Battery Powered Chainsaws? Your Opinions Please

[realjimjim]

I've been looking at this DeWalt and was wondering what you guys think.

Do you have any other brands/models suggestions other than the DeWalt?

I'll just be using it for down trees, limbs, pruning and maybe 10 to 12 inch small pine trees around the farm here.


DeWalt DCCS690H1 40V MAX Cordless XR Brushless 16

https://www.chainsawjournal.com/dewalt-cordless-chainsaw-review/

Thanks for the help!

 

[bobcatdan]

I once laughed at the idea, but since I noticed I grab the cordless Sawzall for small trim jobs over the chainsaw, I could see a cordless one being handy for somethings. However unless my use for a chainsaw in general was for quick small jobs, I'd never give up a gas saw first.

 

[KMdef9]

Anytime I've considered buying an electric over gas, I always look into replacement batteries. 40v are really expensive.

Around the house, I could see this being practical if you have other tools for the platform. But for a serious day of work around the farm, gas will be less of a hassle. What's the torque of these compared to gas (of similar size)?

Those saws run almost $400 and the batteries are over $200. You can buy pro saws at that price. Limbing gas saws are way cheaper, around $200.

 

[bpj71]

I have the Craftsman C3 cordless...good for trimming and small stuff, but I would never count it as my primary chainsaw. Nice and lighter, much safer for small stuff. I also have used my sawzall for light trimming.

 

[ken w.]

I have a Craftsman 19.2 volt cordless chainsaw. I got it for $ 40.00 on the clearance shelf with a battery and charger. While there is no comparing this too a gas saw , it does have it's uses. It is a slow speed saw , but it will cut limbs up nicely. I wouldn't think of grabbing this if I had to take down a whole tree , too slow. It's useless in winter as these batteries go dead in the cold.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My ryobi (10"?) is perfect.
It uses the standard lithium 4amp.

And those would be the 2 complaints I would have with the DeWalt.

The average homeowner does not need a 16" bar. 12-14" is probably the "sweet spot", but I could live with a 10"

Using a "special" battery for one tool (unless you are going to buy additional outdoor tools) just does not make sense. Carry a spare or 2. Better yet, just figure out how to mount 2 batteries and still have proper balance.

If you need something that big, get a regular electric chain saw. Milwaukee USED to make a very nice one. Maybe they will come out with a M18 Fuel saw,

 

[kctyphoon]

Echo and Oregon make cordless saws too.. Echo also makes a rather complete line of cordless (home owner type) outdoor power equipment. I don't own any cordless yet (hoping Milwaukee makes one next year), but corded electric saws are nothing to laugh at.

EGO, , and Green Works make cordless saws as well. Green Works makes a 40v, and an 80v. Both companies makes cordless outdoor equipment too.

As far as corded electric goes, the old model Milwaukee is the best one, and still commands a good price for used. I have the Milwaukee, the Husqvarna, and the Makita at work.. The Makita is the best built of the new models. It's what Home Depot uses as rentals, but the overload protection gets very annoying. The Husqvarna is pretty good, but the brake handles seem to crack and the tension screws bend. Mind you, these all get used to cut up telephone poles, so they get put to the test. Under normal home use all of them will impress you, and any of these corded will be great.

 

[G-ManBart]

Stihl is also selling a couple of battery saws starting around $280. For $100 less you can buy one of their small homeowner saws that will run for a long, long time on $100 worth of premix! I have an MS170, MS311, and MS460 and the one I grab the most is the little MS170....light, cuts well, and starts easy. Obviously, I only use it for small jobs and for limbing, but it's a great little saw.

 

[JJThrasher]

I have the Black and Decker. Its great for limbs and yard clean up. Also nice for climbing ladders. Their string trimmer is good too.

 

[DanielC99]

Bought an Earthwise 18 volt Lithium with a 10 inch Oregon bar with points clients used to give us when they thought we did a good job.
Didn't think it would be much good since it was free and I had never heard of Earthwise, but pleasantly surprised at what this thing can do. Only use it to cut up fallen limbs in the yard. Have had it 4 or 5 years and still does a good job.
Only mentioning it because I would think a Battery Powered saw built by a mainstream company would probably be pretty good for it's intended purpose.

 

[jeff000]

Anytime I've considered buying an electric over gas, I always look into replacement batteries. 40v are really expensive.

Around the house, I could see this being practical if you have other tools for the platform. But for a serious day of work around the farm, gas will be less of a hassle. What's the torque of these compared to gas (of similar size)?

Those saws run almost $400 and the batteries are over $200. You can buy pro saws at that price. Limbing gas saws are way cheaper, around $200.

The batteries are expensive, and you really need to have a reason to go electric over gas.
Torque, the electric will DESTROY the gas, over double the tq and it's all instant.

I used a dewalt 40v vs a Huqvana 550xp and the dewalt was far nicer to use and had more power. And you could get the dewalt and 3 batteries for the cost of that 550xp.

But if you are using this thing all day or simply just a lot, I would always go gas for the simplicity of not needing to charge it up.

 

[kctyphoon]

If it were me, I'd do electric for something you don't use very much. No struggle with fuel going bad, carbs getting gummed or clogged.. But for fairly frequent use on big items, the gas models are a better choice.. I have a craftsman gas saw at home I haven't used in some time - and I'm already planning to just buy a new carb for it so I have it when I might need the saw again..

One good thing - replacement carbs are so cheap now (even factory ones) for a lot of outdoor stuff, that's it's not even worth messing with rebuild kits or playing around with jets and adjustments. I just ordered another one for a Troy Bilt leaf vac I haven't used in years cause the thing never wanted to start. I might finally get some use out of it now for a $35 fix.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If it were me, I'd do electric for something you don't use very much. No struggle with fuel going bad, carbs getting gummed or clogged.

They work great for cutting 8"-12" logs down to stove size. Very little vibration and MUCH quieter !

 

[buckwheat_la]

Let me tell you where electric saws pay for themselves....when you are up in the tree.....instant power, no worry about starting it or slipping and cutting yourself etc. Even if you only get a dozen cuts out of it, it is very nice and a lot safer.....

 

[Ign]

I have the Ryobi 14" 40V brushless and shouldn't admit how much I love it or how much I cut with it.

It's not great for bigger rounds but much of what cut is small-ish trees and I limb A LOT.

I paid around ~$125 for a recon kit w one battery. Already had a second battery from a string trimmer. Then when the string trimmers went on sale/clearance for $40 I bought 5, bringing my battery count up to 7.

I have an MS180C and MS270C and still heavily use my little cordless Ryobi.

 

[wait4me]

I have the greenworks 80v. I don't see me going back to a gas saw ever again. I don't really do that much cutting though.

 

[terabitdan]

I needed a chainsaw this summer after years of using the sawzall, or small battery powered tools. I've given up on small 2 stroke gear, not using them often it seems they'd never start when needed no matter what brand I bought.

So I did a bunch of research, watched reviews on you tube, read a bunch online and went with the Ego. It's battery is much better built than the Echo.

That thing is awesome! Went through a 15' pine that had fallen down, still all green like nothing. Cuts off the branches and everything into 4' sections on less than a single charge. It takes a minute to grab it, check the bar oil and go.

If you use it all the time I'm sure a gas is better, and by all the time maybe 4-6 hours at a time of cutting.

The Dewalt wasn't out when I looked, I do like their system. Ego doesn't have as many tools.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kctyphoon]

Check out the greenworks 80v. Pretty impressive.

I hate these guys - but this is one vid where they actually use a tool..

I was just looking - a TON of places have cordless chainsaws now. Snapper, Kobalt, even HF has one now.. Oregon, stihl, ect ect ect...

Dewalt has a 40v, and even a 60v flexvolt model. The greenworks looks very well built. Kobalt makes a 40v and an 80v too.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

My neighbor bought a cordless electric chainsaw on an extension pole for trimming. Got two lithium-ion batteries, charger, extra chain for around I think $140.

I've used it. Works great for trimming trees. I understand its limitations. Great for use a few times a year.

I'd love to see a similar device on the shelf at Sears as part of the Craftsman 19.2 C3 series of cordless tools.

ARE YOU LISTENING SEARS!

 

[langss]

My neighbor bought a cordless electric chainsaw on an extension pole for trimming. Got two lithium-ion batteries, charger, extra chain for around I think $140.

I've used it. Works great for trimming trees. I understand its limitations. Great for use a few times a year.

I bought the Lowe's "Kobalt" version. The Batteries also work in the String Trimmer and Hedge Trimmer etc. I also have the Remington corded version. Both do have their limitations, but I'm happy with both.

 

[Adam.C]

I recently looked into this. Stihl and Husqvarna get the top ratings. I thought it was cheaper to buy them as bare tools, then buy chargers and batteries on eBay. But it wasn't much cheaper. The batteries last about 30 minutes, which to my mind, wasn't quite enough. As a homeowner pruning the occasional fallen limbs, I guess it would be ideal, but at close to $500 for a saw and 2 batteries? I bought a 14" refurbed Husqvarna on eBay for $140.

 

[realjimjim]

Hey guys, maybe I should have mentioned this . . .

a serious injury to my right hand many years ago left me with only limited use of it. Using a gas powered saw for me is not only very difficult but also very dangerous. When I have to have a gas saw and my sawz all won't do the job I've got to relay on neighbors' goodwill and it makes me feel like a pest.

An electric/battery chainsaw would be perfect for me but I don't want a cheapo that will cause problems down the road.

I really appreciate the suggested models you all came up with so far. I'm going to research them all to get the best tool/deal I can find.

Keep the suggestions coming!

THANKS!

 

[theoldwizard1]

It will cost more but you will get a second tool for free !

Buy a good corded saw. Buy a 12VDC/120VAC 2000W sine wave inverter and a REAL deep discharge battery.

Sure, it is now as "portable", but you now have a power source that you can use anywhere !

 

[G-ManBart]

Hey guys, maybe I should have mentioned this . . .

a serious injury to my right hand many years ago left me with only limited use of it. Using a gas powered saw for me is not only very difficult but also very dangerous. When I have to have a gas saw and my sawz all won't do the job I've got to relay on neighbors' goodwill and it makes me feel like a pest.

An electric/battery chainsaw would be perfect for me but I don't want a cheapo that will cause problems down the road.

I really appreciate the suggested models you all came up with so far. I'm going to research them all to get the best tool/deal I can find.

Keep the suggestions coming!

THANKS!

Is the saw weight or power/torque the reason a gas saw is dangerous for you?

I ask because some of the cordless saws mentioned here weigh quite a bit more than the lightest gas saws, and the fact they have instant torque, and a lot of it, should be taken into consideration.

 

[Monte]

I own this 36 volt Stihl from their new "compact" homeowner series (1.6/3.2AH). It´s good for the smaller stuff. For bigger stuff you´ll need their cordless pro saws or a gas saw. (or patience )

 

[theoldwizard1]

Is the saw weight or power/torque the reason a gas saw is dangerous for you?

I ask because some of the cordless saws mentioned here weigh quite a bit more than the lightest gas saws, and the fact they have instant torque, and a lot of it, should be taken into consideration.

Good points ! They do have a lot less vibration making them easier to hold on to.

Non-battery electrics are much lighter.

 

[shawhite]

The company I work for just started issuing us the Stihl MSA-200 with a 14in bar. We use it mainly for topping utility poles and some tree trimbing. When I first received it I was very sceptical. But as long as you keep the chain sharp and adjusted correctly it's pretty impressive. I can usually get 45ish out of a single charge depending on what I'm cutting. Green cca poles probably closer to 30 mins on a charge. It does not compare to my Stanley hydraulic chainsaw but then again I have not found any saw that does.

 

[FMC1959]

There are probably 2 kinds of chainsaw people; the ones that use them daily or weekly, and then those that need to cut a couple of branches or small trees in the spring or fall.

For the first group, gas.

For the second group, a few options. For the few times you use them, getting a dedicated battery system solely for the chainsaw might be OK, but see f there are better choices.

If Milwaukee does come out with one, it will probably be decent. Right now, anyone that has a Makita LXT 18v, they have a 36v (18 x2) chainsaw, which I have not tried, but am quite confident works quite well. It has the benefit of powering your drill, saw, radio, and multitude of other tools you may have, and for the couple of times you need a chainsaw, it doesn't feel like an expensive battery for just 1 tool.

I haven't tried the Ryobi, but depending on your needs, it could do the trick.

The 40v Dewalt you ask about I believe is part of their outdoor tools, trimmer, blower....tools, so a bit limited but if you like the other tools not bad. If they have one with their Flexvolt system, that could be good as the battery would work for many tools.

 

[Ign]

There are probably 2 kinds of chainsaw people; the ones that use them daily or weekly, and then those that need to cut a couple of branches or small trees in the spring or fall.

For the first group, gas.

For the second group, a few options. For the few times you use them, getting a dedicated battery system solely for the chainsaw might be OK, but see f there are better choices.

If Milwaukee does come out with one, it will probably be decent. Right now, anyone that has a Makita LXT 18v, they have a 36v (18 x2) chainsaw, which I have not tried, but am quite confident works quite well. It has the benefit of powering your drill, saw, radio, and multitude of other tools you may have, and for the couple of times you need a chainsaw, it doesn't feel like an expensive battery for just 1 tool.

I haven't tried the Ryobi, but depending on your needs, it could do the trick.

The 40v Dewalt you ask about I believe is part of their outdoor tools, trimmer, blower....tools, so a bit limited but if you like the other tools not bad. If they have one with their Flexvolt system, that could be good as the battery would work for many tools.

I'm the third kind: I cut between 2 to 4 cords a winter. I own 35 acres heavily wooded with small-ish pinion and cedar and lots of dead standing. For the smaller stuff I love my Ryobi 40V brushless.

As was mentioned above the chain makes a world of difference. I immediately changed the bar and chain to an Oregon S52 reco'd here when Woodstock initially reviewed this saw. It literally made it seem like an entirely different machine with the more aggressive chain. The provided Ryobi chain (and bar) was like using a butter knife to cut a limb.

edit: the wife loves it, too. Easy for her to handle and less vibration which is a big deal for her small forearms.

 

[Ign]

If you knew how much of just this one load was cut with my Ryobi......well, frankly, you'd call me a liar so I won't say. Certainly, the MS270C with 18" bar was used for the larger rounds on top. Underneath that is a lot of smaller stuff. Note the Ryobi on back of tractor.

 

[Derek420]

STIHL is my brand but they aren't as good as they were but I love my weed eater other than a new primer bulb it has been a damn good one it's an older model fs46c. Always fires right up even after sitting all winter and runs smoother than my mother in laws cub cadet which is brand new and a straight shaft which is hard to start and don't have half the power and on tall weeds wraps them up in the head and locks it up. Mine will cut weeds almost ad tall as me and I'm 6'4 with no problem. They make an awesome electric weed eater and chain saw.

 

[theoldwizard1]

,,, they (Makita) have a 36v (18 x2) chainsaw, which I have not tried, but am quite confident works quite well.

Video of Makita 36V cutting downed tree larger than the length of the bar.

 

[tymbo]

I have this saw and love it. I will never buy a gas saw again!

 

[seber]

My neighbor saw me cutting down the forest of four to six inch trees in back of the house with a manual saw. He brought over an 18 volt chainsaw. I already own a plug in chainsaw. I tried the 18 volt and went back to the manual. If I need real power I switch to a Stihl gasser. Otherwise the old school is just faster.

 

[Jamie V]

I'd love a M18 Milwaukee chainsaw..... I already have tons of batteries so I'm ready.