Battery chainsaw

[maineshops]

Starting to slow down a bit. Just cutting dead and down in the woods,and an occasional sawlog. What is a good battery saw o tha stop and start work. Light weight. I use an 80v kobalt and it is getting heavy. Tx dan

[Southside]

I have a 40V Kobalt and an 18V Milwaukee we use around the mill.  The Milwaukee is by far a much better saw. 

[upnut]

I have a Stihl MS 200c, shown here with my son's DeWalt saw for comparison...


I bought a Stihl MS120 c-b originally, it has been a good little saw. The MS200 c is a couple steps up in power, battery life, and features like variable speed throttle and metal dogs. I put the same size bar/chain on the 200 just to simplify the spare parts issue, and the 14" bar does all I need in a battery saw. They have been good saws...

Scott B.

[John Mc]

I have used some surprisingly good battery chainsaws, but none of the good ones are light weight, at least not as compared to a similar-powered gas saw.

[maple flats]

For years I stayed away from battery powered chainsaws, but at 77 I jumped in with both feet. I now have 2 DeWalt 20V cordless a 14" saw and a 16" saw plus a DeWalt 60V 9A 20" saw. That last one bucked all of my firewaad this past year. I also have a 14" Kobalt 20V saw, a 16" Kobalt 24V saw and a Kobalt 40V polesaw. The last 2 were used mainly in my 4.5 acres of blueberries for pruning and removing a never ending fight with unwanted trees growing in between the bushes. 
None of those saws cut as fast as my Husky 543XP, nor are they as loud. I've come to like these "toy" saws, but I've learned they are no longer just toys. Today's batteries for cordless tools have made huge gains in their ability. 
I do still tend to use my Husky 543XP or my Husky 359 or my Husky 65 when felling trees, unless maybe a dead ash for firewood often falls to the hum of the DeWalt 60V saw. The hemlock coming down for the sawmill still get one of the 2 smaller Huskies, the 65 is only used to buck huge trees, it wears a 34" full skip chain, and it' too much to start and handle when not absolutely needed. 
In fact the 65 has only been used 5-6 times in the 10 yrs 'ive had it. It came with a 24" bar, but I had one log on my old Peterson that wanted a 36" bar, but when I went to buy it, the dealer gave me the price as well as the price he had on some 34" bars, ($50) and I got the 34". It seems he got them by mistake and the vendor gave him a very special price if he kept them. He wanted just under $120 for the 36" bar. Both were roller nose bars.

[OddInTheForrest]

My 2 cents are these : 

I've looked for light saws for years. I do a lot of TSI work, thinning and in general selective thinning or clearing. In poorly managed woodlands. This often leads to day after day of slinging a saw. This has led me to test a MS 192, 193, 200, and eventually a MS151. 

This then led me to batterysaws. I think I tried them all. But never found the rigth one. Ofcourse, price also matters. I run a one-man part time show, and dont want to spend too much. 

I concluded with a Ryobi. 1830, cheapes one with a 00.43 chain. It runs on my chipper, just for the occational use. Not a saw I'd use for felling. The chain speed is just too slow. 

I am however more than willing to try new saws, and think you should too ! Try a MSA 70, or the MS151, at least I know the 151 is worth the money. Saw runs long on a single tank, and after 5 years of cutting with mine 90-120 days a year, I know what its capable of. 

Best regards
Odd
Norways westcoast

[esteadle]

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[PNWRusty]

Starting to slow down a bit. Just cutting dead and down in the woods,and an occasional sawlog. What is a good battery saw o tha stop and start work. Light weight. I use an 80v kobalt and it is getting heavy. Tx dan

I like my Husqvarna 350i. Cuts a lot of wood fast.



Before I bought the 350i I looked for a comparison to the Husqvarna 540i XP but couldn't find any direct comparisons of anyone who had used both and could intelligently compare them. The 350i is a lot more budget friendly, so I got that and it exceeded my expectations by a good amount. 

I can cut non-stop with two batteries by fast charging one in the back of the truck while cutting with the other. I didn't even need to fire up my Stihl 261 CM and the 350i cuts just as fast, or very close to it, with a lot less fumes and noise.

[axeman2021]

I am using a Hart 18" 40 volt it might not be what you need but it has done a really good job for me, and at around for $350 saw battery and charger with a nice carrying case not a bad deal.
And with being it's sold at Walmart if unhappy you get 90 days to just return it.

[PNWRusty]

I'm still looking for anyone who can compare the Husqvarna 540i XP to the Husqvarna 350i (which I have). I find it very odd that no one has written up a comparison anywhere on the Internet (at least not one that I can find).

I would say the 350i cuts as fast as my old Stihl 026 and my new Stihl MS 261 CM (both of which I consider equal in cutting speed). All three weigh about the same too.

I also have a DeWalt with a Max20 battery and 16" bar and, IMO, it's just not a good saw. It feels lacking in smoothness, power and efficiency (battery life) while having a not very pleasant balance in the hands. It's not as quiet as my other electric saws. It functions good enough, it's just no fun to use. Awkward.

I really like my Milwaukee M12 PowerAxe with a 5 or 6 Ah 12V battery. It only has about a 5" bar but it's handy for small cuts because it's so easy to one-hand. Smooth and quiet with good battery life for what it is, it runs smooth. I don't know why the DeWalt feels like it runs and cuts rough, I think part of it is I don't like the chain it came with.

[DHansen]

Just my input with my use of my 540iXP and my friends Ryobi.  I also have a 026 Stihl, 338XP and 550XP.  I like my 540iXP because it is quiet and very handy.  It has limitations in speed.  The speed of the cut is noticeable in 10" or more oak.  10" and under and it is a great saw to get jobs done.  The 026 and 550XP are faster and I can get more work completed in the same time frame if there are lots on 10" and larger diameter cuts.  Cutting off limbs and lots of 3"-6" cuts the 540iXP is a great tool.  Today a friend called and needed help with two small live burr Oaks.  14" at the base 30' tall.  He has a 2050 Jonsered and the Ryobi.  He also has a 12-year-old son who really wanted to help and cut.  So, in the end we only used the two battery saws for these two trees.  3.5 hours of cutting.  Neither saw needed a battery change.  Filled both with bar oil twice.  With the young cutter I was able to talk with him and show him as he cut.  This was a big plus for being able to communicate.  I started off with a 30-minute talk about protective gear.  Then about chain safety and common injuries.  How to hold the saw and how to let the saw cut.  After the job was done, here are my thoughts.  There was nothing wrong with that Ryobi.  It cut well; it was strong enough to pull that 3/8" LP chain with the 14" bar buried in the oak.  It does not have a chain brake whereas the 540iXP does.  Made me question the price difference based on performance.  I think the Husqvarna is safer, has steel felling spikes vs plastic molded in on the Ryobi.  I know this doesn't answer the 350i power axe vs 540I XP question, but hopefully my comparison to my 026 helps.

[Al_Smith]

Like I've said little battery saws have their place .I've got a micro with 24 volt batteries and 4 and 6 inch bars .Handy as a pocket on a shirt for light duty stuff like cleaning up wind blown limbs .I would not even think of attacking a 24 inch oak tree with it but on the other hand a 90 plus cc chain saw is not a good tool for 2 inch limbs .Match the tool for the job .

[AndyVT]

I picked up a used ryobi 14" saw and 3  40 volt batteries for $125 for my wife. She used it to limb the tops of the hemlocks we were cutting for pulp and it was a solid dependable saw. I now use it as a trim saw around my sawmill and it is perfect for that job. I still use the husky 562 for felling and lengthing logs but 
I will always have an e-saw as part of my logging kit 

[Magicman]

I have the same saw and @ $125, you got a bargain. 

[old 030]

I own two of the Greenworks 40 volt saws like the one pictured. I have no complaint with them. I also have a different Greenworks 40 volt that doesn't seam to work quite as well (seams to run a lower chain speed), I keep it around as a back-up.

[OlJarhead]

Echo DCS5000

I watched a video a few years ago testing all battery saws (top ones anyway) side by side and the echo beat them all...so I bought one.  Two years later and I must admit I love this little saw.

[gspren]

I also have one of the Greenworks saws and agree it's good enough for occasianal work. Now that I'm invested in the Milwaukee M18 tools I'd buy one of theirs if/when the Greenworks dies. I mainly use it for branches and keep it in the Rover during hunting season.

[PNWRusty]

Before you buy the M18 Milwaukee, try the Husqvarna 350i, I think it's hard to beat the price or performance. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Really? I am not seeing that price comparison and not sure what Husky gets for the batteries, but for folks that already have a lot of Milwaukee tools, the M18 makes a lot of sense (with a bar change to a better bar. My buddy has every chainsaw style Milwaukee works and he loves them all.

[Dave Shepard]

I have the M18 Top Handle. Mostly for timber framing, but also for anything that doesn't require a big saw. Very impressive. Slow chain speed isn't great for tickling little branches while pruning, but dog it in on a 10" diameter piece of wood and it really goes to town.

[barbender]

 Dave, I just picked up that same Milwaukee 18v top handle to use out at the mill. It is very impressive for the small amount I used it. I was out forwarding today and had a couple of 12"+ aspen logs that needed bucked, I was kinda of shocked/pleasantly surprised by how well that thing cuts. Maybe not quite as fast as a 50cc gas saw, but not far behind at all.

[Dave Shepard]

Milwaukee has new motor technology coming out in the third gen circular saws. I'm expecting to see a gen 2 top handle with it at some point, and maybe a change in chain speed. 

[John Mc]

Dave, I just picked up that same Milwaukee 18v top handle to use out at the mill. It is very impressive for the small amount I used it. I was out forwarding today and had a couple of 12"+ aspen logs that needed bucked, I was kinda of shocked/pleasantly surprised by how well that thing cuts. Maybe not quite as fast as a 50cc gas saw, but not far behind at all.

I've found my Milwaukee saw cuts about like a decent 40cc gas saw. I don't own any 40cc saws at the moment (though I used to own one), but I do know it will not keep up with my old Jonsered 2152 (51.7 cc)

[hedgerow]

I bought the larger M18 Milwaukee chain saw with the 12 amp battery and charger on sale just before Christmas and have used it a lot this year trimming trees with my bucket lift. Went to help a buddy a couple weeks ago after a wind storm went threw his area and his sister was there with the Milwaukee M18 eight inch hatchet saw and after I used it some in the bucket lift that day I went home and ordered one of them to. I really like it in the bucket lift. 

[barbender]

I hate to use the term incredible, but they are very, very impressive! I was looking at that pruning saw too, once I realized how awesome this top handle saw cuts.

[Dave Shepard]

I want the M18 pole saw. Not sure I need it, but I want it. 

[Dave Shepard]

I added dual West Coast dogs to my M18 top handle.
I guess I need to brush up on photo posting.

[Old Greenhorn]

It's better without the photo Dave I have a picture in my head of that little saw and dogs that are half the length of the bar.

[Dave Shepard]

It's not that bad. Not sure what I'm doing wrong re picture posting, however. 

[lxskllr]

Quick and dirty way to add pics is to click the [Reply] button, select [Add Files] button below the reply box, and navigate to the picture. That won't go in any gallery, and makes it hard to search for future reference, but it gets it in the thread. It can sort of be done from the quick reply box at the thread bottom, but that just takes you to the normal reply box via confusing redirect, so just click [Reply] in the first place.

[barbender]

 I had a Stihl 500i I bought used. It had those West Coast dogs on it, I'm sure they're great on big timber with thick bark but for me they were ridiculous. And they cost you about 2" of bar length. I sold that saw anyways, awesome saw but kind of an odd size for my use. 

 I find myself reaching for the Husky 562 all the time. 

 So I sold my Stihl 261 was well. Then I bought a brand new Husky 562. Haven't even started it yet.

 I can see myself grabbing this cordless Milwaukee all the time now though.

 All of that said, I REALLY want to see Dave's WCS dogged Milwaukee😂

[Dave Shepard]

Some modification required for the outside dog.

[Ginger Squirrel]

I have a Ryobi 18v saw for smaller jobs, bought it since I already am in that platform and was downing the tree in my front yard. I was putting it through large limbs that were bigger than what it was really meant for, and going through batteries fast, but it got the job done.

Wanted something more powerful as I also have a homestead property now and also got a wood stove at home so will be doing more cutting. After some research I went with Greenworks 80v.  It's a really good saw, no issues at all and never feel limited by it's power. My only complaint is you need a special tool to adjust the chain, I never remember to bring it with me. The Ryobi is tooless.

We don't have any of the fancy hardwood trees the south has like oak, which I presume are harder to cut, we mostly have pine, birch and poplar, and it cuts through those like butter. One of the things that made me go with Greenworks is the higher voltage which in theory should mean more power and also they have quite a lot of tools in general including a 2 stage snow blower.  Bought it a few years ago and it's a beast. Feels like using a gas one, but without the need to mess with carbs and stuff. 

I never really feel limited by battery duration either, usually I will want a small break before the battery dies, even if it's just to stop to take a quick sip of water or wipe sweat off.  When I stop I check the battery and if I'm down to 1 bar (still lot of power left at that point) I will swap it out anyway and put it on the charger and swap in a new one. I never run into a situation where I'm mid cut and it dies on me.

I kind of like the idea of electric from a self sufficiency point of view as I can charge the batteries with solar. When I'm out on my off grid property electricity is basically free.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I bought a 20V Braun 10" battery saw from HF a couple months ago because I have that battery system with a lot of tools. I have been using it for cutting stickers and an occasional short  board that would otherwise go in the scrap pile.

    Today I got out and picked up some firewood I had cut earlier and there were a few tops and big ash and locust limbs and such that still needed cutting. I was surprised and very pleased at how well and how fast it cut through solid 6" ash and such. 

    It is a very light weight little saw and I first joked about it being a toy but I'm not so cynical right now. There are no tools required to remove or tighten the chain so that is handy. I will see if my opinion changes in the months/years ahead but at this stage I am very will pleased at the price, quality, design and functionality.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well Howard, the first battery saw I had was given to me by a neighbor who was moving back to the city. I thought it a toy too. In fact, I bet a lot of 'us here' had the same thought. But I carried it in the buggy on Mushroom logging forays in case I needed to cut myself out of a bind. It was handy for that. I have also used it aound the yard and it's dang handy to cut something quick in the shop in the winter time.
 Bill has about 5 of them in all sizes, all Milwaukee's. A few months ago he parked one at the mill and I began using it for hacking slabs. All our slabs get cut to 36" for the OWB and racked. I used to prefer my 350 or his 550 for this work, but I have to admit that battery saw is great. First, I don't have to start it for every slab, I just pick it up and cut, then put it down. Second, there is little chance of any of the other guys 'borrowing it' for bucking logs. We can buck mill logs with it, but then it becomes more work to me and I go for the gas. The ONLY downside I see is that I keep forgetting to check the oil. I am getting batter, but I am still poor at it. When I fill the gas saw I always do the oil too. That is as automatic as pulling your fly down before you pee, well for me anyway. We keep a charger at the mill. So when I shut down for the day, I unplug the blower, plug in the  charger, and load in the battery. So I always have ti ready to go when I will. One battery does just fine for most sessions unless we buck a log or two. They don't like to be run too hard and heat up, then shut down. It's a safety for the battery.
 
 Yes, they do have a place as far as I can see and will be around for a while into the future I suspect. But I will say I hate sharpening them with those tiny files.

[barbender]

I need to learn more about the new Milwaukee, it uses 2 batteries and they're advertising it as competing with 60 or 70cc gas. I don't know what bar and chain cutting system it uses or anything. 

Milwaukee and Dewalt both releases some new battery technology last year- tabless and pouch. They are supposed to have much less resistance so they can do more work, with less heat. That is pushing innovation on those platforms with higher draw tools. 

I want to get ahold of a Milwaukee Forge battery (their high power version) to see if it makes my 18v top handle saw even better.

OG, I hear you on sharpening these things, those tiny teeth and files are a challenge.

[Dave Shepard]

The dual battery Milwaukee uses a .325" chain that isn't very aggressive. I've seen some YouTubers change out to a Stihl RS and see 25% reduction in times cutting large cookies in hardwood. I suggested to one of them that if they filed the RS and took the rakers down, they would see even more reduction. He said that was coming up soon in another video. 

[doc henderson]

I like the 0.325.  maybe the original is the micro low kickback chain.  file the rackers it may take more power and increase heat and wear on components.  My battery Stihl has the 1/4-inch Pico.  it can be a little slow.

[Machinebuilder]

I bought the Milwaukee Hatchet last week. Home Depot had it buy the tool and get a 8AH forge battery.

All I can say it WOW. I am working at clearing some brush and small saplings and for the 1" to 4" range I love it.
I also have a knock off of the pruning shears and between the 2 I only need to get the gas saws if I want to take something bigger down.

I have the original 16" saw and its ok for a quick cut but it's not the same as a gas saw of the same size.

[Spike60]

Pulled out my Husky T536ixp for a quick little job this morning. Definitely a handy little thing to have around. Only battery saw I own, and while I will not be "going battery" in a big way, I will always have at least one in the mix. 

After seeing so many of the traditional saw brands go away, it's refreshing to see the explosion of battery saw options. Sets up an interesting competitive framework also. The companies who have been in the saw business all along vs the companies who have their experience founded in electric tools. Who has the advantage here? I suspect that Husky-Stihl-Echo may have an advantage in ergonomics. But motor/battery wise, outfits such as Milwaukee should have the advantage. How do some of you guys who own tools from both sides of that equation feel about it? 

[Old Greenhorn]

I was going to say that the front line chainsaw companies seem to have much higher pricing than the electric tool companies. But we can nix that. I just checked that new Milwaukee dual battery saw and they list it for $900. at HD. Wow.
 I had expected to see one  of these at Bill's anytime now, but he may wait for one of his tool dealers to offer him a deal. Milwaukee does claim it works in the 70cc class of saw. I also note it runs .325x.050 chain which is better than that .047 stuff IMHO.

[Magicman]

I bought the Milwaukee Hatchet last week.

Thank you Dave.  I just bought the Milwaukee Hatchet combo which included the Hatchet, charger, & 6ah battery:


A $537 value priced at $249 and with my military discount, $224. 

I am always concerned when tailgunners are using my MS261 sawing stickers to length.  I feel better already.

[barbender]

I bought the top handle Milwaukee last fall. Then they offer that Hatchet with the Forge battery...dang you Milwaukee!😂

Magic, I know you're very safety conscious already, but I would add from my own experience, the need to stress the importance of not getting your hand close to the chain with these saws. They effectively become one handed saws, which is why I wanted one at the mill. But I've caught myself putting my left hand way too close to the cutting chain a few times when cutting stickers etc. Kinda scared myself, so I thought I'd mention it. 

[Magicman]

Thanks, yup, electric saws don't stop until they stop themselves.  There is no chain brake.  I have a 40v Ryobi that is a beast.

[Dave Shepard]

Home depot had an offer: hatchet, 3 8.0 Forge, and a dual bay super charger for $519.

I got my top handle for $349 with a free 8.0xc last September. 

[Old Greenhorn]

The Milwaukee top handle has a chain brake. This morning at the mill I plugged a freshly charged battery in the saw and it wouldn't run. 'Dang, I thought, don't tell me these things don't like the cold either!" Tooke me a couple of tried and a few seconds to realize the chain brake was on.

[Andries]

The battery on this saw is a bit like me.
The colder it is, the shorter the working life is.

These big boys do a good job in this saw.

It's not a one hander, but it does a good job around the mill and getting smaller birch firewood.

[Rhodemont]

I stopped in the Stihl dealer to pick up a bar for my 039 (it is old but cuts great).  While I was there I looked at the new electric saws.  The MSA 300 I bought last year for my timber project is great for the timbers but it is heavy and no way would live up to my 362 out in the woods .  Something much lighter around the sawmill would be nice rather than firing up my Echo 360 when needed.  The Echo is really great for limbing a downed tree but firing up now and then at the mill is a pain.

[DHansen]

I noted some electric saws have a centrifugal clutch and many do not.  What is the benefit of a clutch on an electric saw?   I also see that some of the newer models have a low bar oil warning light.  I wish my 540iXP had a warning light.  I did run it low once, even after the selling dealer warned me about the issue.  I see the 542iXP have both the bar oil warning light and a clutch.  Any thoughts on the clutch situation?

[Magicman]

I just bought the Milwaukee Hatchet combo

I had some seasoned 24" White Oak firewood that needed lopping back to 18".  Wowser, that Hatchet is a beast !!