20v Dewalt Chainsaw for Hinge Cutting

[alldaysit]

Well, I have cut somewhere between 10-20 thousand trees now for hinge cutting between my properties, friends and family; with two gas powered chainsaws. I have a Stihl farm boss that runs awesome but is heavy. I also have a Husqvarna 204 (smallest residential one they make model number may be incorrect as I can’t remember). I use the Husq exclusively now for hinge cutting. I have been considering purchasing a desalt battery powered chainsaw as the weight and time actually running a saw to cut through the tree are both minimal. Most of the time, the saw is just idling as I am looking at the next tree to make my next cut. This idle time is typically when near hits occur with the brake or throttle, when I am getting tired. So a battery saw would not be running and prone to tripping the brake and smashing the gas on accident or something like a gas saw would be, while NOT CUTTING. I have been considering this 20v brushless 12” dewalt chainsaw as I have many 20v Lithium batteries for my Dewalt stuff already, so I am confident I could run it nearly “all day”. As I have gotten better methods at cutting I don’t have many times when I am even running the Husq at wide open any longer. I do occasionally cut down larger trees (over 16” in diameter) but not every day I’m out. I could grab the Stihl for Jobs like that if I went with this smaller saw. Even if this small saw worked 1/2 as good as the Husq it would be a significant advantage in saved personal energy and noise while I’m out there. Plus, I could take the saw anywhere with me without the smell of gas. I think it would be awesome for cutting shooting lanes when normal it’s a PITA to bring a saw and gas with on setup days.

Has anyone used this or have any experience with these saws? I cut way to many trees to even think about hand cutting with a silky, sorry guys who have them.

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[Someday isle]

I haven’t used one of those. I have a Stihl Wood Boss and it’s worked great for me. I have about a two tank limit before I start to get tired and when I get tired I quit. I’d think it’s usefulness would depend on how long the battery charge lasts and provides enough power.

 

[Peplin Creek]

I haven’t used one of the those, I do have a 40v black and decker and love it. No it’s not gonna have the power of a gas saw but it does the trick great in the woods and it’s much easier to handle being so light. Even if it accidentally kicks, you can control it. It’s great for hinge cutting and trail trimming. For small projects it can’t be beat. I don’t see why the dewalt wouldn’t be different. 20v probably won’t have near the cutting time as a 40 volt but if you have batteries it’s probably not a big deal.

 

[alldaysit]

I haven’t used one of the those, I do have a 40v black and decker and love it. No it’s not gonna have the power of a gas saw but it does the trick great in the woods and it’s much easier to handle being so light. Even if it accidentally kicks, you can control it. It’s great for hinge cutting and trail trimming. For small projects it can’t be beat. I don’t see why the dewalt wouldn’t be different. 20v probably won’t have near the cutting time as a 40 volt but if you have batteries it’s probably not a big deal.

Thanks Peplin for your response. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. If your black and decker works good, I’m pretty sure DeWalt makes black and decker, the DeWalt one should work great.


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[alldaysit]

Apparently Stihl makes them as well!

https://m.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/battery-saws/


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[yoderjac]

Thanks Peplin for your response. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. If your black and decker works good, I’m pretty sure DeWalt makes black and decker, the DeWalt one should work great.


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If you get one please post a review here! I'd love he hear how well these work and the plusses and minuses regardless of brand. Less weight for control, and the idea of simply swapping batteries sounds like real benefits but I'm concerned about cutting power.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[weekender21]

I've seen several comparisons on YouTube, battery technology has come a long way. Pretty impressive little saws.

 

[alldaysit]

Thanks Peplin for your response. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. If your black and decker works good, I’m pretty sure DeWalt makes black and decker, the DeWalt one should work great.


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If you get one please post a review here! I'd love he hear how well these work and the plusses and minuses regardless of brand. Less weight for control, and the idea of simply swapping batteries sounds like real benefits but I'm concerned about cutting power.

Thanks,

Jack

I surely will when I get one. I think it’s the way to go. At L&M tractor supply they have had a deal on them with a 5.0ah and a 6.0ah battery for $199. They are sold out every time I go in there. Sucks.


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[Tap]

I haven't used a battery saw but I would highly advise using a hook when hinge cutting.
When you pull with a hook while cutting, you'll need to cut less into the tree, which will save battery (or gas), and time.
Plus, you'll get better tree survival when cutting less cambium.
Battery tools have come a long way. I think a battery saw would be a great addition to our equipment and using in combination with a hook will make it even better.

 

[alldaysit]

I haven't used a battery saw but I would highly advise using a hook when hinge cutting.
When you pull with a hook while cutting, you'll need to cut less into the tree, which will save battery (or gas), and time.
Plus, you'll get better tree survival when cutting less cambium.
Battery tools have come a long way. I think a battery saw would be a great addition to our equipment and using in combination with a hook will make it even better.

I do have a hook/pole. I would say 97% of the time we use it as a push pole and use the hook much less.


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[NE PA QDM]

I recently got one of the 40v pole saws based on a recommendation from a different thread here and I was amazed how long the battery lasts. I have no doubt stihl makes a good and useful electric chainsaw and I plan to get one someday. My farm boss is awesome but too heavy for cutting small stuff.
Fwiw my silky saw is perfect for 1-2" diameter saplings and way easier than carrying a chainsaw but for anything bigger I use a gas saw.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

I recently got a 16", 18V Milwaukee Tool chainsaw. I have not used it enough to speak to battery life, but It is claimed that it is good for 100 plus cuts on a charge. As for power I have found that it is every bit as powerful as my 16" Stiehl gas powered saw, if not stronger, Electric motors are known to have greater torque than gas. So far I am impressed.

The fact that it starts immediately when the trigger is pulled, and shuts down when released, is great. No noise and no wasted energy.

 

[Diesel5610]

Keep the chain nice and sharp and I bet they work great. Interested to hear the reviews.

 

[ruskbucks]

I have used the older black and decker 12 volt when they first came out. I was actual impressed on how it cut. The new lithium batterys are awesome. Like DA U.P said they have so much torque. Just look at the tesla cars 0-60 in like 3.3 seconds. I think the saws would be work great. I bought a kdrill last year for my Milwaukee. Love it. I can drill all the holes I need with one battery. Looks like the reviews on the stihl are mostly 5 star.

 

[Northbound]

I bought my dad one of the dewalt flex volt chain saws as he has a hand issue that makes starting a gas saw difficult. It's amazing. Has comparable power to my small stihl which I think is a 170? Its really weird to be cutting through trees so quietly. I'll likely buy one for myself I might just buy the 20volt one rather than the flex volt for same reason as OP having a surplus of batteries

 

[weekender21]

I've been eyeing the Stihl battery saws. There are a few very good comparison videos on youtube for those looking. The only disadvantage I can see is not having enough battery life for bigger jobs. If you want to run a saw all day you'd have to have quite a few batteries and they are expensive!

 

[yoderjac]

This thread really got me thinking. Thanks for starting it. Years ago, I had my trusty stihl chainsaw stolen. I ended up buying a new one and it sucked. The new carbs that are required for cleaner air along with new e-gas was a real problem. Maybe they have solved them now, but when I bought my last new gas stihl, it was so bad, I got rid of it and bought a used old 028 on ebay. It runs like a champ.

Having said that, I'm no longer cutting firewood or doing lots of heavy chainsaw work. I generally use mine to trim or take down a tree or too that are problematic or to cut up trees that have fallen across our ATV trails. As I get older, safety becomes more important, or at least I'm valuing it more. I like some of the safety features on the electrics. The way I use a chainsaw, It is nice not to have to carry gas or mess with a saw when it gets finicky on occasion.

So, I decided to take the plunge. I took a look at what is out there and how I'll use it. I'm still using the old 18.5v dewalt tools so I don't have 20v batteries. After looking at some of the reviews and videos and stuff, I decided to order the 40 Volt Dewalt with a 7.5 ah battery.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[roymunson]

They're probably great, but i'm not sure I could handle the ribbing and laughing as I fired it up to head to the woods.

 

[Freeborn]

A buddy of mine works for an electric Coop with a Trimming business, they are trying these. The specs on These units is impressive.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Outdoor-Power-Equipment/Chainsaws/2727-21HD

 

[Rit]

This thread really got me thinking. Thanks for starting it. Years ago, I had my trusty stihl chainsaw stolen. I ended up buying a new one and it sucked. The new carbs that are required for cleaner air along with new e-gas was a real problem. Maybe they have solved them now, but when I bought my last new gas stihl, it was so bad, I got rid of it and bought a used old 028 on ebay. It runs like a champ.

Having said that, I'm no longer cutting firewood or doing lots of heavy chainsaw work. I generally use mine to trim or take down a tree or too that are problematic or to cut up trees that have fallen across our ATV trails. As I get older, safety becomes more important, or at least I'm valuing it more. I like some of the safety features on the electrics. The way I use a chainsaw, It is nice not to have to carry gas or mess with a saw when it gets finicky on occasion.

So, I decided to take the plunge. I took a look at what is out there and how I'll use it. I'm still using the old 18.5v dewalt tools so I don't have 20v batteries. After looking at some of the reviews and videos and stuff, I decided to order the 40 Volt Dewalt with a 7.5 ah battery.

Thanks,

Jack

The newer MS 201 TC-M saw that I bought runs like a boss. Maybe I was lucky but zero carb issues on this saw. I can easily cut through large diameter trees even though it only has a 14” chain. This saw handles all my duties except for the biggest of trees which I don’t cut to much anymore. It is a top handled arborist saw and worth every dollar in my eyes. It weighs in at only 8 pounds so I can run this thing all day and not have the arm fatigue like you get with bigger saws.

I personally couldn’t get an electric saw but that’s just me. I imagine as the batteries age the lack of cutting time would become a source of aggravation. At least I know with my gas saw that the level of fuel doesn’t dictate cutting power. I wonder on these electric saws as the battery level goes down if there is a noticeable loss of power?