What do you think of electric chain saws?

[Stephen Newell]

I having issues with my old gasoline chain saws and I am a better tractor mechanic than I am a chain saw mechanic. I am considering switching to an electric chain saw. Do they cut just as fast as a gasoline one?

I have a little worx 14" electric chain saw and it cuts as fast as the 18" craftsman gas saw I have.

 

[runwoolf]

I have a Milwaukee 16" and I am very pleased with the way it cuts. Also starting with the push of a button beats gas/oil mixing. I use a 12A battery and I quit before the battery. Yes to keep the chain sharp.

 

[sotxbill]

I having issues with my old gasoline chain saws and I am a better tractor mechanic than I am a chain saw mechanic. I am considering switching to an electric chain saw. Do they cut just as fast as a gasoline one?

I have a dewalt that I keep in the buggy as I run around the ranch and it is great for that trimming as needed. Only bad is that is tends to leave an oil spot where it sits from the chain oiler. Uses the same battery as my other 5 tools. starts at the press of a button, and it always available. So now everytime a branch sticks out, I can wack it instead of letting it beat me and the buggy up. So, yes, its as handy as a pocket on a shirt. I try to keep all my fence lines clean and driveable. I also have a pole say that I use on occasion for the tall branches that tend to wack the cab tractors that gets pulled out every couple of years, so I dont break any cab glass or yank off any mirrors. SO I can keep these shredded and passable for fence work. The ranch is located near Lulling where there is a lot of oil well gas, and fence wire does not last very long here.

 

[showcrop]

I got a Ryobi 40 volt chain saw. Keep the chain sharp and don’t run it while after a finish cut battery will last .
I get about 8 to 12 cuts through a 10 inch firewood would log depending on wood type, chain conditions ,and my methods . Then have to charge it up. Got to wait till the battery cools to charge. Put it in the refrigerator if in a hurry.
I never depend on it for felling a tree. I have a husky for that. I use it for bucking limbs .
What I’m using it for .

Wow, I get three times that much cutting on a charge with mine.

 

[Tony in SD]

If I were a lumber jack, I would keep a gas saw for all day work. But our construction that uses a chainsaw on occasion, the battery saws are far superior for what we do. No more mixing 2 cycle gas or hauling gas cans around. We use the same Milwaukee M18 batteries that our other tools use that are on the truck. Bottom line for occasional use, can't beat a battery saw.

 

[Dusty MI]

I have an electric pole saw.

 

[C. Amick]

Thanks for the good information.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Love mine it’s a makita came with a 16 inch blade and I alternate between that and an 18 inch blade that was on the old poulan pro I had.

It will process 1 complete oak tree double the size of its blade into pieces big enough for the splitter with a sharp blade before the batteries run out. That’s enough for me.

The ash that were bigger than that was alot for me and that saw to handle that darn green bug

 

[miangus]

I had a 40-volt LYNX which was great for fence work, you could cut up a small tree on a single battery. When it quit, I bought a Bauer it's smaller, but it is perfect for trimming around the electric fence and uses the same battery as some of my other Bauer tools. I was talking to a professional tree guy who does utility work and he said they are switching to battery saws for climbing. They are safer as when you release the trigger the chain stops.

 

[Rich'sToys]

I have a Worx 14" 110v saw. Last month I strung out 125' of cord and cut down maybe a dozen 5"-6" diameter trees. Worked like a champ! Even cut the stumps close enough to the ground so the lawn mower should go right over them!

I've also run it off a portable generator in the back of the pickup.

 

[olddavid]

I'll put a report in for WEN. I have both a chainsaw and pole saw. They work really great and they take the same 40 volt battery. No fumes to breathe, no mixing gas, no pulling the rope until you are out of breath. Just squeeze the trigger.

 

[paul]

I have a Dewalt 12 inch 20 volt.

I find myself using it much more than the Stihl gas 20 inch. Because I do so much more trimming and broken branch stuff.

Works great.

It is different thom than a gas. The overload protection stalls it often on a loose twig, and it’s just a different power curve. Easy to get used to tho.

It will not cut down that 35 inch elm or ash that is dying, and so the gas saw gets lots of use yet.

But it is so much more handy for cutting the 2-10 inch stuff!

Paul

 

[Destroked 450]

I have a 56 volt Echo with an 18" bar. It will cut anything that my 18" gas saws will. It is not as fast cutting as my CS 400, but close. I like the fact that it uses the same bar and chains as the comparable gas models. And it comes with a 5 year warranty out of the box with no hoops to jump through.

View attachment 145397

I have the same saw with a extra battery, I had them swap the 18” bar for a 16” to reduce drag and increase battery life
They are great little saws and quite compared to a gas mode

 

[560Dennis]

Pretty good video testing

 

[Mule Meat]

I have the same saw with a extra battery, I had them swap the 18” bar for a 16” to reduce drag and increase battery life
They are great little saws and quite compared to a gas mode

I like mine. I use 5 Ah batteries and they offer more run time than I expected.

If you own one or want to buy a saw. Get the one with the 5 amp battery.. . Then look at other 56 volt tools that come with a 5 amp battery and charger. For example Home Depot has the battery alone for around $249 while you can get a blower, charger and a 5 amp battery for $269. So basically you are getting a blower and a charger for just $20. I bought three blowers last summer and kept the batteries and chargers. Then sold the bare blowers to a landscaping guy for $50 each.

 

[kevinj54]

I have the Milwaukee & it works well. The 12a battery will run about the same time as my Stihl MS180 would on a tank of gas but it is 3# heavier.

So for anything but cleanup work or a couple quick cuts goes to the gas saws. The battery saw is good for about 30 minutes of cutting depending on conditions.

Now I do like the Milwaukee 8" hatchet for small stuff & pruning work. It runs for a long time & is easy to handle.

 

[chuckthin]

I have the Milwaukee & it works well. The 12a battery will run about the same time as my Stihl MS180 would on a tank of gas but it is 3# heavier.

So for anything but cleanup work or a couple quick cuts goes to the gas saws. The battery saw is good for about 30 minutes of cutting depending on conditions.

Now I do like the Milwaukee 8" hatchet for small stuff & pruning work. It runs for a long time & is easy to handle.

2 days ago wind blew over a yard tree. It only took a few minutes to cut off all limbs with Milwaukee m18 hatchet then used Milwaukee
16 bar till I needed to put on ear muffs and use gas saw for 20 bar. When enough weight was cut off the root ball fell back down.
Now you can't tell it was in air.

 

[Wdj]

I have a little DeWalt that was a gift. Handy for pruning and my style of carpentry. Thought it was kind of a joke when I got it but I use it a lot. Please don't tell my logger friends...

 

[TheBartman47]

I've been using a corded electric chainsaw for 30 years. Largest tree I cut down was about 30" at the base. I would emphasize that I don't do it for a living, and the saw sometimes sits on the shelf for years at a time. That's the biggest advantage of all: pull it off the shelf, put some bar oil in it and go to work.

Same for me, corded chainsaw that I use maybe once a year if that. That's the main reason I went with corded, no battery to go bad sitting on a shelf unused, and no gas motor to get gummed up from old gas sitting in it.

 

[TheBartman47]

Or there's always...