Battery powered chainsaw recommendations? (2017)

[fried1765]

I have a Makita (all my battery tools are Makita), The saw is 36V and will in fact out cut my Stihl top handle gas saw for the first half hour. I use it to cut small stuff around my fence line, with both 18V batteries it weights 10lbs. I use it a lot..

I have a new 40V Greenworks 16" saw, but have yet to try it out.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have the same 36v Makita. Haven't touched my gas saw since I got it. For what I need to do it is great. Also does not leak bar oil as long as you keep the bottom side down.

 

[ernemats]

Used my Redback 120 volt saw some more , cutting up a hard maple about 20 inches in diameter. It did ok but not as fast as my Husqvarna 359 could do it which did not surprise me. Still very impressed with it, . My Ryobi 40 volt chain saw is still a saw I also like , it is lighter and has faster chain speed for smaller jobs but lacks power for larger trees.

 

[Sodo]

Makita 36v (the top-handle) has become one of my favorite tools. I have a hotrodded Stihl MS201 that I hardly ever use anymore. I always wonder if it will start, its been so long. But it always does, and oh boy; do you remember what a gas saw does in comparison to the 36v!! Theyre different and have different strengths. But the fact remains, I reach for the 36v much more often. I put a 14 bar on it for more reach (was12).

I also put a THIS SIDE UP label to remind me the oil tank vent is a simple little hole in the cap, and it will dump the oil out, all of it!

Im thinking of buying a 2nd one in case they quit making the top handle version ($140). Cuz it doesnt have that infuriating safety button that the rear handle Makita has.

 

[bridge4]

I have a stihl MSA 220 and I love it. I use the battery powered weed eater and blower so I can use the same batteries in all 3, which saves money and makes them more economical. I have found some real hard wood and big stumps it struggles with, but I haven't seen any dead fall or a tree across any of my trails it can't handle. I really enjoy using the saw, and its light and easy. I can also cut trees in the morning when normally it would be rude to my neighbors and they don't hear anything.


I don't own a gas saw at this point, and I don't think I ever will. My cousin has a big professional saw he got from his father and my brother has a few I could borrow also too.

 

[k0ua]

About one more order of magnitude leap in battery/DC motor technology and no one will own a gas saw anymore. They are getting to the point now that for routine homeowner use a lot of people are just using the battery powered saws. Not guys that need to saw up a bunch of firewood yet, but there may come a day when we look at gas saws like gasoline powered washing machines. Yeah they existed, were kind of loud and smelly and inconvenient, and were from another time.

 

[xyz123]

Thought of my dad when I seen this. So I picked this up the other day when I seen it FS used local at a reasonably price. Came with no batt so hope it works.
I knew dad has the 40v polesaw version and loved it. So figure he can use his batt for this too.

 

[ernemats]

I'm sure he will like it I know I really like mine so far. It will not replace the gas chain saw for bigger jobs but will work good for the smaller jobs.

 

[ernemats]

Update on my Redback 120 volt chainsaw. Have used it to cut down and cut up a 20 inch popular tree and a 14 inch hard maple. It did better than I expected it to, on the popular the bar was not quite long enough to go the whole way through , had plenty of power to easily fall the tree and cut up the limbs and cut the tree into 8 foot logs, the tree was probably 75 foot tall. Still had 2 bars left on the battery. Very impressed with it. See now they have the saw kit on sale for $99.99 with free shipping. Can't beat that deal.

 

[ernemats]

Used my Redback 120 volt chainsaw more today, cut several maple logs into firewood size , I can't believe how good it does I may be getting rid of my gas chainsaws except the biggest one. Have not used the gas saws much since getting battery powered saws. My son bought a Dewalt 60 volt last winter and he loves it also.