After marinating on it I don't think this saw has a niche. It's too heavy. 20 lbs for the saw and then 5 lbs for the two batteries... Compare to a Stihl with similar power and it's half the weight. I respect that it can basically handle big boy saw cuts but nobody is going to want to lug it around. There is a solid niche for battery saws; I use my M18 electric more than my Stihl, however both saws fit well into a niche. The only solid fit I could see for something like this is a maybe a utility company who needs to cut big trees but not constantly. Or maybe a homeowner that just happens to have colossal trees but otherwise won't make use of a chainsaw very often.
I ordered one of these from Northern tool. They currently are running $200 back in gift cards for BF with $1,000 purchase. I added a 12 amp-hour Forge battery which comes with a free 8 amp-hour Forge battery to get the order above $1,000. With $200 back in gift cards, I think this is a pretty decent deal with extra batteries. It's a heavy saw, but for my use case it will be just fine. I love my Milwaukee battery powered leaf blower and weed eater plus all of my other power tools. I started using Milwaukee tools 22 years ago when building a log home and never looked back. The reviews I'm seeing with this saw, people are impressed with the improved build quality and tweaks Milwaukee has made. For the price, it better be good! I'll report back after I've had time to use it.
For that weight. They should have run it with a 32"bar on a 462, 500i , 572 ect . That would be a fair comparison .
This saw and Dewalts saw are good for a homeowner that needs a saw for little stuff around there yard
Had a chance to get it out this weekend and cut up a standing dead oak tree. The saw is heavy but that weight helps in my opinion when using it to cut up logs on the ground since you don't have to put as much downward pressure when using it. Plenty of power from the dual battery setup. You will want a second set of batteries if you plan to do more than just cut up a few logs and I would recommend the 12.0 amp hour which are expensive. There are currently promotions for a free 8.0 amp hour battery with purchase which is the only way I would buy the 12.0. You feel the weight much more when holding the saw sideways when felling a tree. The power of the dual Forge batteries is impressive. I think you will see a lot more of these being used by professionals like the Rooted Arborists and the saw mill guys in the videos I posted above. The convenience factor of battery power is great and until you try it, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. There is less fatigue from noise and vibration of the saw which I think is a big factor for running saws for extended periods of time. If you have spare batteries and a way to charge them up in the field like a portable power supply or your vehicle has a powerful inverter like mine does, I think its safe to pull the trigger on a saw like this. I held off for a long time from buying a battery chainsaw due to a number of factors: Reliability of batteries from the heat generated, weaknesses in the build quality of the saws, charging time of the batteries etc. Only time will tell on the longevity and reliability of this saw but for my use, I'm glad I waited and it is exactly what I need in a saw.
Sounds like a good recommendation. The vid of that arborist cutting cookies , was hard to watch as the saw's chain wasn't sharp. No reason to have to dog in and Pull up on the grip if a saws sharp. What bar mount is it ? Is it clutched or direct drive ? If the powerhead with batteries weighs 20 lbs . That's Heavy !
It's direct drive. Last time I checked, Husqvarna was the only company making a battery saw with a clutch. Another game-changing chainsaw innovation.
That adds dramatically to the safety factor as Chaps are somewhat useless with direct drive electric saws .
