Electric Chainsaws and Working out of a Bucket

[Little Red Tractor]

I've not been a fan of electric chainsaws, or other battery-powered equipment, but I've had to moderate my thoughts a bit. In the last six months I've been involved in two projects, both working out of rented 50-foot buckets, cutting a lot of problem trees. The first time, I was using my Stihl MS 211, a handy and reasonably lightweight saw with a 16 inch bar. The second trip I was using the homeowner's DeWalt, also with a 16 inch bar, though, I believe, a different pitch chain.

No question at all that the Stihl cut faster, but I have to admit that the ease of use of the electric saw makes it my choice if I ever have to do work out of a bucket again. There are no worries about starting/stopping re-starting...finger off the trigger and it stops...it's that easy.

Will I even be a convert to electric? Maybe not, but I won't turn down the offer to use one if I'm in tight spots or up on the end of a 50-foot stick!

 

[RandyT]

I've not been a fan of electric chainsaws, or other battery-powered equipment, but I've had to moderate my thoughts a bit. In the last six months I've been involved in two projects, both working out of rented 50-foot buckets, cutting a lot of problem trees. The first time, I was using my Stihl MS 211, a handy and reasonably lightweight saw with a 16 inch bar. The second trip I was using the homeowner's DeWalt, also with a 16 inch bar, though, I believe, a different pitch chain.

No question at all that the Stihl cut faster, but I have to admit that the ease of use of the electric saw makes it my choice if I ever have to do work out of a bucket again. There are no worries about starting/stopping re-starting...finger off the trigger and it stops...it's that easy.

Will I even be a convert to electric? Maybe not, but I won't turn down the offer to use one if I'm in tight spots or up on the end of a 50-foot stick!

The MS211 should have the .325 chain were the Dewalt has the 3/8 LP chain. Project Farm has tested battery saws on 2 separate test and the Dewalt 60V out cut the MS170 in both test which would be the more comparable saw to the battery saw.

 

[Tinhack]

I have the DeWalt chainsaw as well as the DeWalt pole saw. My arthritis doesn't allow me to pull the starter ropes on most engines. It's either use those or it doesn't get done. I've been satisfied with the performance of both saws. I've gone electric or electric start on just about everything including my minibike.

 

[CalG]

I bought the little Makita saw, because I was climbing with spikes and wanted something that would hang on my belt and do the limbing on the way up.

I find I use it for most every "incidental" need around the yard and gardens.

But the battery management is driving me nuts.
The saw only came with a single 4Ah battery. Sometimes, when starting out with a fresh charge, the saw will shut it's self off on the first several cuts even if they are light. I assume this is over amp protection, but IDK. Then after a few cuts , the thing just works.... running until the battery is spent.
I have a set of Makita brill and driver that the batteries "look" alike, but on a fresh charge that runs the drill or driver, They won't get past the first trigger pull on the saw. Guess I'll need to bite the bullet and get a new battery or two. PRICEY items they are. Driving the price of that dinky one hand electric saw up past what I recently paid for a four HP gas saw.

Oh well...It sure is handy while the battery lasts. ;-)

 

[kozal01]

I bought the little Makita saw, because I was climbing with spikes and wanted something that would hang on my belt and do the limbing on the way up.

I find I use it for most every "incidental" need around the yard and gardens.

But the battery management is driving me nuts.
The saw only came with a single 4Ah battery. Sometimes, when starting out with a fresh charge, the saw will shut it's self off on the first several cuts even if they are light. I assume this is over amp protection, but IDK. Then after a few cuts , the thing just works.... running until the battery is spent.
I have a set of Makita brill and driver that the batteries "look" alike, but on a fresh charge that runs the drill or driver, They won't get past the first trigger pull on the saw. Guess I'll need to bite the bullet and get a new battery or two. PRICEY items they are. Driving the price of that dinky one hand electric saw up past what I recently paid for a four HP gas saw.

Oh well...It sure is handy while the battery lasts. ;-)

Been considering a cordless chainsaw. I have both Dewalt and Milwaukee battery systems but I just love to run my little Echo 2511 top handle saw, it’s rips and is super lightweight.

 

[the old grind]

There's a 110v outlet in my bucket (F450/Terex 292) and a big inverter that's working fine, so I can borrow a corded pole trimmer (HFT) from next door.

But my experience with corded/electric saws (20 yrs+) is that after they bind a few times a gear strips. (main driven) $35 for a new gear or <$50 for a new saw with the popular-style 110v ones. Are the cordless saws much different if they're so light in weight?

Anyway, for a bit more than I paid a decade ago I'd buy another of these. btw, I don't mix gas but decant premix from gallons (VP, Tri-Fuel, etc) to the quart-size bottles and take 'em to the job. Not a lot of fuss for even/just one saw & I'm getting 1-2 pull starts using 10 yr old fuel from their tightly sealed cans.

https://www.amazon.com/Echo-CS-271T-12-Inch-Chainsaw/dp/B007HO1JI4?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=nav_ya_signin&psc=1&smid=A3ANCDTDP7QF4H&gQT=1

But it''s not just that it's so easy to start (up there too) and handles so well (I'm 75 w/osteo-arthur) but for limbing fells and when needing one hand to hang on for balance or whatever a good top-handle will pay for itself in a season or two.

AND, a 6" dia limb is nothing with a 12" bar when you can undercut and back-cut one handed with plenty of power and a carded Millwright as your ground observer. Fun times.

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[shooterdon]

I did all my ice storm damage cleanup with a tiny 12" 20V Dewalt saw and two 5 amp-hr batteries. Could not get my gas saw to start.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I bought the little Makita saw, because I was climbing with spikes and wanted something that would hang on my belt and do the limbing on the way up.

I find I use it for most every "incidental" need around the yard and gardens.

But the battery management is driving me nuts.
The saw only came with a single 4Ah battery. Sometimes, when starting out with a fresh charge, the saw will shut it's self off on the first several cuts even if they are light. I assume this is over amp protection, but IDK. Then after a few cuts , the thing just works.... running until the battery is spent.
I have a set of Makita brill and driver that the batteries "look" alike, but on a fresh charge that runs the drill or driver, They won't get past the first trigger pull on the saw. Guess I'll need to bite the bullet and get a new battery or two. PRICEY items they are. Driving the price of that dinky one hand electric saw up past what I recently paid for a four HP gas saw.

Oh well...It sure is handy while the battery lasts. ;-)

I only had the DeWalt die on me one time, and that may have been for low oil, as it seemed to be positional. I cut on and off for about 8 hours and went through 3 batteries. It would have been 3 or 4 tanks of fuel in my saw, I'm sure.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I bought the little Makita saw, because I was climbing with spikes and wanted something that would hang on my belt and do the limbing on the way up.

I find I use it for most every "incidental" need around the yard and gardens.

But the battery management is driving me nuts.
The saw only came with a single 4Ah battery. Sometimes, when starting out with a fresh charge, the saw will shut it's self off on the first several cuts even if they are light. I assume this is over amp protection, but IDK. Then after a few cuts , the thing just works.... running until the battery is spent.
I have a set of Makita brill and driver that the batteries "look" alike, but on a fresh charge that runs the drill or driver, They won't get past the first trigger pull on the saw. Guess I'll need to bite the bullet and get a new battery or two. PRICEY items they are. Driving the price of that dinky one hand electric saw up past what I recently paid for a four HP gas saw.

Oh well...It sure is handy while the battery lasts. ;-)

My son has a 14" Kobalt. He has quite a few batteries, and makes use of them all. I guess it's all a trade off: size, weight, run time....

 

[ultrarunner]

Tree guys saw my Stihl battery saw and thought it cute

I had him try it and he was impressed except mine has the smaller chain which he said would be a problem for his crew as they standardize.

I also have a Stihl corded saw and it’s a beast…