Cleaning battery powered Stihl saw

[connorp]

I recently purchased a Stihl TSA 230 battery powered cut-off saw. I know several people on here use Stihls so I was hoping to get some input. The battery fits in snug, but still dust accumulates inside the battery compartment during cutting. I can shake most of it out afterwards but there's always some stuck to the sides of the compartment and the battery. I wiped it all out of the compartment and off the battery the first time, but it took a while to do so thoroughly, and I was worried about even having a lightly damp rag near the battery. Is it a big problem to have some residual dust left in the battery compartment? Just trying to take care of this thing well from the start, it's my new favorite toy and was not cheap.

[Fossildude19]

Have you tried cleaning it with compressed air? Either from a compressor, or those canned air cleaners for computer equipment?

[Phevo]

Agree with what Tim suggested,

 

There are a couple ways of reducing the dust produced:

 

I have used Milwaukee's version and rotating the guard reduced the dust ending up on the machine by a good amount.

 

If you want to remove the dust completely add some water on the blade as your cutting. 

 

As long as the motor vent is clean your good to go

 

 

[cngodles]

Another vote for compressed air. Although I'm guessing the battery is for field work, so air is another thing to carry in. I use a 4.5" Dewalt battery grinder sometimes. The vents and battery connections do get dust occasionally. I use compressed air when I get home.

 

Looks like the Stihl has a built-in water hookup. It should at least be able to take some moisture when cleaning.

[connorp]

On 4/1/2023 at 12:00 PM, Phevo said:

Agree with what Tim suggested,

 

There are a couple ways of reducing the dust produced:

 

I have used Milwaukee's version and rotating the guard reduced the dust ending up on the machine by a good amount.

 

If you want to remove the dust completely add some water on the blade as your cutting. 

 

As long as the motor vent is clean your good to go

 

 

Thanks. Even when wet cutting the whole thing gets very dirty. The battery compartment looks pretty much the same when dry or wet cutting.

 

1 hour ago, cngodles said:

Another vote for compressed air. Although I'm guessing the battery is for field work, so air is another thing to carry in. I use a 4.5" Dewalt battery grinder sometimes. The vents and battery connections do get dust occasionally. I use compressed air when I get home.

 

Looks like the Stihl has a built-in water hookup. It should at least be able to take some moisture when cleaning.

I don’t lug this into the field that often (yet). Compressed air it is. Thanks all.

[cngodles]

38 minutes ago, connorp said:

Thanks. Even when wet cutting the whole thing gets very dirty. The battery compartment looks pretty much the same when dry or wet cutting.

 

I don’t lug this into the field that often (yet). Compressed air it is. Thanks all.

 

You'll spy either the same saw or likely the gasoline version of it in photos for this article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.362.6417.880#