Husqvarna 120i 40v red flashing triangle

[wahoowad]

My 40v Husqvarna 120i battery saw has performed well over the 4 years I've had it. I feel I understand it's limitations and use it for limbing and smaller cuts, then grabbing the gas saw when needed for larger cuts.

The Husqvarna has begun halting with the red flashing triangle illuminating and I'm confident I am not overworking the saw or binding it in the cut. To clear it I have to remove/reinstall the battery once or twice, then it seems to work Ok until I'm 75% thru another cut. I have a sharp chain with good chips. Most recently this kept occurring bucking up some snow damage soft 8" to 10" pine which the saw used to go through like butter. Now that red light occurs darn near every cut causing me to finally set the saw aside and get the gas saw.

Batteries are good (I have 2), new chain sharp, oiler working, not forcing it in the cut, letting the saw do the work. I don't have a ton of hours on it either - probably less than an hour or two a year since I've had it so wouldn't expect brushes to be worn. Not a lot of info on the internet about this issue either. Anybody know if this is a known issue or some common remedy likely to address it?

 

[Franny K]

Are the batteries warm? Keep them inside at room temp and the spare wrapped in a towel or in a small cooler.

Is that model a brush type motor? I know it is a reduction gear set up but it probably is 3 phase alternating direct current like the "pro" ones.

 

[wahoowad]

The batteries are probably cold. Even if I kept them warm they would quickly cool off with intermittent use out in these below zero temps when I have been using it. I don't feel like it is a battery issue or even cold weather because it doesn't do it when I am just limbing. It does it when bucking, but again i am not bucking up thick trees. And it is pine, relatively soft.

It seems like it has a sensor of some sort that detects binding, but I've been careful with this occurring to not put it in the cut too hard

 

[Harmon]

How cold is cold? Are they lithium Ion? I'm gonna guess these four year old batteries dont like being cold, but a multi meter or load tester might tell you more. A "binding sensor" sounds a little far fetched...

 

[wahoowad]

I forget how cold it was the last time I ran it. It was probably 20 to 30. I limbed 3 small pines and it never did it, then it started doing it as I was bucking them up. It wasn't steady bucking as the snow was deep and limbs in the way so I had to move around carefully between cuts. The battery lasts a long time so that light limbing hardly used any capacity, just not thinking it was the battery getting low. You can push the battery test button and I never went below 2 our of 3 lights.

 

[Franny K]

Probably like my t536i there is a light behind a triangle that illuminates if the chain brake is on or the battery is lower than one bar. Mine have 4 bars the series for the 120 only look like 3.

Hopefully it will return to normal in warmer weather. More heavy draw in the cold will do that,. The newest over $200 battery is better. The earlier ones can give up but really be back to half charged after warm and on the charger just a couple minutes.

Very similar to an acetylene tank and cold weather. Essentially empty in the winter but 60psi in the summer.

Husky may not have used as good cells as Makita my 2014 and 2015 batteries definitely have degraded.

 

[wahoowad]

Yeah, I don't think it is a failing battery. I cut up some more pine today, storm damage trees maybe 10" thick. I really made it a point to let the saw do the work and it kept doing this to me about 75% into the cut. Chain is sharp, good chips. Battery well more than 50%. I brought both batteries and switched them when it did it and it didn't seem to be focused on one battery or another. It just seems the saw doesn't have the guts it had anymore. I have to think there is sensor causing this but can't find any info about it. It would appear that flashing triangle is part of a built in protection feature that is kicking in prematurely.

 

[Franny K]

It is brushless. https://www.husqvarna.com/us/chainsaws/120i-without-battery-and-charger/

Is this new and in the cold? I found the parts sheet and it appears there is no little fan to cool the control unit. I know my pole saw and string trimmer have a tiny fan that blows air past the similar part when used hard and long even though there is no air cooling the battery. I don't see a picture of the motor, is there cooling air for that? https://www.jackssmallengines.com/j.../husqvarna/chain-saws/120i-2017-01/electrical

 

[Harmon]

it appears manualslib.com has the owners manual and had a rundown of possible reasons for blinky red triangle, including "overload, cutting attachment jammed" and also "temperature deviation" aka too hot. How much sawdust and bar oil is crammed in there under the cover.

Had a dewalt lithium ion impact driver that did this with either of the two batteries it came with. Bought two new batteries and the problem went away.

 

[wahoowad]

Well, if it is the batteries, and I guess quite likely could be since they are 4 years old, they cost between $150 - $200 each to buy a replacement. That ain't gonna happen for a $250 saw. I would probably just buy a smaller gas saw or maybe shop for a good deal on a more modern battery powered saw. I've seen good reviews on the Echo but haven't priced it yet.

 

[wahoowad]

It is cold - around freezing today - and I only made a couple cuts before it started happening again today. I don't think the saw really had a chance to get very warm.

 

[wahoowad]

What do you think of this? Husqvarna originally sold this saw with 0.05" gauge chain, but now they sell it with 0.043" gauge and I heard it was to improve performance. Is it possible I'm seeing some excess drag/friction which is why they went with 0.043"?

 

[Gene Erwin]

What do you think of this? Husqvarna originally sold this saw with 0.05" gauge chain, but now they sell it with 0.043" gauge and I heard it was to improve performance. Is it possible I'm seeing some excess drag/friction which is why they went with 0.043"?

We just sold one yesterday, customer took it home charged the battery, and had the triangle of doom from the start, tech support said it was the controller. So I assume that you have a component that's a little iffy on your controller board that gets warmed up and fails.

 

[wahoowad]

We just sold one yesterday, customer took it home charged the battery, and had the triangle of doom from the start, tech support said it was the controller. So I assume that you have a component that's a little iffy on your controller board that gets warmed up and fails.

I didn't know they were still selling these, or anything else in the 40V line. I don't see them anywhere.