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I got a Ryobi battery-powered chainsaw because I got fed up with the maintenance of gas-powered saws. I found I was spending as much time fiddling with the carb

I got a Ryobi battery-powered chainsaw because I got fed up with the maintenance of gas-powered saws. I found I was spending as much time fiddling with the carburetor, changing fuel lines etc as I was sawing. I have two gas saws, a Stihl and an Echo, and I don’t think there was a single time I was cutting trees last winter that I didn’t run into trouble with both of them. The electric saw just works. Yes, you need to have multiple batteries. Yes, it’s not great for big trees ( 40 cm or bigger diameter). But at least it runs.

b112 2y ago
I have experienced this in the past, but it seems to me to be the specific model of gas chainsaw, not all of them. It's somewhat weird... I have (as an example) a gas lawn trimmer, it just runs. Same for my push mower. And this seems to be the norm. Yet chainsaws ... well, they're just a different beast. There seems to, weirdly, be more poorly designed engines or some such. But if you find a good one, it's like night and day. And it's not normal for them to always have issues. People make a living off of them.
- topspin 2y ago
  > Yet chainsaws ... well, they're just a different beast. > There seems to, weirdly, be more poorly designed engines or some such. It's about power and weight. You don't carry a push mower; the engine can be heavy and powerful. A trimmer doesn't need much power; the engine can be light and low power. But a chainsaw: You have to carry all the weight for long periods, and yet you need a lot of power. Relatively speaking they're hot rod engines with a higher power to weight ratio. That's why they're generally harder to start and burn so much fuel as well. > And it's not normal for them to always have issues. People make a living off of them. Correct. Drain the fuel, every time. If you let the mix evaporate and leave behind gobs of oil, you're the problem. When storing for long periods put it somewhere heated to avoid condensation cycles. No problems.
jakewins 2y ago
I had issues like this as well, started using cleaner fuel (alkylate) and have no issues with my Husky since then; it sits in the shed, starts right up every summer, haven’t serviced it in 4 years now. I agree in general though - same for EVs right, much less maintenance - but for chainsaws the difference in power output can be lethal. Felling trees you need a saw you don’t have to fight to get into the wood, so you can focus on safety and how you’re cutting Edit: Thankfully this blog turns out to be fearmongering nonsense; they are banning small saws, 45cc and down. The saw in the video is well above that.
lazide 2y ago
Use alkyl pre-mix, and you’ll have much, much fewer problems. I’ve put about 500 hrs on my various Stihl saws over the last few years, and had zero issues. Stuff up to 30”+ DBH, and in temps from below freezing to 90+F. Snow, mud, dust, etc. and at 4000-5000 ft.
- rebuilder 2y ago
  I’ve only ever used alkylate fuel in the saws
  - lazide 2y ago
    Then I’m really surprised - uncovered storage? I put mine in shipping containers when I’m not running them.
    - rebuilder 2y ago
      They’re in a shed, not in any kind of cover beyond that.
the_third_wave 2y ago
Sweden here, using a Husqvarna in the forest and - when it works - a McCulloch on the farm. Lately it doesn't so the Husqvarna gets to see use there as well. Both are petrol saws, the McCulloch is about 15 years old, the Husqvarna 10. With these two I cut enough wood - only dead or storm-damaged trees - to heat the house and cook food. Apart from cleaning air filters, sharpening chains and replacing the fuel line every 3d or 4th year due to weakening (stock fuel line) or hardening (aftermarket fuel line) caused by ethanol in fuel I don't have to do much in the way of maintenance on these saws. The problems you describe - working on carburators and having to change fuel lines "every time" are often caused by leaving fuel in the tank after using the saw. This leads to gummed-up carburetors, if there is ethanol in the fuel it will damage gaskets and the fuel pump membrane, etc. When you're done using the saw for a while - a week or more? - empty out the fuel tank and run the saw until all fuel in the lines and carburettor is gone, that way it will probably just work next season. The same can not be said about battery-powered equipment which needs to be stored with a partly-charged battery to survive and which would probably need new batteries after 5-6 years (1/3 to 1/2 of the age of my saws).

b112 2y ago

I have experienced this in the past, but it seems to me to be the specific model of gas chainsaw, not all of them. It's somewhat weird... I have (as an example) a gas lawn trimmer, it just runs. Same for my push mower. And this seems to be the norm. Yet chainsaws ... well, they're just a different beast. There seems to, weirdly, be more poorly designed engines or some such. But if you find a good one, it's like night and day. And it's not normal for them to always have issues. People make a living off of them.

topspin 2y ago
> Yet chainsaws ... well, they're just a different beast. > There seems to, weirdly, be more poorly designed engines or some such. It's about power and weight. You don't carry a push mower; the engine can be heavy and powerful. A trimmer doesn't need much power; the engine can be light and low power. But a chainsaw: You have to carry all the weight for long periods, and yet you need a lot of power. Relatively speaking they're hot rod engines with a higher power to weight ratio. That's why they're generally harder to start and burn so much fuel as well. > And it's not normal for them to always have issues. People make a living off of them. Correct. Drain the fuel, every time. If you let the mix evaporate and leave behind gobs of oil, you're the problem. When storing for long periods put it somewhere heated to avoid condensation cycles. No problems.

jakewins 2y ago

I had issues like this as well, started using cleaner fuel (alkylate) and have no issues with my Husky since then; it sits in the shed, starts right up every summer, haven’t serviced it in 4 years now. I agree in general though - same for EVs right, much less maintenance - but for chainsaws the difference in power output can be lethal. Felling trees you need a saw you don’t have to fight to get into the wood, so you can focus on safety and how you’re cutting Edit: Thankfully this blog turns out to be fearmongering nonsense; they are banning small saws, 45cc and down. The saw in the video is well above that.

lazide 2y ago

Use alkyl pre-mix, and you’ll have much, much fewer problems. I’ve put about 500 hrs on my various Stihl saws over the last few years, and had zero issues. Stuff up to 30”+ DBH, and in temps from below freezing to 90+F. Snow, mud, dust, etc. and at 4000-5000 ft.

rebuilder 2y ago
I’ve only ever used alkylate fuel in the saws
- lazide 2y ago
  Then I’m really surprised - uncovered storage? I put mine in shipping containers when I’m not running them.
  - rebuilder 2y ago
    They’re in a shed, not in any kind of cover beyond that.

the_third_wave 2y ago

Sweden here, using a Husqvarna in the forest and - when it works - a McCulloch on the farm. Lately it doesn't so the Husqvarna gets to see use there as well. Both are petrol saws, the McCulloch is about 15 years old, the Husqvarna 10. With these two I cut enough wood - only dead or storm-damaged trees - to heat the house and cook food. Apart from cleaning air filters, sharpening chains and replacing the fuel line every 3d or 4th year due to weakening (stock fuel line) or hardening (aftermarket fuel line) caused by ethanol in fuel I don't have to do much in the way of maintenance on these saws. The problems you describe - working on carburators and having to change fuel lines "every time" are often caused by leaving fuel in the tank after using the saw. This leads to gummed-up carburetors, if there is ethanol in the fuel it will damage gaskets and the fuel pump membrane, etc. When you're done using the saw for a while - a week or more? - empty out the fuel tank and run the saw until all fuel in the lines and carburettor is gone, that way it will probably just work next season. The same can not be said about battery-powered equipment which needs to be stored with a partly-charged battery to survive and which would probably need new batteries after 5-6 years (1/3 to 1/2 of the age of my saws).