Review Oregon PowerNow Cordless Chainsaw

[Philbert]

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.

 

[zogger]

Excellent work!

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

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...

 

[Philbert]

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

 

[rmh3481]

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?

 

[Wife'nHubby]

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

 

[zogger]

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

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?

 

[zogger]

I'll post some then

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.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

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

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

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?

 

[zogger]

Price

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".

 

[zogger]

Oh, I didn't take it as a dis

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

"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

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?

 

[Philbert]

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.

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.

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

 

[Wife'nHubby]

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

 

[Philbert]

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

 

[iowawoodcutter]

I have a cordless MS460 that is pretty awesome.

 

[zogger]

Bwahahaha

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...

 

[Philbert]

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

 

[zogger]

Great mindz, etc

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!

 

[zogger]

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.

 

[zogger]

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.

 

[Philbert]

. . . . 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