Bought my first battery operated chainsaw

[30WCF]

I already had Dewalt, so I keep a Dewalt battery saw close by. Rather than sorting through the wood pile since I changed stoves, I just bring whatever gets loaded up to the house. When I stack it on the porch I grab the battery saw and lop off a couple ends as needed. I think I knocked three or four ends off today. Most of the wood works with the smaller stove, but there are some longer splits mixed in there.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

Meh, brother in law has the Milwaukee one, I guess it works good for a battery saw. For sustained use it definitely liked to trigger the battery overtemp, even when it was well below freezing outside with 9ah packs.

I have the Milwaukee M18 with a 16" bar. I am very happy with it. The saw came with a 12 Ah battery that never triggers the battery overtemp. If I am still cutting when I run the 12 amp battery out of juice I will use a 9 Ah one that I have from my string trimmer. With the 9 amp battery it will trigger the overtemp when you work it hard. You have to let it sit for a bit and can run it some more. I have never triggered the overtemp with the 12 amp battery.

 

[TheBikePedaler]

I picked up a 18" Greenworks 60V and have 2 battery's one 4amp/hr and a 2amp/hr for it. I got it a a surplus store for $175. It has been a fantastic saw. I like the smaller battery for limbing because it is light. Charge time is pretty quick, 45mins for the 2a and 2hrs on the 4a. I did have an issue with the OG battery, on the 2nd charge it failed. I called the 1-800# and 3 days later I had a new battery, fantastic customer service.
The oil window is easy to see and just seems to weep a bit of oil, I leave it on a piece of cardboard. One of the things I really like is that the chain stops instantly when I let go of the trigger. The throttle response is better than my other ICE saw, but it usually gets used at FSA so it doesn't really matter. OG chain was a bit crap so I replaced it when it started to get dull.
My only real complaint is that it has made me a bit slack on the safety side. It is so quiet and light that I forget that it is not a recip saw. I'll even use it in the basement.
I am going to try it in the mill soon and see how well it does. The mill currently has a 250cc 1960's David Bradley with a rip bar/chain but it is a bit of a PITA with militance and getting it started. I highly doubt that i will ever have a gas saw again

 

[begreen]

It's interesting that Milwaukee is pushing their existing M18 (18V) batteries into chainsaws, while I believe the others (Ego, Greenworks, Stihl, Husky) are all doing 40 - 80 volt models. Obviously you can pull the same power at 18 volts as 80 volts, but developing the same torque is going to require a more expensive motor, and the higher current required will require more expensive components, with more heat and overall wear on the battery circuits and contactors.

The battery power is just one thing. I tried out the 56?v EGO pole saw recently and although the motor and power were ok, the actual saw part was a toy. The chain guide around the drive gear was wimpy and plastic. It was too easy to derail the chain when undercutting. This is odd, I tried an EGO hedge trimmer and loved it. That tool was much better made. Contrast this with the Stihl professional battery pole trimmer. It's expensive and heavy, but solidly made for regular use, albeit by someone with a lot of upper body strength.

A friend just got an 18v Makita electric chainsaw for limbing while he is up in the trees. It's a really nice and a solid little tool. The bar is only 12" but fine for small cuts of up to 6" limbs. The chain drive and tensioning are metal. FWIW, I have the original 18v Lithium Makita 1/2" drill that I bought 14 yrs ago when it first came out. It was super expensive back then, but came with 2 battery packs and the charger. The batteries and the drill are still going strong and they have built a lot of stuff.

On the other side of battery voltage, I just got the Greenworks Commercial 82V weed trimmer with the handlebars. It is a real beast and a pleasure to use. With tons of instant torque and a .095 string, it cuts through a ton of stuff without complaint. My last 2 stroke motor is in the Stihl trimmer. Looks like that is going to be sold this weekend.

 

[xman23]

$175 for a good battery isn’t too bad, I work in maintenance and use many battery tools and some of the DeWALT FLEXVOLT batteries are over $300 and I have a few of them. They say 15 amp on them but that’s for 20v tools, they are just 5 amp for the better 60v lineup. The 5 amp Power Stacks are pricey too but I’ve found them for under $100 pretty easily lately. I saw a clean used DeWalt 16" Flexvolt chainsaw for $133.00 shipped recently and I thought about picking it up…I don’t know…?

Sounds like what they did with the ink jet printers. Give you the printer so you have to buy the propriety ink at inflated prices.

 

[hearthon]

I have the dewalt 20v small saw and love it, it's really good for it's size and gets the job done. Obviously it's not extremely powerful but just for my backyard it's perfect.

 

[begreen]

I already had Dewalt, so I keep a Dewalt battery saw close by. Rather than sorting through the wood pile since I changed stoves, I just bring whatever gets loaded up to the house. When I stack it on the porch I grab the battery saw and lop off a couple ends as needed. I think I knocked three or four ends off today. Most of the wood works with the smaller stove, but there are some longer splits mixed in there.

Yes, that's a big problem with battery powered tools. There is little standardization which means buying in to a ton of extra batteries and chargers if one wants the best tool for the job. Or one has to stick with one line which may have good and not so good tools in their lineup.

 

[Wood Hunter]

A couple months ago I picked up a Husqvarna Power Axe 350i Cordless Electric Chainsaw. It is a lightweight 18 inch chainsaw at Lowes for $349. I'll never go back to a gas saw. A full charge on the battery will power the saw about as long as a full tank of gas with a similar size ICE chainsaw. It saws with a slower rpm, but has a lot of torque. If you let the saw do the work you can easily cut through large oak rounds. I cut up a 14" diameter oak tree with no problems. A big benefit is you don't need any ear protection the saw is so quiet. Also, the saw only runs when you pull the trigger, so complete silence in between cuts. The battery takes about three hours to re-charge, so if you are going to cut for extended periods it won't work for you. At age 72 I find that one battery charge is enough cutting for me. If I still want to do some logging I'll drag the wood home and split and stack it.

Are you still happy with the 350i? I'm seriously considering the 350iFR. Current Labor Day sale includes a free second battery.

 

[Nick Mystic]

Are you still happy with the 350i? I'm seriously considering the 350iFR. Current Labor Day sale includes a free second battery.

Yes, I'm still pleased with the Husky Battery chainsaw. I haven't encountered any problems with it and the 45 minutes to an hour worth of sawing is enough for me at one time. I recently gave away my 18" gas Husky to a friend. No plans on ever owning a gas chainsaw again.

 

[Bill S]

Greetings all, I've not been on this forum since last winter. I'm right on the precipice of buying a Husky 350i (Power Axe) - the sale price is down from $479 to $429 and they throw in an extra battery (now $300). And, I like the chain speed, and I've had two gas Husky's for years and they've served me well. Does the chain really coast to a stop?? (I too hit the chain brake automatically when stepping away from cuts, but...). I thought the chain stopped when you release the trigger.

I did buy an Echo DCS-5000 this spring. Good saw, it was on sale at Home Depot for $299 with battery, charger and a second battery free. I really like the saw, light, pretty fast for the price, great batteries, don't push it and it cuts right through anything. I have had the chain come off a couple of times (??) and a recent pinch - really, it wasn't me pinched one link beyond repair!

I'll buy the 350i today or tomorrow - interested in folks' thoughts on that saw now?

 

[TheElementalCashew]

I picked up a Stihl MSA 220C this past spring during a sale. It works pretty well (I don’t own any others), but the batteries are wicked expensive.

 

[GG Woody]

Got my saw yesterday. Will be trying it out this weekend.View attachment 320346

How do you like this saw?
Not that I need one, but I do want one! It looks like something I can put in my backpack without burning anything or drenching my back in gas. Looks good for quad, snowmobile and dirt bike. My Stihl top handle can make a mess. I do already have lots of Milwaukee batteries.
Does it use a common bar and chain? I think it would be even better for me with a 12" bar like my Stihl, I have 3 other bigger saws and wouldn't be replacing, merely supplementing.

 

[Gearhead660]

How do you like this saw?
Not that I need one, but I do want one! It looks like something I can put in my backpack without burning anything or drenching my back in gas. Looks good for quad, snowmobile and dirt bike. My Stihl top handle can make a mess. I do already have lots of Milwaukee batteries.
Does it use a common bar and chain? I think it would be even better for me with a 12" bar like my Stihl, I have 3 other bigger saws and wouldn't be replacing, merely supplementing.

I like it alot. Mostly use it for trimming the brush/small branches off trees. I like the top handle as you can just use the one handle and use the other to grab branches. Cuts through larger rounds with ease, but drains the battery much faster. I believe it uses the same bar and chains as gassers. I havent had to sharpen it yet. No complaints from me so far!

 

[GG Woody]

I like it alot. Mostly use it for trimming the brush/small branches off trees. I like the top handle as you can just use the one handle and use the other to grab branches. Cuts through larger rounds with ease, but drains the battery much faster. I believe it uses the same bar and chains as gassers. I havent had to sharpen it yet. No complaints from me so far!

Thanks!
Top handle saws are great for tossing branches for sure.
The Stihl dealer here almost didn't want to sell me mine due to the safety risk. I try to keep hand #2 away and remember where hand #1 needs to toss that thing in event of a slip.
I wonder if the Milwaukee would be a bunch more 1 hand capable with a 12" bar?

 

[Gearhead660]

Smaller bar couldnt hurt!

 

[Montanalocal]

Something like this is great for small trimming.

4 Inch 800W Electric Chain Saw Handheld Logging Saws For Makita18V-21V Battery

Only US$33.00, buy best 4 inch 800w electric chain saw handheld logging saws for makita18v-21v battery sale online store at wholesale price.

www.banggood.com

 

[danrclem]

Greetings all, I've not been on this forum since last winter. I'm right on the precipice of buying a Husky 350i (Power Axe) - the sale price is down from $479 to $429 and they throw in an extra battery (now $300). And, I like the chain speed, and I've had two gas Husky's for years and they've served me well. Does the chain really coast to a stop?? (I too hit the chain brake automatically when stepping away from cuts, but...). I thought the chain stopped when you release the trigger.

I did buy an Echo DCS-5000 this spring. Good saw, it was on sale at Home Depot for $299 with battery, charger and a second battery free. I really like the saw, light, pretty fast for the price, great batteries, don't push it and it cuts right through anything. I have had the chain come off a couple of times (??) and a recent pinch - really, it wasn't me pinched one link beyond repair!

I'll buy the 350i today or tomorrow - interested in folks' thoughts on that saw now?

Hi Bill, did you buy the 350i? Were both batteries the 7.5 Ah? I'm wanting to buy one but the saws that are on sale now only come with one battery. They're $379 at Lowes and they're currently out of stock. Paying $50 more for an extra battery would be a bargain.

Does anybody know if the two battery deal happens very often?

 

[Bill S]

Hi Danny,
The saw came with one 7.5 battery and charger - and the deal I was fortunate to get was a second free battery ($309 is what they go for - crazy!) and the charger. $383 for the saw is a good deal - I paid $429. You never know if that free battery deal will come again - I would hope it would. It ran for a couple weeks and then they did it again for a couple weeks. You might call Husqvarna - they do answer the phone.

They make 2 chargers - the one with the saw is the regular charger - the other one for too much money is faster.

The saw is great - you can really push it. It's not as fast as a gas saw but it's strong. It's my "go to" saw unless I need my gas 455 or an old big Jonsered. I hardly ever use my 435 now. The batteries take a while to charge but they go a good distance - you can get a lot cut on one charge.

Let us know what you end up with!

Bill

 

[begreen]

The saw came with one 7.5 battery and charger -

Is this a typo? The Echo DCS-5000 takes a 56v battery.

 

[stoveliker]

Is this a typo? The Echo DCS-5000 takes a 56v battery.

I presume 7.5 Ah (ampere hour,.a measure of the capacity of the battery)

I have drill batteries if 2 and 5 Ah. A chainsaw will need to be bigger than that.

 

[begreen]

The voltage is much lower on drills typically. The stock Echo DCS-5000 battery is 56v, 2.5 Ah. 5 Ah is an option.

 

[BC_Josh]

A few years back I bought a cheap-o $99 plug in electric chain saw for doing a bit of pruning around my property. Thing was gutless! I can't remember the brand, sorry. Just thought it was kind of funny how it took eons to cut through any log of any size. It was OK for anything 4 " or less. Seems like there is a wide range in power and capabilities between saws. I sold it a couple years ago at a garage sale I had.

 

[Bill S]

The Echo does have a 56V battery. The Husky 350i comes with a 7.5 amp hour 36 volt battery. To me, the Echo is a fine saw, fast - but feels a bit less sturdy with not as much force when you push it as the Husqvarna. I'm glad I have both!

 

[Eman85]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/greenworks-pro-60v-16-in-brushless-cordless-chainsaw-with-25-ah-battery-and-charger-2019202

FWIW I see Tractor Supply has a 1/2 price sale on Greenworks 60v 16" saw.

 

[begreen]

That's a rocking good deal.