Now more than ever climate change is in the news, and there is obviously a big push at the moment to move over to battery/electric use as in the case of cars, but this is also filtering down to mid-range power tools like chainsaws.
We recently purchased a Husqvarna T540i top-handled tree surgery saw in our own efforts to cut down on our carbon footprint and I have to say we are quite impressed by its performance. Battery-powered tools have of course been around for a long time in the guise of hand drills and other smaller power tools. In fact, even battery chainsaws aren’t exactly new, with some of the early Makita models existing some 20 plus years ago. Up until now, however, the power output simply hasn’t been up to the standards that a professional arborist has required, especially when compared side by sound to a petrol engine counterpart. All that has changed quite rapidly in the past couple of years, with big leaps in battery technology partly thanks to the vast investments made by manufacturers such as Husqvarna and Stihl.
The latest generation of these saws put out as good a performance as their petrol equivalent, and companies are pushing the boundaries and bringing out larger models. In our opinion, the larger saws still have a way to go, but with the advancements made in just a few short years, we wouldn’t be surprised to see our entire stable of saws converted to battery power in the not-too-distant future.
Aside from reducing the carbon footprint of our company, we have also noticed other benefits from using these saws, both for us and our clients.
- Noise reduction – No more loud chainsaws which benefits our users and of course our clients and their neighbours. In fact most of the smaller saws fall below the noise requirements for wearing ear defenders, something our team members definitely appreciate in the summer months. Depending on the job location it also allows us to start a bit earlier in the mornings without the fear of causing too much annoyance.
- Reduced vibration – Chainsaws are notorious for causing HAVS, something that most old-school tree fellers suffering with white finger will attest to. These new saws have little to no vibration, provided they are kept sharp and well-maintained.
- No fumes – Another silent killer and particularly noticeable in the summer months. No fuel means no hazardous fumes for our staff to breathe in.
So far most of our staff unanimously agree that for tree surgery work the benefits of battery chainsaws outweigh the cons, and we look forward to increasing the range of battery products we use in the coming months and years.
