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Maggie’s Battery Power Chainsaw

Cherodjr

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 7, 2020
276
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I need a new chainsaw. I don't plan on becoming a logger. Has anyone owned or used one? My need will be cutting limbs and small trees up to four inches around the house.
Thanks
 
I've got the 58V Echo and like it. Don't do much big cutting but works good for me on stuff like you describe. I did swap in an 18" bar though. Still got the old Stihl if I need something bigger. Also got Echo weedeater & blower that also work good and use same batteries.
 
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The two I've used are a Craftsman and a Lowe's special. Both performed remarkably well.
 
I've got the 58V Echo and like it. Don't do much big cutting but works good for me on stuff like you describe. I did swap in an 18" bar though. Still got the old Stihl if I need something bigger. Also got Echo weedeater & blower that also work good and use same batteries.
Thanks
 
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I heat my house with wood. I cut a ton of firewood with a Husqvarna 372xp with a 24" bar. I like big saws. I picked up a 20 volt DeWalt with a 12" bar to trim some limbs from a ladder. That little saw is awesome. It has way more power than I ever expected and I use it often. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again.
 
Greenworks 40v. It's surprisingly good. For what you're talking about especially. If I was strictly suburban landowner, I don't think I'd own a single 2 stroke gas engine anymore.
 
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Greenworks 40v. It's surprisingly good. For what you're talking about especially. If I was strictly suburban landowner, I don't think I'd own a single 2 stroke gas engine anymore.
I'm country as hell! I have a step grandson who likes to borrow things. Kinda reconsidering the battery powered!
 
M18 Milwaukee pole saw.

Does all your trimming, 10" bar. Will easily handle up to 4".


Mine came with the weed eater and saw. I charged the 8.0 battery, ran the weed eater around the house, trimmed all the trees (4 truck bed loads, 8' box piled above the cab), and I still have 2/4 bars on the battery charge.

That included some 6" limbs. I have two elm trees that are 3'+ at the base.



I hold zero faith in anything from the douche canoe in the YouTube video above. He's a total idiot that will tell his viewers whatever makes him money. Zero ethics or brains.
 
M18 Milwaukee pole saw.

Does all your trimming, 10" bar. Will easily handle up to 4".


Mine came with the weed eater and saw. I charged the 8.0 battery, ran the weed eater around the house, trimmed all the trees (4 truck bed loads, 8' box piled above the cab), and I still have 2/4 bars on the battery charge.

That included some 6" limbs. I have two elm trees that are 3'+ at the base.



I hold zero faith in anything from the douche canoe in the YouTube video above. He's a total idiot that will tell his viewers whatever makes him money. Zero ethics or brains.
Thanks, I'll consider this!
 
A battery powered chainsaw should only be talk about by libs and antifa types. If you want a battery powered chainsaw you more than likey drive one of those ugly Toyota things. And you wife picks your guns and what you wear. If you really want a battery powered chainsaw im sure the guys on ar15.com can help you out
 
M18 Milwaukee pole saw.

Does all your trimming, 10" bar. Will easily handle up to 4".


Mine came with the weed eater and saw. I charged the 8.0 battery, ran the weed eater around the house, trimmed all the trees (4 truck bed loads, 8' box piled above the cab), and I still have 2/4 bars on the battery charge.

That included some 6" limbs. I have two elm trees that are 3'+ at the base.



I hold zero faith in anything from the douche canoe in the YouTube video above. He's a total idiot that will tell his viewers whatever makes him money. Zero ethics or brains.

He definitely cherry picks his reviews and content, but any 2 stroke by Stihl or HV will last generations. I probably have 5k worth of 2 stroke equipment and its a no Brainerd as far as I'm concerned. Go buy an electronic saw, just make sure you tear a corner off your man card!
 
A battery powered chainsaw should only be talk about by libs and antifa types. If you want a battery powered chainsaw you more than likey drive one of those ugly Toyota things. And you wife picks your guns and what you wear. If you really want a battery powered chainsaw im sure the guys on ar15.com can help you out


I have a 36" husky for cutting lumber. Still have 3, 2 stroke dirt bikes and a few 2t weedeaters.


The battery saw is awesome for trimming and screwing around. It's not a replacement for logging, it's for the times where you pick it up, make a few cuts, and drop it back on the shelf for a few months.
 
buy a little echo light easy to handle and definitely not electric batteries work in some tools , but feel like your ancestors go gas like a real man feel the power and belch wake the neighbors , run around naked with your power tools under the moonlight like howl with your dog at night bond you can do it .. lol
get a large husqvarna and a 42'' bar and hunt down big trees in your area and teach them who's boss ... all joking aside buy what ever you want I still think electric saws are not what i would want to use ever Id even climb again with a hand saw first . and darn I missed a chance to post this video
 
The Milwaukee 18v are darn impressive.

My saw is being repaired, so borrowed a buddies with a “just sharpened chain” to drop a small tree at my GF’s house.
Thing was too dull to cut the trunk.
Ran over and borrowed her dad’s Milwaukee 18v.

Cut like no tomorrow through a 12” trunk!!

Ended up cutting some slabs to use as trivets it was cutting so good.

For occasional use on small stuff, I like it!!
 
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Battery saw is a solution in search of a problem! Gas is far too simple and reliable to want to deal with all the downsides of electric . . . . Not to mention seconds to refuel vs. a long time to recharge . . .
 
I have a 36" husky for cutting lumber. Still have 3, 2 stroke dirt bikes and a few 2t weedeaters.


The battery saw is awesome for trimming and screwing around. It's not a replacement for logging, it's for the times where you pick it up, make a few cuts, and drop it back on the shelf for a few months.
I bet your wife told you to post this. Hell you drive a chevy that tells us you wife makes the money decisions
 
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A battery powered chainsaw should only be talk about by libs and antifa types. If you want a battery powered chainsaw you more than likey drive one of those ugly Toyota things. And you wife picks your guns and what you wear. If you really want a battery powered chainsaw im sure the guys on ar15.com can help you out
Who told you about my wife?
 
I bet your wife told you to post this. Hell you drive a chevy that tells us you wife makes the money decisions

I have 5 Chevy's. I've had all the big 3, and I keep the ones that keep working.

If my wife made the money decisions I wouldn't have needed extra home insurance for the guns and scopes.
 
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FFS.

Ford Chevy.

Do you own Mikita, DeWalt, or Milwaukee cordless tools? Get their saw.
 
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He definitely cherry picks his reviews and content, but any 2 stroke by Stihl or HV will last generations. I probably have 5k worth of 2 stroke equipment and its a no Brainerd as far as I'm concerned. Go buy an electronic saw, just make sure you tear a corner off your man card!
I don't even have a man card!
 
A battery powered chainsaw should only be talk about by libs and antifa types. If you want a battery powered chainsaw you more than likey drive one of those ugly Toyota things. And you wife picks your guns and what you wear. If you really want a battery powered chainsaw im sure the guys on ar15.com can help you out
Spoken like someone who doesn’t have one.

Will it replace even a small pro gas saw? He’ll no. Will it do 95% of the work the average suburbibenite needs to do? Yes. If I’m working in the woods I’ve got a gas saw in my hand, if I’m driving around the property or hunting it’s a battery power saw.

Let the guy make himself better and less dependent on others. If he ends up using it a lot he’ll get a gas saw. Go take your hurt feelings and sad sack you have to compensate for somewhere else.
 
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I log and burn wood for heat. I have also built with logs and feed a saw mill as well as a Alaskan mill. I have a big 660 stihl, a little 180 stihl and have tried out a Dewalt 20v. The Dewalt is nice if you stay within its abilities. I use my 180 a lot and the Dewalt would work great for limbing and felling anything smaller than 6”. If you have any cordless tools already then it would probably work great for ya.
The Dewalt is limited by a lower rpm than any gas saw but that’s only a issue when trying to power through bigger stuff. It’s nice to be able to set it down and not have to start it when ready to cut again. Especially when limbing.
Electric is quieter too.
 
Use the 18 month rule. If you havent used some equipment in 18 months and wont use it again for 18 months, then rent it.
I needed a chainsaw once and had a buddy with a real nice pro level stihl saw. Borrowed it for a weekend and it performed like a champ. He wouldnt accept money, so i bought him a new chain, air filter and spark plug. Win win for both of us.
 
Stihl makes a pole saw with extensions that's handy as heck for trimming limbs. 10" bar, but its gas.
I got tired of screwing with the gas pole saw every time I need it and bought a Harbor Frieght electric plug in. It is great and will handle 6” pecan and oak with ease. Have a big stihl for major work but this 50$ thing for trimming and cutting up chunks for the smoker
 
I've got the 58V Echo and like it. Don't do much big cutting but works good for me on stuff like you describe. I did swap in an 18" bar though. Still got the old Stihl if I need something bigger. Also got Echo weedeater & blower that also work good and use same batteries.
18 inch echo is fantastic for property management i was nervous i was wasting my money but was more than surprised how good it really is
 
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My brother has the hoyman(sp?) and loves it for just small limbing around the yard.
 
I got tired of screwing with the gas pole saw every time I need it and bought a Harbor Frieght electric plug in. It is great and will handle 6” pecan and oak with ease. Have a big stihl for major work but this 50$ thing for trimming and cutting up chunks for the smoker

Yep, have a few stihls for the property, but the harbor freight plug in for the suburban house. Exactly what I needed for nuisance trees/limbs and easy to lend to folks. For $50 I've more than gotten my money's worth... I wouldn't use it for anything major, but it managed to take down a 12" diameter oleander. Wouldn't use it for anything much bigger than that.
 
I have been wanting to get one to throw in my motorhome. I normally take my Echo with 18 inch bar. When I go camping I don't have time to waste using an axe for firewood. That time is better spent drinking beer, fishing or cooking.
 
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I came across one of those Ryobi combo bags with 6 different tools for under $200 at Northern Tool about 17 years ago. Funny thing was the only thing that took a dump was the flashlight. The chainsaw is still in use today. No I'm not a logger and don't need one often. But it's been used after every snowstorm, the '94 ice storm and storms in between. I did break down and buy a 2 stroke when I got down to Georgia, but both are used and easy to wield. Just gotta know and respect the limits of each. Oh, 40 minutes max use on the large Ryobi battery. If I need more than that, call my son-in-law...
 
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Borrowing/renting a bigger gas saw may work great if you live in a place that doesn’t have a lot of trees or bad wind, personally I grew up on the Carolina coast and absorbed a lot of hurrican damage, it’s unthinkable to me that people wouldn’t have at least an 18” gas saw on hand. you can keep a gas saw properly stored with no fuel in it, mineral oil through the tank, lines and carburetor, and a drop or two of mix oil on the rings and they will store fine for several years.

keep in mind that if you wear safety chaps for sawing (you should, if you value your current blood volume and limb configuration, they’re cheaper than stitches) the electrics, battery or corded, don’t give a shit about the Kevlar or nylon cords and will power through meat and bone. Chaps need the inconsistent power pulse of a two stoke engine and a clutch to function. Also most of these electric saws except I think the makitas use a fairly non standard chain/tooth count so you might end up single sourced in spare chains, buy several spares when you buy the saw in case they become obsolete. I know of at least one arborist who uses a dewalt 12”20v saw for his top handle work, lower risk of fires when youre 75’ up in a tree being held up by a synthetic rope and he doesn’t spend as much time fiddling with a pull cord, they’re definitely useful tools and not just a gimmick.

I use a 20V Dewalt reciprocator for small work like you describe, blades are cheap and easily sourced, it doesn’t really matter if you bind a blade, no need for bar oil, doesn’t wreck a chain and require sharpening if you hit a rock or dirt, good for cutting out roots on stumps, the 5AH batteries last a long time and it is much safer to use one handed even though you shouldn’t. I keep an 18” echo saw for slightly larger stuff And because I like the way it sounds, but the reciprocating saw sees more work most years, it’s really handy for clearing trails too. The lack of fuel and bar oil make it really easy to throw in the car after a bad storm to clear the roads enough to get a car through. This wasn’t mentioned by I throw it in obnoxiously when I talk about saws,please remember that chainsaws and ladders don’t mix, you always end up one hand short for safe operation of either the ladder or the saw; youtube is full of bad examples of what happens, Darwin always wins.
 
Borrowing/renting a bigger gas saw may work great if you live in a place that doesn’t have a lot of trees or bad wind, personally I grew up on the Carolina coast and absorbed a lot of hurrican damage, it’s unthinkable to me that people wouldn’t have at least an 18” gas saw on hand. you can keep a gas saw properly stored with no fuel in it, mineral oil through the tank, lines and carburetor, and a drop or two of mix oil on the rings and they will store fine for several years.

keep in mind that if you wear safety chaps for sawing (you should, if you value your current blood volume and limb configuration, they’re cheaper than stitches) the electrics, battery or corded, don’t give a shit about the Kevlar or nylon cords and will power through meat and bone. Chaps need the inconsistent power pulse of a two stoke engine and a clutch to function. Also most of these electric saws except I think the makitas use a fairly non standard chain/tooth count so you might end up single sourced in spare chains, buy several spares when you buy the saw in case they become obsolete. I know of at least one arborist who uses a dewalt 12”20v saw for his top handle work, lower risk of fires when youre 75’ up in a tree being held up by a synthetic rope and he doesn’t spend as much time fiddling with a pull cord, they’re definitely useful tools and not just a gimmick.

I use a 20V Dewalt reciprocator for small work like you describe, blades are cheap and easily sourced, it doesn’t really matter if you bind a blade, no need for bar oil, doesn’t wreck a chain and require sharpening if you hit a rock or dirt, good for cutting out roots on stumps, the 5AH batteries last a long time and it is much safer to use one handed even though you shouldn’t. I keep an 18” echo saw for slightly larger stuff And because I like the way it sounds, but the reciprocating saw sees more work most years, it’s really handy for clearing trails too. The lack of fuel and bar oil make it really easy to throw in the car after a bad storm to clear the roads enough to get a car through. This wasn’t mentioned by I throw it in obnoxiously when I talk about saws,please remember that chainsaws and ladders don’t mix, you always end up one hand short for safe operation of either the ladder or the saw; youtube is full of bad examples of what happens, Darwin always wins.
Thanks, a great review!
Charles
 
Been looking for an electric as well. Not for forestry but maintenance. I have a 660, 460,028, 170 and an old husky 268. All I need for the big stuff. Still have 800 bdf of old southern pine on the trailer sawed 24” wide and 21’ long.

What I have spent all day doing is trying to get rid of wisteria infestation, sweetgums and the “tree of heaven”. Hack and squirt works great for trees but the 2” wisteria are new to me. The electric saw will let me cut and coat and not have to idle between cuts and breathe fumes. So I am all ears about the electric. I was looking at the still but see no one mentioned it. And you all know way more than I do.
 

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Been looking for an electric as well. Not for forestry but maintenance. I have a 660, 460,028, 170 and an old husky 268. All I need for the big stuff. Still have 800 bdf of old southern pine on the trailer sawed 24” wide and 21’ long.

What I have spent all day doing is trying to get rid of wisteria infestation, sweetgums and the “tree of heaven”. Hack and squirt works great for trees but the 2” wisteria are new to me. The electric saw will let me cut and coat and not have to idle between cuts and breathe fumes. So I am all ears about the electric. I was looking at the still but see no one mentioned it. And you all know way more than I do.
I've seen 20,40,60 and 80 volts. So is the 80 twice as powerful as the 40 volt?
 
I've seen 20,40,60 and 80 volts. So is the 80 twice as powerful as the 40 volt?

According to Ohms law, yes. Volts*Amps=Watts. But that makes a lot of assumptions, watts or hp is what you are looking for.

4" is pretty small, dedicating much $$ into that isn't spend-thrifty. You could use a bow saw, cut it a few times and be done with it.

Cutting trees in energy intensive, you are weighing the cost of batteries (easy with limited run-time and shelf life) vs 2-cycle saws.
I live on 7 acres of large trees. Trees always grow or lose limbs and die. I have a bunch of saws (14"-36") and a big splitter, gas for me.

if you cut a lot:
Always have spare chains, they aren't expensive and you'll use them eventually. dull chains are dangerous - Chains cost about $7 to sharpen.
 
According to Ohms law, yes. Volts*Amps=Watts. But that makes a lot of assumptions, watts or hp is what you are looking for.

4" is pretty small, dedicating much $$ into that isn't spend-thrifty. You could use a bow saw, cut it a few times and be done with it.

Cutting trees in energy intensive, you are weighing the cost of batteries (easy with limited run-time and shelf life) vs 2-cycle saws.
I live on 7 acres of large trees. Trees always grow or lose limbs and die. I have a bunch of saws (14"-36") and a big splitter, gas for me.

if you cut a lot:
Always have spare chains, they aren't expensive and you'll use them eventually. dull chains are dangerous - Chains cost about $7 to sharpen.
Thanks
 
Greenworks 40v. It's surprisingly good. For what you're talking about especially. If I was strictly suburban landowner, I don't think I'd own a single 2 stroke gas engine anymore.
I have one and its my goto for small projects and trails.