This summer Oakley have supplied various companies large and small with Husqvarna’s 500 series battery range. We have sold these products into a variety of industries including groundcare, landscapers, forestry and tree surgeons. 

I managed to catch up with one of our pro user customers to get some feedback on the machinery. Seth Bradbury Tree Services Ltd placed an order for 2 chainsaws, a T540i XP (top handle) and a 540i XP (back handle) as well as a 520iHD60 Hedge cutter. After using this equipment for a few months Seth found time to answer the following questions.

What made you decide to try the new battery products after using petrol machines for so long?

''I liked the idea of having a quieter saw and less 2 stroke fumes to breath in''.

What were your initial thoughts on the product and has it met with your expectations?

''The products have been good. I never expected them to be as powerful as the petrol equivalent and they aren’t, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the power they do have, and also how much work you can do on one battery charge''.

What have you found to be the advantages of using the 500 Series range?

"The best thing I’ve found is how quiet they are, when using the climbing saw it is much easier to communicate with the team on the ground without the noise of the saw ticking over, this has come in handy on complex lowering jobs and roadside jobs."

"Not breathing in 2 stroke fumes all day has made the working environment more pleasant".

"The hedge cutter has plenty of power for hedge cutting and leaves a very tidy finish".

"The back handle saw is very light and ideal for trimming branches etc ready for chipping as you can leave it on the side and pick it up when needed without having to keep pulling the starter or leave it ticking over. Likewise, the top handle is great when climbing as you don’t have to mess about pull starting when balancing in an awkward position, it's just switch it on and pull the trigger!"

"I also anticipate that there won’t be a lot of maintenance on these machines as they are quite simply made and there is less to go wrong or wear, no more stripping the whole saw down into tiny parts (hopefully). So far I have had no issues with the saws and have not needed to do anything with them".

"The vibration from the saws to my hands is significantly less, you can hardly feel any, this will be better for the prevention of HAVS".

Having worked these machines hard in demanding conditions have you found any limitations using these products?

"The chainsaw bars are too thin and sometimes don’t bite when trying to make a cut on an awkward angle, unfortunately nobody else makes bars to fit these saws as on my other Husqvarna saws I use different bars that are more substantial."

"Also there is no warning when the chain oil is running out so it can be easy to run the saw dry."

"The climbing saw battery seems to come loose sometimes, although it hasn’t yet I can see how it may fall out."

Would you buy more products in this range in the future?

"Yes"

How did you find you experience dealing with Oakleys?

"Oakleys were helpful and professional, Ross had good knowledge of the product range and was able to answer my questions with good knowledge. And most importantly the price was very competitive!"

We would like to thank Seth for his business this year, for taking the time to talk to me about his experience with these products and sharing the photos of him, his team and the products hard at work.