chainsaw

[williamwright]

Yesterday I went to my daughter's with a load of wood. I was rewarded with a very nice cottage pie (large portion), then, since it wasn't raining Matt and I decided to do the right thing and cut the wood up rather than just pile it in a corner and forget about it. Matt thought we ought to use my chainsaw to save wearing his out (typical), so we did. Unfortunately my chainsaw (Bosch 1750W) suddenly stopped working. All it did was emit a loud buzz and some magic smoke. Not to worry; I've had it for at least twenty years and it had done a lot of work, and the oiler didn't work and the chain tensioner only just worked. (Later I dismantled it out of curiosity and found that the front motor bearing had seized absolutely solid. But surprisingly the gear wheels showed very little wear and the motor brushes were still quite good.) I don't know whether to get a petrol or electric chain saw. If electric a constraint is that I want it to work from the genny, which is 2kW. The bigger chainsaws are 2.5kW.

Bill

[SH]

A motor is an inductive load.....

Even if you replaced the genny with a 2.5 kW version or found a chainsaw rated at 2.00 kW, it will still not work due to motors being an inductive load. (You need a higher start power before it then settles down.

Plus there is power factor to think of.

[Tim+]

Just get a petrol one. You know you want to. ;-)

My £79 Aldi/Lidl one has served me very well. Always starts first time. Saved me its cost in firewood many times over.

Tim

[Paul]

Here, a gentleman in the video, measures an electric chainsaw. With the chain not moving, the peak input current is 50A on the

120V powered saw. The normal operating current is more likely to be in the 15A range. That's at least a 3X multiplier.

The generator must be scaled a bit, to handle that surge without stalling. If the generator is the same size as the load, maybe it will stall out when you pull the trigger.

There is a Makita chainsaw with a "slow start" feature and "motor current burnout prevention" type feature. But you're paying the price of two or three chainsaws, just to make your generator hold up.

The highest stall current I know of, is electric motors that draw 10X the current at zero RPM. The electric chainsaw measured 3X. Refrigerators, the estimate for the compressor, is a stall load of 5X at startup. And an oversized generator can help, with the transient load.

Some electrical loads, will even trip the the generator protection device when the load is connected. So there is that possibility to consider as well.

Paul

[williamwright]

The generator (Honda EU20i) has been in use with the existing chainsaw for many years. There have been no problems.

Bill

[williamwright]

I used to have petrol power tools that wouldn't start, and were a general nuisance, but the three I have now behave perfectly. So yes.

Bill

[williamwright]

The generator (Honda EU20i) has been in use with the existing chainsaw for many years. There have been no problems.

Bill

[John Rumm]

What size bar do you need?

Also worth considering battery powered ones these days - especially if you are already "bought into" an 18V battery platform. (and you can always charge them from the genny).

[T i m]

Daughter tried some chainsaw carving at an arb show she had a stand at using my cheap electric chainsaw and one of my 3KW generators and I think that worked ok (as far as the saw functioning ok, rather than being nice / suitable for carving compared with her Stihl carving saw, certainly with the (stock) bar on the electric).

At least the generator could be put a distance away from the visitors making the carving bit slightly greener (4/ genny) and quieter (and probably less vibration).

Cheers, T i m

[Andy Burns]

Considering the "hedgetrimmer" thread, I can't see Bill going for that!

[newshound]

Yes, that is the main piece of information not supplied by the OP.

Personally I would now never consider a corded chainsaw, which simplifies the decision process. I have both cordless (smaller) and two-stroke (larger). The latter is 20 years old and sometimes reluctant to start, I have been very impressed with the amount that I can manage with my "20 volt" Lidl (with about a 10 inch bar).

[Andrew]

I use a manual emission-free chain saw. Good exercise.

[Andy Burns]

Likewise 36V with 14" bar (same saw available in models with longer or shorter bar)

[Andy Burns]

Not such a wide throat though?

I have a saw on a stick for the out of reach stuff

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Another case of an older design being more robust than a new one then I'd say, I can recall a guy trying what you wanted to do, but in his case it was a power saw, and it just tripped the generator every time it was turned on.

Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

What is the pollution like, I see a lot of power tools that seem to push out foul smelling blue smoke all the time on strimmers hedge cutters and the like. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yes my first attempt at designing a drill speed control using a triac ended in tears due to the strange effects of inductance, as I recall. Brian

[Chris Green]

Older. probably, and 2-stroke which necessarily burn some oil and produce blue smoke. Another reason why I like my 4-stroke Ryobi.

[NY]

With all the concern about exhaust pollution from petrol and diesel engines, how long will it be before two-stroke petrol-engined cars, bikes and power tools (or at least, crankcase-scavenged ones which burn oil) are outlawed, initially for new sales and later for use?

[Tim+]

Does such a chainsaw still exist?

Tim