Aldi electric chainsaw

[Reentrant]

Aldi were selling the Oregon 16" electric chainsaw at half price (£28) last week so after a couple of days use felling/slicing several medium-size trees at my daughter's I reckon it's already paid for itself. I was really surprised how well it coped - way better than expected.

Most of the supplied 200cc oil is already gone. Is it OK to use vegetable / cooking oil as many websites suggest? It's hardly seems worth investing in expensive Stihl / branded oil intended for more powerful 2-stroke saws.

[Adrian]

Depends how often you want to replace the chain. The energy source for the motor makes no difference whatsoever to the lubrication requirements of the chain and bar.

[Thomas Prufer]

The organic bio-degradable oils are fine for forestry workers and such that use the saws regularly. In occasional use, where the same oil may well remain in the saw for a year, they can oxidise, become gummy, clog the oilways in the bar etc.

Thomas Prufer

[Roger Mills]

It's probably best to use oil which has been formulated for chain saws - I think it contains something to stop it being thrown off the chain too easily.

I use this in my electric chain saw:

[Peter Crosland]

It is not a good idea if you want the saw to last. You don't need to Stihl oil but you do need to use a good quality noil formulated for the job.

[Bob Minchin]

I use the toolstation chainsaw oil is my little bosch electric chainsaw

- seems to work OK and not block up

[Adrian]

A quick google suggests Husqvarna chain oil can be obtained for £11 delivered for 5 litres...

Exactly how much of a saving do you want to make?

[<no_spam]

Your Googling must be better than mine - howsabout a hint?

[Brian Gaff]

But do store it indoors if possible as these things do not like our winters. Brian

[Reentrant]

Ah - hadn't realised it was so cheap at £3.51 for a litre. I don't think I'll ever need 5l.

Thanks all.

[Adrian]

Google shopping search for "chainsaw oil". Husqvarna 5l is fifth result, £5.99+£5.50 delivery.

I CBA to click through, so it might be a cockup, but...

[Robin]

If something seems too good to be true......one click would have shown you that it was. (5L for GBP 21.99 + 5.50) This is after all Google Shopping - home of unregulated advertising.

But if you like bargains I could get you a really good price on a prime property at 40.7057? N, 73.9964? W :)

[<no_spam]

Thanks, I've never bothered with a "shopping" search but I can see that it could be useful. In this case, however, that's the price for 1 litre.

[Adrian]

Ah. It does say 5L in the search result, though...

[sm_jamieson]

A general question on the subject. Petrol chainsaws are considered fearsome beasts that can kick back and slice people's heads in half, etc. Is there any reason to consider the smaller electric chainsaws much safer ? My FIL was a tree surgeon and wielded a small electric chainsaw like a prun ing knife, and I was never sure whether to be worried or not !

Simon.

[Roger Mills]

Most electric chainsaws have a safety device in front of your hand, which deploys if they *do* kick back - operating a switch which cuts the power and applies the chain brake.

Most (and I presume that petrol ones do too) also have some spikes at the motor end of the bar which dig into large diameter wood, and help to reduce kick-back.

Having said that, I've watched expert petrol saw operators using them to create complex 'sculptures' out of blocks of wood - using just the tips of the bars.

[Thomas Prufer]

There's loads of different chains, i.e. different tip geometries. Tree surgeon or carving chains that have little or no kickback, made to dig rotten wood in holes or carve, or chains to cut large logs quickly. ISTR chains labelled suitable for "diy" or "homeowner" use in the catalogs: slower cutting, less kickback.

General rule seems to be the faster they cut, the more kickback they have.

Thomas Prufer

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Got a mention on R4 the other day - they were sort of comparing supermarkets and why Aldi and Lidl were so successful.

It was said that the 'offers' like this - constantly changing - appealed to many.

The contributor said they'd just gone in for a 'tin of beans' and had come away with a chain saw too. ;-)

[Adrian]

I did say I hadn't clicked through...

[Alan J. Wylie]

...

Gone in for a pound of sausages, come home with a cordless drill, a wetsuit, an inflatable dinghy and a portable generator.

THE BALLAD OF LIDL AND ALDI

And there's hatchets and hamburgers and there's tins of beans and peas And a petrol driven chainsaw for cutting bits off trees