What are electric chainsaws like compared to fuel ones?

I am a lawn and landscape guy by trade, so do a lot of tree work.  Trimming, felling, bucking up firewood, etc.  I have both gas and battery powered, a few of each.  I utilize them in different ways, it really is all about matching your equipment to what your task is.
Having said that, I can not imagine ever owning a plug in system.  I don't mean commercially either.  For anyone.  The batteries (in the brands I trust) are now generally too good and the saws more powerful and able, to ever consider a plug in type model again.  The only way even a homeowner should consider one, imo of course, is if they are given it, or find a great deal at a garage sale or something.  Otherwise, no way dealing with cords is ever worth it.    

I grew up on Stihl saws, and still use a lot of Stihl products, just don't currently own one of their chainsaws.  I've got a couple gas Husqvarna 450s, two Makita battery operated, one of them top handle that is smaller that is great for trimming/pruning, the other a 16 inch bar that can do a LOT of work.  Neighbors and clients both appreciate that I can work in their yard or neighborhood all afternoon and they barely know I'm there when I'm using the battery.  I also have the Milwaukee battery saw.  The Dewalt I've never used professionally, but I do have a friend that owns one and I've used it for like 5 minutes, I can see myself buying one in the future.  
I've found that if you don't buy the cheap brands, you get better results.  Stick with Makita, Milwaukee, or Dewalt.  

I personally prefer having the electric on the truck at all times for small trim jobs and even small tree removal.  If I'm cutting something big, that requires a heavy saw.  Don't overwork the battery equipment.  The person who had trouble with a Dewalt after one day, take that sucker back.  They are not all garbage.  That being said, I don't know what you were trying to cut, how big or how hard the wood was etc, but it's not a gas saw.  It's not gonna perform like one.  Not gonna work as long or as hard.  It was made for smaller jobs.  Big trees require big saws, and that pretty much means, at this point in history anyway, gas powered.  Or possibly the quite expensive backpack battery type, which I have no personal experience with.  

Long story short, I like my battery powered saws.  If you have other power tools in one of the brands I listed above, and can utilize your battery line that way, do it!  I think you'll have good results, and never look back.  

Good luck.

I did consider trading my dewalt in for a new one but upon reading reviews I found it is common for dewalt to have the same problem mine had, so not worth the risk imo to get an exchange only to have the same problem shortly thereafter, maybe I'll try battery powered again in the future but not until I can justify the greater investment in batteries, getting 20 ish cuts on pine logs before I had to charge the battery for 3 hours wasnt very efficient for me
By the time I get back into one, hopefully they've improved all the more because I did enjoy using it while it lasted

[quote=Jay Cee]
Neighbors and clients both appreciate that I can work in their yard or neighborhood all afternoon and they barely know I'm there when I'm using the battery.  I also have the Milwaukee battery saw.  The Dewalt I've never used professionally, but I do have a friend that owns one and I've used it for like 5 minutes, I can see myself buying one in the future.  


I've found that if you don't buy the cheap brands, you get better results.  Stick with Makita, Milwaukee, or Dewalt.  
[/quote]

Not to be annoyingly repetitive... but, fuck dewalt.

I own both dewalt and milwaukee tools, a similar number of each.

So far, zero fatalities on the M18 stuff. Half of it was bought heavily used, like beat to shit used, from contractors upgrading. All still working fine, and none of it owes me anything at this point. It has done more work for me than the dewalt gear; it happens to be heavier use items, or where I have both, I prefer the m18, so it gets more use.


The dewalt stuff was all brand new. Two flexvolt tools(grinder and blower) blew up, after modest and very minimal use respectively. Sparks and smoke. Warranty was a huge hassle and very slow.

Three other tools(chainsaw, circular saw, impact driver) have problems. The chainsaw was the worst, and I sent it in for warranty; they shipped it back unfixed, with a letter claiming a: it was working fine, and b: that I had put gas in the bar oil compartment. Uh. Nope. Didn't bother shipping the other tools in after this experience.

One flexvolt battery is dead, charger refuses to charge it. Battery life on all is noticably much more reduced than the m18 batteries in a comparable time frame.


I definitely don't class dewalt with milwaukee and makita, after this.



The silence factor on the electric saws is great. I sometimes do firewood after 10pm, and don't have to feel like an asshole!

That sucks about dewalt. I don’t own any of their tools, so no recent experience (other than using my friends tools doing various things) so I guess there are people who like them, and apparently, hate them. I do know that there have been manufacturing changes, so it’s good for me personally to hear the negative along with the good I hear about them.
I do like makita, and Milwaukee. Own more makita but it’s not because I don’t like Milwaukee. Just have bought a number of tools on good sales when I needed them. And I like having plenty of batteries. Trying to operate without multiple batteries does suck.

I just ordered the Makita 36v, 14" saw.   I wanted something higher quality, and I liked the 2 battery design.  My wife was pushing for the purchase, so the potential for her to use it came into play. She has had pretty extensive back fusions, and the balance of the saw was praised in the reviews as well as it not being too heavy.  

I am also having some doubts on my collection of DeWalt tools (problems with the chuck on the drill and switch on the sawsall).  The fact that the Makita comes with 4 batteries is another plus if I start to replace the DeWalts.

John I really want to hear a review of that saw when you get the chance.

Eric

Hi Eric,

Will do.  While I have your attention, is there an equipment review thread ... if so, where?

For those who haven't seen it, there is a Gear Review Grid.  It's kinda like the book review grid.  If you have a product you'd like to review that's on the list, click on the name to go to the thread and add a reply with your score (follow the format of "I give this gear X out of 10 acorns).

If the gear hasn't been reviewed yet, there are tutorials at the bottom of the grid for how to make a post about it (don't review it at this stage) and then reply to that post with your review.  Then other folks can add their reviews to your thread

Hi Mike,

Thanks. I thought it existed, but I couldn't find it. I think I entered "equipment  reviews" in the search engine.

Uh. ... that Mikita Battery  Chainsaw I ordered yesterday was delivered today. Off to a good start!

Yesterday we used a Remington Electric Chainsaw 24" and a gas-powered one, though I don't know the brand, it was black and much bigger than the electric.

Hands down the big black gas-powered one did a lot more work.

The electric-powered one kept stopping because it was jammed with cedar needles or sawdust.

Both were running almost constantly from 9 am to 2 pm so I would say they were both winners.  They only stopped to load limbs to be hauled away.  Dear hubby ran the tractor all day doing the hauling.

I had an electric chainsaw before, it was really good with small branches and limbs. It would not be sufficient for cutting down big trees or cutting up cords of fire wood.

I have been using a Stihl for firewood and general tree work. I run it at higher elevations and the fuel can be an issue, when the fuel gets old(4-6mos) it will not run well. I started using premixed 2cycle engine gas and it runs much better and will store much longer. Automotive gas is not designed for chainsaws and when conditions are not optimal it can be an issue.

Lot of interesting comments about battery compared to gas. I do like my cheap Ryobi battery tools for sure and if your concerned about the environment we really need to change to electric from gas especially 2 stroke gas powered tools. Anyhow I’m a volunteer for WMNF Community radio in Tampa and co-host a Sustainable Living Power and this coming Monday February 22 at 10 (eastern time) we wanted to do a segment on E-Tools in general and was looking for recommendations for a guest?  

I bought a Greenworks chain saw because I had trouble breathing with regular fumes from a gas powered saw.  I was actually surprised at how powerful it is and how long it lasts between charges.  Two hours to fully charge the lithium battery and it will cut a cord of wood.  It gets heavy use and holds up well.  Several safety features, like the fact it cuts off if your finger slips off the “on” button you have to hold while cutting. You can press the battery button “off” between cuts if you are repositioning the wood and won’t use it for a minute.  If you do that, it lasts even longer.  Having a properly sharpened blade makes it cut like butter and since the blade runs slower than a gas powered saw, it doesn’t dull quite as quickly.  It’s also lighter weight than most gas powered ones.  I just love it.  Hubby frequently “borrows” it just because he likes it, although he has numerous other saws.  All chain saws are dangerous and caution is advised.  

I posted this in another spot. This was done with a relatively dull chain.

Is there any battery-powered saw that has some kind of warning when it's starting to overheat? or is there a way to tell from feeling the heat on it that it's getting close?  

Thanks for all the detailed info.

My Mikita gives plenty of warning when it needs a rest. It stops and can be easily put back in action. But, if I continue to push it hard, it will demand a longer rest.

John F Dean wrote:My Mikita gives plenty of warning when it needs a rest. It stops and can be easily put back in action. But, if I continue to push it hard, it will demand a longer rest.

I'll bet you that my body's over-use warning system would pre-empt any protective measures your saw might have.