Took the saw out today for a little nonsense work. I broke down the locust branch, and mostly cut a Swedish candle. I didn't get as far as I'd like due to the battery overheating.
### Things I like ###
Everything related to the b&c is on the saw body. Nothing is on the clutch cover. That means it's very easy to get the b&c mounted. Put the b&c on, tension it close, then put on the cover and finish tensioning it. Saws like the 2511 have the tension stuff in the cover, and it makes more stuff to get lined up to get the saw together.
Onboard scrench. The benefit is obvious. My newer poulans both had one, but they weren't mounted as well, and I lost one in the woods. This one appears to have a solid mount, and I think it'll stay in place well for typical treework. Instead of black it should be something bright though. Form over function amirite? :^D
Good power. It never wanted to stall. I had the bar mostly buried in spruce for the candle, and it never hesitated.
Quiet(ish).
### Neutral(may be good or bad. Depends on perspective. Some are inherent with the tech) ###
You really notice the slower chain speed on small stuff. If you don't cut it at a union, it really whips the limbs around and makes an ugly cut.
Heavy. I wouldn't want to spend a day pruning with this saw. It's comfortable with two hands, but feels unwieldy with one. Also, the slower chain makes it a poor match for light pruning.
### Things I don't like ###
The battery overheated. I was pushing it hard ripping the spruce, so it was just going for a long period, but it gives me pause. I don't know if I'd be comfortable taking this saw out to fell a couple 14" trees in the summer far away from the truck with a single battery. I'll have to give it more time and consideration though. Making Swedish candles is outside the limits of real work, so maybe blocking down something like a pine would be fine? I'd be irritated if I was up a tree on spurs, and the saw told me it didn't feel like working anymore.
That gets to battery life. I'm down to two bars cutting a medium size locust branch, and a small Swedish candle. I wouldn't want to run electric exclusively. It has it's place, and it has useful attributes, but I don't think it's a perfect replacement for gas.
No captive bar nut. It's 2024; There's no reason not to use captive nuts on every saw, from the cheapest to the most expensive. If they want to position this as a pro tool, a captive bar nut is mandatory.
The sound. Though it's fairly quiet, I really dislike the sound of electric tools. It sounds like a dental drill for a brontosaurus :^D My neighbors probably appreciate it more, but I prefer the sound of a 2stroke.
### Uncertain ###
The safety switch is interesting. It's a lever on top that pushes forward, and you grip it to the saw handle to allow the saw to work. Makes it easy to just pick up and use, but it has to gripped deliberately. Making long reaches with the saw where you might have a lighter grip on the top handle can allow the switch to come up and you won't be able to squeeze the trigger.
The alternative is a power button. Something to push every time you want to use a saw, but you push it, and it's done til it times out. That has safety considerations if you aren't diligent about setting the chainbrake. I could see someone getting in trouble grabbing a live saw before the switch times out and getting cut. That requires people doing things wrong, but that's what people do, right?
I'd have to use both styles over a period of time to know which I prefer.
### Final thoughts ###
I'm happy with the saw. It does what I need it to do, and it does it pretty well. I don't think it's gonna be a truck saw. I prefer the reliability of gas, and a gas saw will work all day on fuel I can easily carry in the field, at little cost. I'd have to have a few batteries stashed in the truck to be ready for anything, and that's like $1k in easily thieveable fuel to keep around, and make sure it's topped up. If I decide I want to use a different truck saw than Ol' Smokey, I'm leaning towards kicking the ms170 out of the house. I'm not super fond of that saw, though it is pretty. I think the Milwaukee beats it for power, but the 170 would beat the Milwaukee in a marathon.
edit:
One other thing that doesn't pertain directly to this saw. I'd like to see a charger that has selectable power that ranges from glacial to ultrafast. Nobody does this, but it would go a long way to getting the most out of the batteries. Batteries should be charged as slowly as possible, and below max capacity, though that last point isn't practical with tools. You should be able to charge ultrafast on the jobsite when the tool *must* work, then when you get home, you set the charge to glacial, and get them topped up overnight.
I haven't tried it yet, but I actually think it's going to be ok.
www.wesspur.com
Closer on husky...
