I love my battery Sthil chainsaw. It cuts as fast as any small gas Sthil and can be used indoors. Great for winter wood carving inside your garage or shop. It is outstanding for limbing and jobs where a bigger saw and a longer bar might kickback. Mine has the carving bar on it so it allows working nearer the tip for detailed work in artistic wood carving with minimal kickback. I had two other brands of battery chainsaws before ponying up the dough to buy this one. Batteries are expensive but mine is 4 years old and still holding a charge like it did new. I need to get another battery so I don't have waiting time. During a violent wind storm resulting in downed trees, I used my little saw for limbing and could stay ahead of three bucking sawyers with large gas Huskies and Sthils. It is light and nice for limbing off lower branches on my big tree. It is safer than gas because when the trigger is released the motor stops. I have no problem bucking a 24" log or using it to rip off a slab. I have even used it to slab and square very hard hardwood for later use in woodworking.
This is mine. Echo 300 series. It's gas but the handles are on the top and side, rather than top and rear, so it balances well and is easier to start. Small 14" blade. I don't take good care of it, but it usually starts (if I get the gas mixture right ).
Nope. Quit most of my physical work when I retired. Then again, wasn't do much physical work when I did work. Had my own office, computer, phone and filing cabinet. Just what I wanted and fully liked.
we have one of those battery saws...great for smaller limbs and don't have to drag out the bigger gas saw
I've been looking a cordless battery chainsaws for a while. I saw ads for something called a "Supersaw". Don't know if they are any good and are probably made in China, but they look to be a solution for limbing jobs.
I have two battery chain saws. Great for limbing and sapling removal although need to gird the small stumps left behind or they can grow back. I can't seem to pull the cord on gas powered anything any more. I get electric start or nothing.
Check out how fast these little battery Stihls cut. My 120 with a sharper angle on the teeth and rakers filed down a bit, cuts about as fast as the 140. I would recommend the 140 and two batteries for cutting up logs for firewood. My other two battery saws took about 4 times as long to cut the same diameter log.
I have a similar one. I cut down a lilac bush left to grow wild a little at a time till it was done. Good exersize. No need for doing logs here.
I have an Echo gas powered I bought about 20 years ago, great saw. It replaced a McCollough that was dead. Used for cutting firewood, which I quit doing 10 years ago. Over several decades, I've saved thousands of dollars cutting and heating with my own wood. I needed it near my house a couple of weeks ago and found (not surprisingly) that with my arthritic hands/wrists I could not snap the rope hard enough to start it. Ha, oh well, my buddy came over and did it. The good old days, when I was young and healthy. The Echo is in the lower left, next to the trailer wheel:
I have a similar one that I carry on the tractor for small stuff like clearing trails and such, but I wouldn't tackle a 10 inch log with it. I have 3 gas chainsaws--one 24" Husky, one 18" Craftsman, and one old 16" Craftsman. The Husqvarna I lent to my youngest son, as I don't enjoy using it except for jobs that the smaller saws won't do. I use the 18" saw most, as it is the newest and quite light and easy to start.
OK. As a Certified Arborist, and one who's been in the trees for over forty years, I have a certain amount of expertise on the subject of chainsaws. I have recently cleared out all of my gasoline powered saws. I got tired of yanking cords all day, and hate the smell of gasoline and oil. My ears like things better, now, too! I strongly recommend Makita battery powered chainsaws. They have not let me down, thus far. If you're felling big wood, anything over a foot in diameter, or so, you'll probably want to keep your gas Stihl, Echo and Husky rigs. I now use subcontractors for my big jobs. I let them deal with the joys of gasoline powered chainsaws. I strongly doubt I'll ever go back, although I may buy a new gas powered Stihl 462 Magnum, with a 25" blade, and keep it in its box, just in case the future brings any surprises.
Makita makes a nice battery saw but my Stihl battery is the best ever for weight and fast cutting. They make a larger Stihl now that has a 14" bar and can cut a 24" log with ease. I fell a 20" tree for a neighbor with my battery Stihl with 12" bar. I don't know why all tree climbers don't use battery saws. So much safer.
I think many of them now do. What I hear from the dealers is that many people are switching to battery saws for the noise and ease of use, but a number of big users get tired of battery life issues.
I had a big old Homelite chainsaw that I used for decades cutting and splitting fireplace wood. When I retired for the first time, the downstairs fireplace was converted to gas. This was around the time the Homelite brand was sold to John Deere and the old saw just languished and disappeared when we moved. Fallen limbs in the back yard are going to need a chainsaw soon, giving this thread utility. Big, dead trees, however, will be work for a pro tree service.