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ponyakr 10-03-2020 01:30 AM

Things That Work
 
I really HATE it when I buy something that will not work as advertised & will not do the job it's supposed to do. :mad:

I suppose most all of us have bought such an item.

Well, I wanna give a good report about something that DOES work. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations.

In the last few years, we've had tornadoes & storms come thru here which really blew a lot of trees down. Some of 'em were really big trees.

Not only did some of these block the dirt road which we call our driveway, but there have been LOTS of trees blocking the many horse riding trails TJ has used since the early 1970's.

And some of these trees were big, many 18" or more. A few were old & much bigger. Well, I didn't have a chain saw. And I wasn't about to buy a gas saw, & have to mix oil & gas & yank on that sucker all the time, trying to crank it.

So, I noticed that there are battery powered pole saws & chain saws. We bought a 40 volt Kobalt pole saw & 12" chain saw. The pole saw is great for reaching overhead small limbs. And the 12" chain saw is good for bigger limbs & small trees, up to maybe 6" or so.

But, the recent hurricane blew some big trees across lots of her trails. The one closest to our house was probably at least 15", & maybe 60' long. My CK 27 Kioti tractor would not budge it.

I knew our little 12" chain saw was no match for it. So, we cut up the top of it & cleared a new trail around the lower portion of it. Quite a bit of labor. We drained the 40 volt batts in the pole saw & the chain saw, late yesterday. Had to charge 'em back up, so we could use 'em today.

Well, last night I got to thinkin. With all the trees down, we need a bigger chain saw, with more power. But, I'm still not gonna buy a gas saw. So, I did what i always do when I need info. I Googled it.

Found that there are lots of more powerful batt powered chain saws. Hey, some of the strongest, big name brands, that get the best reviews, are $500 or more. We didn't wanna pay that much.

I watched several YouTube videos about batt powered chain saws. Saw some good videos of the Kobalt brand 80 volt 18" saw. The guys would just buzz thru big trees, some about the size we need to cut. I figured if the 80 volt Kobalt worked for those guys, it oughta work for us.

So, we decided to try one. Checked our local Lowes stores. Online inventory showed one in stock, about 25 miles from us, for just over $300, plus tax. But, the Lowes about 50 miles from us showed the exact same saw, in stock, for around $262, plus tax.

Before driving 50 miles, I decided to call the store & see if the saw was actually in stock. Well, after wasting 3 long distance calls, I couldn't get anybody to answer the phone in that dept. Finally just asked the lady at the front desk to check her computer inventory. She said it showed that they actually had 2 of those saws in stock.

So, we loaded up & made the 50 mile drive. But, the only saw they actually had in stock was the display model, which they would not sell. :( Finally got somebody to check their computer inventory. It also showed 2 units in stock. She said that didn't really mean anything. Said they had probably been stolen. Said people walk out with all kinds of stuff, including gas generators.

Well, we decided to drive to the Lowes in the other city, which showed to have one in stock. Told the lady what we'd been told about people stealing stuff. She agreed. Said many of 'em were pros, who hit lots of stores in different cities. Said they knew exactly how to do it without getting caught.

Well, anyhow, to our surprise, the saw that showed up on the internet search WAS in stock. But, it took a while to find it. It was in a box way up on the very top shelf. Had to get a guy with the big ladder platform to climb up & ID it.

This model has a 5 Ah batt, & is advertised to make about twice as many cuts per charge as the same saw which comes with a 2 Ah batt. I looked up the batts separately. I think the 5 Ah batt was around $250, if you can believe it. The weaker batt was less than $150. In some of the reviews, I'd read that instead of buying a spare batt, you'd be better off buying another saw, and getting the batt & charger in the deal.

Well, we bought the saw, got it home, charged the batt, & tore into one of the trees that was across the trail. To my surprise, it was just like the guys on the videos said. Like cutting thru butter, as the saying goes.

Regretting all the time & labor we've spent because of NOT having this saw. Now, we can just make either 1 or two quick cuts, & push either the 2 halves, or a center chunk of the tree off the trail, with the Kioti, then move on to the next one.

This is not the most expensive saw, not the most powerful, not for the pro, but for what we need, it's GREAT ! We are considering buying another one. If TJ & I both had one of these we could clear the tree off a trail, quick.

In case anybody is interested, the model number is KCS 4080-06.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-80-V...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

The model number for the same saw, with the cheaper batt is KCS 180B-06. Our closest Lowes had 3 of these in stock. They were priced a tad over $200.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-80-V...ttery/50408238

But we decided on the higher priced model, to get the better batt. This batt will probably cut longer than I want to use it, on a full charge.

Again, I really love it when tools do exactly what they are supposed to do ! :)

Greg Reid 10-03-2020 02:03 AM

Funny you should post this...not one hour ago I was looking at an electric chain saw online. I have a lot of deadfall and downed trees on my property and I'm tired of fooling with my old one. Thanks for the links.

Half-Inch Stud 10-03-2020 08:14 AM

Great info...sure don'tmiss them Tornados!

Mike Davis 10-03-2020 09:18 AM

I have a couple Dewalt Battery powered chainsaws. During the winter I keep them in the truck and Jeep when traveling. Amazing how they cut and how long the batteries last. I have been thinking about the Kobalt 80V and may have to try one.

Joe's Garage 10-03-2020 01:18 PM

Just an FYI: There was a safety recall on these a couple years ago
 
You might want to verify that yours was made recently and was not old stock.

Link:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/co...y-hongkong-sun

Glad it's doing what you need it to do. We're going to check one out, too. I'm getting tired or rebuilding carbs every six months or so.

ponyakr 10-03-2020 10:17 PM

A Few Trail Clearing Pics
 
4 Attachment(s)
TJ & I went on a big trail clearing project, today. We were armed with the usual Kobalt Pole saw, Kobalt 40v 12" chain saw, & our CK 27 tractor, along with some assorted limb loppers.

But this time, we had our awesome new weapon, the 80v 18" Kobalt chain saw. It made quick work of 14" & 15" hardwood trees that were across the trail.

Got 14 pics I'll post. So, it'll take 3 posts.

ponyakr 10-03-2020 10:20 PM

2nd Tree
 
5 Attachment(s)
This one was a inch smaller in diameter, but a lot longer.

400 4spd. 10-03-2020 10:29 PM

If you measure that last picture in post #6 top to bottom I bet you are close to 17"-18". I have to admit that I have little confidence in battery powered outdoor tools, but your post is impressive. With the exception of a mower, I also prefer a 100' extension cord to a gas and oil powered yard tool.

ponyakr 10-03-2020 10:37 PM

Mo Pics
 
5 Attachment(s)
Here's the last 5 pics.

I told TJ that a chain saw can be VERY dangerous. She said that most everything she's done was dangerous, like riding horses for nearly 60 years, learning to fly an airplane, driving drag cars, shootin guns, & just driving on our little 2-lane country roads for 50 years.

I told her what little I know about using a saw. Told her to always look to see which way both sections of what she's cutting will move, when the cut is complete. And figuring out whether to cut from the top or bottom, to prevent a pinch.

Also showed her how to swap out a chain, & how to keep it tight enuff. Hey, she already knows how to chunk the limbs off the trail. Does that REAL good ! :)

PS: She said that those jeans she has on, in the last pic, are her BEST trail riding jeans. Another big hole in the rear. Decided not to show it. :D

ponyakr 10-03-2020 11:10 PM

A Big'un
 
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Just thought I'd add this pic. It is typical of so many old hardwoods that were blown down, in our area.

You can't really tell from this pic. But we estimate this root ball to be about 12 feet tall. TJ went down & made a close-up of it. But you can't really tell from the pic how big it is.

I should have taken a pic of her standing beside it. She's a bit over 5' tall, & the root ball was more than twice as tall as her.

Thankfully, she said there are not any trees this big across any of her trails, that she knows of.

dataway 10-04-2020 03:51 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Got the wife this little Stihl chainsaw for her birthday. 12" bar, weighs about 7 lbs. Would have considered a cordless for sure if Stihl made one, they make electric saws, but no cordless yet. Now she can help me limb trees and I can use it up in the lift. Have two large Stihls of course.

I'd have no problem with a cordless saw ... these aren't your grandfather's cordless tools. I became a believer when I bought a nice cordless HD weed whacker, plenty of power and will run about as long as I typically feel like doing that job. Only use the big Stihl whacker when cutting down saplings in the woods. 80% of the time I'm using an handheld electric tool in the shop now it will be cordless.

In about ten years I'm guessing the performance of cordless tools will be on par with the best of the gas powered stuff with the exception of run time. Hard to use a cordless for eight hours a day a mile back in the woods ... but they are getting closer every year.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...2&d=1601797927

67drake 10-04-2020 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dataway (Post 6184058)
Got the wife this little Stihl chainsaw for her birthday. 12" bar, weighs about 7 lbs. Would have considered a cordless for sure if Stihl made one, they make electric saws, but no cordless yet.

They do have battery powered saws

https://m.stihlusa.com/products/chai.../battery-saws/

prostreet64 10-04-2020 09:51 AM

Like others have said, battery powered tools have come a long way! I bought a Greenworks 40V pole saw last year and I don't know how I did without one for so long. Any trimming or limbs up to 6 or 7 inch are a piece of cake and it runs for several hours in the typical 'cut, move, stack' routine that I usually do. This year I got the weedeater and blower combo of the same brand with the 40V system and they work great. I still have my gas powered chain saw but in the future I will definitely add the 80V electric saw.

ponyakr 10-04-2020 10:07 AM

"...Hard to use a cordless for eight hours a day a mile back in the woods..."


Not hard, at all.

Just take along an extra battery, or how ever many extra batteries you need.

Most tool lines have several tools that can use the same batt. We have a pole saw, a 12" chain saw, & a weed whacker that all use the same Kobalt 40v batt. We bought 2 of the tools WITH batt, & one without. So, we have 2 batts & 2 chargers.

Would sure help if all the different brands used the same batts. That way, you could just buy a cheap generic batt, that would fit lots of different brands & tools. But, I suppose that's one of the ways the different brands make a profit, by selling batts that will work ONLY in their tools.

mgarblik 10-04-2020 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prostreet64 (Post 6184074)
Like others have said, battery powered tools have come a long way! I bought a Greenworks 40V pole saw last year and I don't know how I did without one for so long. Any trimming or limbs up to 6 or 7 inch are a piece of cake and it runs for several hours in the typical 'cut, move, stack' routine that I usually do. This year I got the weedeater and blower combo of the same brand with the 40V system and they work great. I still have my gas powered chain saw but in the future I will definitely add the 80V electric saw.

Your posts do allot to help convince folks to give battery/electric tools a fair shot. I love internal combustion and small engines in particular. I own 2 vintage Lawn Boy mowers the newest being 25 years old. But cordless tools have allot of advantages as you have shown. They pack enough battery reserve that you can almost keep working continuously with 2 batteries. I love my noisy, smokey 2-strokes, but you can't help being impressed by these newer LI tools.

67drake 10-04-2020 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponyakr (Post 6184077)
"..l

Would sure help if all the different brands used the same batts. That way, you could just buy a cheap generic batt, that would fit lots of different brands & tools. But, I suppose that's one of the ways the different brands make a profit, by selling batts that will work ONLY in their tools.

Yup.
Apples to oranges but, I bought some generic batteries off of E-bay for my Paslode framing gun. While working on a project I go through more batteries than I can recharge in time, so I figured I’d add a couple more spares to keep charged when busy. The eBay ones stay charged less than 10 minutes while the originals last an hour at least. I have some generics still in the box if anybody wants em!

scott70 10-04-2020 11:04 AM

I'll agree that battery tools have come a long ways. Just picked up a kobalt 1/2" impact for tire changing instead of the air impact.Works great.. Also have dewalt battery drills and sawzalls.The gas and battery tools have their places though. I doubt you'll find a professional logger running a battery saw all day 5 days week. Ive got 3 gas chain saws of various sizes and age and they'll still be going probably when the battery saw will be done. I've thrown away battery drills because the battery died and a new battery was almost as expensive as the newest whole drill set which is supposed to be new and improved.

mgarblik 10-04-2020 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott70 (Post 6184097)
I'll agree that battery tools have come a long ways. Just picked up a kobalt 1/2" impact for tire changing instead of the air impact.Works great.. Also have dewalt battery drills and sawzalls.The gas and battery tools have their places though. I doubt you'll find a professional logger running a battery saw all day 5 days week. Ive got 3 gas chain saws of various sizes and age and they'll still be going probably when the battery saw will be done. I've thrown away battery drills because the battery died and a new battery was almost as expensive as the newest whole drill set which is supposed to be new and improved.

It's interesting I have a bunch of Snap-On old cordless tools but they are all NiCad battery. Heavy and low battery power but the TOOLS are great. My newer LI battery tools have great high power batteries and motors, but the tools are CRAP. The chucks, clutches and drives are low quality. The perfect combination is still illusive.

ponyakr 10-04-2020 11:52 AM

Batts
 
Just did a real quick price check for Kobalt 80v 5 Ah batts. Did not find a single one for less than $200 total shipped price.

I think we paid around $335 total, for our KCS 4080-06 saw, batt, & charger package.

That means that you get the batt & charger for about $125 more than the price of just a batt. That's a no-brainer for us. But, from what we've seen, we'll never need 2 batts for this saw.

Now, I did notice some used 80v 2 Ah batts, for less than $100. I think one is only $50. So, I suppose you could buy up several cheap 2 Ah batts & have plenty of power for many hours.

Here's a new one for about $82 total shipped price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kobalt-KB28...4AAOSwt0Ffa3Pc

Here's a 2.5 Ah batt PLUS charger for just under $100 shipped. Not a bad deal.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-K...75.c100623.m-1

dataway 10-04-2020 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67drake (Post 6184072)

Jeez, I totally missed those on the Stihl website, thought they would be listed under electric saws, but they are under "battery saws". Well lesson learned, I probably would have gone that route if I had seen them. Should have known Stihl would have cordless saws.

For a little limbing saw or tree saw there is really no reason for gas power.

Too bad this thread didn't start two days sooner :)


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