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Electric chainsaws

Started by bandmiller2, May 25, 2013, 07:50:04 AM

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bandmiller2

Some of the first chainsaws used in the woods were electric.A local university must have cleaned out an old shed and junked a couple of old huge electrics [mall I think].I was on them like a hen on a june bug only problem they were 400 cycle/hurtz,and 60 just wouldn't cut it, run slow and overheat.Remember seeing pictures of early Cat tractors with generators to run the saws.I suppose 400 cycle motors would reduce pilferage.I still have two Milwaukee electrics and an ancent "rototiller brand"handy around the mill. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Al_Smith

As I understand it Homelite built some higher frequency saws and generaters .Makes sense you couldn't use the saw unless you had the generater .Actually if memory serves Homelite made generaters before they went into the saw business .

bandmiller2

Your right about the homelite generators Al, they were 2 cycle along with water pumps.We had boath at the fire dept. I worked. The gennys had a cage with a light bulb on top.I was the mechanic and don't remember ever having any trouble with them except fouled plugs. would send the fire fighters out to pump and give them a couple of spare plugs and a wrench. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

HolmenTree

I was talking to Ken Morrison [past Chain Saw Age Magazine editor] a while back, he was doing a field test on Oregon's new Power Now cordless electric chainsaw for a Equipment magazine, never got his results but he said it has promise for light diameter cutting.
Something like this I could use doing aerial removals like I did today, I took down a 2 stem birch using both my Silky handsaw and Husky 338XPT each equally. The 338 never gets totally warmup for the first part of the top and lateral limb removal and is a real PITA with these cold starts when your 40 feet off the ground.
I can see the cordless being effective in this situation.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

thecfarm

I think I saw that cordless saw at the show in Bangor,ME. I was going to look at something else and never made it back to check it out. The battery was on the back of the saw,where the handle use to be.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

mad murdock

I've seen that power now model in the dealers showroom.  40v battery. I think it can urdod almost 20-30 min continuous.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

sawguy21

The Oregon electric is quite decent for light cutting. Keep the chain sharp and let the saw do the work. Any amount of down pressure stalls the chain and trips the breaker, just release the trigger, back out and start again. It is the most robust cordless I have seen.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Al_Smith

My grandfather had an electric saw sold by Sears which now resides in the garage at my mothers house .It's older but surprisingly  is fairly powerfull .

We also used to carry a Skil electric chainsaw on the line truck of an electrical contractor I worked for to  cut the butt end off of power poles .They sell them by the foot and some times they try to sell the roots which don't want to fit in the hole . The saw did okay but it wasn't a speed demon .

old 030

Quote from: Al_Smith on May 25, 2013, 08:06:04 AM
As I understand it Homelite built some higher frequency saws and generaters .Makes sense you couldn't use the saw unless you had the generater .Actually if memory serves Homelite made generaters before they went into the saw business .

yes, homelite did make generators first, mostly for rural home use where there was no electric available, hence there name "homelite".......... ;) 

Al_Smith

Well yes Homelite did start out early on with generaters .However my reference was to a model LR 4400 which was made probabley around 2000-2002 or there abouts .

It has an 8 HP Briggs and is just about a clone of a Generac model except the later is rated at 7HP . I suspect both brands were made by one manufacturer and sold under both and  perhaps other names which is often the case .

The names of the players change .It was Homelite  then Homelite Jacobsen .Lord only knows what name now .

Dave Shepard

I have a 3kw, 3 phase, 180 hz generator for a concrete vibrator. I've never seen a 400 hz.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Al_Smith

I'm almost certain the army signal corps had 400 cycle gen sets at least at one time .

bandmiller2

Your right Al,navy had them too I forget for what also 28v dc to start older aircraft. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Al_Smith

Yeah we had 400 cycle M-G  sets on the U-boats because the fire control,radar and sonar used it .Probably some of the navigation equipment also .

Things have changed to digital cicuitry so I'm not certain how much of it is used today if any .

To tell the truth I think Homelite with that 180 cycle business was just so if you bought the electric saw you had to buy the the gen set also .Captive audiance so to speak . ;)

HolmenTree

 I was reading about the latest news of Husqvarna's new T536 LiXP battery chainsaw. Being an XP model it's rated as a pro saw and from what I have heard they are sold out in Europe, since been introduced on the market last March.
Some of these saws are filtering into North America and word is performance is amazing.
Here's a cool video from Holland.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXWCcaiVyo
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

bandmiller2

Why not, everything else is battery  operated.Wish I had rich lithium deposits in my backyard.If they can just keep the battery prices down.Bought a like new Porter Cable skill saw at the flea market for $2.00 trouble is it needs a $45.00 battery. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

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