volume: issue, issue:
Chainsaws are still a commonly used tool in the tending of young forests. The small volume of felled trees makes the use of powerful multi-operational machines economically unjustifiable. Moreover, the use of traditional petrol chainsaws carries a number of problems for the operator, such as noise, vibration, and exhaust fumes. Battery-powered tools can be an alternative to traditional petrol chainsaws. The purpose of this study was to determine the possibilities of using a battery-powered chainsaw during late thinning in terms of productivity and ergonomics. For the study, an ECHO ECCS-58V battery-powered chainsaw and a DOLMAR PS 5000 petrol chainsaw were used. Measurements were conducted in a 14-year-old pine stand. All measured noise level parameters were significantly higher for the petrol chainsaw. The average operating efficiency was 0.15 ha/h for the battery-powered chainsaw and 0.16 ha/h for the petrol chainsaw. The petrol chainsaw ran for an average of 42.0 minutes on a single tank of fuel, while the battery-powered chainsaw ran for an average of 41.0 minutes on a single battery. It was found that the battery-powered chainsaw achieved very similar productivity. With the availability of a sufficient number of batteries, it can successfully replace traditional petrol chainsaws during the tending of young forests. This will significantly reduce the negative impact of noise, vibrations, and exhaust fumes on the operator, while maintaining satisfactory productivity.
volume: 47, issue: 2
Chainsaws are still a commonly used tool in the tending of young forests. The small volume of felled trees makes the use of powerful multi-operational machines economically unjustifiable. Moreover, the use of traditional petrol chainsaws carries a number of problems for the operator, such as noise, vibration, and exhaust fumes. Battery-powered tools can be an alternative to traditional petrol chainsaws. The purpose of this study was to determine the possibilities of using a battery-powered chainsaw during late thinning in terms of productivity and ergonomics. For the study, an ECHO ECCS-58V battery-powered chainsaw and a DOLMAR PS 5000 petrol chainsaw were used. Measurements were conducted in a 14-year-old pine stand. All measured noise level parameters were significantly higher for the petrol chainsaw. The average operating efficiency was 0.15 ha/h for the battery-powered chainsaw and 0.16 ha/h for the petrol chainsaw. The petrol chainsaw ran for an average of 42.0 minutes on a single tank of fuel, while the battery-powered chainsaw ran for an average of 41.0 minutes on a single battery. It was found that the battery-powered chainsaw achieved very similar productivity. With the availability of a sufficient number of batteries, it can successfully replace traditional petrol chainsaws during the tending of young forests. This will significantly reduce the negative impact of noise, vibrations, and exhaust fumes on the operator, while maintaining satisfactory productivity.
