Earlier this year we visited Husqvarna and they were working on some top secret battery powered chainsaws. Well it looks like Stihl has beat them to the punch and launched the first real entry into the battery powered chainsaw market.
There are other battery powered chainsaws available but the Stihl MSA-160 is the first to offer the lithium-ion battery power and life and coming from a company that specializes in chainsaws this is the model to get if you are concerned about environmental issues and want a clean burning chainsaw.
Here are some of the stand out features:
Environmentally responsible chain saw powered by a high performance, advanced STIHL Lithium-Ion battery
Toolless Quick Chain Adjuster for fast and easy chain adjustment
Lightweight and easy to use - no fuel, no filters, no power cords
Low noise for quiet applications
Run time up to 60 minutes w/AP 160 and up to 35 minutes w/AP 80
Check out the chainsaw here
I've often shared my love for my Ford F150 and apparently I'm not alone. I took a quick survey of fellow tool bloggers who were more than eager to share their trucks with me and how they felt about them. Despite higher mpgs, not one wished they had a sedan or mini-van.
Let's see the trucks!
Dan Maxey - Tools in Action
2011 Ford F-150 4x4
Dan Maxey of Tools in Action is the proud owner of a 2011 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4x4. He's got the Lariat package and opted for EcoBoost.
Dan says, "I like my truck because it has the power I need to tow heavy loads, its comfortable and the sound of the EcoBoost twin turbos is awesome! Its Ford Tough. The 4x4 gets me around any job site."
"I don't like the payment and the mpg isn't quite as advertised. But if I had to do it all over again it would be another F150 EcoBoost."
Sounds like a great endorsement! The EcoBoost in 4x4 is rated at 15 city/21 hwy which sure beats my 2001 5.7 Triton at the pump and at 365 HP and 420 torque it's got more power.
We've got a Poulan Pro chainsaw that works great and we've only used it for the occasional de-limbing job, so when I got my hands on the biggest and baddest chainsaw from Husqvarna last week I was stoked! This chainsaw is definitely overkill for most homeowners but for the pro user and logger they should definitely consider it.
The Husqvarna 562XP is a new model that includes a lot of features that will improve performance and efficiency that are new to the chainsaw industry.
The new chasis is sleeker and slimmer than previous models and the weight has also been dropped. The distance between the front and rear handles has also been optimized for efficient, comfortable operation.
This week I participated in the Bosch Tools Global Leadership Tour at their US headquarters in Mt. Prospect, IL. Bosch is a global organization and their tool division is number one in Europe and with events like these they're trying to climb the very competitive ladder of tool manufacturers in the US.
Product Development Process
The first day started with a real-world example of product development. We were asked to submit an idea of a tool that we feel is needed and the top two ideas Bosch would consider developing or at least show us the process of what it takes to do this. It all starts with a lot of free form brainstorming and the top two ideas were submitted by Ethan from One Project Closer (universal battery adapter) and Marc of HomeFixated (battery powered beer cooler).
Ethan's idea took top prize and we think would be an amazing addition to any manufacturers offerings but we doubt any of them would get on board with a universal type of attachment. From sliders to post style there would be a lot of obstacles to creating this type of accessory given the current battery options and it's unlikely that the manufacturers would agree on a universal battery attachment, but we can keep dreaming.
