[Closed] Battery chainsaws

My neighbours had a mains electric one if that's any help? Cheapest one B&Q or wherever had and it was a bit rubbish, really not impressed.
I've got a DeWalt batter reciprocating saw for doing my firewood, obviously not as good as a proper chainsaw for big stuff but much, much safer. Battery life is not good at all though, they last ages in the drill but this and the jigsaw get through them at an alarming rate. I've got three and the first is nowhere near recharged when I've finished the other two (2ah)

If its just in the garden you'd probably be better with something like a makita corded.
Opting for cordless is going to be expensive- in the region of £400 and you'll probably need 2 big batteries at least, possible more.
Makita's corded variety I've seen being used by tradesmen on site jobs, so it must be ok.
Being outdoors you should really opt for 110v Costs £170.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352010115195?epid=2255550091&hash=item51f570187b:g:kVoAAOSwcjlhH3FF

Screwfix Titan electric plug in here, £50, if I cut inside the woodshed the noise is tolerable to neighbours, cuts great, blade lasts a strangely long time, I hardly ever sharpen it, the petrol one needs sharpened all the time, not the same on anything over 2' diameter, just lacks the bite of a petrol chainsaw in heavier stuff, the one catch is the drive wheel for the chain is nylon and does wear, don't think they do spares, it's a cheap bit of kit but I would recommend it for getting the job done.

Thanks for the replies so far, but its got to be cordless as it will be used miles from a socket, in all probability. Im not adverse to using a handsaw, in fact Im very partial to hand tools in general over power tools, so if anyone has any suggestions for a handsaw which could cut up to about 16" diameter trunks, that would be much appreciated.
Cheers.

I've got this Makita Duc254rt

I'm not a regular user. I mainly bought it for the odd bit of trail/path clearing, Texas-based massacres and some jobs where accuracy and finesse aren't required in furniture making, and because I just like tools, especially Makita tools 😊

It's good for breaking down very large boards outside the workshop for example but I can't see many cases where I'd choose it over a circular saw.

I did a chainsaw certificate some years ago but am still healthily terrified of using it, and treat it with a lot of respect (especially when naked chainsaw juggling)

I've cut some fairly big stuff with it by coming from both sides, though not as big as 16" as you mention I don't think. This model only has a 10" bar I think and the density of your wood makes a big difference to how well it'll cut.

This model is a single battery version and so lacks the grunt of the twin versions but I was impressed at its ability.
I mainly wanted portability, hence going for the smaller model that fits in a backpack...Just.

Seems to last ok on 4 and 5ah batteries but these tools draw a lot so you'd want several depending on the job.

I imagine the twin 36v versions would be great if you're not so worried about having plenty of batteries.

My arborist buddy is running a fleet of husky battery saws across his 4 crews. Used for lots of duties on the job site. Everything but felling I believe. He rates them highly and wouldn't be without them. No downside from his perspective over 6 day a week commercial ops.

Yeah I've got the DeWalt DCM565N. Great tool.

The noise is pretty low - I'd say similar to an electric hedge trimmer. This is due to the lack of a engine and low chain speed - less than 8m/s. This means you don't get the high pitch scream as it cuts. Some of the High voltage professional cordless saws have High chainspeeds and will be noisier.

Battery wise run times are surprisingly good. I can do an afternoon working around the garden on a couple of 4ah batteries. You need to make sure you get the right size batteries for your use. If you plan to be standing there for a couple of hours working through firewood budget for large batteries. For general work, standard batteries will be fine.

Don't forget to buy some files and PPE.

I've got a little stihl battery chainsaw. Its great. Very quiet, no need for ear defenders and very neighbour friendly. The chain is quite thin so while it isn't as powerful as a big petrol one it slices through things pretty easily. Light and easy to handle. Won't cut massive tree stumps but is great at what it can get through. Battery life seems fine. I'm not clearing whole forests but has enough life for a decent bit of pruning and slicing

I have an Ego 40cm 56v jobby - no idea if you can get them in the UK, but I'm sure there's something similar.
https://egopowerplus.com.au/56v-lithium-ion-40cm-cordless-chain-saw/

I live on a property chock full of hardwood so use it for clearing fallen trees/branches, preparing firewood, etc. Big branches are ok.

2 batteries are essential. The big one just about recharges in the time it takes to use up the little one (maybe 30 mins).
It does seem to use a lot of bar oil, but there's no adjustment.

Noise - barely noticeable in comparison to 2-stroke.
Kickback - barely noticeable in comparison to 2-stroke.
Power - barely noticeable in comparison to 2-stroke. But i think if the wood wasn't as tough* it would be ok for general garden work.

(*It's struggling with a felled 20 metre Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera) i think i'll have to borrow an old school Stihl)

Ah you want one of those proper old cross cut saws, my Dad has one of the two person type of saw we used it together go through some monster trees! Just googled and you can get small one person ones but not cheap!

https://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/acatalog/Champion-Tooth-One-Man-Crosscut-Saw-597.html#SID=446

I've got an Ego with two 2Ah batteries. With a sharp/new chain and cutting something like silver birch you'll get an hour out of one battery, less with old chain and cutting oak, but still 45 minutes or so. I've also had the Screwfix corded job which is very agricultural, doesn't use any oil and consequently the chain goes blunt very quickly. Also got a couple of 2 strokes, but the Ego is a lovely piece of kit and my favourite for doing smaller jobs.

Stihl battery powered one here. Slightly louder than hedge trimmer. I have two batteries which give 30-40mins of cutting time each which honestly is more than enough for me (occasional trip into woods for firewood and odd jobs around the garden) and I could probably survive with just one. Batteries fit into their range of other tools which generally are well reviewed.

This thread is 14 hours old and no one has recommended an axe yet? I'm disappointed.

Get an axe and treat yourself to a BFO Silky saw

I ended up with the makita 405 36v.
It works well but even the 6ah batteries don't last that long.
I got mine as i have other makita 18v stuff and some batteries.
It is nice and quiet and cuts well

I’ve got a makita duc353, it’s the brushless, twin 18v battery one. I think it’s brilliant. I use it up the woods trail building and clearing paths mostly. Some garden stuff. I’ve got a load of makita 18v batteries for work so that helps. It does get through batteries but I wouldn’t say it’s terrible. I normally take 4 batteries out with me up the woods and that mostly does me for a solid afternoon of cutting stuff up and moving it off the trails

It’s not got as much torque as a petrol saw in my opinion. It actually feels safer to use in some ways. That may lull you into a false sense of security and be a good or bad thing depending how you look at it!

At work I've used a Stihl MSA 200 for a couple of years and has been fine on smaller diameter stuff, but it's not a felling saw. We've just got a Husqvarna 540 XP with a 14" bar and it's the first battery saw I've used that is comparable with a petrol saw. Battery time is around 30 minutes, depending on what you're cutting.
But, the cost of your saw, 2 batteries, charger and your PPE....
At home I use my little 20 year old, 2-stroke Stihl or a Silky Sugoi.

Haha, I've already got a ton of axes, and a BFO silky saw would probably be a better alternative as some of the logs I might or might not be removing may require a somewhat stealthy approach.
So, in order to get something half decent I'm looking at Makita, Husq or Stihl money then,is this the general consensus? Shit.

Stihl MSA here. Can't remember which model but it might be MSA 120. Fine for brush work, chopping little branches down etc. Got it as a hand me down from my dad, and because my Titan mains one scares the living shit out of me. Stihl is like a toy in comparison.

I use the mains one for firewood, keep the stihl for hard to reach stuff and maybe stealing wood from the nearby woods.

I've an aldi job, with two 40v batteries, which I use for stealth trail clearance. Obviously not up there with big brands, but for what I use it for, it's excellent.

Cost me about 150 quid, terrific value.

For proper duties, the Husky comes out.

I've just bought one and I'm pretty happy with it. It's a DeWalt DCM565N with a 4Ah battery. Already have a couple of compatible 2Ah batteries from other tools. For comparison I've got four petrol saws too - a Stihl MS170 for most stuff, a Homelite 45cc saw with an 18" bar for stuff the Stihl can't manage, a cheapo wee top-handle saw and a Husky pole saw. The electric is getting a lot of use though.

As mentioned above, it has a fairly slow chain speed which I don't like for felling, unless the trunk is less than about 6". It just lacks power compared to petrol. But, I've felled a few black walnut trees (using the Stihl) and the DeWalt has been great for doing ground work afterwards. It goes through the trunks easily but slowly, they're 10-12". Great at dealing with brash too, I like that it's off between cuts, rather than an idling two-stroke.

The battery life is pretty good. Today I got through about 30 cuts through trunks and branches between 12" and 6" before the battery started to fade - the power stays at a high level for most of the battery life then drops off rapidly. It claims to do 70 cuts through pressure-treated 4" pine, so I'm happy with that.

By far the best thing for me is the lack of exhaust fumes. Means I can go out and do a quick bit of work before dinner and not make everyone else at the table breathe in the fumes, or faff about getting washed and changed. We also have quite a lot of wooded areas with quite dense undergrowth. Unless it's a windy day exhaust fumes can build up under there when I'm removing smaller trees, makes it hard to breathe sometimes.

It definitely has a place, even if you have other saws available.