I have been a Stihl gasoline chainsaw user for many years because they have done all the wood cutting that I required, however what say you guys with the cordless chainsaws. With all the many models and battery voltages to choose from. Although they may not be up to everyday usage, they should meet a homeowner’s requirements for occasional usage.
I am still waiting for my husqvarna shipment of battery saws but I have sold 10 of the makita saws and the customers vary from homeowner (occasional user ) a carpenter who uses his everyday (12 inch bar top handle ) to a tree service who uses in a bucket truck on pruning jobs all have given me great feedback on length of battery charge (good to very good) ample power for the job one of the homeowners bought one of the rear handle 16in bar (only came with a 14) he changed it to 16 and he cuts a good bit of firewood for his smoker . I used a 12 inch bar top handle to cut slabwood and filled a IDC toter with wood easily on one charge the model was the XCU02PT One suggestion would be if you already have battery tools if they offer a saw you stick with that brand so you can swap batteries between the tools extra batteries are expensive JB
A good option for folks that have close neighbors, hoa rules, state laws, or folks that dislike noise. I like the way battery saws cut, but I don’t own one yet. I have a feeling battery technology will quickly advance in the next decade along with battery powered ope.
I am VERY happy with my Husky T540i XP. I also have the gas version and the battery one will keep up with it unless you bury the bar. I wouldn't say it's an either or situation though. I use both for different purposes. The battery unit actually comes out and gets used more often than the gas one does these days. That said, I wouldn't go battery as my primary saw. It's more of a niche product that is great for certain uses but is not a primary firewood saw.
I've got two Milwaukee M18's with the 16" bar & the pole saw. I use them regularly & don't baby them. As System stated above, the have their place & perform well. I wouldn't care to give them up, nor would I trade them for having gas powered saws.
My DeWalt 20v pole saw is impressive for what it cuts on 1 charge. Picked up the Makita 18v top handle but haven't used it yet. Seems very light.
Boy is that the truth. The batteries are The expense !! I am set up for 18 volt Makita so What Ever I Get Will Be 18 volt Makita or 18×2 = 36 volt Makita. My framing saw and miter saw are 36 volt all the rest are 18 volt. I want to get a single battery brushless 18 volt top handle saw. I suppose if a person had other cordless stuff that took the Stihl or Husky batteries . Those would be what to go with. Most people have Makita,DeWalt, Milwaukee,Bosch,Hitachi ect cordless tools. I have heard very good things about the Make, Dw and Mil. Chainsaws.
A friend has the 60 volt DeWalt chainsaw. That is the only chainsaw she has. She has problems with her hands . Starting most chainsaws is not possible for her. She is not out firewooding with it . But did clear her house lot with it. Another friend is almost 86. He goes out and falls, limbs, bucks and sleds home about 4 cord of spruce every winter u sing his Polaris Indy 500 and a steel dog sled type sled. He has gotten old enough that he has a very hard time starting his 251 Stihl or 350 Husky. I recommended he get a spring start 211 Stihl. But one of the cordless rear handled saws would work Great for him. If some of these people were able to put up a Perfect chain the cordless saws would be even better. I knew an aerial wolf hunter that had somewhat ruined his hands with frostbite. Lost several digits. When I met him, he was cutting fairly good size dead dry white spruce near one of my timber sales in the Copper Basin. He used my road to access his personal use area. He was running a Remington electric chainsaw. He had a generator on his flatbed dually and ran a hundred foot extension cord out to it. Apparently he would get about 10 cord out of 1 power cord. I gave his Very high marks because it was from 35 to 45 below for a week that he was cutting by me. A cordless saw would have worked great for him. But IMHO the spring start Stihl would have worked better, as he could warm his hands up on the muffler.
I wasn't trying to say that a battery saw couldn't be a primary saw. It's just quite a bit less than ideal. In the off situations you mention I can see where it could be made to work where there might be no other option but I sure wouldn't want one as my only saw. That said, I wouldn't want any of my saws as my only option...
Mine as well. I was running 2 amp batteries and bought 6 amp for my other Dewalt tools and it was a game changer. Never have run a battery chain saw though rusty ranger 44. I think there is one member here who cuts exclusively with one. Makita if i recall.
Same here. My late uncle (he was like the grandfather i never had) bought me my first, an 028 super, in 1985 when i was 17.
I picked up a Stihl MSA220 last year to add to my gas-powered saws. I did not purchase it to necessarily replace any of the gas saws, but to have another option when cutting. I've used it quite a bit when limbing and prepping stuff for the woodchipper (a lot easier to have a saw that you do not have to constantly start and turn off when working several hours at the woodchipper). It's also very handy after wind/snow/ice storms when there are smaller trees blocking the road. It's been a welcome addition to the saw inventory.
I use my battery saw frequently the same way Sarge. It always comes out with my chipper. When the warden feeds me some slash with a crotch or branch too wide to feed easily, I can grab it and cut in a matter of seconds as opposed to guessing when the last time the saw was started and if it needs choke etc.
Exactly. It really speeds up the process, especially when cleaning up tops or a large, jumbled mess. An arborist acquaintance also told me last year that he has mainly gone to battery saws as his primary tool when up in the tree and cutting small limbs. He said he hardly ever takes a gas-powered saw when climbing until he gets to the larger portion of the tree.
