eBay battery powered chainsaws

[spader]

There seem to be so many of them for sale recently.
Just wondering if these would be good buy in terms of reliability and performance.
They seem to be in good price for what they are.
Anyone used them?

 

[lostinthelight]

I have a parkside one which is brilliant but like the biggest percentage of cheap stuff is unrepairable once it breaks as no spares available.

 

[nickjb]

I bought a very cheap little one that uses Makita batteries (as I already have some). It's surprisingly good. Chops through branches easily, can be used one handed so great up a ladder or tree climbing. Having good batteries means it lasts well. Only issue is that if you do lots of cuts in a row it over heats and needs a rest for a minute or two. Not ideal but given the price I can live with it. It's lasted a couple of years of reasonable use. If it dies I'd buy another, but maybe one with a slightly bigger motor.

 

[Murdochcat]

Can be used one handed ?

Really?

Sounds dangerous

 

[nickjb]

It's a little 4" blade. It'll still give you a nasty injury so needs caution, careful handling and appropriate PPE. Personally it feels much safer than doing the same job with a folding saw when up a ladder or tree climbing.

 

[lostinthelight]

Can be used one handed ?

Really?

Sounds dangerous

Its the only way I use mine, use it for laying hedges, pruning and small quantities of firewood when its too much bother to get a bigger saw out.

 

[spader]

Can be used one handed ?

Really?

Sounds dangerous

It's a little 4" blade. It'll still give you a nasty injury so needs caution, careful handling and appropriate PPE. Personally it feels much safer than doing the same job with a folding saw when up a ladder or tree climbing.

Climbing up on the ladder with a large chainsaw last year to cut the tall hedge stems was really difficult and felt danagerous. One hand operated light and small chainsaw would have been safer and easier while the other hand holds on to the ladder. Wish I had known these devices were available at the time.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Stick with ones that use Makita LXT batteries. At least you will then have some usable batteries + charger if the cheap tool ever dies, that you can use with a replacement tool.

 

[spader]

Stick with ones that use Makita LXT batteries. At least you will then have some usable batteries + charger if the cheap tool ever dies, that you can use with a replacement tool.

They seem to come with warranty too. Some were saying 2 years or 5 years warranty. But one seller was offering Life Time Warranty.
Not sure if it would be realistic or straightforward to claim the warranties in case anything goes wrong with the saws or the batteries.
Not even sure if the sellers would be still traceable after 1-2 years from now.

Placed order on 2x saws coming with 2x Makita compatible batteries for each saw. It will give me 2x saws and 4x batteries. I have a lot of tree branches to cut, and burn them off due to 2 - 3 large trees cut last year in the garden.

 

[lostinthelight]

The only Makita compatible batteries I would consider are Waitley and even those are a couple of AH lower than advertised

 

[spader]

It came to about £13 for each batteries for the 4. And the 2x saws were free, so price wise it wasn't too bad. Try to get them with the real makita name on them. They may break the bank.

 

[lostinthelight]

At £13 sounds like they may be only 2Ah ish

 

[spader]

Not sure what Ah they would be. If the saws are good, I would try to get the genuine Makita batteries with the Makita drills. But having 4x batteries will the saw keep going for a days job hopefully.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

one seller was offering Life Time Warranty

Unless it was really quite expensive, or the warranty has so many holes in it that you could never claim, then this is a borderline scam, as you have observed.

 

[spader]

Unless it was really quite expensive, or the warranty has so many holes in it that you could never claim, then this is a borderline scam, as you have observed.

Bought from the other seller with 2 years warranty anyways.