Small cordless chainsaw: Stihl MSA120/140 Vs DeWalt DCM565

[MisterBoy]

I have a half acre with woodland and keen to maintain myself where possible. I already have a Stihl petrol saw and long reach polesaw but am after a small cordless saw for quick jobs.

 

Most of my power tools are DeWalt XR so the DCM565 is an option as I have the batteries.

 

I also have the electric Stihl HLA 65. I like Stihl so the MSA 120 or 140 are tempting, the battery isn't cross compatible but the charger is.

 

I don't want to buy into a 3rd ecosystem and the DeWalt body-only is virtually the same as the Stihl with a battery.

Are there any major differences between them or is it just down to preference? I appreciate these are probably low end for pros!

[Stere]

Quote

Just looked at the Web page, from what I can make out the biggest battery they offer is 4ah. For anything serious, my ego 18" saw at 56v gets through 5ah batteries in a very short time. 10ah is about perfect. The 14" with a 5ah battery is nice for smaller jobs where extra mobility is an advantage. 

 

Saws with an aperture to accept the battery are always going to be limited, capacity wise. Perhaps this is why ego decided to sling the battery underneath? 

 

Battery swapping is fast.

 

Big batteries gonna weigh alot.

 

They a do backpacks if you want  alot of battey life

 

LBP-560-900 | ECHO Tools

WWW.ECHO-TOOLS.CO.UK

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ECHO’s 50V system, using the latest Lithium-ion technology, provides high-density energy, compared to traditional heavier...

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Stere

[Unframed Dave]

35 minutes ago, Stere said:

 

Battery swapping is fast.

 

Big batteries gonna weigh alot.

 

They a do backpacks if you want  alot of battey life

 

LBP-560-900 | ECHO Tools

WWW.ECHO-TOOLS.CO.UK

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ECHO’s 50V system, using the latest Lithium-ion technology, provides high-density energy, compared to traditional heavier...

 

Same with ego, I use the backpack if I'm not bending or moving around too much. Inevitably though I do get the cord around my legs a few times during a day. 

[MisterBoy]

Just a quick update, I've decided to go with the Stihl MSA 200. 

 

The only negative I can potentially see is it runs the 1/4" Pico Micro chain (same as the pole saw). Does it really matter much for domestic use? I do rarely cut up large rounds for firewood which would ideally suit a larger saw but once I clear my current pile I plan not to need to do this again!

 

I can't see if anyone makes a 3rd-party equivalent to the 72-link PM3 for 14" bar either.

[SimpleSimon]

On 07/02/2021 at 00:47, MisterBoy said:

By the way that reminds me not seen one vote for the DeWalt. Is it that clear-cut or is it simply that ARB guys automatically go to Stihl and Husky?

I had a DeWalt 565 for a bit (already had DeWalt everything else), wanted it mainly for fencing jobs cutting down rails, etc. to avoid constant stop/start on a petrol saw. It was.... OK... Chain speed was very slow so you didn't get a clean cut. I logged up some old dry eucalyptus up to about 8 inch and it did get through if you gave it time. 

 

Sold it on and bought a Stihl 170 instead. 

[AHPP]

7 hours ago, MisterBoy said:

Just a quick update, I've decided to go with the Stihl MSA 200. 

 

The only negative I can potentially see is it runs the 1/4" Pico Micro chain (same as the pole saw). Does it really matter much for domestic use? I do rarely cut up large rounds for firewood which would ideally suit a larger saw but once I clear my current pile I plan not to need to do this again!

 

I can't see if anyone makes a 3rd-party equivalent to the 72-link PM3 for 14" bar either.

Post a comparison with your 180 when you're up and running please. Include which bars and chains you're using. I suspect your 180 is on 3/8 picco.

[MisterBoy]

19 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Post a comparison with your 180 when you're up and running please. Include which bars and chains you're using. I suspect your 180 is on 3/8 picco.

I'll try to remember. Both are from my local Stihl dealer so will presumably come with whatever Stihl recommend

[david lawrence]

Could you revive this as I’m considering an electric saw to replace my 180 so your experience would be interesting 

[MisterBoy]

Thanks for the reminder!

 

So I've had the MSA coming up a year and pretty happy with it. I've even cut something more than 14" and it was fine though took a while.

The AP200 battery definitely doesn't last forever, if I'm processing a fallen tree I might have to charge again but this is rare.

 

Compared to the petrol MS180 well I've used that saw precisely once since getting the electric... We had a large tree felled and left for me to chop up as firewood. Lots of 12-14" trunk so I decided to use the petrol one, as much to check it ran well after sitting for a year.

 

I can't see much difference between them is the long and short of it. I prefer the electric.

[rapalaman]

I use an msa160 with a 12 inch bar for nearly everything up to about 18 inches with a 300 battery. Rarely break out the Stihl or Echo petrol saws I have anymore unless it’s bigger or there is a lot to do. Even though a bit slower it’s just more pleasant without the fumes, noise and  refuelling. 1/4 inch chain easy to sharpen if a little fiddly