to the DC charger.
> 
> I actually have not tried an inverter yet because I do not want to drain my car battery when it is parked while cutting; especially in this colder weather. And when I start it up again, I am usually heading home, where I can plug it in. The 12V charging option would work well when driving between cutting jobs.
> 
> ...




That draw on the charger is real small Phil. Even with inverter losses (they are almost all now 90% or better efficient), it isn't enough to worry about if your vehicle battery is in any kind of decent shape.

Back in ye olden corn-mune days, all we had for electricity was our vehicle batteries. Yank 'em, bring em in, run junk yard backup lights for lights, and junkyard radios and 8 track players. No probs for hours, stick battery back in in the morning. 

Try it in your driveway first to check, you got a regular car batt charger at home, right? Plug in a discharged endurance cell, charge it, then try to start your vehicle. I bet you won't notice any difference at all (Try a completely cold engine for best results). 

Bet a nickle you won't notice much. I know I have spaced before and left headlights on for hours at work and still managed to get my van started (like 8am to lunch time, go out to ride, whoops! It cranked...). Headlights will draw a lot more than that charger will.



Just check the specs on your inverter, Luke up there said they like pure sine wave.


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## Philbert (Jan 20, 2012)

zogger said:


> Try it in your driveway first to check, . . .



Interesting idea Zog. Maybe I can borrow some type of battery test tool to see how much power remains in the battery, before and after.



zogger said:


> Luke up there said they like pure sine wave.



Luke said they _recommend_ a pure sine wave inverter; I'd _like_ one as well! 

They are a bit pricier than your run-of-the-mill-NAPA/Menard's/Northern Tool/Sam's Club/etc. inverters. I am not even sure if my household current is that clean.

Anybody know if the output from one the more modest inverters is any cleaner when the car engine is running or not? I know that the ham radio guys like to 'filter' their 12V power through the car's battery to dampen down spikes from the alternator, noise from the spark plugs, etc. It would seem that power from a parked car with the engine off would be more stable.

It wiill be interesting to see what their 12V charger looks like.

Philbert


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## zogger (Jan 20, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Interesting idea Zog. Maybe I can borrow some type of battery test tool to see how much power remains in the battery, before and after.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Depends on your cars electronics. older vehicle=noisier. But..a variable. Too many vehicles out there and I am not an expert in that sort of stuff, just a rule of thumb deal. Modern electronics is just loads better for the most part, most situations. (short of solar x class flare or nuke EMP event, then the Amish are the high tech world leaders..)

As you are into emergency work, you might look into adapting a second battery into your vehicle *anyway*, and running what is called an "isolator". This allows the alternator to charge both batteries, but will only draw from the dedicated starter battery on cranking, and conversely, only run what you want with the other battery, not effecting your important starter battery. It isolates them..

You can wire your cig outlet receptacle to the other battery (called the "house" battery in RV speak). And in a pinch, you can just cheap jumper cable them together in a parallel circuit, your ride WILL start then. I mean you can do it with switche$, but jumper cables you already got work as well. 

And solar panels are at an historical low now, down below a buck a watt at one source I was looking at today. (PM for the link if ya want it) You'd need around a 100 watter or so, 80 is cool, that outputs enough amps, plus a charge controller, to do that saw battery "in the field". 

My old single panel rig was all mounted on a modded handtruck, panel, battery, charge controller. I added a screw into the ground dog lead connector to use as both a wind anchor and a ground. (first windy day I sorta noticed an anchor was a good idea...) 

edit: almost forgot! Your car battery test. Just use your cheap multimeter and test for voltage before and after, that's plenty good enough.


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## Philbert (Feb 9, 2012)

*String Trimmer and Hedge Trimmer?*

This YouTube video says that they are coming out with a string trimmer and hedge trimmer in 2012 that will use the same batteries. That is consistent with the STIHL line of cordless chainsaws.

Philbert


Feature Overview of the OREGON PowerNow 40V MAX CS250 Chainsaw - YouTube


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## zogger (Feb 10, 2012)

Philbert said:


> This YouTube video says that they are coming out with a string trimmer and hedge trimmer in 2012 that will use the same batteries. That is consistent with the STIHL line of cordless chainsaws.
> 
> Philbert



Thanks for the headsup on that! I hope they also come out with an attachment to turn the saw into a pole saw.


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## jpsheb (Feb 11, 2012)

trailmaker said:


> Stihl will be releasing their own cordless saw sometime soon. It's good to see cordless saws progressing, I bought one by Ryobi a few years ago but it was total junk. These new saws look much better and we should see some really nice ones in a few years. Thanks for the writeup and keep us posted on the long term performance.



Yep, that little Ryobi (I have one too) is not what I would call a chainsaw. Not even for work up high--my 14" Sugoi handsaw works faster. On the other hand, its a great tool in my carpentry inventory--I've gotten alot of use out of it keeping it sharpened for soft framing lumber and for making those trims and adjustments that can't be handled by the other saws. But only after ditching the safety chain!

Im glad to see the cordless saws progressing. I'd really like someone to come out with a top-handle version of a 36V or higher cordless--the saw should really shine in that applicatoin. 

I'd like to see a comparison of the PowerNow with a regular (narrow kerf) chain against some other small saws (200T, 435, etc.)


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## zogger (Feb 11, 2012)

jpsheb said:


> Yep, that little Ryobi (I have one too) is not what I would call a chainsaw. Not even for work up high--my 14" Sugoi handsaw works faster. On the other hand, its a great tool in my carpentry inventory--I've gotten alot of use out of it keeping it sharpened for soft framing lumber and for making those trims and adjustments that can't be handled by the other saws. But only after ditching the safety chain!
> 
> Im glad to see the cordless saws progressing. I'd really like someone to come out with a top-handle version of a 36V or higher cordless--the saw should really shine in that applicatoin.
> 
> I'd like to see a comparison of the PowerNow with a regular (narrow kerf) chain against some other small saws (200T, 435, etc.)



Oh, it isn't near as fast. I mean the 200T is a factory high end hot rod.

It is roughly half speed compared to modern small gas saws. It cuts, just don't expect it to be a gas saw, it isn't. Getting there, but not yet. MUCH better than the other batt saws out there, with the possible exception of the stihl and the bosch they sell in europe. Now it will cut what my little husky will cut, but again, not as fast. The chain design though is interesting and it will cut right with regular low pro IMO. 

What I like about it is it is quiet, easy start, on / off, self sharpening, real good on bar oil use, cheap to run. Plus, in an extended emergency, I gots my own fuel station with my PV panels. 

I've taken a little over 2 cords so far out of the branches in the front yard this past week, the oregon saw did a scosh more than 1/2 cord of that. It's real good for milking the branches out in the tangled mess. Make some cuts, drag stuff out of the way with the saw OFF. Go back, make some more cuts. Lather rinse repeat. If I was doing the small stuff with a gas saw it would be idling most of the time, just wasting fuel and being noisy for no reason. Or turn it off, re yankstart and stop a hundred times. No thanks on that, prefer the batt saw for the trimming work now, just fantastic for that. 

One handed as a climbing saw...naw. Little heavy and rear handled awkward for that. Ya, I agree on a tophandle version though, that would be slick, that could work, especially if they bumped up the chain speed, either by gearing or a different motor, even at the disadvantage of reduced battery run time. They'd have to put the battery on the bottom and not the top of the saw to do that.

I don't have a sugoi or silky? those pro saws, are they that much better over a corona? I need/want some more biodrive saws, I am shy in that department right now. I have a corona pole saw, works pretty good actually for the money. I am ass-uming it is the same blade just with a handle. Tell ya the troofiness, I'd just as soon use that over the cheap poulan gasser pole saw I have. The only thing I don't like about it is it is hard/near impossible to make an undercut, just awkward. It's possible, but I don't have the technique for it very good, or something. Maybe if they had a quick attach system (freeking wingnuts would work) and a lot of different shaped and angled blades it might be better.


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## Philbert (Feb 11, 2012)

jpsheb said:


> I'd really like someone to come out with a top-handle version of a 36V or higher cordless--the saw should really shine in that applicatoin.
> I'd like to see a comparison of the PowerNow with a regular (narrow kerf) chain against some other small saws (200T, 435, etc.)



I posted some photos of a Husqvarna T536 LiXP top-handled, 36V saw I found on their Facebook site, that apparently is a prototype. http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/183354.htm

Bosch has a 36V AKE30Li that looks to be somewhere between a rear handle and a top handle saw in terms of handle placement: AKE 30 LI - Cordless chainsaw - Bosch Garden Tools

Makita has a 12V top handle saw: Makita USA - Tool Details - UC120DWD

As Zogger mentioned, the battery saws do not compete with the gas saws on speed or power, but can on convenience, noise, ease of starting, etc. I did a brief comparison of the PowerSharp chain with more conventional Oregon 3/8"LP chains (91PX, 91VG), and posted some comments in post #58 of this thread. I liked the PowerSharp better on this saw.

The STIHL 36V and the Makita 12V use smaller pitch chain (1/4"). The Bosch information only indicated .043 gauge chain, so I assume that it is also 1/4" ptich. I don't know what size chain the Husqvarna saws use.

Philbert


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## jpsheb (Feb 11, 2012)

zogger said:


> What I like about it is it is quiet, easy start, on / off, self sharpening, real good on bar oil use, cheap to run. Plus, in an extended emergency, I gots my own fuel station with my PV panels.



No question about it. easy start/on/off are the biggest selling points for a potential buyer like me--positive attributes that I are magnified when going up a tree. Being quiet is an added bonus (I suppose not having to wear ear muffs can't be a bad thing.) The extended emergency (no access to liquid fuel) aspect I can see being good too. 

On the other hand, while the self-sharpening is definitely an innovative option--it not really integral to the cordless electric core and therefore not really a discriminator. In fact, if they made a top-handled one without the power-sharp feature, I'd buy one today, with one regular battery & one big battery. 

Truth is, I'd like to see a collaboration between a chainsaw maker and a maker of top-of-the line cordless tools (e.g. DeWalt or Makita) to come up with a few purpose-built saws for the areas where cordless electric really shines. 

Now...I think I'm heading over to FB to take a look at that Husky prototype!


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## Philbert (Feb 11, 2012)

jpsheb said:


> I'd like to see a collaboration between a chainsaw maker and a maker of top-of-the line cordless tools (e.g. DeWalt or Makita) to come up with a few purpose-built saws for the areas where cordless electric really shines.



Er, . . . you do know that Makita did buy a chainsaw company (Dolmar) right?

I have a couple of corded Makita electric chainsaws that I really like. I expect them to come out with an upgraded version of their 12V chainsaw down the road.

Philbert


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## jpsheb (Feb 11, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Er, . . . you do know that Makita did buy a chainsaw company (Dolmar) right?
> 
> I have a couple of corded Makita electric chainsaws that I really like. I expect them to come out with an upgraded version of their 12V chainsaw down the road.
> 
> Philbert



Yep. I have their 15-amp electric chainsaw as well--and have my eye on my local Home Despot's rental 6401!

They are who I had in mind. While it's nice to see someone like Stihl or Husky come out with a cordless saw, their core technical strengths lay in 2-stroke engines & engine R&D. That's why I didn't hesitate with Makita's UC4030 or 16" beam saw, since their strength really seems to be with AC electric motor-driven equipment--especially 15-AMP motors. IMHO, the future of cordless electric chainsaws lie with companies who either already have a large stake in DC motor & battery tech (DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, for example) or else, already having a high profile in the chainsaw market (Stihl, Husky, Dolmar, etc.), are willing to invest in the technology through outright purchase of IP or else by partnering with others. It's a real good opportunity for echo, solo, or jonsered to gain ground. 

But Makita/Dolmar is probably best positioned...if only they would show something for it other than their corded electric chainsaws! I'm thinking of a range starting with 36V at the small end and going up to a 72V high torque (but lower chain-speed) rear-handle to handle 20-24" bars. Ok, back to reality now.


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## jpsheb (Feb 11, 2012)

*Almost Forgot! Speed Changes*

My 7-amp hammer drill & 18V cordless dewalt both have a speed switch allowing the choice of either lower torque & higher speed or else the other way around. Having such a thing on a chainsaw would sure beat having to worry shorter vs. longer bars & skip-tooth-vs. full cutter choices when using a saw for all-purpose firewood gathering. For some reason, shifting gears does not seem that practical for 2-stroke tools, although it is for electric tools, both corded & cordless.


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## Philbert (Feb 16, 2012)

*1/4 inch pitch*

Zogger,

You might be interested to see the OREGON saw also running with 1/4 inch pitch chain and a carving bar in their new YouTube video:



They said that this sprocket should be available later this year.

Of course, they don't mention that you still will be spraying bar and chain oil around, as well as piles of wood chips, if you carve in your living room!

Philbert


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## zogger (Feb 16, 2012)

Philbert said:


> Zogger,
> 
> You might be interested to see the OREGON saw also running with 1/4 inch pitch chain and a carving bar in their new YouTube video:
> 
> ...



I've been wondering about bar and chain oil. I wonder..longshot..if anyone has investigated using ceramics or both the chain and bar being graphite (or moly or...) treated, to eliminate even having to use bar oil. The spray-on stuff I just bought to treat my fiskars (haven't done it yet though)..I was looking at it, then did some more reading on dry lubes. Supposedly has enough oomph for lube (dry graphite is common to lube firearms, they function well and don't attract dirt, I know that much), as long as it it stuck on well to a wicked spotless clean surface. Oil WILL start to wear it off, but if it stayed dry..I wonder. That would be cool to be able to eliminate one of the expendables, plus the mess. Of course I am aware the loss of oil flung off and in the chips helps to eliminate heat, just wondering if the cancellation of so much friction with the graphite or moly would make that point moot. 

That guy has a good eye. I didn't see where they changed pitch though, was that on their blog or something?


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## Philbert (Feb 16, 2012)

zogger said:


> I didn't see where they changed pitch though, was that on their blog or something?



If you look close, he switches between the standard PowerSharp bar and chain (darker colored bar with rounded nose) and a carving bar and chain (shiny bar with small diameter nose) for different parts of the carving. You see him using the PowerSharp feature (sparks flying), but the video does not point out that this only works with that chain - I hope that people don't get confused.



> "World reknowned chainsaw sculptor Bob King visits OREGON® headquarters in Portland, OR and puts on a little show. Watch Bob sculpt in high speed video. He uses a PowereNow™ CS250 equipped with PowerSharp and another CS250 equipped with an OREGON 12" dime tip sculpting bar and OREGON 1/4" pitch sculpting chainsaw chain. Thanks Bob!"



Philbert


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## zogger (Feb 17, 2012)

Philbert said:


> If you look close, he switches between the standard PowerSharp bar and chain (darker colored bar with rounded nose) and a carving bar and chain (shiny bar with small diameter nose) for different parts of the carving. You see him using the PowerSharp feature (sparks flying), but the video does not point out that this only works with that chain - I hope that people don't get confused.
> 
> 
> 
> Philbert



Thanks for the info!

I only tried carving once, like years and years ago. I made an Easter island looking face and head into a big stump.


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## spike60 (Feb 18, 2012)

Zogger: I just found and read through this entire thread. It's not a thread as much as it's a semester in evaluating this saw. The Oregon reps were in with this saw this week, and you have answered more questions than I would have thought to ask. THANK YOU! And extra thanks also to Philbert! Adding some marketing thought to your observations I'm drawing a few conclusions. Tell me what you think.

First question with something new is "Who's going to buy it?" One type person who should really own this saw is the occasional user type. The guy who only uses his saw once in a while, and can never get it started; usually due to old gas. But I really think for most of them, the price is going to get in the way. You correctly point out that the amount they spend bringing the cheap gas saws back to the shop to get them running again can quickly add up to the price of this cordless. But most of these folks will balk at the price and pay to have the cheap gas saw fixed or by another one while promising themselves that "This time I'm going to take care of it." Of course, that promise is rarely kept. LOL. 

This is also a great option for older guys and many women who are simply incapable of starting a gas saw. The price for this customer may not be too much of an issue, if it eliminates the exasperation of trying to start a gas saw. Some these people actually need a saw for more than simply occasional use, so your experiments on how much real work/firewood someone can do are very good. 

I like how you altered your approach in post #49 by trimming off the useless branches with the hatchet so the saw is only used for "take home" cuts. I have a few women customers who cut firewood, and for the most part they stay within the size range that this saw seems to be happy with. Regardless of what they cut it with, they need to be able to handle the wood. Both you and Philbert seem to feel that going beyond 4" wood begins to affect battery life significantly. I would expect that much cutting for people trying to produce some firewood would be in 6" wood. How dramatic do you feel the drop off is for that size wood? 

The pics of how much wood can be cut on a single battery are really not too impressive in my mind. This suggests to me that a second battery would be necessary to make this a reasonably practical tool. And that maybe puts the price into the "I don't know if this makes sense" bracket. What is the cost of a second battery? If the saw and extra battery is going to cost as much as a 562XP, it will be a tough sell. 

But what you are doing is really exploring the upper productivity limits of this unit. Using some common sense and thinking ahead, you can get a fair amount of work done. I'm having another thought here that the smaller sized wood in which this saw seems happy, is similar to when people cut firewood with a bucksaw and an ax. They would tend toward the smaller stuff because it was more easily workable with hand tools. So, it's maybe the same approach with a cordless saw, minus a ton of sweat and effort. 

I'm not going to sell this Oregon unit. Gotta take 5 and short terms for one thing. But mostly because Husky is coming out with a few new cordless saws this fall. (If they can accomplish the rare feat of meeting one of their own forecasts.) They will have both top and rear handle models. A couple of which are XP's and are outfitted with hooks and such for climbers. My guess is that they will also be fairly expensive, especially the XP models. (I have no other info on these things spec wise.)

But again thanks for doing such an exhaustive study on this saw. It is really very informative and helpful.


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## Philbert (Feb 18, 2012)

Spike, you are right that these cordless saws are not for everybody. But neither is a 562XP, an MS660, etc., even with $$$ aside.

These battery operated saws, in general, will probably not appeal to a price-sensitive consumer, or one who uses a saw extensively, or on a daily basis. I would not try to steer these types of customers toward this product, who might think of them as a curiosity, at best.

Thinking this through, from a marketing perspective, these saws as a category should appeal to:

- An affluent user who is less price-sensitive. For example, a suburban homeowner with a large lot who likes to do his/her own, occasional yard work and trimming. If they are willing to pay several thousands of dollars to drive a Lexus over a Camry, they will not wince at paying $200 more for a saw they like from a dealer over the one on sale at Sears. They are feature, service, and convenience driven.

- People who do not like loud noises, smoke, repetitively pulling recoil ropes, messing with flooded engines, etc. You mentioned a few possibilities: older or female users, but realistically, not everyone in 'into' the whole 2-cycle thing. They want to focus on the cutting or pruning aspect, not on the saw itself (hard to envision from an A.S. perspective!). These can be viewed as much 'cleaner', simpler saws to operate. Some people will view them as 'safer' because they are easier to control, even though they can still be dangerous if carelessly handled.

- People interested in 'a system': several manufacturers are offering these with inter-changeable batteries for string trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc.

- Places where noise is an issue (cemeteries, schools, business campuses, etc.)

- Occasional users who want to grab the saw, cut, and put it away for an extended period, and not have to worry if it will start each time. 

- People who like the advantages of electric chainsaws (e.g. trigger start and stop), but do not want the additional work of laying out a long extension cord and winding it back up, just to make a few, quick cuts, or who are more than 100' from an outlet.

- Lawn service or maintenance personnel who need to occasionally cut, trim, or remove branches, but who are not in the tree business, and want to keep a truck saw.

- Building maintenance personnel who are limited in their ability to store gasoline in their shop (apartment managers, for example).

- Anyone who has to make cuts inside a barn (pole building, etc.) where noise, smoke, sparks, etc. could be a problem. Timber framers, carvers, guys who convert their Super Splitters to electric power!

As far as comparing the cordless models, you would need to do it side-by-side to be fair I only got to try the STIHL 36V briefly at a demonstration. It runs 1/4" pitch chain, as I believe that the Bosch 36V and the Husqvarnas also do < http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/183354.htm > The Oregon runs 3/8 LP chain. That still does not tell you anything about torque, balance, run time, features, user preference, etc. If you are a Husky dealer, it makes sense for you to market those.

I have used the Oregon many times now, and feel very comfortable with it as a 'grab-and-go' saw for cutting tasks up to 6" diameter wood, even though I also own several other gas and electric saws. Oregon likes to promote the PowerSharp feature as well, which also helps to make it a low maintenance tool, especially for a homeowner or occasional user. I was skeptical of the PowerSharp chain at first, but also use it now on a corded electric saw around the yard, in the city.

I hope that this helps provide some insight on marketing these newer battery powered saws, whatever brand. Also keep in mind the slow momentum that battery operated drills had to become accepted, starting out with the 7.2 Volt models!

Philbert


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## zogger (Feb 18, 2012)

spike60 said:


> Zogger: I just found and read through this entire thread. It's not a thread as much as it's a semester in evaluating this saw. The Oregon reps were in with this saw this week, and you have answered more questions than I would have thought to ask. THANK YOU! And extra thanks also to Philbert! Adding some marketing thought to your observations I'm drawing a few conclusions. Tell me what you think.
> 
> First question with something new is "Who's going to buy it?" One type person who should really own this saw is the occasional user type. The guy who only uses his saw once in a while, and can never get it started; usually due to old gas. But I really think for most of them, the price is going to get in the way. You correctly point out that the amount they spend bringing the cheap gas saws back to the shop to get them running again can quickly add up to the price of this cordless. But most of these folks will balk at the price and pay to have the cheap gas saw fixed or by another one while promising themselves that "This time I'm going to take care of it." Of course, that promise is rarely kept. LOL.
> 
> ...



You are welcome, it has been fun and informative for me as well.
Target market..NO HASSLES and it JUST WORKS.. It's the #1 selling point. On/off, just cuts. No trying to learn to hand sharpen or have to stop in mid job and trudge to the shop for a grind. Expensive to buy, but cheap to operate, pennies in electric per "tank". I've just done a lot of cords of oak in my front yard and it is running me just a little under a gallon of mix per cord when using the gassers. That's close to six bucks. I can cut 1/4 cord per battery if I hit the sweet spot. Well under a buck a cord in juice bill. Bar oil is a little over three batteries per small tank full.

This is the only saw I have that my GF can start and operate. And no worries on letting it sit on the shelf for six months to a year, it'll still start and run.

Quiet, you can run it in packed suburbia at 6 am sunday morning and not bother anyone. No arcane tuning skills needed, no fuel line and filter replacement, no air cleaner replacement, no trying to find no-ethanol stations, no yanking with no start..all that jazz. Like they say, no hassles. 

I also like it when trimming out a tree because I can set it down and it is OFF, no sitting their idling or stopping it then restarting it. I cut, move brush, go to cut again.

At six inches you can still get a lot of cuts. I have always just milked out trees, so this is normal for me to start at 1-2 inches on a tree and work my way back to the stump/butt end. It fits in the saw and cutting rotation then. I go now, hatchet, battery saw, mid size saw a 30,40 or 50 cc (whatever I just got running to try out, this is a variable with my cutting), then my larger saw, a 74cc depending on the work if I need that one.

For pro firewood guys who slap ignore anything smaller than six inches and just leave a slash pile and only take the huge log blocks, nope, not real practical. For anyone else, it is fine, IMO, as the small saw in the lineup and as the backyard saw for joe burbs, or like a camping saw for the weekend, that sort of thing.

Yes, it is expensive...just price a high end cordless drill, then it is a fair price, and their batteries are the cheapest of the other two similar saws, the battery stihl and bosch. Until Husky's saws hit, this is it, three practical cordless chainsaws (and the only one really readily available in the US), although there are a dozen much smaller and cheaper makes and models out there. And this is the only one with built in sharpening, which actually *works* quite well.

You can get a good/pretty decent plug in drill for $40, a cordless is $300-400 for a good one, a top of the line unit. You are paying for convenience, ease of use, reliability, etc. So the saw price isn't really out of line compared to other high end cordless battery tools. And supposedly, they have more yard tools coming out that you will be able to use the same battery and charger for, so the battery itself becomes a lot more practical.

And for me, and I realise this doesn't apply to most people because of their mindset, I like it because if TSHTF and something happens to fuel availability and prices, I have a small, modest but functional solar array which I can use partly as my gaspump for this saw. For a long, long time. Just cutting from one recharged battery a day, I KNOW I can more than cover my yearly firewood fuel needs. I've done the real world tests and measured six ways to Sunday, it could be done, plus extra. And one battery would last me almost three years/seasons of cutting every day.

I currently own 32 saws, around a dozen runners and another dozen waiting for me to finish them, plus parts saws, and if you made me, this is the last saw I would part with. I feel exceedingly lucky and blessed with this thing, first run, first generation of the 21st century practical chain saw. it's almost like being give the first laptop way back when, something like that. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my gassers and antiques, but this is just rad, especially since I learned to use it properly.

My two must have firewood tools, this saw and my fiskars splitting axe, because they are top of the line best in breed that I can get my hands on, and if all else fails, just them two tools and I am covered, and my GF and I can stay warm in the winter and cook food year round.

Looking forward to the husky lineup! Competition is good! I'd like to see a pole saw attachment, using the same powerhead, and also just a much more powerful battery saw. Something that can pull at least an 18" chain with some authority.


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## Philbert (Jan 11, 2013)

Came across an Oregon booth unexpectedly at a local outdoors / sportsman show. They had the 40 volt saw, and the PowerSharp chains, and were also showing a string trimmer and hedge trimmer that use the same battery. These were also in their printed materials. They did not say when they would be available, but I assume by this Spring?

Philbert


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## Philbert (Mar 15, 2014)

_EDIT / UPDATE: I am working to replace some of the lost photos and links from this thread. ***Zogger - see if you can help me out with some of yours? *** (Thanks)._

Oregon will be releasing a cordless pole saw to go along with this chainsaw, which I briefly reviewed in this thread: 
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/oregon-40-volt-pole-saw.248941/

They have also announced new batteries with significantly increased charge life (4.0 amp-hours, up from 1.25 and 2.4 amp hours).

https://oregoncordless.com/US/Productlanding

Philbert


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## zogger (Mar 15, 2014)

Philbert said:


> _EDIT / UPDATE: I am working to replace some of the lost photos and links from this thread. ***Zogger - see if you can help me out with some of yours? *** (Thanks)._
> 
> Oregon will be releasing a cordless pole saw to go along with this chainsaw, which I briefly reviewed in this thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/oregon-40-volt-pole-saw.248941/
> 
> ...



Cool on the new stuff. 

I don't know on the lost pics, my only copies are on a mostly dead tower here. Last I tried it it wouldn't boot very well or run.


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## Philbert (Mar 15, 2014)

*Couple of More Photos I Ran Across*

Found these while trying to 're-build' the lost photos above:



Tree Monkey's Dad tries the 40V at a GTG




Andydodgegeeks's Dad tries the 40V at a GTG



Neighbor lost a bunch of pine branches due to an ice storm. Easy and fast to clean up with a grab-and-go saw (harder to clean the pine pitch off the saw afterwards!).



Another quick neighborhood storm clean up.

Philbert


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## Philbert (Oct 24, 2014)

Couple of interesting developments.

Oregon has released a 15 amp _corded_ version of their chainsaw with the PowerSharp system and 18 inch bar. ($130 - $140 on-line pricing).



http://www.oregonproducts.com/homeowner/products/corded/CS1500.htm

_“Our new corded chain saw is an excellent option for professionals looking for additional bar length with the added convenience of built-in PowerSharp, which sharpens a dull chain in as little as three seconds.”_

And, has announced a 're-engineered' version of their _cordless_ (battery) saw, with a brushless motor and longer (16") bar, due Spring, 2015.

_"OREGON’s popular cordless chain saw has been re-engineered with 40 percent more power. Equipped with on-tool PowerSharp technology, a 16-inch bar (versus 14-inch on its predecessor), tool-less tensioning and a brushless motor, the CS300 offers a more powerful cutting experience."_

Philbert

_EDIT: Started a thread on this saw: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/new-oregon-corded-electric-chainsaw.268379/_


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## zogger (Oct 24, 2014)

I like both!

40% more power in the battery saw is WAY COOL. Hopefully that will come with perhaps higher chain speed as well.


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## Philbert (Oct 24, 2014)

I have not seen either one. You know that speed and torque often trade-0ff each other. The brushless motors are supposed to be more efficient, which is important with battery powered tools.

I was really surprised by the corded saw - a real break from the 40 volt line. I like my electric (Makita)/PowerSharp combination, so this will be interesting.

They also announced a cordless leaf blower, due out in Spring, 2015. Photos look pretty clean and compact.




Philbert


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## zogger (Oct 24, 2014)

Either way, more torque or more speed would be good. They also need what the husky saw has the "sport" and "eco" mode selector.


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## Philbert (Jan 14, 2015)

*Specs on 'New' vs 'Current' Oregon Battery Saws
*
CS300 (brushless motor) vs CS250 claims:
- 40% more power;
- 16" vs 14" bar;
- faster chain speed: 2796 FPM vs 2350 FPM;
- same weight;
- tool-less chain tensioner;
- no information on any differences in battery life between the 2 saws.

Philbert


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## benp (Jan 15, 2015)

Nice!!!!

@Philbert, I really liked that little rascal when I tried it at Andy's. 

I was amazed at how well it cut and I really liked that powersharp system. 

I think it would be an awesome saw for smaller jobs like you posted.


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## Philbert (Mar 4, 2015)

Saw some MSRP pricing for the new Oregon, cordless, brushless chainsaw today. Available 'Summer, 2015'. Looks like some of their prices are coming down, even as features (torque, chain speed) are going up. Might be competitive pressures, production efficiencies, ?



Philbert


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## zogger (Mar 4, 2015)

Philbert said:


> Saw some MSRP pricing for the new Oregon, cordless, brushless chainsaw today. Available 'Summer, 2015'. Looks like some of their prices are coming down, even as features (torque, chain speed) are going up. Might be competitive pressures, production efficiencies, ?
> View attachment 408816
> 
> 
> Philbert




Cool, I might get the basic upgraded saw model. And yep, I bet capitalism works, lot of competition out there now for battery powered outdoor tools. I would think eventually, maybe not far off now, a hundred bucks a tool might be common.

I called them awhile back and asked about upgrading just the electric motor, no dice, won't fit the old chassis. 

I also volunteered to be a test cutter again, but no further response, so I guess that means no.


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## Philbert (Jun 26, 2015)

*Battery Pouches
*
For most of these battery powered ***, a second battery is a real plus. But they can be hard to carry in the field, unless you have a backpack, or some type of tool box that you take with you. As noted in an earlier post, I found that certain quart sized motor oil containers are just the right size and shape to fit these Oregon 40V batteries, and to protect their terminals from accidentally making contact with something metal, shorting out or causing a fire. Later, I found an _almost-right-sized_ camera case at a garage sale, that had both belt loops and a shoulder strap, making it easy to carry an extra battery.




After lots of searching through carpenter tool pouches and military surplus stores, I finally found some pouches today at a surplus store that fit the Oregon 40V batteries!




Of course, since they are camo, it will make the batteries easier to lose if I set them down! But with camo pouches and a quiet saw, I can be a chainsaw commando!




This size pouch can also carry 4, 8-inch wedges easily, or keep the PowerSharp sharpening cassette close at hand. Other pouches may work better with the different size and shape batteries used by other brands of cordless tools.




Belt loops are important on both of these pouches for carrying the batteries, and I still plan to use the cut off oil containers as liners. Might cut off some of the extra pockets, or try to modify them to hold a scrench, or something useful. .




Philbert


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## zogger (Jun 26, 2015)

Nice gear report Philbert!


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## Philbert (Sep 28, 2015)

*It's been 4 years !!!!*

Oregon recently released a second generation of this saw, the CS300, with a brushless motor and increased power. I have started a separate thread on it here:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/oregon-cs300-40v-cordless-chainsaw.286385/

Philbert


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