Kress 60V Line Trimmer Model KC100.9

Kress has launched an impressive list of commercial outdoor power equipment here in the US. The new KG100 Commercial 60V Cordless Line Trimmer nicely compliments the Kress 60V 21″ Self-Propelled Mower and Kress 60V Backpack Blower that we’ve recently reviewed. Like the other equipment from Kress that we’ve used this cordless string trimmer is built with the commercial landscaper in mind.

Features and Specifications

• Battery: 60V
• Brushless Motor
• Cutting Speed: 4200/5100/5900 rpm
• Cutting Diameter: 16.5″
• Line Diameter: 0.095″/0.105″ (2.4 / 2.7 mm) nylon line
• Water Protection: IPX4
• Tool Weight (Bare Tool): 9.9 lbs
• Available Batteries: KAC802 60V CyberPack 2Ah or KAC804 4Ah

The Kress line trimmer has been designed with professional landscapers and maintenance crews in mind. The commercial brushless motor delivers 1.2kW of power which is equivalent to a 30cc 2-stroke gas powered trimmer. The trimmer motor can be adjusted with 3 speed settings to maximize power and run-time depending on the application.

It includes a heavy-duty non-flexible steel driveshaft for long term durability. It also includes an aluminum gearhead. The Kress line trimmer has an IPX4 waterproof rating allowing users the ability to work in wet conditions such a rain. In addition, the Quick-load trimmer head includes a 30 foot spool capacity reducing the need to re-string it as often.

The controls are large and easy to use. There is a simple on/off button along with two buttons to increase/decrease the head speed. A large easy to grasp trigger makes for a comfortable operation.

Available Options

We reviewed the basic setup with none of the available options. However, you can purchase separately a harness to help support the weight of the tool (which I honestly think should come standard as this is a pretty heavy trimmer), and you can get battery backpack harness, which can allow you to use an 11 Ah battery for heavy duty use and longer run-time.

You can also purchase a 4″ cutter head and also a knife blade attachment, both sold separately.

Battery Options and Charging

The 60V Kress line trimmer can operate on both of their battery configurations of 4 Ah and 11 Ah. We tested the trimmer using the 4 Ah battery attached to the unit. In order to use an 11 Ah pack you’ll need to buy the battery backpack harness.

The heart of these new Kress Commercial OPE are their 8-Minute CybeSystem batteries. For the serious commercial landscaper they can purchase the CyberTank DC-DC charger. The CyberTank is essential a very large battery, 5040 Wh or 7200 Wh depending on model, that can quickly charge the the smaller 4.0Ah or 11.0Ah multiple times throughout the day. The DC-DC charging is extrememly efficient and fast as the energy requires no conversion and a large amount of power can be transfered from one battery to another quickly. The CyberTank gets charged typically overnight from an AC power source that takes 4-6 hours. This can easily be mounted on a trailer allowing the batteries to be quickly charged in the time it takes to drive to the next jobsite.

These batteries come with a 6 year (commercial use) warranty or 3,000 cycles warranty which is really quite impressive. 3,000 cycles. If you charge that battery once a day, 5 days a week, that’s nearly 23 years!! Obviously they are very sure of this battery platform and stand by it!

Performance

The Kress Commercial 60V Line Trimmer is a beast! It’s a commercial grade tool from top to bottom. Packed with power, great ergonomics and simple controls. It’s well built and comparable to any other professional trimmer I’ve used. I trimmed a very large yard multiple times on the same battery charge. When you consider that 8 minute full charge with this system it’s hard to even worry about run-time, managing a large group of batteries, or the other challenges previous cordless solutions presented.

Cost

Obviously commercial outdoor power equipment is typically expensive and an investment. This new line of Kress equipment is certainly an investment but the long term savings in fuel and maintenance can’t be overlooked. If you’re a professional landscaper there will be some overlap with chargers and batteries. I’m not including the CyberTank Portable Power Station as we’ll have another article focusing on that. Here are the listed prices on what we tested for this stand alone mower.

• Line Trimmer – KC100.9 – $349.99
• KAC840 Dual Port Charger – $779.99
• KAC804 4 Ah CyberPack Battery – $549.99

As a stand alone setup you’d be looking at roughly a $1,700 investment. With the current pricing of fuel this certainly isn’t a terrible proposition along with the warranty that comes with the trimmer and battery.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been reviewing power tools long enough to remember a few huge transitions in our industry. Kress has unlocked a major transition in OPE with this 60V lineup that is sure to revolutionize this industry. This is the real deal and something that will certainly disrupt this sector. Landscapers and professional lawn-care companies, especially ones working in areas that cannot use gasoline powered engines should take this new product seriously. When you combine really good quality with superior engineering you’ve got a winner. Kress has hit a home-run!

Kress Commercial 60V Line Trimmer Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Kress Commercial 60V 21 Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower KC710.9

Kress 60V 21" Self Propelled Mower

5/5

Manufacturer: Kress
Model number: KC710.9
Price: $799.00
Power source: 60V Li-Ion
Weight: 77 lbs

At the 2022 International Equip Exposition in Louisville KY Kress revealed a robust line-up of commercial outdoor power equipment that promised to change the professional landscaper approach to lawn care. Kress, a long established and well respected tool brand from Germany has now released these new products in the US and we’ve been using them the last several months to get a feel for their offering and more importantly their performance. In this review we are taking a look at their 21″ Self-Propelled 60V Mower.

Features / Specifications

• Brushless Motor
• Voltage: 60 Volts
• Cutting Deck: Reinforced Steel
• Cutting Speed: 2800/3300 rpm
• Cutting Width: 20-5/64 in
• Grass Bag Volume: 2.5 bushels
• Water Protection: IPX4
• Weight: 77 lbs
• Built-in LED Control Panel
• 2-point Height Adjustment
• Deck wear plate & front bumper guard
• Improved air flow deck design & Versatile cutting blades
• Powerful 7 lb-ft of torque provides the force needed for professional cut quality under severe working conditions.
• Variable self-propelled speed, up to 4mph, allows professional landscapers to match cutting speed to cutting conditions for optimal efficiency.
• The heavy-duty differential drive transmission provides exceptional durability while the auto-clutch allows for easy transition from self-propelled operation to push operation.

Build Quality

The very first thing that was noticeable about the Kress mower was it’s weight and sturdy build. The deck on this mower reminds me of old school push mowers that were built to last forever. It has a reinforced steel deck that’s thicker and more robust than many riding mowers have.

The wheels are robust and also heavy duty and provide easy maneuverability. The mower’s 2-point height adjustment is very easy to use and intuitive.

The steel handlebars are also robust and offer several adjustments to provide the most comfort for different user heights and mowing styles. It’s clear from the moment this mower was assembled that it’s been designed for serious commercial use and longevity. I’ve personally reviewed dozens of cordless mowers over the years and not a single mower has been built like this, not even close! For some the 77 lb weight might seem excessive but this machine is built to work.

This mower is also rated with IPX4 waterproofing so the mower can be washed and used in wet weather conditions.

Controls

The controls on the Kress 60V 21″ self-propelled mower are simple and straight forward. The LED control panel provides users with information on the battery levels and blade speed. To use the mower you first push the on/off red button on the lower right, the larger red start button on the lower left starts the blades. The lower black grab bar must be engaged for the mower blades to engage. The upper red grab bar engages the self-propelled wheels. The speed of the wheels is controlled with a lever to the right of the run/walk graphic on the control panel. I found the controls easy to use and well placed.

Battery Options and Charging

The 60V Kress mower can operate on both of their battery configurations of 4 Ah and 11 Ah. I tested this mower with both batteries and found no difference in performance other than run-time and weight. For me the weight doesn’t really matter because of the powerful self-propelled design this mower offers. The top of the mower lifts up allowing a single battery to be installed (either 4 or 11 Ah packs).

The heart of these new Kress Commercial OPE are their 8-Minute CybeSystem batteries. For the serious commercial landscaper they can purchase the CyberTank DC-DC charger. The CyberTank is essential a very large battery, 5040 Wh or 7200 Wh depending on model, that can quickly charge the the smaller 4.0Ah or 11.0Ah multiple times throughout the day. The DC-DC charging is extrememly efficient and fast as the energy requires no conversion and a large amount of power can be transfered from one battery to another quickly. The CyberTank gets charged typically overnight from an AC power source that takes 4-6 hours. This can easily be mounted on a trailer allowing the batteries to be quickly charged in the time it takes to drive to the next jobsite.

Kress also has an AC-DC charging solution with their KAC840 Kress Commercial 30A AC Charger. We tested this unit along with our battery and blower. While the AC charger is not as fast as the 8-minute DC-DC charge, the KAC840 is still able to charge the 11Ah CyberPack battery in under 25 minutes and the 4.0Ah battery in 12.0 Minutes. This is still unbelievably fast compared to other industry leaders.

Performance -Not A Homeowner Cordless Mower!

The million dollar question for these mowers is are they really a commercial grade mower that can replace a gas mower on a landscaping crew? The answer is absolutely! While these mowers are certainly a much larger upfront investment the savings in fuel, maintenance and the added benefits of no fuel storage, no fumes, and less noise make this a very attractive platform to invest in.

I tested this mower in both the mulching mode and bagging mode and it provided the same or better performance that I expect from quality gas mowers. This is a result of DC motors powering the cutting blade which we’ve come to appreciate with the larger cordless mowers. Tall wet grass is no problem for this mower and it churns through it like a walk in the park!

The self-propelled wheels on this mower will literally tow you around the yard and likely pull a small car uphill. It’s hard to quantify the power of this mower in an effective way, but I’d put it up against any gas powered mower under any testing situation.

The steel deck has been specifically designed to increase suction for the bagging option. With 4 different blade options and an optimized deck geometry Kress has created a mower with exceptional grass collection. Combined with a 2.5 bushel bag users can run longer without emptying the bag.

Run-Time

I didn’t do any run-time testing on this beast. The reality is I did a TON of mowing with the 4 Ah pack and never killed it. I did even more with the 11 Ah pack and it didn’t even move off the fully charged icon. Kress is using a new cell type that doesn’t have the heat issues of 18650 and 21700 lithium-ion cells. Because of this they can charge batteries MUCH faster, they can draw more amps without overheating the tool, and ultimately deliver more power at higher rates than the market standard cells. This is VERY obvious from how this mower performed in the field.

Why didn’t I test run-time? It’s a great question and typically that would be a big issue in a cordless tool review. But the reality is that you can mow with this mower and fully charge in 8 minutes! Think about that, an 11 Ah pack charged in 8 minutes, which is likely less time than it takes to drive to the next job! At that point it’s no different that gassing up  your mower between jobs. As tool companies solve the heat issue with batteries and find ways to fully charge them in minutes, the argument of time lost diminishes and cordless tools become a very attractive solution for every industry.

Obviously another consideration is longevity of the batteries. We’ve seen this with many different brands and it’s a real question. For this review we can’t possibly report any information on the longevity of these battery packs. However, from what I’m seeing in the Kress lineup I have a feeling these are very robust packs that will last through many cycles. Rapid charging is typically not great for the long term health of a battery. Despite this, Kress guarantees 3000 life cycles (charge and discharge) on the CyberPack batteries.

These batteries come with a 6 year (commercial use) warranty or 3,000 cycles warranty which is really quite impressive. 3,000 cycles. If you charge that battery once a day, 5 days a week, that’s nearly 23 years!! Obviously they are very sure of this battery platform and stand by it!

Cost

Obviously commercial outdoor power equipment is typically expensive and an investment. This new line of Kress equipment is certainly an investment but the long term savings in fuel and maintenance can’t be overlooked. If you’re a professional landscaper there will be some overlap with chargers and batteries. I’m not including the CyberTank Portable Power Station as we’ll have another article focusing on that. Here are the listed prices on what we tested for this stand alone mower.

• Mower – KC710.9 – $799.99
• KAC840 Dual Port Charger – $779.99
• KAC810 11 Ah CyberPack Battery – $1,399.99

As a stand alone setup you’d be looking at roughly a $3,000 investment. With the current pricing of fuel this certainly isn’t a terrible proposition along with the warranty that comes with the mower and battery.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been reviewing power tools long enough to remember a few huge transitions in our industry. Kress has unlocked a major transition in OPE with this 60V lineup that is sure to revolutionize this industry. This is the real deal and something that will certainly disrupt this sector. Landscapers and professional lawn-care companies, especially ones working in areas that cannot use gasoline powered engines should take this new product seriously. When you combine really good quality with superior engineering you’ve got a winner. Kress has hit a home-run!

Kress Commercial 60V 21 Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Kress Commercial 60V Cordless Backpack Blower

Kress, a long established and well respected tool brand from Germany made a splash at the 2022 International Equip Exposition with its North American introduction of its Kress Commercial Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) lineup.  There exists an ever-growing pressure in commercial landscaping to switch from traditional gas powered equipment to battery powered alternatives with many local municipalities and even entire states intending to ban certain gas powered landscaping equipment. Kress intends to insert itself directly at the front of the electric powered OPE movement.

At the core of it’s strategy, Kress introduced a brand new and exciting battery platform and charging solution.  The Kress 8-minute CyberSystem has an unprecedented 8 minute charging time from 0 to 100% battery when its DC-DC CyberTank charging solution is used.  The CyberTank is essentially a massive battery and charger that can be transported to the jobsite in a truck or trailer.  The rapid 8 minute charge time means crews can finally rapidly swap battery throughout the day and stay on top of productivity as much as a gas powered platform.

The team here at ToolBoxBuzz has received several of their OPE tools including the Commercial 60 V 16.5” Line Trimmer, the Commercial 60V 21” Self-Propelled Lawn Mower and the Commercial 60V 16” Chainsaw.  Here in this review we are taking a look at the Kress Commercial 60V 35N Backpack Blower.

Specifications:

• Voltage: 60V MAX, 54V nominal
• Battery Size: 11Ah, 660Wh
• Max Air Speed: 190.1 mph
• Max Air Volume: 899.9 cfm
• Blowing Force: 35 Nm
• IPX4 waterproof rating
• Noise: 62dB at 49 ft
• Weight: 32.2 lbs (Blower and Battery)

Build Quality

Batteries are heavy and OPE manufacturers have a challenging engineering problem with trying to incorporate enough battery power to compete with gas powered tools but also keep overall weight of a tool down.  Oftentimes thinner materials are used and plastic pieces can feel flimsy and delicate.  With the blower and battery weighing in together at 32 lbs,  Kress clearly decided to take the hit on weight in exchange for quality and durability.  The 60V 35N Backpack Blower has thick and durable components from the frame down to the tip of the metal reinforced blower nozzle.

To compensate for the extra weight, the blower incorporates a very well designed harness.  The traditional shoulder straps are there but the bulk of the weight is supported on the hips thanks to a sturdy and comfortable waist belt.  When the blower harness was adjusted appropriately we found the weight to distributed very well and felt very minimal fatigue on the shoulders.

Easy to Operate Controls

The blower has all its controls located on a joystick style tube mounted control grip.  To activate the tool a power button on the grip below the LCD screen needs to be depressed and the grip mounted variable trigger depressed.  The maximum speed can be controlled at 4 different levels with two large + and – buttons.  The final remaining button is a cruise control button that will lock in the current throttle value until pressed again.

The LCD screen icons are simple and show the current battery charge remaining, Bluetooth connected symbol, Cruise Control Enabled symbol and a standard warning triangle.

Performance

The Kress Commercial 60V 35N Backpack Blower has its performance rating right in the name.  A value that the company is clearly proud of.  This 35 Newton force rating is an indication of the amount of overall thrust and power the airstream coming out of the nozzle can do.  The peak velocity is rated right at 190 miles per hour and a cubic feet per minute (CFM) volume of 890.  This blower is the strongest electric blower on the market and is only outperformed by the largest and loudest premium gas blowers available.

We were very impressed with the power of the blower, oftentimes running at 50-75% throttle to prevent damage to the lawn and landscape.

Battery Run-Time and Performance

At the heart of the Kress Commercial OPE line is their 8-Minute CyberSystem battery.  We tested the blower with the 11Ah CyberPack KAC810.  This 660 Wh battery weighs in at whopping 17 lbs., 2 lbs. heavier than the blower itself.

Below is a chart of the measured stream velocity of the blower over time.  This test was designed to gain an understanding of the battery performance throughout the drain of the battery.  We performed a similar test in this year’s consumer electric blower head to head.  Its important to not only determine how long the battery will power the tool, but also understand what that performance looks like over the course of the battery discharge.  We found that many battery powered OPE tools saw drastic difference in blower performance when comparing the first 20% to the last 20% before the battery drained completely.   For reference the results can be found here,  Best Handheld Blower 2023

The Kress 60V Backpack Blower was mounted with a pitot tube anemometer placed 125mm from the opening in the center of the blower stream.  Power was set to the highest setting and the data was recorded at a 1Hz sample rate. The blower ran for 13 minutes and 20 seconds before cycling off with a low battery indicator.

The graph shows great performance especially when compared to previous blowers tested.  We measured a very slight dip and rebound roughly two thirds of the way through the discharge.   The last minute of performance measured is  >96% of the first minute.  This shows a fantastic level of consistent performance over the drain of the battery.

Charging

The Kress KAC810 has impressive performance when paired with Backpack Blower.  However, discharge performance is only part of the equation when considering the the validity of an OPE battery platform.  The 8-Minute CyberSystem gets its title from the 0 -100% charging time the battery battery platform experiences when using the CyberTank DC-DC charger.  The CyberTank is essential a very large battery, 5040 Wh or 7200 Wh depending on model, that can quickly charge the the smaller 4.0Ah or 11.0Ah multiple times throughout the day.  The DC-DC charging is extremely efficient and fast as the energy requires no conversion and a large amount of power can be transferred from one battery to another quickly.  The CyberTank gets charged typically overnight from an AC power source that takes 4-6 hours.

Kress also has an AC-DC charging solution with their KAC840 Kress Commercial 30A AC Charger.  We tested this unit along with our battery and blower.  While the AC charger is not as fast as the 8-minute DC-DC charge, the KAC840 is still able to charge the 11Ah CyberPack battery in under 25 minutes and the 4.0Ah battery in 12.0 Minutes.  This is still unbelievably fast compared to other industry leaders.  By comparison the 11Ah Cyber Pack is 660 Wh and the new Milwaukee MX Forge 8.0 Ah Battery is 576 Wh.  The new Milwaukee Supercharger can charge that battery in 45 minutes compared to the Kress at just 25 minutes!

Rapid charging is typically not great for the long term health of a battery.  Despite this, Kress guarantees 3000 life cycles (charge and discharge) on the CyberPack batteries.

Pricing and investment

The Kress 60V Commercial OPE lineup is truly impressive with an unbelievable power system at its core.  The tools and their battery system really impressed the ToolBoxBuzz crew.  The products are intended for lawn-care professionals looking to invest in a longterm battery powered solution. As a result, the cost of the Kress Commercial line, particularly the batteries and chargers is steep. The Kress Commercial 60V 35N Backpack Blower is currently prices at $499.99.  The KAC810 11 Ah CyberPack battery is $1,399.99 and the KAC840 30A AC Charger is $779.99.  To see the true potential of the 8-Minute charging capability, the 5 kWh CyberTank Portable Power Station can be purchased for $10,499.99.

The full Kress Commercial Lineup and current pricing can all be found here at  https://www.kress.com/en-us/8-minute-cybersystem/

To protect the investment in Kress Commercial system, Kress offers a tiered Warranty system depending on the equipment and use. Most tools see a 2 or 3 year warranty while the batteries have an extensive 6 year or 3000 cycle warranty.

To help determine if this investment is right for you, Kress offers a Return on Investment (ROI) calculator that can be found here. https://www.kress.com/en-us/roi-calculator/

Kress Commercial 60V 35N Backpack Blower Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Kress Model KC300.9 60V Battery Chainsaw

This tool review will feature the impressive new Kress 60V battery chainsaw. The Model KC300.9 combines professional-grade features and durable construction to produce a genuinely commercial-level tool. The Kress chainsaw includes a 16″ bar with 0.325″ Low Profile pitch and 0.043″ gauge chain. This smaller chain produces fast cuts with minimal chatter. However, the most impressive feature is the power plant that brings this beast to life. The Kress 60V CyberSystem battery platform provides the most incredible recharge times ever seen in cordless OPE.

Who is Kress?

Kress is a German company that originated in 1928 making electronics for the automotive industry and later electric motors. In the early 1960s, Kress launched their first lines of professional portable power tools. Fast forward to 2017 and Kress went all-in on developing cordless OPE for professional landscapers and demanding homeowners.

In 2023 Kress completed developing and released their new CyberSystem battery technology. This technology boasts the “world’s fastest-charging times”. While not as common in the United States, Kress is a top brand amongst landscaping professionals in Europe.

60V Battery Chainsaw Specifications

Specifications

• Bar Length: 16″
• OEM Bar: Oregon Solid Tip
• Oil Reservoir: 6.4 Ozs.
• Oiler Type: Automatic
• Chain Pitch: 0.325″ Low Profile
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Battery Size: 4 AH/240 WH
• Battery Weight: 6.80 Lbs.
• Powerhead Weight: 7.82 Lbs.
• Assembled Weight: 16.56 Lbs.
• Noise Output: 94.5 dBs.
• Chain Speed: 78.7 Ft/S
• Construction: IPX4 Dust and Water Resistant
• Warranty: 3 Year Tool / 2 Year Batteries and Chargers

Kress KC300.9 Cutting Performance

Battery chainsaws are almost universally accepted at this point in time. They are easy to maintain, great for occasional or casual users, and also eliminate the use of gas. But what good are they if they can’t cut? The Kress 60V battery chainsaw has excellent cutting performance. The brushless motor is fast to rev up to full power, but also sounds smoother than most saws I have used. There is a noticeable difference in the tone the motor makes. It sounds smooth and refined. Almost like it isn’t working hard at all.

During the testing process, I used the Kress saw on a variety of hardwood trees with different diameters. The largest piece of wood I cut was an approximately 24″ diameter ash log that required a cut from each side to completely sever. The Kress handled this task without any issues. Ash is a tough wood to make cross cuts on but has a very linear grain structure, which makes it easy to split. While making length of bar cuts, the Kress was smooth and comfortable with very little felt vibration. The saw is also difficult to bog down.

In our recent Best Top-Handle Chainsaw H2H, we discussed proper cutting techniques with a battery chainsaw. Allowing the saw to cut at its own pace and not lean into it too much. I was able to bog the saw down when aggressively leaning on it, but otherwise, it cut smoothly and consistently through all species of wood. The smaller pitch and gauge of the OEM chain are big factors in this. Many users scoff at a small (low) profile chain, but my experience has shown that low-profile chains really shine with battery saws. The automatic oiler on the Kress 60V battery chainsaw also provides a generous amount of oil while cutting. I did not experience any issues with the bar overheating due to insufficient oil.

Battery Run-time

I mentioned the 60V CyberSystem power plant that Kress has created in the article. CyberSystem gives you an absolute, genuine, no BS, twelve-minute charge time. Yes, that is correct. A completely drained 4.0 Ah 60V battery will fully charge in twelve minutes regardless of condition. This is thanks to the Kress 30Amp AC Dual Port Charger.

The charger is a total battery management station that optimizes the battery’s performance and extends its lifespan. The charger also features air-cooling fans to lower the temperature of the batteries during charging. I ran through a battery making full-length crosscuts and it was very warm to the touch when I took it out of the saw. I slapped it in the charger and had a fully charged battery in less time than it took to field sharpen the chain. Unfortunately, all this technology makes the charger about the size of a hotel room refrigerator.

The batteries themselves are large too. A 4.0 Ah battery weighs in close to seven pounds and is about as ergonomic as a Belgian Block Paver. As a result of this, the saw must have a large body to accommodate the bulky battery. The Kress chainsaw body feels longer and wider than most other “commercial” or professional-grade battery chainsaws. That extra saw body is a fair trade-off though for the battery performance and recharge speeds. We will discuss the Kress 60V CyberSystem further in a later article.

I performed a run-time test on some fresh sugar maple tree-service wood that I received. The piece I selected was approximately 14″ in diameter and would be challenging, but not impossible, for the Kress. The chain was field sharpened before testing and the battery was fully charged. The saw was able to complete a total of sixteen full cross-cuts as well as achieve a partial cut depth of about 8″ on the seventeenth. This is an outstanding runtime for a battery saw. The maple was cut down the day before and had a very high moisture content. I paused for thirty seconds after every third cut to ensure the saw would not overheat or overload the system.

I would not recommend using this saw daily for cutting logs this size. There was a slowdown in performance once the saw was in the bottom 25% of the battery. However, this test showed that the Kress is an extremely capable saw and would provide even greater run-time in smaller-diameter logs and trees.

Room For Improvement

While the Kress battery and charger system is truly impressive, this article is intended to focus on the merits of the chainsaw itself. During my test cutting, I encountered a couple of issues with the saw that are worth mentioning. The first of which is the automatic oiler system. The oiler on the Kress keeps the bar generously oiled during use but seems to continuously seep out when not in use. When storing the saw, oil pooled up underneath it. Typically this issue can be overcome by opening the bar oil fill cap to release the pressure in the system. The Kress saw continued leaking even after releasing the pressure. To the extent that I now completely drain the saw of bar oil before storing it.

Bar oil can be seen seeping out of the oiler port with the bar removed.The second issue is related to the chain cover of the saw. Kress touts on their website that their cover is constructed from solid magnesium. A metal chain (clutch) cover is an outstanding feature and the fins on the inside of the cover do a great job of throwing chips. However, the saw’s bar nuts are not captive on the chain cover. Given that this is a commercial-grade tool, captive bar nuts are a must if not the standard. There is no worse fate than losing a bar nut during the middle of a project or cleanup job without a replacement easily available.

Overall Impressions

The Kress family of tools is an impressive lineup and is a true complete replacement for gas-powered OPE. In their almost one-hundred-year history, they have never made an internal combustion engine. Their battery platform and charger system are designed for demanding commercial landscapers and eliminate downtime. However, that technology comes at a cost.

The Kress KC300.9 60V chainsaw retails for $349.99 as a bare tool. This is a competitive market price for a true commercial-grade tool. The 4.0 Ah 60V battery used during testing has an MSRP of $549.99 and the 30 Amp charger has an MSRP of $779.99. Based upon this, the Kress chainsaw would make an excellent addition to any contractor’s arsenal who is already invested or planning on investing in the Kress 60V platform. As a stand-alone tool, the overall cost of the initial investment would be far too great for most users. Where it would excel though is with heavy industrial crews that may be doing emergency storm cleanups and benefit the most from such fast recharge times. Or landscaping contractors that would primarily use the batteries and chargers for their string trimmers and blowers and occasionally use the chainsaw as well.

Overall the Kress 60V battery chainsaw is an impressive tool. It is a smooth, fast, and consistent cutter with minimal felt vibration. The Buy-Now link below brings you to the Kress website to order directly or access their large network of dealers.

Kress Commercial 60V 16″ Battery Chainsaw Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz