Chainsaws have been used to clearcut forests and terrorise teenage summer camps, so Stihl is hoping to put them in a more friendlier light with their new electric model that swaps the cord for a 60-minute rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Not only is it a greener alternative to gas-powered models, but the lack of a fuel tank and gas engine makes Stihl’s $US350 MSA 160 C-BQ Chain Saw quieter, lighter to carry, and you don’t have to deal with those messy fuel and oil mixtures. With a 36-volt lithium-ion battery it will happily slice through trees and lumber for up to an hour, so you no longer have to measure up to Paul Bunyan if you dream of being a lumberjack.
Unfortunately both the battery and its charger are sold separately, boosting the cost of the chainsaw if you want to use it for more than just a Halloween costume accessory. But a slightly cheaper 35-minute battery is also available if you just have to deal with the occasional log. [Stihl via Uncrate]
TSH
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:45 AMOccasional log: hand saw/bush saw/axe.
Whole tree: hire a “real” chainsaw for a day.
I’ve no doubt that the battery and motor required to match the performance of a petrol chainsaw will weigh just as much. No doubt it will be quieter, but when you’re chopping up trees you get into a rhythm and 1 hour just isn’t enough.
Graeme
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 12:23 PM“more friendlier”. Yuck. These guys get paid to write for a living!
Daniel
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 6:43 PMNot really new. Ryobi has a better and probebly cheaper one.
http://www.ryobi.com.au/Products/ONEplus/PowerGarden/CCW180
Runs off the Ryobi one + battery (One battery to rule them all!)
I use these and have a line trimmer, hedge trimmer and drill using the same battery. I get over an hour of use from the 18v battery on nearly all the tools and they make a bigger battery for those that need more.
Roger
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 12:50 PMthe Ryobi is better? Since when is 18 V better that 36V. Also if you compare the motors there just isn’t a comparison. And the same battery powers 5 different STIHL tools Check it out. http://www.stihlusa.com/lithiumion/index.html