Electric chainsaws

[Meatpuppet]

I have a STIHL MSA 220 electric chain saw. It is pretty impressive! It is so handy to just pop the battery in and trim off limbs or cut down small trees. Obviously it cant match a gas chainsaw, but you would be amazed how powerful and handy it is. I would say the electric and gas chainsaws really complement each other if you live in a wooded property. Plus the battery can be used in my STIHL String Trimmer and Leaf Blower.

[BigAlofPa.]

My 1st chain saw was a Pullan 14 inch electric corded saw. It worked great for my needs. I don't remember what happened to it. That was back in the 90's.

[samari46]

Have a Harbor Freight 14" electric chain saw. Just plug in the battery and off you go. Have a Husky in the garage with 20" bar so save it for the big jobs. But prefer the smaller one as at times I'm unsteady on my feet. Getting old is not for sissies. Frank

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well, this makes for a bad situation for me. I love to buy the lightly used 10 yr old Stihl Gas chain saws from residential users for cheap, because the carb needs to be cleaned.

BTW, has anyone priced the NEW Stihl Pro grade saws lately? When did they double in price?

[Huskerguy]

We spend some time on my wife's family farm. Lots of creek and the trees have almost taken over the place. My BIL "lets" us cut all the trees we want for firewood and I haul it and actually give it away as we don't have a fireplace. He had an nice 16" Echo he gave me and bought a cordless Dewalt, 16". I have cut several trees down, removed bushes and limbed several trees. I have to say I am very impressed. With two batteries I can cut a pretty good day, plenty of power, quiet, light and for the best part is I pick it up and start cutting, no pulling ropes and adding fuel. I was all set to buy a new saw until I used this one, this does all I need to do, and we have some big trees to tackle.

[farmbif]

my neighbor got one of those ego power chainsaws , I was impressed she got an extra battery , but it sure does cut. not as fast as my stihl 261, but it gets the job done. and everyone around here heats with wood so chainsaw is absolutely necessary. I been thinking about maybe selling off one of my old 260's and getting an electric.

[MaryB]

Corded is great of you are close to your work... I would be at the end of 150 feet of extension cord for the downed branch I am working on... dragging cord around and into a down jumble of tree branches is not my idea of fun.

I can rebuild battey packs, it isn't difficult...

[MUSTANG]

Yep; cords can be a pain. At the Moapa House I run cords up to 400 feet away from the house for 110V power tools. I use a garden cart to coil the cords in while working at a distance from the house. That way I can uncoil and coil to "Control the Cord and Trip Hazard"; also less abrasion than dragging the cords around. To each their own on battery vs cords. I have about 6 or 7 battery powered drills in the Work Shed that battery's are dead or no longer supported. Still have two electric drills that are battery powered in addition to 3 drills(various horsepower) that are corded. One pays their money and takes their choice.

[BJK]

Mary, you could put straps on a genny and take the juice with you.

I never saw any sense to a corded electric. But the new Li-Ion saws could be all I need today. I have 3 saws, a Stihl 031 AVE from the 70s. I haven't used it in decades but last time I did it ran fine. Then 2 Huskys a 2xx and a 3xx (I can't remember the numbers). There was a time when I used to down the trees and work up my winters firewood and we heated mostly with wood back then. I just got done trimming limbs back with the lighter of the 2 Huskys and clearly I'm no longer capable of doing what I could even 30 years ago. I might get an electric and depending on how I like it sell the other saws. I might have to give away the Stihl. I've been thinking along these lines for the last year. Christmas is coming.

[cabezaverde]

I bought the 40V Ryobi for when the job is too small to mix gas. It's really handy and works well.

[BamaNapper]

I got an electric chainsaw with a cord . Over the years every battery powered tool had to be done away with ... not because of the tool ... but the batteries , sooner or later they need replacing , want hold a charge and then no longer available ... no batteries = No Functioning Tool !
I've gone back to tools with cords and the chain saw is a cheap Black& Decker ...about 18 years old and still cutting limbs around the house ... If you keep tools for decades ... the electric cord and wall receptacle will be around forever ...batteries ... not so much , discontinued by the maker and you have to buy another tool .
Gary

+1 here too. I got about a decade out of my previous 110v saw. This year, instead of replacing the bar and chain I caught the HF special on sale for about $40 and just tossed the old one.

I use the devil out of cordless tools at work, but have none at the house anymore. I've gone through a handful of cordless drills and now use the corded one I got almost 40 years ago.

[Loudenboomer]

I have a Stihl for serious cutting and a couple of poulan saws than I mostly pull on. I have many 20 volt DeWalt tools around the shop so I decided on a DeWalt 20 V saw for battery commonality. Yes it is somewhat a TOY saw but it sure is handy on the trail with the ATV.

[wch]

I bought an Ivation 15 amp saw, auto oiling and no problems for many of the same reasons as the original poster.
It works great and always starts if Reddy Kilowatt is amenable!

[Mal Paso]

I can rebuild battey packs, it isn't difficult...

I bought the lynxx chainsaw and polesaw to tackle a rotten branch that required climbing. That gave me 2 $50 batteries in the $300 package.

Mary is right. The battery housings are not interchangeable between brands but the cells inside are standard. If batteries fail before I wear out the saw I'll rebuild the pack.

[farmbif]

I found that by the time I got one of those poulans started I was a pulling pro

[GregLaROCHE]

From what I’ve been hearing, in some states you may have to go electric. I looked at a Sthil this spring, but the cost/weight with the big batteries, I passed. The cord models are a lot cheaper and I have considered them. With the price of gas going up, electric is becoming more interesting.

[Kraschenbirn]

When I put my old Mini-Mac out to pasture last year (parts no longer available), I bought a 40V Remington for tree trimming and brush clearance. Only issue I've had, so far, is asking why I didn't make the switch earlier whenever I get it out.

Bill

[Beagle333]

I have the Kobalt 40V 14" from Lowes. It's really handy because I seldom need a chainsaw, but when I do, it's ready and never needs carb cleaning. It'll outlast me on just the one battery.

[quilbilly]

I have had a Poulan corded saw for at least 20 years. It just keeps going and going. Of, course I have a Stihl Farm Boss for the bigger jobs but that Poulan has outlived two gas powered. With 150 feet of extension cord I have cut up several 15" + diameter trees near the house. It does cut slower than the gas powered Stihl, however. In my dabbling with chainsaw sculpture, the electric is certainly more forgiving at its slower speed.

[bangerjim]

I went with a Craftsman 16" electric 120v. GREAT saw. Cuts till the cow's come home. Plows thru green and dead trees like butter. Bought it at Lowe's for under $100.00. I just do no trust battery powered chain saws at all. Lot's of power needed and batteries are very costly. Same with weed whackers and leaf blowers. Extension cords are cheap!