The surprising electric chainsaw

As the Secret Lair approached habitability in 2011 I was faced with a logistical problem: I planned to heat with juniper and so I was going to need a good chainsaw.

Got one, too, through one of those instances of synchronicity that used to happen so often around here they made me want to at least get thoughtful about my agnosticism.

See, for my first year and a half in the Gulch I worked at the local chainsaw’n’generator repair shop. The experience left me with a strongly negative opinion of hardware-store-grade chainsaws and generators, so I couldn’t just save my nickels until I could beg a ride to Lowes and buy the cheapest thing on the rack. That way lies snapping twigs off trees to stave off hypothermia. I knew, without ever having depended on one before, that in the position I’d placed myself I needed a chainsaw. One that wouldn’t fail me when I needed it most, as long as I treated it right.

And happily, I got one: A rebuilt vintage Husqvarna left on consignment at the saw shop after I quit. Had to make payments, but it became available a good year before I really needed it so that was fine. I still have it, too: Take care of them and they’ll take care of you. Got me through the first few cold winters in the Lair before I found other ways to gather wood.

The thing is though: Good powerful chainsaws are a pain in the ass. They’re heavy, noisy, dangerous to be near. You need to arrange mix gas all the time. You’re constantly having to stop and adjust the chain. They’re oily and messy: Cleaning them takes as long as cutting with them. They wear out cutting chains with wearying promiscuity, at least on dirt cedar. Even storing them is a hassle because you have to treat diaphragm carburetors with care or they’ll go TU on you during downtime.

Still – gotta have one. No substitutions allowed by reality. Right?

Well, that’s what I thought. I had, until recently, a neighbor who used a pro-grade electric chainsaw and never seemed to complain about his lot in life. I thought he was nuts.

Then several years ago, Big Brother sent me this:

I confess my initial reaction was indifference bordering on contempt. What good was this slow, weak machine ever going to do me? But at least it used the same batteries as all my other cordless tools. Might come in handy for trimming or something.

Turned out it was shockingly useful. And a lot less of a hassle to run than the Husky. Now, more than seven years later, I use it all the time and not just for branch trimming. I dragged it out this morning while it was cool to get a branch out of the way of one of my paths, and that was all I had to do: Get it out of the shed and stick a battery in it. No big dramatic buildup to the act followed by an hour of cleaning and careful mothballing.

Got me to thinking: My neighbor is moving away at the end of the month. I should ask him if he wants to sell his electric.