How to Maximise Your Battery Chainsaws Battery Life | Battery Care Best Practices

It's a new era for tools, and lithium battery technology has come so far in recent years and has become an excellent option for both novice and veteran users. Delivering incredible power and performance with zero direct emissions and quiet operation.

To help you get the most out of your battery chainsaw and battery tools, we asked Husqvarna's product manager Mike Enderby to share some of his top insider tips and tricks on how to get the best performance and life out of your battery tools.

Let's start with savE™ mode

Found across the battery-series range of garden tools, savE™ mode lets users get more working time from their battery tools at the push of a button. As Mike mentions:

"All of Husqvarna's battery chainsaws have a savE™ button. In the case of chainsaws, this will lower the RPM for tasks that do not require full power, and this will extend your battery life considerably. savE™ mode runs at approximately 60-70% of full power. So if you are doing some lighter cutting, utilising savE™ mode will allow for a longer run-time on your current battery."

The key is that by reducing power consumption while enabling the operator to continue with cutting tasks that do not require the full output of the saw - you will ultimately prolong and preserve the battery life during use. This can be ideal for work that is away from a power supply and can reduce the need to carry spare batteries or a battery charger with you - thus lightening your load

Better still, other useful power-saving features such as automatic shutdown can help save on power when the chainsaw isn't in use. Mike notes that this feature ensures the product is automatically shut down after 1-3 minutes of being idle (depending on the model), prolonging the life of the battery and helping to lower the risk of injury when left unattended.

36 is the magic number

There are plenty of situations in the world where less is more. But more voltage doesn't always equate to more power when it comes to batteries. Husqvarna battery-series tools use advanced 36v Li-ion batteries that have been designed to pack a powerful punch without needing to be too heavy.

The easiest way to look at the voltage of a battery is to think of your battery as a water pipe and the voltage as the pressure. Pressure is what makes things flow through the pipe, in this case, a current - delivering power from the battery to the device. So, why does Husqvarna use a 36v Li-ion battery instead of a 50v or 72v?

"We have found that we can get a better power output from 36v instead of 72v due to the cell configuration. Our BLi200 battery is a 5.2 Ah battery which uses 20 cells whereas a 72v battery version would need 40 cells to achieve the same power output."

Basically, it's all about cell utilisation and design - enabling maximum power to be achieved from smaller batteries, meaning you won't have to lug around unnecessary weight to get the power you need.

Know your power capacity and output

Alongside voltage, output power and battery capacity both play an important role in deciphering the performance of a battery. The battery capacity, also known as the energy rating, provides a rough estimate of how much energy the battery can hold, while the output is roughly how much energy it can deliver.

Battery output is possibly the most critical performance indicator for runtime, so knowing how to work it out on the go can be useful - and it's really not hard to do either. To get the battery output all you need to do is multiply the voltage by Amps:

V(voltage) x A(amps) = Wh(watt-hour)

Obviously, the smaller the battery is, the lower the capacity and output. For example, the BLi10 battery has a capacity of 2 Ah while the BLi300 has a capacity of 9.4 Ah, meaning the higher capacity results in a longer run-time.

Battery runtime quick overview

When it comes to getting the most out of your battery, Mike puts focus on using the right size battery for the task at hand. Choosing the right battery for the type of work you typically do will make it easier to know which battery is best for your needs. 

For example,  the BLi20 is perfect for the home user. However, professionals such as Chris Maatta from Ascent Arbour use a BLi300 pro-battery - which provides him with enough power to get him through the day without needing to swap batteries.

Mike's top tips for battery performance

• Avoid keeping your batteries charging for long periods. Remove the batteries from the charger soon after being fully charged as they will hold charge for a considerable amount of time.
• Properly caring for your battery will also help to extend the overall life of your battery. Using a battery bag or battery box will keep your batteries safe when storing or transporting your batteries.
• Avoid leaving batteries in tools when storing away for winter or when you're not planning to use them for several weeks.
• For maximum service life, you should store your batteries at 50% charged. 
• Battery status can be checked by pressing the button on the rear of the battery. 

Are you ready to make the switch?

With a great range of Husqvarna battery chainsaws, mowers, blowers, trimmers, saws and more; finding your next battery-powered tool has never been easier. Plus, with batteries perfect for every situation and a variety of inbuilt power-saving and power-boosting features, get more done with each charge.

View the full range online today or visit your local Husqvarna dealer for more.