12 Inch "Hyper Tough" Chainsaw with 20 Volt 4.0 Amp Battery
Although you may have never considered buying a chainsaw in the past, you may wish to give some thought to the above chainsaw.
In August of 2022 the above chainsaw can be purchased at Walmart in the gardening area for about $139.00 plus tax.
Discussion
The most practical use of the above chainsaw would be to cut your own firewood. It weighs less than 8 pounds and you could take it almost anywhere. It has a heavy-duty plastic sheath that completely covers the chain and this allows the chainsaw to be safely carried from place to place. When you arrive at your destination you can slide the cover off the chain, insert the 20 volt battery, and then you will be ready to cut firewood.
To activate the saw put on some safety glasses and some leather gloves. Hold the saw with both hands, push the orange thumb button on the side of the handle with your right thumb, and then depress the orange trigger button under the handle with your right forefinger. The saw immediately responds and you are ready to cut wood.
This saw also has an orange kickback brake paddle on the top middle of the chainsaw to enhance the safety of this chainsaw. This paddle needs to be pulled back to the full rear position as shown in the above picture in order to start the chainsaw. If the chainsaw kicksback suddenly then the paddle is designed to be automatically pushed forward and this will stop the chain even if you still have the trigger depressed.
Unlike gas operated chainsaws, the sound of the above chainsaw is relatively low. The saw has a brushless electric motor and this should significantly extend the useful life of the motor.
Ordinary motor oil, such as 10W30, can be poured into the oil reservoir. The only purpose of the oil is to lubricate the underside of the chain as it moves at high speeds around the front chain guide bar. Therefore an inexpensive generic brand of motor oil can be used. If you plan to use the chainsaw during cold weather then you may wish to use 10W30 or 10W40 oil because this type of oil is designed to flow smoothly in cold weather conditions. If you put the chainsaw into storage then oil will very gradually leak out of the chainsaw if you leave oil inside the oil reservoir. This is normal for all chainsaws.
This chainsaw does not require gasoline. And it does not require an electrical extension cord. The saw comes with a battery charger that you can plug into a wall outlet and this allows you to recharge the 20 volt lithium-ion battery using ordinary house current. The battery should be charged to a "full charge" before you use the battery for the first time. The battery does not have to be completely discharged before it can be recharged because it does not have a "memory." During a grid down situation you could recharge the battery if you had a solar panel, a 12 volt automotive battery (preferably a marine deep-cycle battery), and an inverter.
The new chain will gradually become loose on the chain bar after the saw has been used for a little while. This is normal. A new chain will stretch just a little at the joints between the links in the chain. And the pressure of cutting wood will gradually push the chain bar just a little bit backward towards the body of the chainsaw. The chain can be easily tightened by removing the 20 volt battery to prevent an accident. Then loosen the side-cover knob one turn counterclockwise and then turn the chain-tensioning knob up to retighten the chain. Then tighten the side-cover knob. Please carefully follow the instructions in the "Operator's Manual" that comes with the chainsaw. Do not operate any chainsaw that has a loose chain.
Although the "Operator's Manual" has instructions on how to sharpen the chain I recommend that you purchase one or two extra chains instead of trying to individually sharpen each of the 44 links on a dull chain. The chain pitch is 3/8 inch (9.5 mm), the chain gauge is 0.042 inch (1.1 mm), and the chain has 44 links. It is easy to find a chain with 3/8 inch pitch and 0.042 inch gauge but it is not easy to find a chain with 44 links. The "Owner's Manual" recommends the "TriLink" brand and this item can be found on "ebay" for about $15.00 for two chains and shipping is free from some ebay dealers. A sharp chain makes cutting firewood relatively easy. A dull chain is a safety hazard and it can make cutting firewood relatively difficult.
The 12 inch chain extends a little more than 11 inches out in front of the body of the chainsaw. Although the saw is advertised to cut through wood that is 10 inches thick, I personally would not cut anything thicker than 8 inches with this saw. Yesterday I cut through a 7 inch diameter log easily and without any difficulty. If your firewood logs are all 8 inches or less in diameter then you would not need to split the firewood before you burn it in your fireplace. The most efficient way to heat a home with firewood is by using the Texas Fireframe that I discuss on my website.
Other companies make battery-operated chainsaws and you may purchase one of their saws if you prefer. Chainsaws are available with 10 inch, 12 inch, 14 inch, and 16 inch chains. In my opinion, a 12 inch chain is the best option for a battery-operated chainsaw. A 12 inch chain is big enough to cut firewood and small trees 8 inches or less in diameter. A shorter 10 inch chain will reduce the maximum diameter of the wood you can cut and this is not desirable in my opinion. A longer 14 inch or 16 inch chain will increase the maximum diameter of the wood you can cut but a battery-operated chainsaw is not practical for cutting thicker wood. Thicker wood puts more stress and pressure on the chain and the chain transmits that stress to the small electric engine inside the chainsaw. The result will be that the electric motor will probably wear out sooner. And the chain will probably become jammed more often inside the thicker wood. And thicker wood is heavier than thinner wood. A 10 inch diameter log is 56% heavier than an 8 inch diameter log of the same length and of the same type of wood. Therefore I recommend a 12 inch chain but you may purchase whatever you desire.
Conclusion
A gasoline chainsaw with a long chain will cut really big logs and really big trees. However, a gasoline chainsaw has the following shortcomings:
A gasoline chainsaw makes a lot more noise when compared to an electric chainsaw.
You must have gasoline. Gasoline may soon become very difficult to acquire.
You must firmly jerk the starter cord to start the saw. On some gasoline chainsaws this is really difficult to do.
If you turn the chainsaw off then you must jerk the starter cord again to start the saw.
If you allow the chainsaw to run while you are not using it then it will consume gas. This is also very dangerous.
If you leave gas inside the chainsaw when you put the chainsaw into storage then the gas may gradually clog the fuel line.
If the social conditions deteriorate in your area and you are forced to abandon your home in order to avoid being murdered, then this chainsaw would allow you to quickly build a reasonable shelter for your family in a heavily wooded wilderness area. This chainsaw is relatively quiet and it would not attraction attention to your building site. And you could build the shelter quicker and with the minimum expenditure of physical energy. Instructions for building a safe shelter are on my website in the following article: How to Build a Safe Temporary Shelter.
In a wilderness environment this chainsaw would also allow you to harvest firewood to cook your meals. The chainsaw would require some motor oil and a small solar panel, a 12 volt deep-cycle battery, and an inverter. These electrical items could also be used to recharge a portable fan for comfort during hot weather, and to recharge your portable electronic devices that do not transmit your location to the rest of the world. A battery-operated worldband radio would also be nice to have in a wilderness environment.
Respectfully,
Grandpappy.
Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com
