Battery-powered chainsaw

[Snoop Puss]

Agree with all your points, Muddy_Boots. We are careful not to use ours for jobs for which it is underpowered. But for our purposes, ours has proved to be a really good buy and gets used a fair amount, especially at this time of year.

[Muddy_Boots]

I have a trusty petrol one and its always done what its been bought to do, many years ago I hired an electric wired chainsaw to chop down 6 Pine type decorative trees in my mums front garden all about 12ft high. At first it was doing the job quite well but as soon as the electric motor was under heavy resistance it started to struggle, I'm never sure about electric chainsaws and would always prefer a petrol one as they just seem to be good at the job they are designed to do, electric ones that are battery powered now that's a whole new ball game as you have to consider the motor torque output, battery life, battery power but I've never used one myself.

When considering any of them you have to still be mindful they are not toys or for the casual user, they are very dangerous in the wrong hands and could be fatal so use with caution and read the small print and safety leaflets as you will still get any kickbacks no matter what they are powered by.

[Snoop Puss]

OK, so reporting back after trying my friend's Stihl 120.

Very light, easily handled, not too noisy, no big chips flying everywhere. Not at all intimidating. Went through 12-cm-diameter olive wood (classified here as a hard wood) brought down by snow in January last year. Surprisingly clean cut as well, if you're wanting to use one not just to cut up logs but for finer work. We didn't try bigger wood, but as most of our larger wood round here is youngish snow-felled pine, Mr Snoop thought it would be perfectly OK for most of the wood we need to deal with.

So we've ordered one with a spare battery. The man in the shop tried to deter us from buying the spare battery on the grounds we wouldn't need it, as you can do a lot with one, but Mr Snoop insisted. Unfortunately, it will take two weeks to arrive, but better that than never. Will let you know about how long the battery lasts when we get it.

[greenishfing]

I 've never had a chainsaw but you are all tempting me with the battery ones. I love my battery strimmer. I am always happy when the battery gets flat. I have usually run out of energy at around the same time.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Nicos. Maybe Stihl have increased their range since she bought hers because they now do a number of battery-powered ones. But that's a great review. Thanks again.

All in all, your daughter and Martin H's comments are a better endorsement of battery-powered chainsaws than I expected.

[Nicos]

She's just dry stone walling in the rain!

But her brief response was that it's the only one Stihl do . It's good for coppice work and cutting up standard logs , it's nice and light and the battery lasts longer than she does!

No wonder her OH has commandeered it !

[Nicos]

Sorry - forgot to ask daughter - have sent her a message

[Snoop Puss]

The biggest tree I've cut down so far was about 8 inches in diameter. I will probably have a bit more cutting to do in a week or so, after the tree man has done his work on the big stuff.

I just have the two batteries, because they came with the lawnmower.

That's impressive. I expected the diameter to be much less than that. Thanks for the info.

[Martin H]

And that's interesting, Martin. Mr Snoop picked up a DeWalt catalogue yesterday that lists your one with a charger and two or three batteries. By the time you add the batteries, it's competitively priced, which surprised me as I always thought DeWalt were expensive. I'll check it out. What kind of diameter logs/trees do you cut with it?

The biggest tree I've cut down so far was about 8 inches in diameter. I will probably have a bit more cutting to do in a week or so, after the tree man has done his work on the big stuff.

I just have the two batteries, because they came with the lawnmower.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, guys. All really helpful comments.

That's a big thumb's-up, Nicos, yes. I'd be glad to hear your daughter's views.

And that's interesting, Martin. Mr Snoop picked up a DeWalt catalogue yesterday that lists your one with a charger and two or three batteries. By the time you add the batteries, it's competitively priced, which surprised me as I always thought DeWalt were expensive. I'll check it out. What kind of diameter logs/trees do you cut with it?

NtG, Stihl do an absolutely tiny battery-powered chainsaw. The one I'm looking at has a 12-inch blade.


Snadger, I'm not sure how long the battery would last. I guess it depends on which battery I go for. But the bigger the battery, the heavier the weight. Which for me is an issue but maybe not for you. My friend claims she gets a day's use out of hers, but that includes all her prep work, not just the actual cutting.

My friend has offered Mr Snoop and me a test run of hers on Thursday. I'll find out more about the battery size, Snadger, and let you all know how it goes.

[Martin H]

I have a small (12 inch) DeWalt 18 volt one. Model DCM565N. It uses the same batteries as my lawnmower so I saved money by just buying the bare unit. It has plenty enough power for small trees and logs, and being brushless it ought to be pretty trouble-free.

I don't know how long it would run on continuous use, but my strimmer that uses the same battery runs for about half an hour so I guess it will be eimilar.

[roitelet]

I have a two stroke Sthil which I don’t find unwealdy. I have never used a battery powered one,
, they are lighter but when you add the weight of a battery it could be a different story. I did use an electric one once and found it didn’t have the power of a petrol one

[Snadger]

I have a Stihl rwo stroke chainsaw which I don't really find unweildly? I don't use it for long sessions though. I usually use it until the tank runs dry and starts to splutter then call it a day after that. I haven't timed it but would guess I get about an hours wood cutting?
Would I get that long with a battery powered jobbie, I doubt it. I don't know the stats, but if I could get that long I would probably think about buying one!

[nick the grief]

the Stihl will be expensive anyway as it is more a professional tool than some of the others. I don't think (if its the one im thinking of) its a very big one but if you're only cutting thru timber 3" or so then it should be fine mush above that and I think it would struggle as its not made for that ... I've still got my trusty bowsaw and after that a felling axe

[Nicos]

My daughter bought herself one for cutting up thick logs for her woodstove.
I'll ask her about it - but I must say that her OH uses it an awful lot rather than his petrol chainsaw if that is a thumbs up?