Are cordless chainsaws any good?

[AHPP]

They’re brilliant. I’ve just used my 120 in the living room. I do walloping takedowns with the 220 with 16”.

[bilke_user]

I've a 220c-b with a 16" bar and 3 x 300s batteries.  Happy with it.  Mostly used for trimming but ends that don't quite fit on the mill and find I now use it as my go to saw for cutting up any firewood stuff around the yard .   For bigger stuff I've got my trusty 372xp with 24" bar but for stuff sub 16" its bloody great.  Quiet, low vibration and has a 3/8 chain

If Stihl come out with a big electric bugger, >20" ,I'd be happy to buy one.  

[Silverhooker]

I love my 120 use it way more than I thought I would and all you have to do is keep it charged, sharp and clean. Stop/start jobs are so easy with a battery saw.

[doobin]

2 hours ago, Silverhooker said:

I love my 120 use it way more than I thought I would and all you have to do is keep it charged, sharp and clean. Stop/start jobs are so easy with a battery saw.

And full of oil. That’s the bit I always forget with an electric chainsaw!

[Doug Tait]

Have found since the recent storm that they're perfect for cutting inside houses and lofts as well.

[AJStrees]

Have had the husky 536li top handle for some years and recently got the makita 18v top handle. Both great for pruning. Haven't tried the stihl cordless, but I presume it is probably very good too. Also having a panther bar and micro chain on the saws reduces battery power use and gives a better cut. So I have found with both saws. 

 

Like most have said, its a different feel to an engine  and there are many variables. Also very good by the chipper, rather than running the petrol saw or having to stop and start. Battery is just on and off. 

 

I have the ego 18" battery saw too which is okay for cutting firewood and the odd cut, but it eats the battery really quick. 

 

Having used battery mowers, strimmers and hedge cutters for some years now along with the petrol equivalents of the above as well during that same time. You can get a feel for what job is best done with petrol and which with battery. 

 

Hope that helps. Merry Christmas! 

[adamelder]

I got a Dewalt 16 inch battery saw. I had plenty Dewalt 54 volt batteries anyway and the bare saw unit was only £250. It's fantastic. I normally use Stihl 261, 461, 661. For anything up to about 10-12 inches the Dewalt is the one I pick up first now. I'll get about 45 mins from one 54v 9amp hour battery cutting time.

[Guest Gimlet]

My issue is cost. A 540i XP plus two batteries and fast charger is nearly double the price that I just paid for a 550 XP II petrol. And then I've got to charge it. I'm hedgelaying. A lot of the time it's fairly light work but there's often a lot of heavy brush to cut. Sometimes I'm just brush clearing all day with the saw before I start laying. How many charges would that need? Two, three, four? If I'm charging from the truck with an inverter, the truck is going to be spending a lot of each day sitting there with the engine running. 

It would be great for garden hedges in residential areas where there's mains power to hand but much of my work is farm work, often big rough hedges in out of the way locations so practical mobile charging is a must. 

Solar charging might be an option, but hedge laying is a winter job. Will I be able to rely on solar?

 

I like the idea of cordless. No noise or fumes, light weight, no fuel can to lug around and for nip and snip cuts, which there are a lot of in hedge laying, it's not sitting on the ground between cuts ticking over and fouling its plug.  But at the moment I feel it would be an experiment that could be expensive if it doesn't work out. 

 

No doubt the technology will get cheaper and more efficient so I'll maybe revisit the idea as things develop, but for now I'm sticking with petrol.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Gimlet

[Dan Maynard]

My issue is cost. A 540i XP plus two batteries and fast charger is nearly double the price that I just paid for a 550 XP II petrol. And then I've got to charge it. I'm hedgelaying. A lot of the time it's fairly light work but there's often a lot of heavy brush to cut. Sometimes I'm just brush clearing all day with the saw before I start laying. How many charges would that need? Two, three, four? If I'm charging from the truck with an inverter, the truck is going to be spending a lot of each day sitting there with the engine running. 
It would be great for garden hedges in residential areas where there's mains power to hand but much of my work is farm work, often big rough hedges in out of the way locations so practical mobile charging is a must. 
Solar charging might be an option, but hedge laying is a winter job. Will I be able to rely on solar?
 
I like the idea of cordless. No noise or fumes, light weight, no fuel can to lug around and for nip and snip cuts, which there are a lot of in hedge laying, it's not sitting on the ground between cuts ticking over and fouling its plug.  But at the moment I feel it would be an experiment that could be expensive if it doesn't work out. 
 
No doubt the technology will get cheaper and more efficient so I'll maybe revisit the idea as things develop, but for now I'm sticking with petrol.

I just don't think you would charge from the truck, two batteries would do all day nip and tuck. Switch back to petrol for constant or heavy cutting.

I agree though, Husqvarna is an expensive set to try which is largely why I ended up with Makita.

[Woodworks]

1 hour ago, Gimlet said:

My issue is cost. A 540i XP plus two batteries and fast charger is nearly double the price that I just paid for a 550 XP II petrol. And then I've got to charge it. I'm hedgelaying. A lot of the time it's fairly light work but there's often a lot of heavy brush to cut. Sometimes I'm just brush clearing all day with the saw before I start laying. How many charges would that need? Two, three, four? If I'm charging from the truck with an inverter, the truck is going to be spending a lot of each day sitting there with the engine running. 

It would be great for garden hedges in residential areas where there's mains power to hand but much of my work is farm work, often big rough hedges in out of the way locations so practical mobile charging is a must. 

Solar charging might be an option, but hedge laying is a winter job. Will I be able to rely on solar?

 

I like the idea of cordless. No noise or fumes, light weight, no fuel can to lug around and for nip and snip cuts, which there are a lot of in hedge laying, it's not sitting on the ground between cuts ticking over and fouling its plug.  But at the moment I feel it would be an experiment that could be expensive if it doesn't work out. 

 

No doubt the technology will get cheaper and more efficient so I'll maybe revisit the idea as things develop, but for now I'm sticking with petrol.

I have been doing a bit of hedge laying on the farm. Cutting out brush and processing the best for our charcoal 2 batteries on the MSA220 last me half a day. In reality they last a bit longer as I do some dragging and laying as I go along.