Battery powered chainsaws.

[GotDraw?]

Watching the review video- looks like a no brainer: Echo for the win

 

[SammY STW]

We have the small Husqvarna, carry it in the UTV everywhere for cleaning up roads and trails, around bow stands, etc. Also carry it on the bulldozer and excavator to get yourself out of a bind. Have never had the battery go dead and have cut 18" trees with it

 

[MP43]

Milwaukee I've used is great and as noted above you need the high output 12.0 battery to get a reasonable cut time. A spare battery is also nice to have but they are spendy at $200+.

Brian - can I ask which model of Milwaukee you've used? Also, I'm interested in the Swaro 8x32s you have for sale but as a newb I can't reply directly in the FS thread. Please PM if you can.

 

[sig220hk45]

So many choices. Wish I wouldn't have started my Ryobi collection so soon.

 

[realunlucky]

Brian - can I ask which model of Milwaukee you've used? Also, I'm interested in the Swaro 8x32s you have for sale but as a newb I can't reply directly in the FS thread. Please PM if you can.

Spend the money or follow the rules.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[hikenhunt]

I have the kobalt 80V chainsaw as well as several of there other tools. Its very convenient to have multiple batteries, so I would agree with others that say to go with what you already have batteries for

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I have several of their batt-powered tools including 2 chainsaws. Quiet, solid battery life & power, compact and stupidly simple to operate, adjust chain tension with the turn of a know and automatic, constant oiling of the chain. Great product.

.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Anyone have the Dewalt 20v saw? Got it for Christmas and wondering what batteries to get for it. Looks like it's usually paired with the 5ah. The cost/ah really seems to jump up above that. I'm just using it for moderate forest road clearing and the occasional camp firewood.

(2) 5 Ah = $150
(2) 6 Ah = $260

 

[*zap*]

I would look on ebay for batteries not at home depot or similar. I got some decent deals on my milwaukee M-18 batteries there. Do not buy knock off batteries.

 

[gbflyer]

We have the Milwaukee since we already run their stuff, pile of M18’s. Have also used the DeWalt. Both are worthy, not something you hand to the kids to play with. Keep a sharp chain on it and don’t “force” it as much as you might with a gas rig and the batteries last very well.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I would look on ebay for batteries not at home depot or similar. I got some decent deals on my milwaukee M-18 batteries there. Do not buy knock off batteries.

How do you tell knock off from legit on ebay? I looked there and just have no confidence that I'll be buying legit batteries.

 

[*zap*]

the batteries that are from legit sellers with lots of feedback and look exactly like factory milwaulee batteries are going to be legit. The knock off listing will say 'made for milwaukee' in the listing and look similar to a milwaukee battery until you really look close. Never buy anything that has a picture which is not of the actual item. I purchased quite a few M-18 tools and batteries which were listed as used and everything is going strong years later.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have dwalt 12 " that I use as a saddle saw. Three batteries will get you through the day. Most of our wood is <12 lodgepole and it can handle it pretty well. The same pack frame handles a stihl 170 during the summer. I chose dwalt because I have a lot of dwalt tools and they take the same batteries. A couple of the gents I know use electric stihls with their atvs. They are a little long for my saddle set up.

The electric saws also fill another niche in that in August when the woods are closed to gas saws due to fire danger, you can still work quietly and safely in the woods.

 

[roosiebull]

Anyone with any experience with the Stihl or Milwaukee battery powered chainsaws?


I'm looking at an MSA 160 C-B, MSA 200 C-B, or the Milwaukee.

It seems with both of the Stihl saws I can charge a battery in about the same time as I could drain one, that's according to rated operation time. Haven't checked on the Milwaukee but I have around 8 batteries between 4 amp hour to 9 amp hour already and would probably get the tool with the 12 amp hour battery. So I don't feel like the charge time is as important.

Use is basically small limb clearing, and removing small invasive trees/bushes. Trail clearing. I like the idea of preserving the little hearing I have left, and having it in the back of the utv and not needing to pull start it everytime. I have gas powered saws, not trying to replace those. Just thinking one if these would be easier to use for some things rather than a heavier saw.


Anyone familiar with either? I use to use a 120v stihl for cabin work inside. That would do everything I want, except I don't want to start up the generator.

My only experience with a battery powered saw is the dewalt 60v, we were trying to get into a transmission line in the blue mountains, and we had it and a little stihl gas power saw, and the dewalt was pretty dang impressive, it seemed to have pretty good power, and cut some wood with it including a couple 12-15” tamaracks without issue.

If it wasn’t for the initial cost, I would have one for my pickup, as it is I keep a little stihl gas saw in my pickup from about mid October through at least April, it would be nice to just have a quart of bar oil and a couple 60v batteries and the saw, no mess, and brush it off and throw it back in the pickup, rather than having to leave it in the bed to cool off, then clean it up, then back in.

I haven’t priced them, because I know the cost of the batteries, and the big drills we use at work, I can’t imagine a setup that I would be content with would be at least 600$ with batteries… my little stihl gas saw was around 300$ several years ago and has been bomb proof cutting lots of big second growth monsters to clear roads.

For your use, an electric saw makes a lot of sense, from what I saw, that dewalt saw was as capable as my little gas saw.

If you don’t know how to sharpen a chainsaw blade, you will want to learn, and keep it sharp or you will drain batteries way faster than necessary… probably an obvious statement

 

[Billy Goat]

My only experience with a battery powered saw is the dewalt 60v, we were trying to get into a transmission line in the blue mountains, and we had it and a little stihl gas power saw, and the dewalt was pretty dang impressive, it seemed to have pretty good power, and cut some wood with it including a couple 12-15” tamaracks without issue.

If it wasn’t for the initial cost, I would have one for my pickup, as it is I keep a little stihl gas saw in my pickup from about mid October through at least April, it would be nice to just have a quart of bar oil and a couple 60v batteries and the saw, no mess, and brush it off and throw it back in the pickup, rather than having to leave it in the bed to cool off, then clean it up, then back in.

I haven’t priced them, because I know the cost of the batteries, and the big drills we use at work, I can’t imagine a setup that I would be content with would be at least 600$ with batteries… my little stihl gas saw was around 300$ several years ago and has been bomb proof cutting lots of big second growth monsters to clear roads.

For your use, an electric saw makes a lot of sense, from what I saw, that dewalt saw was as capable as my little gas saw.

If you don’t know how to sharpen a chainsaw blade, you will want to learn, and keep it sharp or you will drain batteries way faster than necessary… probably an obvious statement

I picked up the Stihl. I have really liked the saw, but it was pretty pricey. I carry it in the cab of the truck about all the time, extra battery and a 20oz bottle of oil. No fumes.

Only issue so far was last week, saw was I'd guess around 30 degrees as it hadn't been 2 cold overnight, but temp was dropping quickly. It was low double digits or high single, can't remember but the battery was hurting getting a 24" tree cut up out of the road. I hadn't previously had issues with temps and the batteries. So I'd say if you are frequently out in single digit temps a gas saw is likely your better option, but for my use I really like the Stihl electric. No pulling a cord to start, just a trigger.


Also a sharp chain is a must on these electric saws.

 

[ColeyG]

I have the Stihl 161 T with the AP 300 battery. I picked it up last summer to limb 6 full grown cottonwood trees that I had to take apart from the top down. I couldn't be more impressed with that little saw. I actually wish I would have purchased the AP 200 battery to save a pound of weight as the 300 has waaaaay more juice that I need. I can't recall the battery discharging more than 25% even after limbing 2 full trees from top to bottom and doing a bunch of cutting on the ground.

I don't think it has the same amount of power as comparable gas models (194T, 151T) but it is hard to say for sure as I have only seen those in action and haven't run one personally. It makes very quick work of wood up to 5-6 inches thick and can handle more in certain scenarios.

I don't get any bar oil leakage from this saw unlike my gas powered 271 and 180.

This thing is now a staple on any car camping mission as a firewood maker and I rarely fire up the 180 anymore for the small to medium projects.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Anyone have the Dewalt 20v saw? Got it for Christmas and wondering what batteries to get for it. Looks like it's usually paired with the 5ah. The cost/ah really seems to jump up above that. I'm just using it for moderate forest road clearing and the occasional camp firewood.

(2) 5 Ah = $150
(2) 6 Ah = $260

I have a 16" 20v and I use the 9 ah....get 2...also don't store it with more oil than the min line, it just leaks out.

 

[Tim Box]

Anyone with any experience with the Stihl or Milwaukee battery powered chainsaws?


I'm looking at an MSA 160 C-B, MSA 200 C-B, or the Milwaukee.

It seems with both of the Stihl saws I can charge a battery in about the same time as I could drain one, that's according to rated operation time. Haven't checked on the Milwaukee but I have around 8 batteries between 4 amp hour to 9 amp hour already and would probably get the tool with the 12 amp hour battery. So I don't feel like the charge time is as important.

Use is basically small limb clearing, and removing small invasive trees/bushes. Trail clearing. I like the idea of preserving the little hearing I have left, and having it in the back of the utv and not needing to pull start it everytime. I have gas powered saws, not trying to replace those. Just thinking one if these would be easier to use for some things rather than a heavier saw.


Anyone familiar with either? I use to use a 120v stihl for cabin work inside. That would do everything I want, except I don't want to start up the generator.

I've used a still and was impressed

 

[wyo]

So many choices. Wish I wouldn't have started my Ryobi collection so soon.

I bought the Ryobi 18V with the 12" bar and it is a surprisingly decent tool. The 4AH or larger batteries are a must but I keep it in the back of the UTV and use it to clear branches, works great.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I have a 16" 20v and I use the 9 ah....get 2...also don't store it with more oil than the min line, it just leaks out.

Yeah I've read that the first thing you should do on the Dewalt is replace the o-ring on the bar oil cap.

$250 for one 10Ah battery