Comparing the Productivity of the Latest Models of Li-Ion Battery and Petrol Chainsaws in a Conifer Clear-Cut Site

Abstract

The recent technological development of batteries has allowed the production of powerful tools that are also used in forestry operations. For this reason, this study aimed to compare the performance of two latest chainsaw models in a conifer clear-cut. The examined chainsaws, the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered MS 261 C-M, have comparable power and weight. The overall working times were recorded and then gross, net and felling/processing productivities were quantified. Our findings reported that in a working day (7.4 h gross time), each chainsaw felled and processed an average of 20 trees of 0.64 m3 with an average diameter at breast height of 28 cm. Considering the net productivity, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the two chainsaws. Investigating the productivities on operations conducted using the chainsaws, the battery chainsaw showed a lower average tree-processing productivity than that recorded for the petrol chainsaw. On average, the battery duration was 0.88 h, while the petrol tank duration was 0.97 h. Our study shows that battery chainsaws have great potential in forestry operations; however, considering the actual need for 8 charges per standard workday, optimizing battery management is an important objective for future work.

A Comparison between the Latest Models of Li-Ion Batteries and Petrol Chainsaws Assessing Noise and Vibration Exposure in Cross-Cutting

“…Previous studies [45,61] investigated the productivity of several work tasks using professional battery chainsaws. The findings reveal that the latest models of battery chainsaws achieved good levels of reliability and productivity in small-scale forestry operations, and their use is highly recommended in those cases where working restrictions related to noise and exhaust exposure are established.…”