I am in the market for an electric chainsaw. What do you have and what are the pros and cons?
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Electric chainsaw
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
I've an Oregon 1500 for about 2 1/2 yrs with lots of use. 18" bar and plenty of power. Paid about $100 from Amazon.
I bought an Ego battery saw and the charge didn’t last long at all. I returned it and am looking for a corded saw.
I have been looking at that one.
I have a Milwaukee M18 cordless and I figured it would be good for the occasional in-shop final (afterthought) cuts on blanks or some light trimming/pruning, but I've been amazed over and over at how long the charge lasts. It doesn't have the chain speed of any of my gas saws, but the convenience is really nice. I especially like it when I'm on a ladder to trim or top a tree; no yanking a rope in a precarious spot, or climbing with a running saw, just pull the trigger.
I also have the Oregon 1500 from Amazon and it has been fine for my infrequent use. I have been through a lot of worse electric chainsaws.
I too have the Oregon 1500 with the 18" blade. Had for about three years. Not a tremendous amount of use, but enough to believe that it works well in just about any condition. Plenty of reviews out there that I looked at prior to purchase. I bought mine from Home Depot.
Jay
Jay
Are you considering a battery-operated cordless or a 110v corded? I have both. What bar length do you need? My philosophy about tools of all kinds is buy the best I can afford, no cheap discount tools)
I use a Stihl corded saw around the shop and inside at times. It is quite powerful and has a fairly long bar (I forget the length). It's worked flawlessly for a bunch of years. (I've been using Stihl saws for decades, have three gasoline models, one with a 24" bar.)
I more recently bought a Milwaukee 18v cordless with a 16" bar but they offer other sizes. I've used it on logs about 24". I have a drawer full of batteries from 5ah to 12ah. (They sometimes offer battery deals, e.g. buy the 12aH and get 5aH as well.) Take extra batteries when you go to the woods. There quick charger is also handy. The chain is narrower with smaller teeth than my other saws but it cuts well. I haven't tried sharpening it yet but I think my Oregon electric sharpener will work. I suggest buying a spare chain or two when purchasing any saw.
BTW, I've used Dewalt cordless tools for years and I'm throwing them all away because of unsatisfactory experiences with their batteries. So far, the Milwaukee batteries are working well. I now use their string trimmer, edger, one-handed recip saw, leaf blower, drill and impact driver, circular saw, angle grinder. I also find Milwaukee factory reps more knowledgeable and helpful than the Dewalt reps.
Oops, I just glanced through the thread and it seems you may be looking for a corded. Stihl, never look back!
JKJ
I've used the Dewalt 16" and one of the Stihls.
The Dewalt has been awesome, enough power for birch and spruce but not scary powerful like a traditional saw.
The Stihl feels very much like a traditional saw in action, but less noise and smell. I'd go with the Stihl over the Dewalt but feel safer with the Dewalt and have no complaints with it.
The Dewalt has been awesome, enough power for birch and spruce but not scary powerful like a traditional saw.
The Stihl feels very much like a traditional saw in action, but less noise and smell. I'd go with the Stihl over the Dewalt but feel safer with the Dewalt and have no complaints with it.
I’ve had the Oregon saw for years now. If it has the self sharpening deal on it take it off and put on a regular chain. Works like a champ.
I’ve been looking at getting an electric over a battery to use inside the shop occasionally so interested in everyone’s opinion.
I bought a Milwaukee 14" battery powered chainsaw, being 82 I just find my Stihl ms381 getting too heavy, though this Milwaukee is not a feather weight either, I can lug it along into the bush and cut the trees and limb whatever I need to, it sure is a fast cutting saw and it surprised me at how long it kept going on a charge, basically all day for this old man.
I do also have an 18" wired chainsaw that I bought 20 years ago to use in my shop, and it still works, I use it for the last couple of years to buck my firewood, it is nowhere near as fast as my new M18 battery saw, though that old one has been going for nearly 20 years and I am quit happy with it as well (Poulan Pro) (bought out by Husqvarna and they stopped production)
I do also have an 18" wired chainsaw that I bought 20 years ago to use in my shop, and it still works, I use it for the last couple of years to buck my firewood, it is nowhere near as fast as my new M18 battery saw, though that old one has been going for nearly 20 years and I am quit happy with it as well (Poulan Pro) (bought out by Husqvarna and they stopped production)
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I was wondering if anybody using the battery Milwaukee saws are using the forge batteries. I just started using them at work on impact wrenches and it is night and day.
We have just started to switch over to the Forge batteries for our carpenters to use in the myriad cordless tools we own. The difference in run time and lack of overheating has been eye-opening. The new charging station cools the hot batteries to eliminate down time. The only down side is the cost.
The cost is a lot for sure. But as far as an impact wrench, once I put a forge 6.0 on a 3/4 impact I could take off semi lug nuts that I put on with a 1” pneumatic gun.
Very happy with my 16” makita corded saw for work inside the shop. It’s seen pretty heavy use over the past two years. Just pulled it out yesterday to break down a 21” eucalyptus log. Slow going, but it got the job done. The bar can be replaced with Oregon bars up to 18” if desired, and chains are a readily available size. The only complaint is the very short two-prong cord, which is constantly coming unplugged from the extension cord. Sooner or later I’m going to have to replace it with a twist lock or a longer cord.
or duct tape it to a dedicated extension cord
I already had the Makita tools that use the 18 volt batteries so I first bought a 12" one handed 36 volt saw, which is excellent for small trimming jobs but does not have the leverage of the conventional two handed saw, so I then bought a 16". Both saws are good for working inside or out. For sharpening I bought a Stihl file that has a round file for the teeth and a flat file for the rackers so the rakers are always right.
I am looking for a 120 volt saw. I bought a battery saw and returned it. I cut the pith out of three logs and the battery was dead. It wouldn’t charge until it cooled down. It cut nice, just didn’t last long enough for my needs.
OI have the Oregon corded saw with the self sharpening feature. I love it. Self-sharpening saves loads of time. I have a Makita with a set of extra batteries(they don't last long) for work in the woods. It is adequate, but it isn't a gas saw, and would not be convenient for big jobs.
I have an 18' Dolmar corded saw that is wonderful. Dolmar is the german company that makes Makita. They are identical. Lots of power. I also have an 18" ryobi 40v that I use all the time. It cuts incredibly well and the batteries last quite a while. The obvious problem with them is you need extra batteries. I have a couple other tools that use them so I have three. That works great.
I bought the Oregon 1500 recently. I'm a few tools into the Milwaukee M18 battery family, and they are outstanding, but batteries don't last forever, and they are expensive to replace. The hundred bucks for the corded Oregon suits me, my garage, shop, and yard (and neighbor's yards, too) really well. Endless power, and the saw is easy to use and control. I cut up a 2' long, 10" ash log (cross and rip) with it out of the box, it showed no mercy to the log. The I brought down a neighbor's sucker silver maple (7 trunks, 4-7" diameter, 25-30' tall) after that, bucking it all the way down sized for curbside garden waste haul-away. Worked beautifully. And I can take it off site as long as I bring my small generator along for the trip.
My one word of advice based on my use of it- keep an eye on the chain tension. It's a tool-free adjustment (double action twist knob) and with heavy and/or prolonged use I found it would slack quite a bit, but 10 seconds of adjusting and you're back at it. Just watch (and tug on) the chain occasionally in use and snug it if you experience too much chain slack.
I recommend it. Good supplement to my gas Still 290 Farm Boss of 20+ years.
My one word of advice based on my use of it- keep an eye on the chain tension. It's a tool-free adjustment (double action twist knob) and with heavy and/or prolonged use I found it would slack quite a bit, but 10 seconds of adjusting and you're back at it. Just watch (and tug on) the chain occasionally in use and snug it if you experience too much chain slack.
I recommend it. Good supplement to my gas Still 290 Farm Boss of 20+ years.
I have the Stihl MSE 210, this saw uses the same chain as all of its gas powered brothers and it cuts like all its gas powered brothers. Yes it is expensive but it cuts like no other. I did an article in Woodturning Design Magazine many years ago with the Stihl and 3 others and there just was no comparison.
i have gone through a few knockoff ego batteries including 10 mAh.... all are short lasting about 5 minutes of cutting 12-15" round green wood oak or elm. Not sure if the BMS or the Li-ion batteries are inferior. Ive seen folks rebuild the ego battery but its involved. Folks buy old ego batteries on ebay i guess for rebuilding and reselling.
Same with my Husky 440 Rancher but for a different reason. The safety chain that comes with the 440 is garbage. Replaced it with a Pro chain and all is well.
I have the Makita UC4051A corded 16". Powerful but a bit heavy. I've had it for 3 years. No problems.
For just about any tool review and test, I like this guy.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aBZt8m1XkQ
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WDaTwEwhTk
robo hippy
robo hippy
Several arborist friends are using Husky battery saws for pruning work in climbed trees. Tried one and was impressed with both speed and power
Just got a Husqvarna 350i with 18 inch bar. Replacement (spare) battery is expensive so I passed. Works well though I have no experience with others to compare.
I ended up buying the Oregon corded saw with an 18” bar. I only had one log to test it on and it worked great. Thanks for all of the replies.
I'll just add that I stopped using the self sharpening gizmo after wearing one chain out and now sharpen old school with a file.
I also have a Makita UC4051A corded 16". I like that it is quieter and lighter than my gas saw and that I can use it in the studio if it's raining outside. I've had it for 5 years and it's holding up great.
I'd like to add to this discussion with a shout out to Bailey's Online. I buy nearly all of my chains, bars, and other tools from them.
One caveat with corded electric saws, based on owning several over the years--some have metal drive gears and some have plastic. The plastic ones may perform well when new, but don't hold up. The tool-less chain tensioner can fail to hold where you want it to, but I suspect this is not just with electric saws.
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Yep. Mostly, it is just needed to be sure and fully clean the saw and bar cover of all , and I do mean all, sawdust, chips and bar oil accumulation from the whole area covered by the bar cover, and the bar mounting pads. Nine times out of ten the tool-less tensioners (and the twist knob / bar nut) experience failures due to mis-alignment and interference caused by that gunk build-up - often the nut threads get crossed when trying to get them started on the stud because the side cover won't fully seat where it should because of gunk getting in the way. Saw this a lot when I had my small engine shop (mostly Homelite/Ryobi units that had this back then.) and I have the tool-less system on my Wen 18" 40V cordless saw - They hold up fine, IF you do the necessary cleanup and maintenance (instead of rushing through a chain replacement and neglecting to clean up before assembly)
As for the plastic Vs metal drive gears, I agree - the plastic ones just don't hold up as long, so if you can, find out whether your saw of choice has plastic or metal drive gears (and see if they are replaceable - Often can find parts lookups for the model online, which might be a clue...) I'd sooner spend a bit more money on a machine if I could see it had readily available repair parts to be had in a matter of a couple days or so - Otherwise you end up with a useless hunk of junk that can't be fixed in a timely (or cost effective) manner which ends up costing you more than if you'd paid a little extra for a better machine.
Maybe that depends on the brand? One of my Stihl gasoline powered saws has a tool-less tensioner and it has never failed to hold through thousands of cuts, used so much I've worn out lots of bars and chains, replaced the drive sprocket several times, and the carb once. Easy to start too, even for a feeble old guy! (usually keep an 18" bar on it, sometimes a 16")
Already had Ego lawn tools so I purchased the Ego 18" chainsaw a couple years ago. Never had an issue with battery life. I have cut down entire trees that are 14 to 16 inches diameter, limb and buck them using two full batteries. Quite satisfied with the battery life.
Yep it is hard to beat a Stihl gas chainsaw. I have had mine since 1992 and it still starts easy and works great.
I have the same chainsaw and it is great.