Final yr I used to be given a battery powered chainsaw by Husqvarna to attempt for a no obligation assessment. It’s the Husqvarna 540i XP mannequin and having solely used petrol powered chainsaws beforehand, I used to be to make use of one of many newest battery powered machines. I’ve been trialling it for over six months in a wide range of conditions for purchasers and on our personal farm to place it by means of its paces.
What I used the chainsaw for
I’ve used the Husqvarna 540i XP primarily for coppicing and pollarding bushes (the place the tree then regrows), eradicating diseased bushes and eradicating some bigger branches. This has been throughout a wide range of species together with oak, willow, pine, birch, ash, elm and hazel. The dimensions of the bushes has diverse from small all the way in which to bigger 30cm diameter conifers. Most have been pretty giant with trunk diameters of 15 – 25cm. That is the scale of tree it’s meant for, not for very giant bushes.
A normal phrase of warning about chainsaws
As a result of lots of my readers are gardeners, upfront I wish to add a critical word about normal security when utilizing a chainsaw as a result of it goes with out saying, within the unsuitable arms they’re one of the harmful items of apparatus to you and others. Not solely are chainsaws harmful however the bushes being reduce can fall in unpredictable methods, I’ve had useless branches fall on my head a lot of occasions making me grateful for the protecting helmet. Most accidents occur by individuals who haven’t been educated or who ignore the coaching steering. Earlier than I even thought-about utilizing a chainsaw, I went on per week lengthy course with full licensed examination to learn to preserve chainsaws and reduce bushes correctly. Personally I might solely suggest utilizing a chainsaw after passing considered one of these exams. I at all times use the chainsaw in full private protecting tools (PPE) which incorporates a minimum of chainsaw trousers, gloves, boots, ear safety, face safety and a helmet.
Chopping energy
I’ve been trialling the Husqvarna 540i XP chainsaw with a 16 inch bar (40cm) utilizing a semi-chisel chain. Our course tutor beneficial semi-chisel as being barely safer as a result of it’s much less more likely to kick-back, the noticed bouncing backward.
The Husqvarna 540i XP has a excessive chain velocity and I discovered it to be very highly effective, reducing by means of all wooden varieties with no downside in any respect. The truth is, it’s fairly wonderful, it appeared to chop extra cleanly than petrol powered chainsaws I’d beforehand used. A draw back to excessive chain velocity is that it may possibly make the noticed barely extra harmful than a decrease chain velocity, so it’s important to alter your PPE to account for that.
Total, I used to be very impressed with the reducing energy, reducing by means of all forms of wooden with a pull that meant minimal effort for me and made jobs very fast. The reducing energy is constant regardless of the battery energy is on, it doesn’t steadily fade – the noticed will merely cease when energy runs out.
Battery life
I discovered that I might use the Husqvarna 540i XP for about an hour on one cost with numerous stopping and beginning between cuts, so maybe about 40 minutes whole run time. As I’m a gardener and never a forester, this size of time was completely fantastic for me. Bodily, it’s about as a lot as I might do earlier than needing a break anyway as a result of though the reducing is simple, lifting the entire reduce wooden round may be heavy work.
The battery takes about as a lot time to recharge, so you would at all times have two batteries to increase your reducing time and alternate, or recharge one over lunch or one thing. For anybody wanting to make use of the chainsaw for longer in locations with out mains energy, there are bigger skilled back-mounted battery packs out there. The battery can be utilized on different Husqvarna merchandise.
Weight
The chainsaw weighs about 4kg with the battery and chain oil included, I discovered this beautiful mild actually and I’ve to say it by no means as soon as felt heavy or straining on my arms even after a few hours of use back-to-back.
Security options
I’m extraordinarily cautious round gardening tools and the protection options are among the many most necessary options to me. With chainsaws plenty of the protection comes right down to upkeep, preserving the noticed clear, checking the chain is sharp and undamaged, which makes the programs I discussed actually necessary to have the ability to do that appropriately.
One of many benefits of battery powered chainsaws is that there are much less elements to take care of, you don’t have the diesel tank and exhaust components. The slight draw back to that’s that repairs to the electronics should be executed professionally. Nevertheless, I did benefit from the decrease upkeep with fewer elements to verify and never having to fret about inhaling dangerous petrol fumes.
Husqvarna 540i XP comes with the entire normal important security options, from blade cowl, chain break and many others. It has a double degree of energy on switches too. First, there may be the on / off button to energy on the machine. It’s then energetic. Then there are two set off switches in addition to the chain break to modify to activate the chain.
I used to be nervous that with the battery powered chainsaw, it’s simpler to overlook to hit the chain break between cuts, and I feel that is true as a result of the engine isn’t operating loudly to remind you it’s reside. In order that’s one factor to recollect. Nevertheless, I can’t see that the chain would activate by chance as a result of to make it run, you do have to slip one lever up earlier than then pushing the set off.
So I felt completely secure working it, in reality barely safer than a petroleum powered chainsaw as a result of it’s successfully off while you don’t have your fingers on the triggers.
I wished to level out that the chain catch pin, which catches the chain if it comes off the bar, positively works. Tiny twigs can typically get into the chain and lever the chain off and this truly occurred by probability after I first used the Husqvarna 540i XP, the chain caught on the catch pin and the noticed stopped instantly. I used to be notably impressed at how this labored and saved me secure.
Sound degree
One thing folks don’t have in mind with backyard equipment is that their quantity can hurt your listening to over time, so that you’re finest to put on ear safety. Petrol powered chainsaws are notably loud and Husqvarna 540i XP though loud sufficient to nonetheless warrant ear safety, is way, a lot quieter.
If there’s one factor that makes me favour battery or electrical powered chainsaws over petrol, it’s the quantity discount making it a lot much less more likely to trigger everlasting listening to injury by means of use with ear guards.
Cleansing and chain upkeep
The chain may be tightened / loosened by a single screw utilizing the software that comes with the chainsaw, and likewise the quilt operated by a bigger bolt utilizing the identical software. All bolts are connected to the covers so there is no such thing as a probability of shedding them out within the subject.
I discovered this all very straightforward to make use of for simple entry to the clutch and sprocket, and to take away the bar and chain for upkeep and cleansing.
Sustainability
Every thing we people make comes with some sort of footprint on the planet, together with battery operated backyard instruments. So the primary cease relating to sustainability is to think about, do you really want a chainsaw or would a daily handsaw do. In case you are reducing giant quantities of bushes and wooden, then a chainsaw could also be important through which case it’s good to make an knowledgeable resolution.
To my thoughts, though lithium batteries include their very own influence on the planet, within the type of the lithium being extracted after which ultimately turning into a waste product, battery powered machines are nonetheless higher for the planet than fossil fuels like diesel. The one battery I’ve for this chainsaw will final for variety of years and might be used throughout different units like hedge trimmers. Examine that to filling up the engine each time to make use of it. As electrical energy more and more comes from renewable sources, it additional lowers the gadget’s influence on the planet.
Battery powered chainsaws do nonetheless use some oil to lubricate the chain for security and to scale back put on. And naturally all instruments use supplies like steel and plastic. There’s some plastic on the Husqvarna 540i XP however not extreme quantities and I consider the noticed will fortunately final for a few years.
Total, if it’s important to use a chainsaw on your backyard work, battery powered units equivalent to this appear to be a comparatively good possibility alongside a few of the extra advantages that include battery energy talked about above.
Total impressions
I’m actually impressed with the Husqvarna 540i XP battery powered chainsaw, in reality I feel it’s wonderful. What notably stood out for me:
- lightweight
- a lot quieter than petrol powered
- its important reducing energy on all wooden varieties
- good battery life for what I wanted
- ease of upkeep
- security options
It basically did every little thing I wanted it to and there aren’t any adverse issues about it particular to the mannequin that I can consider. All in all, I like to recommend the Husqvarna 540i XP for gardeners like me who’re doing small to medium quantities of tree and forestry work.
