Electric chainsaw for mill work

[dustyhat]

Electric chainsaw for mill work , guys are wanting one cutting up unruly slabs squares etc. gassing up cranking cold saws is getting old i guess, them 85 year old men are getting tired , i see there's several brands and prices what do you recommend . appreciate the input. 

[barbender]

I'd look into a cordless battery saw. I have a Dewalt 20v, it's the small one. It works great for a quick cut here and there, but I'd want a more powerful one for more serious cutting. The Milwaukee 18v is supposed to be kind of an animal. 

[rastis]

I have a green works 80volt 18 inch bar that works great for light duty use. Pick it up, push the on button and cut. 

[stanmillnc]

I use the 60V 16" bar DeWalt chainsaw and it works well for quick trimming around the mill. Plus the added benefit of using the same battery style for all my other tools. Had the 20v, 12" bar DeWalt version before this one and it was next to useless in my opinion - just underpowered. Used a Husqvarna 540i XP for a bit on loan and it was awesome with great power and long battery life - couldn't justify the high price though.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Another option is look at the Stihl easy crank saw. Yes, it is gas powered but it is designed for women and people with shoulder problems and such. You just slowly pull the cord and it winds a starter coil and when it reaches a certain point it releases and cranks the saw on the reverse cycle. My wife bought one and it works as advertised.

  I have and use a 20V Braun (HF) cordless circular saw for cutting up green stickers from edgings and trimming/salvaging short bords from boards and flitches while sawing. I love it but it does not have the power or longevity to cut big stuff or for a long time.

[Magicman]

I have had/used a 40 volt Ryobi for several years.  It just works and the price is right.

[Southside]

I have the Milwaukee 18V and have never been disappointed with it. 

[stavebuyer]

Many mills are now using cordless circle saws on the lumber grading line. With a carbide tipped blade eliminates the problem of chain sharpening too.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Stihl msa200 c with ap300s battery love it. I won't be trimming the end of most logs that I mill with it but it probably handles half of what I pick up a chainsaw to do both around the mill and elsewhere.

[Patrick NC]

I also have a Dewalt 20v that I bought to keep on the Side by Side when we go riding.  It's OK for smaller cuts. I've cut a few boards with it and it does fine for that. We were on a trail in west Virginia right after I first bought it and we came up on a 16" dead tree that had fallen across the trail. I think it was red oak, but not sure. That little saw kept us from having to backtrack several miles that day. Used up all the battery it had, but it made 2 cuts through that tree to clear the trail.

[randy d]

We have an Echo 5000 it is 56v and has not been out very long. We got it to use by the mill but it works well for cutting fire wood, can cut a 16 inch maple and will fill the box on our 835 gator do we like it you bet we do. Just keep it sharp.  Randy

[Gere Flewelling]

I purchased a new Husqvarna in 2018 to use to cut slabs into 4' lengths on the band mill. Tried small gas, corded electric, and medium sized gas. Husqvarna is the best saw I have come across.  I use it a lot for cutting firewood as well.  Has a regular chain so it cuts well on either side of the bar. Might consider a Milwaukee cordless but happy with the Husky.  On battery #3, chain #2.  I highly recommend them.

[florida]

Project Farm tested the cordless saws  and Echo won hands down. Dewalt was second, I think Makita third and the rest in a jumble after that.

[boonesyard]

Had all the Milwaukee tools already so went with their 16" saw, reviews were real good as well. Had it for 2 years and has been excellent around the mill. Would buy it again. 

[maineshops]

I've used a kobalt for many years. 18 in 80v. 
I now have 3 battery saws of different brands and sizes. None replace a gas saw but do a great job for the limited work that I do. Down a balsam fir with the big one trim it up with a smaller one, ct slabs off the mill etc.
   Starting the gas saw is difficult here lately. Dan

[richhiway]

I have the Milwaukee 18V it is handy but in my view these battery saws are far from a gas saw. The chain speed is slow and the ergonomics are poor. Run it a while and the handle angle hurts the wrist. Also overpriced. I also had a 269.00 12ah battery that was hardly used refuse to charge. It had 18V I think the circuit board was  bad. I sent it back and they wanted the price of a new battery to repair it. 

I have a lot of Ryobi and you can not beat them for the price. I went for the red saw thinking they would be better but I don't think they are worth the price. I have the red skilsaw and again it is handy. But it is also heavy and really does not compare to a 110V saw.

[OlJarhead]

I picked up the Echo DCS5000 early last year and have abused it a bit ;)

First I ran it dropping small saplings to clear out some land for fire protection and tested it on some bigger stuff.  I also did a short comparison with my Husky 455 Rancher but found afterwards it was missing a tooth on the chain as I'd forgotten I'd run into metal with it and the chain was NOT sharp so it's unfair really.
Can the ECHO DCS5000 BATTERY CHAINSAW Really Perform? [56v] - YouTube

Then I tested it against a Ryobi gas 38cc saw here:
MUST SEE CHAINSAW BATTLE! Echo DSC5000 Battery vs RYOBI 38CC Gas! - YouTube

There was a video I think someone else mentioned in which the Echo beat out all other saws in it's class including the DeWalt (which was the previous winner).

In my opinion, and I'm not a pro by any stretch, the Echo is worth the money.  It's a very good saw and just 1 5AH battery will do for most people (I bought two so I could go a lot longer but really didn't need to).

I've also used the DeWalt but it's chain was dull at the time so I just set it aside and pulled out my Husky ;)

For small / light work the electric saws are great and I think the Echo is one of the best.

Cheers
Erik

[barbender]

I've never thought of the battery saws as replacing the gas ones. They are handy as heck for when you don't need or want to fire the gas saw up though. So will my Dewalt 20v trim that 16' 2x6 to 12' because of wane, absolutely. The 18" log I need to buck 2' of defect off of? No, probably not😊

[barbender]

[Andries]

That poor lil saw got so heated up with that big butt end that it just popped it's battery right off! 

[YellowHammer]

I have the Sihl as well, it's a little Tasmanian devil.

[barbender]

Yeah I cut that tree with a Husky 390xp, I had the battery saw in my pickup and I couldn't resist😊 Some guys I know, that should know better, got all fired up when I put that on FB. "There's no way you can drop a 36" tree with a 12" bar!"😂😂

[rusticretreater]

Wood turners have been using electric and battery powered saws as they are ideal for using in a garage for trimming log rounds or splitting a round.  I have also seen folks lop off wood while the piece is on the lathe.

As for felling trees with a battery saw,  more battery power to ya!

[Brian_Rhoad]

Stihl MSA 300


Stihl MSA 300

[Old Greenhorn]

 :D :D
 Hard to separate the saw from the operator in those  videos. Apparently using an electric saw means you can make narrow notch angles, bypass your notch cut, cut through your hinge, leave hangers, and do all kinds of other sloppy stuff without consequences. :D Yeah, I get it, plantation pine, easy felling, but that guy is so intent on selling that saw that he is moving faster than his brain can work trying to 'sell' the saw. I also thought I detected some 'strategic editing' going on. ;D
 Separating all the silliness and showmanship out, yeah, that saw works well for felling and limbing, but at the end of the second video he also shows that it comes up short on bucking rounds, which is where you need a real saw. If I was the guy standing behind him I would have just grabbed a gas saw off the tractor and gotten to it. Felling and limbing that small plantation stuff it fits in pretty well. Repetitive bucking, no flipping way IMO. I nearly fell asleep waiting for him to get through.

 I really did like that battery wedge he had in the first video and the ability to reset it for a better lift. That would be handy for me doing mushroom log trees which are thin and tend to hang, but not worth carrying all day long for the few I have to drive over.