Battery operated chainsaws

Dani

Dani

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Alrighty y'all! I need thoughts from the brain trust....

I am looking at getting me a battery operated chainsaw. I know that Husqvarna makes some incredible ones, but they also have incredible price tags. That said, my dad and uncle each have a battery operated chainsaw by husqvarna that they can cut all day on one battery. Pretty impressive and if money was no object, I'd go that route.

However, I am leaning towards a Worx chainsaw of some variety because I have several tools from them already with several batteries. So I wouldn't need any extra/different batteries from what I already have. They offer chainsaws in 10"-16" bars but the 16" is out because I don't think my batteries are the correct ampage for it. That leaves me with 10", 12" and 14" bar options.

So if you only had one chainsaw to own at this point, what bar length would you go with? Most of what I would be doing is limb trimming and small tree cutting. If I needed a BIG tree taken out I would call someone.

Thanks a bunch

Dani
 
14" bar. The longer chain cut will cut more efficiently as long as your battery supplies enough juice. While your ordering get a proper sized file and guide as keeping it sharp will greatly help especially with a battery operated saw.
 
Dani said:
Alrighty y'all! I need thoughts from the brain trust....

However, I am leaning towards a Worx chainsaw of some variety because I have several tools from them already with several batteries. So I wouldn't need any extra/different batteries from what I already have. They offer chainsaws in 10"-16" bars but the 16" is out because I don't think my batteries are the correct ampage for it. That leaves me with 10", 12" and 14" bar options.

Most of what I would be doing is limb trimming and small tree cutting.

Thanks a bunch

Dani
Click to expand...

Let your present batteries determine your choice. Personally I don't think you could go wrong with a 12 inch bar. It will take less power to drive the chain weight of a 12 inch rather than a 14 inch bar. It really sounds like a 12 inch would handle all you needs and be less of a load on the batteries. Just my 2 cents.
 
Sounds like for what you need Dani is just the 12" I have the Kobalt 18" bar and love it, the battery it comes with is not the best they have with 2.5 amp hours but can get a 5 amp hour for the same price as the whole saw package.
 
I have one on my wish list. I have Milwaukee stuff and I?ve been eyeing their saw. Let us know how you like it when you pull the trigger. I?d probably get the longest bar you can. The battery saws are supposed to have a lot of torque. Weight is a big consideration, if you don?t use a saw a lot. I can feel it when I use my bigger saw for a while (and it isn?t even that heavy comparatively).
 
I'd go with whatever brand batteries you already have. I didn't believe in the electric lawn/garden tools until I got fed up with my 2 stroke weed trimmer giving me trouble every few weeks. Picked up the Milwaukee weed trimmer(because I already had other Milwaukee tools) and haven't looked back. The pole saw and hedge trimmer are fantastic as well. For clearing around a tree stand its a perfect system.

For larger pieces of wood, like bucking up logs to split for the wood stove I will use my gas powered Husqvarna.

As was mentioned above keeping a sharp chain it key, Husqvarna and Stihl have sharpening tools that make it easy and are worth the money IMHO.
 
Thanks y'all for the input. I asked my dad and uncles the same thing and they pretty much agreed with what Dave said about battery power and the 12" bar. Plus they reminded me if I really need a bigger bar, my neighbor is an ex-tree man and has multiple big chainsaws. So, I am going to go with the twelve inch bar. We shall see how I like it.

And i love my battery operated weed eater.....so light, quiet and does a great job. I have a gas powered with a metal blade for the heavy duty stuff but the battery operated is great for my general yard stuff.

Thanks again y'all
 
My opinion, after using various battery powered chainsaws, the Worx won't work. Not enough juice to do any real work. My current chainsaw is the Ego Brand. They make two different bar lengths and I'll put it up against any gas powered chainsaw out there. They aren't cheap but I have had mine now for 5 years (could be four) and it hasn't let me down. We had a dozen big trees fall a couple years back and this chainsaw cut through it all and then went on the help others.

Nice thing about the battery powered ones is when you let go of the trigger, the chainsaw stops and it is quiet.

Go with at least a 40 volt system. More is better. Check ebay, Facebook marketplace and local pawn shops.

Mark
 
Just a point of clarification, but I'm pretty sure the electric chainsaws don't get stopped by regular chaps. No sprocket to bind up. Perhaps someone can clarify this for me.

I am still on the petrochemical train for most of my tools, simply because I haven't found the electric ones to cut it- but then again we do our fair share of TSI on the water company land behind the house for firewood. Not sure how well those electric batteries hold up in the winter. Would be a long ride back if they died out in the back 4,000. Not a problem for you down south Dani.

I'd be curious to hear some positive reports on them though for small jobs around the house. And it would be great if someone could make a left handed saw for folks. It's horrifying watching Andrea use a right handed saw.
 
Last edited:
Nick Zito said:
Just a point of clarification, but I'm pretty sure the electric chainsaws don't get stopped by regular chaps. No sprocket to bind up.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by that.

Release the trigger on an electric saw, the motor stops instantly, thus the chain stops instantly. Release the trigger on a gas saw, the engine continues to run and the chain continues to spin until the motor slows down enough to release the clutch.

Jam the chain with leather chaps and either saw chain will stop unless there is enough HP to over come the jam.
 
Huntindave McCann said:
Nick Zito said:
Just a point of clarification, but I'm pretty sure the electric chainsaws don't get stopped by regular chaps. No sprocket to bind up.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by that.

Release the trigger on an electric saw, the motor stops instantly, thus the chain stops instantly. Release the trigger on a gas saw, the engine continues to run and the chain continues to spin until the motor slows down enough to release the clutch.

Jam the chain with leather chaps and either saw chain will stop unless there is enough HP to over come the jam.
Click to expand...

Manufacturers warn that the fiber chaps are not protective against electric saws (there may be some now, but last I looked none of the major brands protected against e-saws). The e-saws have higher torque and no clutch (I believe).
 
I mean the Kevlar chaps. I would never survive in all leather chaps on hot days. With the kickback of a saw and you getting hit, often there isn't enough time to release the trigger. Particularly on those sideways cuts, like the beginning of a plunge cut.
 
tod osier said:
Huntindave McCann said:
Nick Zito said:
Just a point of clarification, but I'm pretty sure the electric chainsaws don't get stopped by regular chaps. No sprocket to bind up.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by that.

Release the trigger on an electric saw, the motor stops instantly, thus the chain stops instantly. Release the trigger on a gas saw, the engine continues to run and the chain continues to spin until the motor slows down enough to release the clutch.

Jam the chain with leather chaps and either saw chain will stop unless there is enough HP to over come the jam.
Click to expand...

Manufacturers warn that the fiber chaps are not protective against electric saws (there may be some now, but last I looked none of the major brands protected against e-saws). The e-saws have higher torque and no clutch (I believe).
Click to expand...



This
 
tod osier said:
Huntindave McCann said:
Nick Zito said:
Just a point of clarification, but I'm pretty sure the electric chainsaws don't get stopped by regular chaps. No sprocket to bind up.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by that.

Release the trigger on an electric saw, the motor stops instantly, thus the chain stops instantly. Release the trigger on a gas saw, the engine continues to run and the chain continues to spin until the motor slows down enough to release the clutch.

Jam the chain with leather chaps and either saw chain will stop unless there is enough HP to over come the jam.
Click to expand...

Manufacturers warn that the fiber chaps are not protective against electric saws (there may be some now, but last I looked none of the major brands protected against e-saws). The e-saws have higher torque and no clutch (I believe).
Click to expand...

I could see that on the higher voltage saws by would not expect a 12 volt saw with a 12 inch blade to have a lot of torque. (wouldn't be the only time I've been misinformed) No, I don't believe any of the electrics use a clutch with the sprocket.
 
Dani
I have a 40v ryobi tree pruning 10" bar saw.
Works good, goes through 8" branches no problem.
Batteries work with leaf blower weed wacker hedge trimmer
Even a lawn mower. I have 4 batteries now so when one runs out of juice I just pop in another one.
 
I have a Stihl 170 that I like a lot for miscellaneous odds and ends. Granted, you said electric and the Stihl 170 is mixed gas, but it was only $170 or so and it really does everything I want it to.

My dad?s DeWalt electric chainsaw is pretty darn good. Only problem I know is that the chain seems to jump the bar regularly. Might be my fault and not the saw.

I?m not terribly familiar with the Worx brand but I like the idea of simplifying the battery situation. So if you don?t go with Worx for your saw, go with Milwaukee or DeWalt and plan to change everything over as time goes on.
 
The one I have has an electronic kick back stop. So if it senses a kickback it locks the electronic brake which can be manually locked as well which not all of them have that feature
 
The Worx saw that I ordered is a 40volt saw, it just uses two 20 volt batteries at one time. I don't know if that is the same amount of power as just a 40 volt battery.

My tools are all relatively new so moving over to another company I don't see happening anytime soon.

If money was no object, I would get me one of the battery operated saws from Husqvarna like my dad and uncle have. They can and have cut logs all day long on that one battery. Supposedly they were designed with loggers in mind, not the general home user. My dad got a 12" bar on his Husqvarna and he says it is more than adequate for most of the trees he has had to section up. He does say from time to time he gets Bertha out and fires up the longer bar gas operated chainsaw.
 
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