more to consider than just performance. Chisholm has won several awards and accolades for his work in the world of arboriculture. He’s a third-generation International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist working with his fam- ily-owned Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey. He’s also a consultant and spokesman for equipment maker Stihl. Chisholm explains that there’s a bias against electric chain saws because early iterations had problems. For in- stance, some didn’t perform well in the rain and others weren’t terribly rugged. Negative opinions have lin- gered because of word-of-mouth re-
going on,” Chisholm says and explains that he uses electric trimmers and chain saws for a variety of tasks on the job site. He says he especially loves the ergonomics of his electric saws. “It just feels nice to be able to grab the saw… and go right to work,” he says. “It’s just squeeze and go, and it’s just so conve- nient and comfortable. I use it on a lot of pruning jobs in particular and some removal jobs as well.” THEY’RE CONVENIENT, BUT… When asked to describe the benefits of electric chain saws, Chisholm lingers on the idea of convenience. Compared to gas-operated chain saws, electric chain saws start with a push-button rather than a pull starter, they require very little maintenance and they produce no exhaust fumes. Plus, they’re quieter, so it’s much easier to communicate on the job site. “They’re just easier,” he says. As for the power deferential, Chisholm explains that it’s not that battery-powered chain saws are underpowered, it’s that the batter- ies in their current state can’t produce enough juice to fuel the chain saw for really aggressive jobs—at least, not un- less you “strap on a battery the size of a backpack.” Even though Chisholm praises bat- tery-powered chain saws, he calls the 2024 and 2025 goals “loy” and says the technology might not catch up to the initiative. “When a guy like me
views and online chatter rather than personal experiences. However, tech- nology has improved significantly in a few short years due to demand and societal forces. Because professionals use their chain saws more often, they’ll also need more batteries and maybe even more chargers. These items make upfront costs for transitioning to battery-powered more expensive. Photo courtesy of Stihl.
“Year over year, it’s amazing what’s
“I think technology is moving forward so incredibly quickly that five years from now, there probably won’t be a need for gas-powered saws anywhere.”
16 | ArborTIMES Spring 2023
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