What trimming saw at the mill?

[Brad_bb]

I've always kept a Bosch cordless circ saw at the head of my mill to trim board ends, or cut long waste slabs shorter for handling.  The batteries on the old bosch don't last long anymore and I'm phasing out my Bosch tools/batteries.  I now have Milwaukee M18 batteries and building my tool inventory as my other go away. 

So I need a new trimming saw at the head of the mill.  I was thinking of one of those battery operated small chainsaws or  pruning chainsaws?  A chain would also allow me to trim some small thumbs I missed or trim some bark too. What would you recommend and why?  Although I own some Stihl equipment, no battery equipment.  I only have Milwaukee M18 cordless batteries.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I bought a 20V cordless 10" (Braun) chainsaw from HF yesterday. Just used it a little today to cut off some stickers. I can't comment much on it yet. It feels like a plastic toy. I have a bunch of their other cordless tools using the same battery system and have been well pleased with them so far.

[Dave Shepard]

I have the top handle. It's impressive. I use it when I'm milling in place of a gas saw now.

[Ljohnsaw]

I have DeWalt 20v stuff so I picked up the chainsaw. I like it but sometimes have to use the gas Stihl for big stuff .

[barbender]

The top handle Milwaukee 18 volt gets my vote. I just got one a month ago, and I'm very impressed with how much power it has. I also have a Dewalt top handle 20 volt, it wasn't as impressive. Still a useful tool, but it's pretty easy to stall it. To be fair, I only have the 5ah Dewalt batteries, where the Milwaukee came with an 8ah. 

 Still, I used the Mikwaukee to trim off some 12-13" aspen logs, it is seriously approaching the power of a 50cc gas saw when it has a fresh battery. The Dewalt never would've done that. 

 I have caught myself in a bad habit a couple of times with the Milwaukee. I wanted the top handle because I can hold a workpiece with one hand, and trim it with the saw in the other hand. I've caught myself putting my left hand very near the spinning chain a couple of times when trimming stickers.

[Old Greenhorn]

Funny you should ask Brad, we just switched in a Milwaukee rear handle saw for cutting slabs at the mill last week. I used to carry my 50cc Husky back and forth for every mill session, but the mill owner, Bill, last week said he was going to leave a rear handle Milwaukee there so I don't have to keep dragging my saw, gas, and oil back and forth. So I have a solid couple of weeks just using this saw just at the mill. Now Bill's place looks like a Milwaukee proving ground. He has at least one of every chainsaw they make and I think two rear handles. His first one is about 2 years old and looks like it's been through a war already and now carries a thicker Oregon bar to stop that pesky chain throwing. This one he left at the mill looks like it just came out of the box, I think he bought it as a spare. He also has a hatchet style one that sits in a mounted scabbard in the SXS with an inverter/charger. He uses that for trimming trail branches. His top handle is all over the place and sometimes up in his bucket truck. He too has Milwaukee tools everywhere and chargers in many of his trucks.
 Predominantly I use it for cutting first cut slabs to 3' and taking the occasional knot off a log. Once in a great while I will buck a pithy section off the end of a log.
 Now for slabs it is pretty perfect and saves starting time. I cut a slab, drag it back, mark it cut it, and throw the slabs in a  special built rack right next to me. Works pretty good. But those thin stock bars do have some flex and if pinched, will throw the chain. Happened the first time yesterday. Oregon makes a thicker/stiffer replacement. It's been discussed on another thread here in the forum with part numbers, etc.
 On a day to day basis, I can't make it through a day on one battery, but two covers most of my sessions. So I can plug one in the charger when I leave for the day and it's ready the next morning. Those batteries don't like to be overheated in use. If you push the saw too much it will overheat and shut down until it cools. Bucking a 20" log can do that.
 Now that I have worked with it for a while, I am thinking about coming up with a ground scabbard that will hold it in an upright position so I don't have to bend down to pick it up then again to put it down every time I use it. I grab that saw a lot and anything that saves me bending over an extra 20-50 times a day is a good thing with my back issues.
 As far as choosing the top handle, I am not sure. If you are trimming boards it will work great and it will surely cut slabs but will be a bit slower and will load down the batteries if you have thick slabs. Our slabs run from an inch up to 4 or 5 inches thick.
 I tried a Dewalt only once and felt it was not as efficient, plus needed 2 batteries. It wasn't a very fair test though. It also had the thin bar and chain throwing issues. I have a Ryobi I carry as a backup when harvesting mushroom logs. That has good battery life, but when I am harvesting, time is money and I can fell, trim, and buck a tree much faster with a light 50cc saw. But the battery job is there in case I get pinched. It's also quite handy around the yard and for trimming stuff in the shop.
 In any case, these saws have a place where they excel, you just have to decide what works for you.
 Good Luck.

[jpassardi]

I have a dewalt flexvolt (20 or 60) circular saw that is very impressive with the 60 v battery in it. Works well with a 20 as well.
I've been pondering getting a flexvolt chainsaw for the mill. Right now I leave my oldest Husky (1980's) at the mill but pulling the cord for one cut gets old.

[Brad_bb]

@Old Greenhorn  
I hear you on the bending over!  By rear handle saw you mean a conventional chainsaw style, and not one of the pics I posted?  Definitely post a picture of your ground scabbard when you make it. You've got me thinking I need the Hatchet for my SXS for our trails, and the other for the mill. Thanks.  

[KWood255]

About 2 years back I debated on a battery saw to lay near the sawmill. Ended up with a Stihl MS170 instead which also comes along ice fishing etc. It has been a good little saw for its purposes. Definitely no powerhouse but it always runs the same. 

When I was looking, the Dewalts didn't seem very impressive considering the cost. The Stihl was a little over $200cdn out the door with an upgraded bar. Couldn't say no. 

[Magicman]

I will have to admit that my MS170 was a handy little "mill saw" until I took to the farm.

[alecs]

If you already have the battery system, definitely stick with that brand.  I have a Makita electric chainsaw similar to the second one in your picture, and it's awesome for the work you describe.  Over the years, there have been various "special deals" where you get a dual battery charger and a couple of extra batteries vs. just buying the bare tool. So now I can charge as many as six batteries at once, although I only ever need to do four at once.  So I always have batteries at the ready, and swapping them out only takes a few seconds.  

If they have a larger capacity battery, that's worth the extra expense in my opinion.  My old batteries were all 3.0 Ah, and now most of the ones I have are 5.0.  They make even bigger ones now but I don't have any yet.  My saw is also a 2x18V battery unit, and I find that the tools that need oomph like a circular saw, chainsaw, etc, really benefit from the higher voltage.

I was a skeptic about an electric chainsaw before seeing the one that I have in use (actually at a timber framing class, to cut big beams to final length, works great for that application).  Now I am reaching for that saw over my gas saw whenever possible.

[Broncman]

I use an Echo 18" battery saw. Absolutely love it. Battery life is phenomenal. 

[Spurious]

MS462 with a 28" bar for everything everywhere on my farm and forest (other than climbing).  I don't like bending over to clean up limbs. And if I need to clean up the end of a log, it's a huge time saver considering I'm not sawing many logs under 30" diameter.  Yesterday's was 40" and the 28" bar was barely enough to do a nice clean-up on the hinge wood (should have cleaned it up when fallen, but forgot).

All that having been said, the new battery saws are fantastic.  I wager I'd be just as happy with the Milwaukee, Husky or Stihl top handles based on limited experience with friends' saws.

[ArkansasOaks]

I keep an MS170 around for mill work and it does fine once you actually get it to run.

[KenMac]

I usually use my Echo CS400 at the mill. I have found that Echo's start easier than any other brand I've used or seen used.

[AndyVT]

Ryobi 40 volt cordless with 14 inch blade for board and slab trimming.

[TimW]

I bought a Stihl battery chain saw.  I love it.  I sawed tree limbs for 3 hours and the battery indicator still showed full charge.
I went with Stihl because the limb chainsaw I got from Harbor freight has been dropped and they have a "new" brand with different battery.  Stihl will still be there when and if I need another battery