Battery Chainsaws - What do you like?

[Davefr]

I'm sticking with a gas powered chainsaw.

"a" gas chainsaw??

This is GJ, you need at least a 5 saw plan. (3 is bare minimum) Especially if one get's pinched in the cut.:
- 10" Battery (Pruning)
- 14-16" Battery (Grab and go all purpose)
- 40-50cc/18" gas (Felling, limbing)
- 60cc/20" gas (Bigger felling)
- 70+cc/24" gas (Bucking)

Not to mention a pole saw. (battery or gas)

 

[dwasifar]

The DeWalt 60v 16" can be had with battery and charger for $329
Get a ****** battery and it's still under your ceiling @ $399

I assume that battery is inserted in the rear of the tool.

 

[Xcursion88]

I assume that battery is inserted in the rear of the tool.

In the back half of the middle

 

[dwasifar]

In the back half of the middle

I think you may have missed the joke.

 

[Xcursion88]

I think you may have missed the joke.

I think you missed mine. Mine was a replied joke to your joke.i tried wording in a filthy but tasteful way

 

[dwasifar]

I think you missed mine. Mine was a replied joke to your joke.i tried wording in a filthy but tasteful way

Fair enough. As long as the tool doesn't go OOOHHHH when you jam the battery in.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

My DeWalt is also a slobbering oil pig; but other than that, I am well pleased with the performance.

 

[hkd76]

I like my Milwaukee. For the little bit of cutting I have to do around the house it's great. I got a Dewalt pole saw a week ago. It really worked well on cutting and trimming a few of the limbs off several my trees.

 

[RJMadigan]

Just to put the info out there; I recently decided to give a battery chainsaw a try. I don't need a chainsaw often and it's usually a fight to get any of the three gas saws I own to start after sitting for too long. Throw in my destroyed shoulder and it ends up I spend more time messing with the damned saw than cutting. So, I took a shot on the cheap option and bought the 80 volt, 18" saw from Harbor Freight. Gotta say I was surprised and impressed. Took a couple of hour to fully charge the battery but once it was I was able to cut up a couple of trees in less time than it would have taken to get the gas saw fired up.. Ranging from an inch up to about eight inches diameter I made over two hundred cuts with no noticeable loss of power. Really didn't expect that. Time will tell if the battery lasts through a bunch of charges and sitting but, for now, I'm happy with it.

Of course, as always, your mileage may vary.

 

[mepstein]

I just bought the Milwaukee for $220 on eBay. New in the box. I haven’t used it yet but should get to by the weekend. I have to 6 amp batteries but now looking for a 12 amp.

 

[KnurledNut]

Anyone have problems with a Milwaukee chainsaw overheating or killing high AH batteries?

 

[Bubba Fett]

DeWalt/Makita/Milwaukee really need to develop solar-powered charging stations. This would be a great solution for the days after a hurricane, where tree limbs are down, and power is out. If the roads are blocked, folks may not be able to get to the gas station (assuming it is operational) so this would also be a great solution.

Also, all that sun is shining down on job sites most days. May as well use it. This would be great for site that don't have electricity yet. Heck, a landscaper could get a couple set up on the truck or trailer and charge spare batteries while working. It would make a battery-powered chainsaws (and other OPE) much more enticing.

 

[mepstein]

Easier just to tap power from a generator, car with power outlet and electric cars that already have a huge battery and can be used as a temporary generator to power tools and your house.
Solar is not great for high power or fast charging unless the solar panels were huge. Also they would only help on sunny days with clear views.
I would rather just have extra batteries. If I was a contractor doing tree work from storm damage, I would have gas powered saws and always have fuel ready. When our area gets hit with a bad storm, we often hear chainsaws for days. No way would batteries work in that situation.

 

[F-22]

Also they would only help on sunny days with clear views.

You don't need direct sunlight for them to work.

I do think this isn't the best application for solar power...

 

[Bubba Fett]

Easier just to tap power from a generator, car with power outlet and electric cars that already have a huge battery and can be used as a temporary generator to power tools and your house.
Solar is not great for high power or fast charging unless the solar panels were huge. Also they would only help on sunny days with clear views.

But in a situation where a generator or gas is in short supply/not available, this would be better than nothing.

 

[mepstein]

But in a situation where a generator or gas is in short supply/not available, this would be better than nothing.

Maybe for charging up a flashlight or cell phone but not power tools. Much easier to plan ahead and carry some fuel. Way more stored energy than a battery.

 

[dnschmidt]

My ex-girlfriend told me that she really likes her Stihl cordless. The reason why she's my ex-girlfriend is that she's a country girl and I get the heeby geebies if I'm over 100 feet from concrete. Hell, I never saw a live cow until I was 21 years old. Love that girl but cutting grass and feeding chickens ain't gonna fly for this former Pittsburgher. Start playing Glenn Fry’s “You Belong to the City.”

 

[F-22]

My ex-girlfriend told me that she really likes her Stihl cordless. The reason why she's my ex-girlfriend is that she's a country girl and I get the heeby geebies if I'm over 100 feet from concrete. Hell, I never saw a live cow until I was 21 years old. Love that girl but cutting grass and feeding chickens ain't gonna fly for this former Pittsburgher. Start playing Glenn Fry’s “You Belong to the City.”

Stihl probably makes very good electric tools but the issue is that they're Stihl. If I get a power tool company chainsaw, I can use the batteries year round for lots of their tools, while with the Stihl the battery is useless for anything else. Dewalt and Milwaukee offer chainsaws, though I think Makitas seem the most serious (and probably comparable to Stihl since they bought Dolmar, another old German top end chainsaw manufacturer).


IMO Stihl should use the "Corded alliance" batteries. Compatible with Metabo and a bunch of other German niche brands. It would make them considerably more interesting. But I assume they started developing their battery systems before it existed too.

 

[f121]

Stihl probably makes very good electric tools but the issue is that they're Stihl. If I get a power tool company chainsaw, I can use the batteries year round for lots of their tools, while with the Stihl the battery is useless for anything else. Dewalt and Milwaukee offer chainsaws, though I think Makitas seem the most serious (and probably comparable to Stihl since they bought Dolmar, another old German top end chainsaw manufacturer).


IMO Stihl should use the "Corded alliance" batteries. Compatible with Metabo and a bunch of other German niche brands. It would make them considerably more interesting. But I assume they started developing their battery systems before it existed too.

The sthil saws are very nice, they feel like they are built by a chainsaw company not a drill company, and the new msa300 battery pro saw is comparable to a ms261…but I 100% agree about the battery system. I can’t bring myself to buy into a new system for a single tool, when Milwaukee/dewalt/makita do something that is almost as good and has a much wider range. Maybe if I buy the wife a sthil mower too…

 

[javyLSU]

Anyone have problems with a Milwaukee chainsaw overheating or killing high AH batteries?

No problems whatsoever. I’ve run 12.0, 9.0, and 8.0 batteries on it, and all have worked without issue. I do try and avoid running the 9.0 batteries on the chain saw, as I think those would be the first to overheat, so when I use these I try to go easy on the chain saw.

 

[Ton ton]

The sthil saws are very nice, they feel like they are built by a chainsaw company not a drill company, and the new msa300 battery pro saw is comparable to a ms261…but I 100% agree about the battery system. I can’t bring myself to buy into a new system for a single tool, when Milwaukee/dewalt/makita do something that is almost as good and has a much wider range. Maybe if I buy the wife a sthil mower too…

That's not a good endorsement. My dad's MS261 is totally gutless. Yes, I put a new air filter on it. Just saying my worthless 2 cents.

 

[toomanyPJs]

I bought an 026 Stihl in 2001, still have it, it's been great, I'll never get rid of it but I got curious about the battery powered chainsaws. After looking into it, I bought the makita 36V, two batteries. Battery power, I'm a believer now. It does what the Stihl does. Need to keep going?, two more charged batteries, charge the others in the mean time. Quieter, not as messy, not all that maintenance, no fumes, no potty mouth from pulling on the cord over and over again. One complaint about the Makita, the chain jumps off easily if it's not tightened just right. I went to a small engine repair shop to get a new gas cap for the Stihl, which I haven't used since I bought the Makita. I think it's been just over a year that I've had the Makita. I heat my house with a wood burning stove btw so I use a chainsaw often, never bought any wood. I told the guy there that I bought my first battery powered chainsaw. He said, "I did too, a Makita, the only complaint I have is that the chain jumps off pretty easily.

 

[F-22]

That's not a good endorsement. My dad's MS261 is totally gutless. Yes, I put a new air filter on it. Just saying my worthless 2 cents.

The MS261 and its predecessors are generally very loved in the forestry industry, it's about as good as a ~50cc saw can be.

 

[toolmanmark]

Ego 56V here. Lots of power and run time. Although I have both Milwaukee 12V & 18V hand tools, I have settled on the Ego platform for garden tools.

Same here. Have the 18" saw.

 

[f121]

That's not a good endorsement. My dad's MS261 is totally gutless. Yes, I put a new air filter on it. Just saying my worthless 2 cents.

There’s something wrong with it! Around here the 261 is the default small saw, everyone I know with one loves because they just work and pull really hard. Mine is great, still the default saw I pick up for most jobs, it’s the one saw I recommend to anyone when they say they want a home owner do-it-all saw.

 

[2oolhound]

If you use or need any cordless power tools the 60v battery can be used on all thr DeWalt 20v tools.

Just to clarify - the dewalt 20/60 batteries do NOT work on all other 20V tools, ONLY the MAX line of 20V tools and other 60V tools like mowers, table saws etc.

 

[Xcursion88]

Just to clarify - the dewalt 20/60 batteries do NOT work on all other 20V tools, ONLY the MAX line of 20V tools and other 60V tools like mowers, table saws etc.

This is incorrect.

The 20/60 battery is a flex volt battery and will work on any 20v and 60v tool.

20v max
20v XR
20v atomic
All 60v tools

All accept and run perfect with a 20/60 flexvolt battery.

 

[joesregalproject]

"a" gas chainsaw??

This is GJ, you need at least a 5 saw plan. (3 is bare minimum) Especially if one get's pinched in the cut.:
- 10" Battery (Pruning)
- 14-16" Battery (Grab and go all purpose)
- 40-50cc/18" gas (Felling, limbing)
- 60cc/20" gas (Bigger felling)
- 70+cc/24" gas (Bucking)

Not to mention a pole saw. (battery or gas)

Meh.