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Cordless Chainsaws - your experiences - recommendations

Started by opticsguy, July 01, 2018, 11:11:21 AM

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opticsguy

Thinking about picking up a cordless Chainsaw and am curious about feedback from those with real experience.

I have 4 gas powered saws, accumulated over many many years of use and various needs. 

I am thinking about the ease and convenience of using a cordless chainsaw.  My uses would be around the sawmill when needed, the occasional downed tree across the road in winter, and sitting in the back of my car or van when I see some wood I might want to cut and haul home for a woodworking project and other light occasional use.

I do prefer quality, pays in both the short and long term.  My first real look was on Saturday, where I examined stihl, makita, ryobi and dewault saws.  Also did a little you-tubing.

My local hardware store (The very BEST BEST hardware store in all the world!!) had on display, the Stihl, Dewalt and Makita.  I felt the best deal going was the cordless Makita with FOUR 18V batteries + charger included.   Makita has an extensive line-up of other tools which use the same batteries.

The Stihl looked OK, seemed to be more money and a very specialty battery system that I most likely might not expand upon.

I mentioned to the salesperson I am invested in Milwaukee.  He said he had seen the new Milwaukee saw and super impressed and advised I wait for its availability. 

Any one using the new Milwaukee cordless chainsaw?  

Thanks for your feedback.
TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.

Dave Shepard

I think the Milwaukee is going to be a very good saw, for what it is intended for. I am seriously invested in M18 tools, so that is the one I would get. The DeWalt looks like a piece of junk. Ave channel on Youtube did a review of it, and the bar mount was garbage. Warning: ave channel is great, but he swears a lot. I don't think the Milwaukee is available yet. Its supposed to be released this month. 
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

sawguy21

They are connvenient and fine for the occasional light job around the house but don't ask it to clear a fallen tree across the road. I tried an Oregon and wasn't much impressed. Any more than light pressure the breaker tripped and had to be reset by releasing then squeezing the trigger. I am also not a fan of the autosharp chain.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

tawilson

I would check out the warranty. Stihl and Husky have 2 years and includes batteries. Not sure about the others.
Tom
2017 LT40HDG35 WIDE
BMS250 and BMT250 sharpener/setter
Woodmaster 725

wesdor

I have the Stihl for light work around the mill. It comes in very handy for that purpose. As another has said, I wouldn't try to clear a fallen tree on the road. 
In total, the saw, charger and battery ran close to $700, so it isn't cheap.  

In your situation I think I would wait for the Milwaukee and then compare. 

Good luck, having a lightweight battery saw around the mill has been a real good thing. 

Dave Shepard

I'd like one for making heavy docking cuts on timbers, and just to have around the mill for the odd quick cut. My mother is talking about getting one for fixing fences in the spring. No more dealing with mix gas and saws that won't start because they rarely get used.

There are YouTubes of the new M18 saw at the Milwaukee tool symposium. It looks very capable. Looks like $399.00 with a 12.0 ah battery and rapid charger. 
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

upnut

I have owned and used a Stihl 120 C for about a year now, have been pleased with the performance. It fits nicely in the saw box on the quad, and accompanies on most trips to the woods. It has trimmed low hanging lilac, pine, walnut, and maple branches around the yard and really shined in an aerial bucket trimming fencerow limbs back. Recently used it to cut off excess 4X6 posts while deck building, and cut a three day supply of campfire wood while camped out in the U.P. It does not hog large amounts of wood, but used as designed and intended works well. I like the charger, shuts off automatically when battery is fully charged, don't like the tool-less chain tensioner. 


 

 

Hope this helps, good luck!
Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

Magicman

For the past year I have been using a 40V. brushless 14" Ryobi, and am well pleased.  I also have the Ryobi "weed eater" and hedge trimmer, so the (3) batteries get a nice workout.

The chainsaw was a "recon" from the "Tool Store" for $125 including the battery and charger.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Puffergas

Jeff
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie.

GEHL 5624 skid steer, Trojan 114, Timberjack 225D, D&L SB1020 mill, Steiger Bearcat II

beav

Check out Echo. I looked and it was affordable, had a long warranty(5 yrs  iirc), and a real chain tensioner with two real bolts holding the bar on. It was the only one that looked really rugged. I have had no problems with it so far. 58 volt model# ccs-58v

hedgerow

Glad to see this thread. I currently use a Echo 360T with a 16 bar when I use my bucket lift to trim trees. As I get older I can't keep starting the saw as I am  moving around with the lift to cut another limb and if you let it idle then pretty soon you are a oily mess from letting the saw idle. In general I love cordless tools. I think it is time to get serious about a cordless chain saw and maybe a cordless pole saw too. I didn't buy myself any thing for my birthday. LOL

DelawhereJoe

If your in a bucket truck and want a battery saw or doing in tree work Husqvarna makes a top handle saw. HolmenTree who isn't really on here anymore,  has his own tree business and thats the battery saw he chooses to use. I think you can even get a backpack battery for it.
WD-40, DUCT TAPE, 024, 026, 362c-m, 041, homelite xl, JD 2510

John Mc

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

teakwood

I talk with Willard (holmen) quite often on PM's. After some heated topics some month ago he withdrawed a bit from the forum. He also tells me that he is not able to log into the forum anymore, just pm's, i don't really know why that is or what's the problem. 

For me that is really sad because i think that he helped innumerous members with his wide chain saw knowledge. The chainsaw forum is half as interesting since Willards departure. 

Ramon
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Southside

I have a friend who dismantles old buildings for a living, he has three of the Kobalt saws, I think they are 40V, maybe more - he uses them on dry, old beams and loves them, has had one for three years.  He has a four or five man crew that works for him and they are a bit rough around the edges, so far they have not wrecked any of his saws.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

John Mc

Quote from: teakwood on July 05, 2018, 10:27:27 PM
I talk with Willard (holmen) quite often on PM's. After some heated topics some month ago he withdrawed a bit from the forum. He also tells me that he is not able to log into the forum anymore, just pm's, i don't really know why that is or what's the problem.

For me that is really sad because i think that he helped innumerous members with his wide chain saw knowledge. The chainsaw forum is half as interesting since Willards departure.

I hope that's not a permanent situation. I really appreciated his contributions to the forum.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Puffergas

Jeff
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie.

GEHL 5624 skid steer, Trojan 114, Timberjack 225D, D&L SB1020 mill, Steiger Bearcat II

HolmenTree

Quote from: John Mc on July 06, 2018, 10:23:52 AM
Quote from: teakwood on July 05, 2018, 10:27:27 PM
I talk with Willard (holmen) quite often on PM's. After some heated topics some month ago he withdrawed a bit from the forum. He also tells me that he is not able to log into the forum anymore, just pm's, i don't really know why that is or what's the problem.

For me that is really sad because i think that he helped innumerous members with his wide chain saw knowledge. The chainsaw forum is half as interesting since Willards departure.

I hope that's not a permanent situation. I really appreciated his contributions to the forum.
Hello John and Ramon, 
Ramon I just found I can post here through this link to this thread you just PMed me, but I still can't log in .
The last link to the logging forum thread you also PMed me s few weeks ago I was also able to post congratulating you on your Costa Rica national timbersport win.
But the last time I posted here as a standing member was on my Official MS261CM versus Husqvarna 550XP test thread.
In that last post I posted a spring sale flyer ad from Stihl Canada on the MS261CM. I mentioned all Canadians and outlying American citizins don't miss this sale. I also mentioned these are German made MS261's.
I guess I stepped on the forum's Stihl USA sponsors toes, oh well if I"m not welcome it's not my loss ...
only to my friends I made here :)
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Jeff

Well, not sure what is going on here, but @HolmenTree  you were never banned, and never denied any sort of access by me for any reason. I've also not had any word you had trouble logging in.  If for some reason you got a banned message, it had to be from an old I.P. ban or something.  I can guarantee you have not even come up in any admin conversation about anything related to a ban or sponsor related conduct.

So, now, let me know what the heck has been going on so I can help fix it and end what ever these conspiracy theories that apparently are going on..
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

John Mc

 I was hoping the story  behind the scenes was something like that
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

petefrom bearswamp

Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Jeff

All I can figure is that he is having some sort of login problems relating to the server change over earlier in the year that many many people had, which were well documented on here at the time, and the fixes involved to clear them up.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

John Mc

It's been a strange change over. I got my computer and my phone set up on the new system and it worked fine for a while, then some time later, the both stopped working again, and I had to clear out the cache and cookies again to get them to work (it happened at different times for each device)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

opticsguy

OP here.
Returning to electric Chainsaws, and after watching a few more you-tubes, my impression is the Makita is a good saw, the consistent complaint is the "on" button which is only on for 4 seconds, then you need to turn it on again and again every-time you want to use the saw.   When I first handled the Makita, I noticed this small difficulty but passed it by as I examined the saw more deeply.  Thinking about it later, I found the "on" button somewhat irritating.  Supposedly the on button is supposed to be on for much longer time but there seems to be a consistent issue with this one design issue. The power-on button seems to be negatively mentioned on most You-tube videos. 

I do like the 2 battery Makita, and both batteries can be used on other Makita products.  Looks like a very good saw . . . .

Still waiting to get my hands on the new Milwaukee.  Comes with "only" one 12 amp-hour battery, probably more than enough for most of us but a reserve battery is always nice.  This new 12 amp-hour battery at $199 is kind of a set back.  I am curious if this saw can still do some work with the smaller 4, 5 and 6 amp-hour batteries.  This Milwaukee saw is coming out soon, was hoping for an introductory price to get people on-board but looks like every outlet has the same price for pre-orders. 

All the saws I mentioned here and in my first posting look like a tool that will certainly fill a convenience gap and possibly much more.  

Excitingly waiting . . . . .
TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.

Dave Shepard

Yes, the Milwaukee saw will run on smaller batteries, but available power will be reduced, and of course run time. 

Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

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