Small battery chain saw recommendations

[saxnbees]

I currently have a Husqvarna 350 and an Echo CS 590 Timberwolf. Both have 18" bars. My wife has been cutting up small limbs for years using a hand saw and was never interested in a small chain saw. Recently, she has decided that a small chain saw might be nice to have for her use. I do not think it would make sense to have yet another gas saw, especially one that might not get much use most of the year. So, I am thinking about getting a battery powered saw. It would be used primarily for cutting up limbs for kindling, etc.

What would you recommend for such a purpose?

 

[rademamj1]

I am constantly trimming tree branches away from my gravel road and also along my property line. About 80% of the time I use a Makita chainsaw, which has extremely powerful and reliable motor and upto 1 hour use on battery pack. Very light chain saw. My wife loves the saw too because its so very easy to handle. I also used this Makita chainsaw to help process small trees for my chipper. I have had this saw 2 years now and has been extremely reliable. The only negative on this saw has been the safety time out after using the saw. Once you turn the saw on, you have about 15 seconds to start sawing, or it will auto shut off. You will just need to get used to the auto shut off safety switch.

Amazon.com : Makita XCU3PT1 18V X2 (36V) LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 14" Chain Saw Kit with, 4 Batteries (5.Ah) : Garden & Outdoor

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have the 12” Makita chainsaw also light and reliable.

 

[fried1765]

I have the 12 Makita chainsaw also light and reliable.

You can get a 40V Greenworks 16" saw at Lowe's or Walmart for $165 or less.
It works GREAT!

 

[RalphVa]

Wife now uses a Stihl 12" with 36v battery. Great saw. Uses a lot of bar oil, and the bar oil indicator isn't much good like the one was on 2 Kobalt 40v ones she wore out. Kobalt went into factory recall. Could not get another one, either brushed or non brushed.

All 3 saws saw a huge amount of use. She went many days using 2 and 3 batteries per day. Now not doing much. All fallen trees cut up and that 100 yard long pile of debris is gone.

Ralph

 

[newbury]

I currently have a Husqvarna 350 and an Echo CS 590 Timberwolf. Both have 18" bars. My wife has been cutting up small limbs for years using a hand saw and was never interested in a small chain saw. Recently, she has decided that a small chain saw might be nice to have for her use. I do not think it would make sense to have yet another gas saw, especially one that might not get much use most of the year. So, I am thinking about getting a battery powered saw. It would be used primarily for cutting up limbs for kindling, etc.

What would you recommend for such a purpose?

I currently have the saws in my sig plus a few more that won't fit in the sig.
What's a "small limb"? Less than 6" diameter? < 4"?
How long can your wife hold a gallon of gas with one hand arm extended? Most saws weigh about 8 lbs or more w/ battery
How deep is your wallet?
How much usage and reliability do you need? One forum member uses a Stihl to trim the bottoms of Christmas trees.
Are you already "invested" in a battery system? I've 3 HF lynxx's and 3 batteries. Polesaws and chainsaw.

Stihl undoubtedly makes the best battery operated chainsaws. But too expensive for me for a battery saw.
I've owned a Black and Decker 12" 40V (gave to my Daughter) and own a HF 14" 40V Lynxx. The B&D was like $110 w/ battery and charger the HF was $140 w/ battery and charger.
Both were great. But for the usage you seem to describe something like the B&D 10" 20Volt may do well. My BIL keeps one in his truck. Real handy, real small, inexpensive.

Also for your wifes use you might consider a Sawz-all type tool.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I currently have a Husqvarna 350 and an Echo CS 590 Timberwolf. Both have 18" bars. My wife has been cutting up small limbs for years using a hand saw and was never interested in a small chain saw. Recently, she has decided that a small chain saw might be nice to have for her use. I do not think it would make sense to have yet another gas saw, especially one that might not get much use most of the year. So, I am thinking about getting a battery powered saw. It would be used primarily for cutting up limbs for kindling, etc.

What would you recommend for such a purpose?

If you only plan to have one electric power tool I do not think the brand is a big hairy deal. Most any battery chainsaw should work fine for cutting up limbs for kindling.

Our Lynxx 40v power tools (5) are still working except for the very light line trimmer that got used like a DR two wheel bush hog after 3 years except most are now at my son's place. He had most of our 10 year old Kobalt 18v power tool like drill, sawall, circular saw but last week he bought a 24v set and brought my 18v tools back home. I bought the 80v line of lawn care Kobalt tools a coupe weeks ago and have used the self propelled 21" mower, leaf blower but just brought on some bar oil for the 18" bar saw and got a grease gun for the bar nose roller bearing but have not used it yet. The mower came with a 6AH battery and for $300 I could buy a spare 5AH battery or get the 18" chainsaw with a 5 AH battery and charger on clearance for $339. The saw and heavy duty charger for $39 won the day.

We now have 4 80v batteries (two 2.5 AH, a 5.0 AH and 6 AH) so I can mow for about 3 hours or use the saw for about that long.

Look for a $150 12-16" lithium ion electric saw like others here have found should be a good option for you since you have good POWER saws already. The longer the bar the heavier the chain often but the heavier the saw is to use and pay for.

The self propelled lawn mower has sold me on battery vs gas at my house and as a bonus they come with jerk-free starters.

 

[saxnbees]

To answer a few previous questions...

My wife is fairly athletic but in her upper 60s, and like everyone else, isn't getting any younger. So, weight is surely a factor. Most of the stuff she cuts is smaller than 4" so a long bar is not really needed.

I am not currently invested in any battery system. I do have a fairly old 20V Craftsman drill but nothing else. That being said, if you folks think that there is a line of battery operated tools that beats the others, then it might make sense to purchase that brand.

I am not very constrained by a budget, but I also don't believe in paying more for something because of the name. If there is a brand that meets my needs, is well made, and less expensive then I feel it is worth consideration.

If I am reading the responses correctly, it sounds like everyone so far is fairly happy with their purchase and a number of fairly generic brands are included in the posts above.

Is there any brand you think I should avoid? Anything in particular I should consider when buying a cordless chain saw?

Gale, I see that you bought the Kobalt brand. My wife's friend actually recommended their saw and that is what started this search. Is there a particular reason you chose the Kobalt brand?

 

[RalphVa]

Kobalt 40v (brushed) and 24v (brushless) were in factory recall. Only one available was the 40v pole saw back in the spring when the wife broke an internal cog on her 2nd 40v Kobalt. First one wore out the brushes. Continued with brushes in 2nd one because the brushless switched batteries. They're a good saw. Our two that wore out had A LOT of usage.

Still have Kobalt grass whip and walkbehind push mower. Don't use the mower much because even though light and all, prefer self propelled gas ones because of self propulsion and doing a better job.

In future, will go to self propelled battery powered one, probably a Stihl.

Ralph

 

[Bullwinkle123]

A timely topic for me. I have an Echo brand gas saw which I loathe. Hard to start, runs poorly, since the day I brought it home. So I use it, but I hate it every day.

I recently had to buy a string trimmer and decided to go electric, if only so my wife wouldn't need to learn to deal with gas mixtures and pull starts which are difficult for her slight frame. And of course if you're going to start buying anything with $100+ batteries, so your homework and plan ahead. So as part of the string trimmer research I researched chainsaws, even though I wasn't sure about going that route, because if you're going to have those batteries, and are thinking about electric chainsaws, then you want to be able to share batteries. Some manufacturers make great string trimmers and so-so chain saws. Definitely makes the purchase harder.

In the end I went with Milwaukee. My first couple of hours with the Milwaukee string trimmer and 8AH high output battery have been great. It's not a light trimmer, but it's solidly built and I get about an hour of trimming on the low setting, which is all I've needed. This model has the Quik-Lock setup, so you can attach the motor +stem to other attachments like hedge trimmers and pole saws. Seems like a great idea to me. (They have another string trimmer model they sell with a 9AH battery but no Quik-Lok, so pay attention if you're shopping).

I was pleased enough with the string trimmer, and had another thoroughly aggravating day with the Echo, that I ordered the Milwaukee chainsaw with 12AH battery and free blower (a promotion - got it at Home depot).

Unboxed it yesterday, it's very sturdily built, but haven't tried it yet. Didn't see anything that smelled of "toy chainsaw". It's heavy, sturdy, and ready for business, will try it this weekend as I have downed trees on my grass ready for work. And now I have two interchangeable batteries, two of the largest Milwaukee sells. The batteries alone retail for about $300+, so if you're going electric you're really committing to some expensive battery technology, make sure you can get the most from it. Try not to drop it

I also used to use a corded electric chainsaw a lifetime ago in suburbia. It was actually a great experience, I could always rely on the thing to get the job done, and never had to worry about gas going bad or oil mixes, which is probably why I was open to the idea of a battery powered device now (when an electric cord wouldn't reach past my driveway).

 

[shooterdon]

This year I got a HF Lynxx on the recommendation of a friend who is an arborist who works for a power company. I have been very pleased with it for the occasional job i need a saw for. I have a Shindiawa 488 and Husqvarna 455 but they are a pain to use for a 15-20 minute job. I do not use a saw often enough to keep it gassed up so need to drain and/or run the fuel out between uses.

I used to use the gas saws a lot. But it is more efficient for me to use a processor to put up firewood. I will likely sell one of the gas saws as a result. I will always have an electric saw. I have never used one of the higher end battery saws so I may not know how "bad" the HF saw is but it does the job for now.

 

[cdaigle430]

I have a Poulin 16 inch chainsaw but got tired of mixing, storing gas and the smell and noise. I am already invested in Milwaukee M18 and M12 tools so I decided to but the Milwaukee 16 inch battery chainsaw (too only). Im using the 4 amp batteries I bought 5 years ago with all my M18 tools and I am impressed. I can cut down and trim two 16 inch base fir trees on one battery-thats with a 4amp battery thats 5 years old. You can buy and use the 12 amp batteries they sell if you need to spend alot longer cutting.

So far so good.

 

[nhbubba]

I'm in a similar boat. I have a good gas saw that I like very much. But it is heavy and takes a lot out of you. The real kicker is it does not tolerate being stored with gas in it for even a couple weeks. So every time I use it I need to drain and run it dry.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a light top-handle "limb" saw just for pruning, small stuff and such. Then I noticed the electric units. That'd be fantastic for trail work too. No stopping and restarting the saw every 10'.

I'm trying to look at entire systems as I don't want to keep adding batteries and chargers. I already have a single Dewalt 20V system tool and a couple smaller batteries for it, but I hear terrible things about their saw. So I am pretty much resigned to buying into another battery system for this. Which stinks.

For me it is mostly down to the Ryobi/Home Depot or Atlas/HF systems. Both of these seem to have everything I want and much more.

What's awkward is most seem to be shooting for big saw replacements with 14-18" bars. I just want a little 12" bar. I've heard some folks downsize the bars on theirs.


As I type this I just became aware that Milwaukee is introducing a tiny little 6" M12 system pruning saw. It's so cute!


Another option is a cordless sawzall and some aggressive blades.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The best I can tell all the current 80v power tools come from the same factory in China. Kobalt has been good to us over the years and handy. Lynxx/HF is 50 miles one way. We have 5 Lynxx 40v batteries and chargers and hope they last a long time.
After having the battery powered Nissan going on a year I can't see myself going back to gas. The 80v mower has
Spoiled me.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I'm trying to look at entire systems as I don't want to keep adding batteries and chargers. I already have a single Dewalt 20V system tool and a couple smaller batteries for it, but I hear terrible things about their saw. So I am pretty much resigned to buying into another battery system for this. Which stinks.

I seemed to recall reading good things about the DeWalt cordless chain saw. However I am _SO BURNED_ by the one expensive DeWalt 18v NiCd system I bought some years back that I am unlikely ever to buy another battery powered product from them. The battery basically stopped holding a charge after a few uses, and they charge a fortune for new ones. If you're going to sell expensive batteries, they'd better work a long time. I baby my batteries too, whether it's respecting the memory effect of NiCd systems or avoiding over charging or being careful not to drop them. So ... no excuses for a bad battery on my watch. Of course my expectations are even higher with these new Lithium Ion batteries, time will tell. Having just spent $300 on batteries, I expect a lot!

 

[dragoneggs]

Wife now uses a Stihl 12" with 36v battery. Great saw. Uses a lot of bar oil, and the bar oil indicator isn't much good like the one was on 2 Kobalt 40v ones she wore out. Kobalt went into factory recall. Could not get another one, either brushed or non brushed.

All 3 saws saw a huge amount of use. She went many days using 2 and 3 batteries per day. Now not doing much. All fallen trees cut up and that 100 yard long pile of debris is gone.

Ralph

I use a Stihl AP with 14in bar. No issue at all with it or bar oil consumption. Great saw. My gassers are lonely in the shed.

 

[rademamj1]

I seemed to recall reading good things about the DeWalt cordless chain saw. However I am _SO BURNED_ by the one expensive DeWalt 18v NiCd system I bought some years back that I am unlikely ever to buy another battery powered product from them. The battery basically stopped holding a charge after a few uses, and they charge a fortune for new ones. If you're going to sell expensive batteries, they'd better work a long time. I baby my batteries too, whether it's respecting the memory effect of NiCd systems or avoiding over charging or being careful not to drop them. So ... no excuses for a bad battery on my watch. Of course my expectations are even higher with these new Lithium Ion batteries, time will tell. Having just spent $300 on batteries, I expect a lot!

Batteries can be very expensive to replace. Each battery needs to be fully charged before storage, or its voltage level will drop so low, that the charging system will not recognize the battery and refuse to even start the charging process. It shows as a bad battery. Time to throw the battery away, or charge it another way so that its charging system will recognize the battery

And even after going into storage at full charge, battery charge levels, will slowly decrease over time. Everyone using battery powered chainsaws or any other cordless tools, must develop a habit, where each month they set aside about an hour dedicated to just battery charging time.

 

[dragoneggs]

Sticking to a single brand or a couple makes good sense. I have Stihl products for lawn/garden, and Dewalt for small hand tools. This keeps battery/charger costs lower and you cycle the batteries more regularly.

 

[rademamj1]

I'm trying to look at entire systems as I don't want to keep adding batteries and chargers. I already have a single Dewalt 20V system tool and a couple smaller batteries for it, but I hear terrible things about their saw. So I am pretty much resigned to buying into another battery system for this. Which stinks.

For me it is mostly down to the Ryobi/Home Depot or Atlas/HF systems. Both of these seem to have everything I want and much more.

Unfortunately, I found the Dewalt chainsaw one of the poorest tool Dewalt ever designed. I love most Dewalt hand tools......all except their chainsaw.

Like wise, I own four Ryobi tools, most especially their cordless hedge trimmer is a real beast for clearing brush. The Ryobi chainsaw is extremely well designed, functionally a great tool and their 40V batteries are very good too. Just their chainsaws are so woefully underpowered due to the small motor size used for this saw.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Unfortunately, I found the Dewalt chainsaw one of the poorest tool Dewalt ever designed.

so out of curiosity what did you find wrong with the chain saw?
Bought a 20V Dewalt chainsaw for my wife. she uses it a lot and I see her packing it around a lot.
Its powerful and has a long battery life. I'm still impressed. only issue I can see is that it uses way too much bar oil.
I bought the 60V Dewalt chainsaw and thats all I use now. My Stihls just sit.I just cut a lot of 30" table tops with it and it works well.Does take more battery though.