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Cordless Chainsaw

7mmremmag

Rank III

Advocate II

I've been impressed with its little brother (20V 5 AH brushless). Use it around the house and camping, don't need to mess with firing up the big saw. Lasts long enough to be effective. The 60V saw has to be awesome.
 

TheGrrrrr

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

I too have made the switch to battery power. Despite having a strong distrust of Black & Decker, this saw came extremely well reviewed and at a great price so I gave it a shot.

Long story short, with 40v it has not even hesitated at anything I’ve thrown at it. I have made well over 30 cuts on a charge and have never actually run out of juice. I’d believe it could do many more.

I’ve used it on the trail, in the yard, on the campsite and it gets borrowed by my gas saw owning friends every time we go out. It rides inside the truck, always runs, is quite and gets the job done.

BLACK+DECKER LCS1240 40-volt Cordless Chainsaw, 12-Inch.

Mine was $169 about a year ago.

View attachment 97868View attachment 97869View attachment 97870
 

derekjhunt

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

I picked up a Sun Joe iON 100Volt 5AMP (18") from Amazon with a 100aH (1500 Watt motor) and so far, it's pretty awesome. It kicks the snot out of my 16" Homelite. I've only used it around my house so far, but I'm kicking myself for not getting an electric version sooner.
 

Neal A. Tew

US Rocky Mountain Local Expert
Mod Team
Member
Member

Member III

I have been looking into an electric battery powered chainsaw for a while, I still haven't pulled the trigger though. I am leaning toward the Kobalt 80 volt unit, as it looks a bit more compact in the main body, has 80 vs 60 volts, and I really need to upgrade my weedeater- and there is a Kobalt 80 volt weedeater as well which Dewalt doesn't offer. Any thoughts? Pros and Cons?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/kobalt-80-volt-lithium-ion-18-in-brushless-cordless-electric-chainsaw-battery-not-included/1000430175?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-google-_-pla-_-239-_-soselecchainsawsandtrimmers-_-1000430175-_-0&kpid&k_clickID=go_1793258876_73056829801_346853044754_aud-449333924337:pla-696070075820_c_1016140&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtr_mBRDeARIsALfBZA5KHyY7n5bKYxuMRoJ2M_nRVMACOOtcpwhfEcyV5_ak6JTcBryv7AwaApeWEALw_wcB
Today it's not available at Lowe's according to your link....
 

Will I Am

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

I have been looking into an electric battery powered chainsaw for a while, I still haven't pulled the trigger though. I am leaning toward the Kobalt 80 volt unit, as it looks a bit more compact in the main body, has 80 vs 60 volts, and I really need to upgrade my weedeater- and there is a Kobalt 80 volt weedeater as well which Dewalt doesn't offer. Any thoughts? Pros and Cons?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/kobalt-80-volt-lithium-ion-18-in-brushless-cordless-electric-chainsaw-battery-not-included/1000430175?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-google-_-pla-_-239-_-soselecchainsawsandtrimmers-_-1000430175-_-0&kpid&k_clickID=go_1793258876_73056829801_346853044754_aud-449333924337:pla-696070075820_c_1016140&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtr_mBRDeARIsALfBZA5KHyY7n5bKYxuMRoJ2M_nRVMACOOtcpwhfEcyV5_ak6JTcBryv7AwaApeWEALw_wcB
I went with the 16 inch Dewalt because it is brushless and it performed better on Hardwood than the Kolbalt did and the 60 volt charged faster
 

TBox0194

Rank I

Enthusiast I

I am using a ryobi cordless and it’s been through much heavier timber than it probably should have. I’ve cut seasoned oak and mesquite when I don’t feel like getting the big saws out and I have never had to replace the chain, I am extremely impressed with this unit.
 

Pathfinder I

4 years ago I bought a GreenWorks 14" 24V saw, I already had 2 GW tools and 4 batteries so the saw alone was dirt cheap. You need to charge the battery at least once a year to keep 100% charge. 1 battery runs the saw for 25-30 minutes depending on load. It has made getting firewood super easy, I don't miss my old 2 stroke gas saw one bit.
 

Downs

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

I got one of the cheaper saws on the market. 20V Black and Decker with the 10 inch bar. The chain speed is low but I'm not trying to speed cut just need it to be slow and steady. I bring a charger and 3 of the larger aH batteries with me. The lower chain speeds seem to help keep the chain from overheating on longer cuts. I dont' even keep bar oil in the reservoir, I just spray it with lube every 2 cuts or so. Works great for cutting up deadfall for firewood as well vs the manual method lol.


Like I said not a speed demon by any means but the batteries last quite a while and it get's the job done.
 

Viking1204

Rank V
Mod Team
Member
Investor

Member III

I have the Ryobi 18V 12" battery powered chainsaw and love it! I have two 4ah batteries and so far haven't had a job that wore the first battery down.
 

ptgarcia

Rank III

Enthusiast III

I use an Ego 56v 14" chainsaw around the house. It's been through some large pieces (24"+) of dry/hard eucalyptus and works pretty well. The BMS in the batteries is pretty conservative, so if I work it too hard it will shut down until, I presume, the batteries cool down, though they never seem to get hot on the outside. It uses off the shelf replacement chain and bar (Oregon) which is nice. I've had it 3 or 4 years now and have only replaced the chain once (they're cheap enough that I don't sharpen them) and I've processed a fair amount of wood.
 

Wallygator

Rank III

Contributor II

I have the Milwaukee cordless chainsaw and it has been nothing but excellent. Had a Stihl Farm Boss I sold to get the Milwaukee. The Farm Boss was too much saw for my needs. The Milwaukee is perfect and does 100 cuts on one charge. You can carry on a conversation with someone while cutting wood. Love this thing!
 

grubworm

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

A sharp chain makes all the difference in the world with any chainsaw, and "new" doesn't always equate to "sharp".

I would encourage any of you interested in getting the most time out of a battery to spend some time learning to sharpen a chainsaw with a file.
very true! the cordless saws have a much narrower chain for less surface area contact which results in less power required to make a cut...and sharpness plays a HUGE part in efficiency. i use a PFRED sharpener that properly sharpens the teeth at the correct angle and it incorporates a file to address the depth gauge at the same time. quick and easy

View attachment 196399

i use a 40v lynxx cordless chainsaw (harbor freight brand) it looks the same as the black and decker and is probably made on the same assembly line in china. it is a great saw, though and it uses an oregon chain and bar, so that's a huge reason for its great performance. i did around 30 cuts of hard west texass mesquite on one charge. the cuts averaged 6-8" diameter and some around 12".

View attachment 196400

if you have a cordless sawsall...don't rule out that it can also be a formidable saw with a good pruning blade. one of my favorite blades is a frued diablo 9" or 12" pruning blade. it will zip thru green wood just as fast as a chainsaw and for firewood size pieces, the sawsall does great. (you can also take it along on a trip with a bi-metal blade and use it to cut metal in an emergency.

View attachment 196401
 

genocache

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate I

OK, opening the can of worms.......

About 5 years ago my neighbor had 3 trees slide onto the edge of his roof. 25-30' and 12" diameter. They leaned over the roof and were pretty accessible. I helped him remove them we thought about using my chainsaw(gas) and decided on using my recip saw(corded) with a 8" demolition blade. Worked like a champ! was lighter and just as fast a cutter, plus easier to sharpen- just pop in a new blade.

So I don't burn wood and consequently gave away my chainsaw of 30 years, hadn't used it much in the last 25. Still have the recip.

My dilemma is IF I want to shift to cordless for camping do I go with chainsaw or recip? Recip will be less expensive, pack smaller, get used more, blades will be cheaper(?) and pack smaller, I think batteries will be a push, but the recip will also be able to cut metal if needed. Currently I have a Bosch cordless drill.

Whatcha think? I'm leaning towards the recip.
 

grubworm

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

I'm leaning towards the recip.
i always carry a cordless recip saw and a drill with me. with a GOOD blade, the recip saw will handle a good bit of cutting and as you stated, it is a lot cheaper and easier to store and the blades are cheaper and a lot easier to deal with. and like you also said about metal cutting blades, good to have. i also like to carry Tek5 self tapping screws and a few pieces of flat bar. if i break a weld on the camp trailer, i can whack a piece of flat bar with the recip saw and use the Tek5 screws with the flat bar to band-aid a repair. i also carry other screws and fasteners to go with the drill because sometimes screws vibrate out of the door frame, etc and you need to put in a new one. a bit off topic from the chain saw...but the point is that with the recip saw, you already have batteries, so add a drill to it and now you are even more versatile.
some folk who run mainly forest trails out in the middle of nowhere should carry a chainsaw for handling down trees blocking the road, but i do 90% on decent roads and maybe 10% on trails, and rarely go anywhere where a downed tree would be a problem...for that kind of traveling, i would certainly go with the recip saw. depending on brand, there are even 12v chargers so you can charge an 18v tool battery from your cigarette lighter port. that's pretty damn sweet to have
 

bgenlvtex

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

I have/use a Milwaukee M18 Hackzall ,incredibly useful and compact "sawzall".The hackzall has a shorter stroke than a "sawzall" making it more controllable and accurate than a conventional "sawzall".

I carry it on the tractor with me with a pruner blade to cut limbs back/up. Fantastic, compact tool with battery interchangeability with the rest of the M18 line.

Im planning to add a cordless chainsaw however, the pruner blades are good, but a chainsaw it is not.. this will likely be a take both if possible but we'll see.
 
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