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How do the latest battery models shape up against new petrol chainsaws when tested at Bridgwater College? Sally Drury reports
Reviewed This Issue
- Makita DUC353Z
- EGO CS1600E
- Harry ZM4630
- Makita EA3201S
- MTD GCS 4600/45
- Cobra CS620-20
- Echo CS501SX
- Makita EA5600F
ReviewPanel
Mike Cullen, head of arboriculture, Bridgwater College; Giles Prewett, arb technician, Bridgwater College; arboriculture students, Bridgwater College
We asked arboriculture department staffat the Bridgwater College Cannington Campus to try out a selection of petrol and battery chainsaws. Helping them were students already working in the industry They are all regular chainsaw users but mostly with either Husqvarna or Stihl saws.
We had no Stihls or Huskies but a wide range of other branded rear-handled units to test on the log piles at the arb training facility. With the rising popularity of battery power, we had models from 56V cordless specialist EGO Power+ and from Makita, in the form of a twin 18V saw, with a view to checking power and runtimes and to compare them to petrol power. Makita also loaned us a standard-spec landowner chainsaw and the very latest 'farmer' model, the EA5600F.
We also got our hands on Echo's CS501SX professional ground saw and three saws priced under pounds 200 - Cobra Garden's CS620, which at 62cc is the company's most powerful; the 45.6cc Harry from FGM Claymore; and a similar sized MTD chainsaw from EP Barrus.
Conditions on test day were cool and cloudy. Drizzle threatened but it stayed dry for the event.
Makita DUC353Z
Introduced at the beginning of the year as a standard-setting cordless chainsaw that matches petrol performance, this twin 18V (36V) machine attracts much attention from our testers. They already have experience of Husky and Stihl battery chainsaws and are eager to make a comparison.
With all the benefits of cordless tools, this saw boasts a 36V direct-drive brushless motor with a rated output of 1kW, making it similar to a 32cc petrol machine. It comes fitted with a 35cm bar and provides a fast chain speed of 20m/s. The testers are impressed with the power of this cordless unit and also with the weight - just 5.2kg in operational mode, whereas Makita's 32cc unit with a full tank...