What is the best battery operated chain saw

[Industrial Toys]

I just wonder how much of the push for cordless is profit driven. Not much business if they sell you a corded tool that lasts for twenty five years.

 

[beowulf]

Thanks John, for providing this information about weights and recommendations. I will continue to check things out. The debate I guess is about whether it is worth it to spend the money to save the additional work of lugging my Rancher 455 up and down some tricky terrain when that is not a frequent task (although I am sure I would find other uses for a lighter saw). I imagine this fence walking/clean up work would be about a once a year trek - or maybe twice a year - two trips to different parts of the fencing.

I should add, most of the time what I find would be trees of 4-10", or smaller branches, or 1-2 inch brush (and that not often as once I take it out once it does not come back for awhile). There have been larger trees that have fallen, but I could likely manage with a 12' saw for the few times that would be an issue. And because some of what I have been cleaning up was there because the fence line had been neglected for a while I am guessing there will be less and less of a need for doing this.

Again - thanks for the input.

 

[Jchonline]

When does the true cost of owning a particular cordless tool outweight the extra work of getting out an extension cord? Are we just being brainwashed into "wanting" something else?

Easy. Distance from a power source. Also, cords are a dangerous job site hazard. It is all too easy to trip on one or have it tangle when you least expect it. Now in a stationary shop it still makes sense to have some corded tools. For everything else I would go battery.

 

[t320pilot]

I have owned this saw for about 9 months. We were hit Very hard by Hurricane Michael. It amazed me how much it was capable of compared to a gas saw, and I've been running some nice Stihls over the years. Keep at least 2 batteries and you will never run out of power. I was ready for a break before the battery ran low. I've cut at least 100 trees this size and it also uses an oregon s56 chain that is very easy to find.

 

[tomplum]

My wife has the Ego chain saw, hedge and string trimmers and they work out real well. Home Depot has them and promos them from time to time. Cuts my gas saw and trimmer usage way down. I think if you like the various tools in a particular line that they make even more sense to go with a given brand. Much like buying other cordless items.

 

[t320pilot]

Because the chainsaw was so reliable I also bought the weed eater, blower, hedge trimmer and they use the same 40 volt battery. These newer battery powered tools are way better than 10 years ago.

 

[k0ua]

Because the chainsaw was so reliable I also bought the weed eater, blower, hedge trimmer and they use the same 40 volt battery. These newer battery powered tools are way better than 10 years ago.

I suspect that they will continue to improve and become even more mainstream. To the point that only serious chainsaw user's will have gas saws, and the majority of casual users will buy electric's. There are too many advantages to the electrics for a casual chainsaw/homeowner to bother with a gas saw.

 

[shooterdon]

I suspect that they will continue to improve and become even more mainstream. To the point that only serious chainsaw user's will have gas saws, and the majority of casual users will buy electric's. There are too many advantages to the electrics for a casual chainsaw/homeowner to bother with a gas saw.

Agree completely. I have two gas saws, a Shindaiwa 488 and a Husky 455 18". Good saws but mixing fuel is a PITA and I spill fuel every time I fill them up. If I am sawing a lot of wood, the electric saws currently available do not have the battery life. but I have been tempted to buy one. Many times I need a saw for a clearing a downed tree or for a few cuts. When I go off-roading with the Jeep, I carry a bow saw but a battery chain saw would be better and not stink up the interior with gas fumes. It would be convenient to have an electric saw. No need to run the fuel out if I am not going to be using it for a while, quiet and no starting issues. I might not need a gas saw for most of my cutting if a spare battery could be charged quickly enough. It would be sweet to have a small inverter that could supply the charger from the pickup or tractor.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MDXS0...C Car Inverter with 4.2A Dual USB Car Adapter

 

[John_Mc]

The other key with the Milwaukee is you dont have to use the 12A battery. You can use a 4A which is significantly lighter...if you dont have hours of cutting to do. Most of us dont. I have a slew of different batteries for my Milwaukee tools. I usually take the smallest for the job. Also if my wife needs to use it she can use a lighter battery. This is why I went with the Milwaukee. It has been great so far. It is my GoTo for limbing, and I have a Stihl MS362 and MS241. I still use the 362 for felling and bucking the bigger stuff. I take the 241 if I am going to be out most of the day cutting.

That's true, but the cutting power suffers with the lower Amp-Hour batteries. The 9 AH and 12 AH batteries are designed to deliver that 18 volts at a higher rate - they are higher amp ratings as well as being higher Amp-hour ratings. If you are just cutting small limbs (and don't need the longer time between charges), the lighter 4 or 5 AH batteries should work fine. If you are cutting larger limbs or bucking up small trees - especially hardwoods - you'll notice quite a difference between the 4 AH and the 12 AH batteries in terms of how long it takes to get through the cut. The Milwaukee saw with the 12 AH battery has been compared in power to a good 40cc gas chainsaw. With the 4 AH battery, a good 40 cc saw will easily out-cut the Milwaukee.

I saw a great YouTube video on this: the owner swapped various sized batteries on his saw. He mentioned a noticeable difference. I watched and timed it using the video's counter and posted it in a comment there. I can't find the video now, but the difference was significant.

 

[4570Man]

I notice quite a difference in my cordless tools using a 6ah battery vs a 3ah. The difference is more noticeable with the continuous load tools like a circular saw.