Battery powered chainsaw for light yard work?

[wahoowad]

I do 2 things in my yard where one of these smaller battery powered chainsaws would come in real handy:

1. Cut medium sized (3" to 6") branches into woodstove kindling
2. Cut medium sized (3" to 6") branches and firewood splits into smokewood chunks for the smoker

I sometimes use my 20V Porter Cable circular saw but it is unwieldy and the wide blade can bind easy. And my similar Porter Cable reciprocating is good for cutting branches off trees, but not cutting up long branches that have already fallen.

I also have several Worx brand 20V tools, and they make a Jawsaw tool, but not completely sold on it. My Worx batteries are approaching end of life and not sure bringing on another tool is what I want to do. Instead I'm leaning towards one of the stronger (over 20v) battery systems that has a good chainsaw/jawsaw option.

Anybody have any recommendations in this arena?

 

[zak77]

I have the 40v Kobalt hedge trimmers from Lowes and so far i've been happy with them. I dont have many shrubs to trim to a gas trimmer was a PITA, the corded trimmers are just as bad so why not go cordless? They sell a whole line of Kobalt products that use the same battery, and i'm sure they're cheaper than Stihl.

 

[KMdef9]

How much are looking to spend?

If getting into a whole new system, wouldn't it be nearly cheaper to get an entry level gas Echo? I guess that depends on your work load too, if you're only cutting a couple pieces in a day, I see the appeal of battery. But if you meed to put in a days worth with the saw a couple times a year, I'd go gas.

 

[Voi]

I can't comment on any of the chainsaws. I do own one of the Makita 36V X2 saws but haven't used it yet. I got it with the free brushless grinder for 20% off and couldn't pass it up even thought I didn't need it right away. I should've spent a lot more money that day but that's for a different thread.

If you do look into the Makita saws I think you'd need the 14" brushless saw, not the 12" top-handled brushed saw. As I understand it the top-handled saw is not appropriate for ground work.

Mine is the 14" brushless saw. One other poster here has it at least. Maybe track him down and see if he has an update. Probably in the Makita Addiction thread.

In case you're not aware, the Makita X2 system uses two of their 18V batteries in series for a total of 36V.

Shifting gears, I do a lot of trail cleanup in our national forest and I'm really drooling over the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hackzall. I have cut limbs up to 4" with my weak Bosch 12V single-handed reciprocating saw and I know the M18 Fuel would be much better. I could carry that in my pack with both pruning and metal blades and cut up nearly anything I came across. I think you'd find it a lot more useful over your standard Porter Cable reciprocating saw.

 

[Tractorsellr]

I dont understand the appeal of battery operated chainsaws or yard equipment at that. I have a few chainsaws more than 20 years old that work perfect, but I don't have any batteries for power tools more than 4 years old that hold a charge for very long. I look at it like its throwing money away. The tools last a long time but long term the batteries wont last. Will you still be able to find a battery for your electric chainsaw 10 or 15 years from now, or have they been discontinued and not available any longer. I would buy a cheap Stihl or Echo chainsaw and use Ethanol free gas and have a saw that will virtually last forever with light usage or deal with a extension corded tool which I hate.

 

[Ign]

The Ryobi brushless 40V is awesome OP. Would be perfect for what you describe.

Note there are some kits out there w the old 1.5ah battery. Don’t buy those - if nothing else they’ll likely be REALLY old. You want at least the 2.6ah batteries. If you have to just buy the saw and battery separately. I might have a charger I could send you.

You also HAVE TO upgrade the bar to an Oregon w an S52 chain. Trust me, it’s night & day. I can get you an Amazon link if you need. The bar and chain are under $30

I cut all over my 35 acres w this saw, love it. I do most of the limbing w it then fire up the gas for bigger rounds if I need to.

One of the best values out there. Under-rated and under appreciated, too.

 

[kd3pc]

the father in law bought one of the stihl battery chain saws and it is awesome. No pull start, and for an 80+ year old that is big. It has decent power for an hour's worth of cuts and is pretty light weight. No fuel issues or dirty carbs either.

A win for him, and a decent machine to cut with.

 

[ItsNemo]

I dont understand the appeal of battery operated chainsaws or yard equipment at that. I have a few chainsaws more than 20 years old that work perfect, but I don't have any batteries for power tools more than 4 years old that hold a charge for very long. I look at it like its throwing money away. The tools last a long time but long term the batteries wont last. Will you still be able to find a battery for your electric chainsaw 10 or 15 years from now, or have they been discontinued and not available any longer. I would buy a cheap Stihl or Echo chainsaw and use Ethanol free gas and have a saw that will virtually last forever with light usage or deal with a extension corded tool which I hate.

Dewalt 18v stuff has been around over a decade easily...plus I will say their cordless string timmer is awesome, no it's not as powerful as a gas powered trimmer but I can just grab it and go and it's quiet and easy to use and plenty for doing normal trimming. One battery lasts doing my yard a half dozen times.

 

[Ign]

Also if you buy the battery separately compare the cost of a 2.6 to a 5.0 at HD’s site. Last I knew a 2.6 was $100 but a 5.0 was $140. Might be worth the extra $40

OTOH a 2.6 will do what you describe for light yard work w plenty of reserve

I think like Milwaukee the part #’s tell the tale, ie an OP4026 is 2.6ah while an OP4050 is 5ah

 

[Ign]

Dewalt 18v stuff has been around over a decade easily...plus I will say their cordless string timmer is awesome, no it's not as powerful as a gas powered trimmer but I can just grab it and go and it's quiet and easy to use and plenty for doing normal trimming. One battery lasts doing my yard a half dozen times.

This. If people are getting only 4 years from modern li-ion they’re doing something wrong.

M18 has been around well over a decade and shows no signs of going away anytime soon. Even if it does just like the Chevy 350 parts and batteries will be available for a long time after.

Gas has some advantages and always will but the gap is closing all the time. I love no fuel, no idling, no pull start. If I missed a branch I just pull the trigger and it immediately goes, just like the cordless drill in your shop.

What if you had to pull start your drill and let it idle ‘til you were sure you were finished? Fumes aside, no one would tolerate the inconvenience.

 

[Ign]

Oh and if you can wait watch the HD deals like a hawk. Every 2.6 I have I got in a kit for $99 or less. In the spring the 40V blower may very well go on for $99. Then you get a blower, a charger and a 2.6 battery. I bought one this spring at $99, but the “jet” blower ain’t that great - not horrible though. This is the blower w a clear plastic surround so you can see the “turbine”.....which I guess makes it work better? LOL

Awhile back they blew out the 40V string trimmer (NOT the Xpand-It model). I bought five at $40.03 just to get the batteries....which is why I probably have an extra charger

 

[Voi]

I dont understand the appeal of battery operated chainsaws or yard equipment at that.

If I could find reasonably priced two stroke yard equipment that was as reliable and bullet proof as my inexpensive four stroke mower I'd agree. Our Makita brushless string trimmer and blower have turned out to be fantastic choices. And now I don't have to transport two types of fuel back and forth between our properties.

The fact that the same batteries that run my chainsaw, trimmer & blower also run a dozen other tools for me is even better. I don't use a chainsaw much but at least my batteries aren't rotting away on the shelf in the meantime.

With that said, I don't have high expectations for my cordless chainsaw and I'll be the first one to be honest about it once I have some hours on it.

 

[jfrey123]

3-6" branches? Do you have a battery powered sawzall? If so, you can get some "pruning" blades that are about 9" long at your local hardware store. A buddy and I both use these in our Ryobi 18v sawzalls while camping to help cut dryfall that we collect for the campfire. They rip through just about everything and pretty quick too, last a long time.

 

[wahoowad]

I got a gas Stihl and use it when it's the right tool. I want a cordless for smaller jobs, short duration, where the convenience of battery/cordless shines.

Thanks for the mentions on the Ryobi and Milwaukee. I've wanted to move into the Ryobi line and am going to check that out first. A good deal with the bigger batteries is what I need to find.

 

[64merc]

I haven't used it yet, but I found a Black & Decker 20v chainsaw at Walmart on clearance, so I bought it. I have been happy with my B&D 20v weadeater and blower, so I expect it to be decent for light duty stuff.

 

[bcradio]

Dang, now I want some Ryobi 40v yard tools. That chainsaw looks pretty nice and the prices on these are great.

 

[theoldwizard1]

3-6" branches? Do you have a battery powered sawzall? If so, you can get some "pruning" blades that are about 9" long at your local hardware store.

Sawzall = reciprocating saw and yes, for stuff in that length, this IS the best solution.

Good quality battery powered chain saws are expensive and the tool is only good for that purpose.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

The Husky one is 700 or so, and amazing.
If you would let a gas saw sit enough it had to go in for carb cleaning 2x at the shop, maybe even worth it for a homeowner.

 

[Bad Habit]

A few friends have some by Greenworks https://www.greenworkstools.com/shop-by-tool/chainsaws

they're real happy with them so far. Hard to say about longevity though, but these days whats built to last more than a season anyway...

 

[woody6904]

Bought the 12 inch 20v Dewalt chainsaw when it first come out. Love it enough wanting to buy the bigger 16 inch 60v Dewalt. And I'm just using the 12 with 4.0 batteries, biggest ones I got. Its great for trimming cause with the top handle you can one hand it.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[reader2580]

I dont understand the appeal of battery operated chainsaws or yard equipment at that. I have a few chainsaws more than 20 years old that work perfect, but I don't have any batteries for power tools more than 4 years old that hold a charge for very long. I look at it like its throwing money away. The tools last a long time but long term the batteries wont last. Will you still be able to find a battery for your electric chainsaw 10 or 15 years from now, or have they been discontinued and not available any longer. I would buy a cheap Stihl or Echo chainsaw and use Ethanol free gas and have a saw that will virtually last forever with light usage or deal with a extension corded tool which I hate.

For every person who has good luck with two stroke gas powered tools there are five or ten who have horrible luck with two stroke equipment. I spent 50% of the cost of a new Stihl getting my weed trimmer carb replaced. I tried everything I could think of and finally had to take it in.

My four stroke and diesel equipment starts right up. Two stroke is a struggle every time. That is why I have invested in battery power where it makes sense. Mine is all Home Depot returns and I have spent maybe 1/3 of retail.

 

[johninct]

I am thinking either a Stihl or Husky battery or Stihl MS150 to cut brush but am still undecided. If I could only try each one for a day. Any recommendations? Not worried about fuel/ carb issues.

 

[Ign]

40V brushless kit w 1.5ah battery:
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Search/...yobi+chainsaw?Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&NCNI-5

Tool only:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-1...y-and-Charger-Not-Included-RY40502B/204839368

Again, scrap the provided bar for Oregon

 

[Ign]

Review and video here
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262364

 

[Ign]

I think this guy is an idiot. He seems to be under the impression the 1.5ah is the "new" style battery and is mo betta 'cause it's thinner. In fact less size = less capacity. He continually refers to the fatter batteries as the "old style." If anything Ryobi has been trying to get away from the 1.5ah batteries, and for good reason.

 

[Ign]

Damn this one made me laugh. He tries way too hard w the video work and his shoes say all you need to know. Someone needs to show him how to pour a quart of oil, too

 

[wahoowad]

The Ryobi 40v brushless is at the top of my list right now. Debating the merits of getting the bare tool and then getting the battery via the hedge trimmer (always wanted a battery hedge trimmer).

Not seeing any helpful sales or combo deals to help me decide but wish the Ryobi would go on sale so I can have a new toy to play with over my days off for Christmas. Think I get military 10% off at HD but looking for a better deal. I'd like to find an even shorter 12" bar and chain replacement too as I don't plan on cutting larger trees and believe the smaller chain will cut a little faster which should help squeeze a little more battery life.

 

[scarrylarry]

Lot's of good info here ! Sorry I have a Stihl Kombi 90 unit about 5 or 6 years old . It's been real good to me but this year had to put $200.00 into it not sure how many hours on it.

On the battery powered chainsaw note look at the Tools From The Old World Thread. I think Monte or someone posted a Husqvarna battery powered chainsaw.



scarrylarry

 

[mwwusa]

The new husqvarna 120i is $249 at Lowe's with charger and 4 aH battery. 14" bar. I also have the 20v 12" dewalt and the flexvolt dewalt 16". Both of those saws are very good, but the husqvarna is better. Husqvarna 120i chainsaw is very reasonable price for a real good homeowner saw. The Husqvarna 536Li XP chainsaw 14" bar is their professional battery chainsaw. It is much better, but much more expensive than the 120i. I believe the 120i will do everything you need.

 

[wahoowad]

The new husqvarna 120i is $249 at Lowe's with charger and 4 aH battery.

Hmmm, I will have to check that out. I wanted to stick with something in the quality/price range of the Ryobi/Kobalt but the more I look the more I do want a decent quality product. I'm not unconvinced I can't get that with the Ryobi/Kobalt but do like the Husky reputation. I am interested in their warranty, and also curious if they are simply rebadging one of the models, painting it orange and adding $75 to the price.

 

[thooks]

You can buy a Stihl MS 170 right now for $180. You won't need to upgrade the bar, the dealer will most likely throw in a quart of bar oil, maybe a quart of Motomix or 1-gallon oil bottles.

It will do everything you are asking for and a little more. Use only non-ethanol gas (sounds like you should just use TruFuel or MotoMix) and it will last 20+ years.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

Stihl MSA 200! I love mine...so much, that I also bought the pole pruner. Damn, those saws rock! I haven't started my gas powered Stihls in years...no need.

Buy a Stihl...it only hurts once...at the cash register.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Sawzall = reciprocating saw and yes, for stuff in that length, this IS the best solution.

Good quality battery powered chain saws are expensive and the tool is only good for that purpose.

+100!

I have a 140 acre tree farm. The saw work that I do out there is to girdle unwanted or invasive trees. To do that, I have a 30+ year old, 2 stroke, 16" chain saw that was given to me by my Dad. It's always been reliable and light enough to carry through the woods.

For pruning the trees in my yard, I use a 20$ corded HF sawzall with a pruning blade. Not only is it useful for more jobs than a chainsaw, it's cheaper and easier to clean & maintain. If you don't like cords, I recommend a quality brand, battery operated sawzall. I've used Dewalt and Milwaukee sawzalls in past jobs with no trouble.

 

[wahoowad]

Bought the Husky 120i at Lowes on the way home from work. Probably would have gotten the Ryobi but Home Depot is on the other side of the mountain a good hour a way. The Husky is charging and will try it out tomorrow. It better perform like it was worth the extra cost or Lowes is 10 minutes away and I'll return it. Build quality seemed noticeably better than the Kobalt so am encouraged by that.

 

[Voi]

Bought the Husky 120i at Lowes on the way home from work. Probably would have gotten the Ryobi but Home Depot is on the other side of the mountain a good hour a way. The Husky is charging and will try it out tomorrow. It better perform like it was worth the extra cost or Lowes is 10 minutes away and I'll return it. Build quality seemed noticeably better than the Kobalt so am encouraged by that.

I look forward to hearing how it performs.

Just curious but when cutting wood for your smoker what do you use for bar oil?

I assembled my Makita yesterday and couldn't get to my bar oil so I started reading about substitutes. Found examples of guys who used canola oil when quartering deer in cold weather but I didn't have any canola.

I don't plan to quarter deer or cut smoker wood with mine but the reading made me curious.

 

[wahoowad]

I've never noticed any significant bar oil on wood I cut. And usually I am cutting splits of wood or large branches into baseball size chunks using a chopsaw. I will keep an eye out for that though.

I use leftover cooking oil in my gas chainsaw, from fishfrys ��. Sometimes smells good, sometimes smells like old fishy oil. I will probably use something nicer in this new saw

 

[kythri]

Understandably, it's not suitable to heavier work, but the Ryobi blue 18V 10" bar chainsaw that I got as part of a super-kit over a decade ago really shines with the 4.0Ah batteries, such that I really prefer it for larger branch pruning over a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade.

Bites hard and chews right through stuff.

If you're invested in the Ryobi 18V platform, and you see one of these chainsaws on Craigslist for ~$20 (I see them locally all the time), it's not a bad use of Mr. Jackson at all.

 

[mmason7764]

Last year a tree blew over in the yard. Knew that having it removed would cost a couple hundred bucks. Spent the $200 on a Makita 2 x 18 v chain saw. I already had the batteries. Worked perfect. Very happy. Used it several times since. Stores in the house easily as no gasoline. Would make the same purchase again.

Mark

 

[wahoowad]

Looks like we're off to a bad start. The Husqvarna is DOA. I charged the battery, all the lights on the battery and saw turn on as expected, but zero life from the motor when the the safety and trigger are pressed. **** me to tears.

 

[wait4me]

I have the greenworks pro 80v chainsaw and I love it. I've got lots of batteries though.