Best Cordless Chainsaw Head-to-Head from dailysquib's blog

Best Cordless Chainsaw Comparison Test – 2020

There is not anything cooler than a chainsaw. They are competitive equipment that make processing heavy timber substances effortless and exciting. But are cordless battery-powered chainsaws equipped for the highlight? A chainsaw calls for a high output of electricity so that you can reduce successfully, without stalling or bogging down. With the improvements in battery and electronics technology over the last few years, we were demanding to see how the cordless tool global applies that generation to chainsaws.

Best Cordless Chainsaw

The benefits of cordless OPE are widely recognized. Ease of upkeep, handy long time storage, reduced noise, no more exhaust fumes, no more blending gas, just to call a few. Many execs are tired of dealing with the protection of fuel-powered saws as properly. But what kind of overall performance are you able to realistically anticipate from a battery-powered chainsaw? That’s what we set out to locate with this latest Head-2-Head.

Cordless Chainsaw Head-2-Head Selection Criteria

Currently, there are dozens of different models of cordless chainsaws in an expansion of various voltages and bar lengths. In order to restrict our pattern length, we decided what length noticed could be maximum realistic across a extensive variety of programs. We recognized three main classes of customers that could benefit the most from a cordless chainsaw.

The first is arborist’s or tree care experts searching out a smaller, maneuverable saw, requiring less protection for limbing paintings or cleansing up brush piles to be chipped. The 2nd is contractors or production experts who're already invested in a battery platform and seeking out a noticed for infrequent use or home use. And subsequently, homeowners or landowners searching out a tool for occasional use or hurricane cleanup.

Based upon this, we selected to check saws with a bar and chain between 14″-sixteen″ long. A saw of this size would be realistic inside the hands of maximum users for an expansion of responsibilities. Likely in location of a gasoline-powered chainsaw inside the 30-45 cc variety. We additionally restrained the voltage from 18V-62V. This gave us a sample size of twelve saws from all of the primary manufacturers and manufacturers.

Cordless Chainsaw Lineup

DEWALT Flexvolt MAX 60V

Model: DCCS670X1

Bar Length: sixteen″

Chain Manufacturer: OEM

Weight: 12.2 Lbs

Battery Size: 3.0 Ah

Tool-Free Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 3 Year Limited /1 Year Free Service / ninety Day Money Back

DR Power PULSE 62V

Model: 414170

Bar Length: sixteen″

Chain Manufacturer: Oregon

Weight: 9.Nine Lbs.

Battery Size: 2.Five Ah

Tool-Free Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir W/ Replaceable filter out

Warranty: 2 Year Residential / 90 Day Commercial

Echo 58V

Model: CCS-58V4AH

Bar Length: 16″

Chain Manufacturer: Oregon

Weight: 13.7 Lbs.

Battery Size: four.Zero Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 5 Year Consumer / 2 Year Professional

Ego Power+ 56V

Model: CS1604

Bar Length: 16″

Chain Manufacturer: OEM

Weight: 8.Sixty nine Lbs.

Battery Size: five.Zero Ah

Tool Free Chain Tensioner

Autimatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: five Year

Greenworks PRO 60V

Model: 2014502

Bar Length: 16″

Chain Manufacturer: OEM

Weight: 10.0 Lbs.

Battery Size: 2.0Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: four Year Tool and Battery

Husqvarna 536li XP 36V

Model: 536li XP

Bar Length: 14″

Chain Manufacturer: Husqvarna

Weight: 5.29 Lbs.

Battery Size: 9.Four Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 3 Year Residential / 2 Year Commercial

Kobalt 40V

Model: KCS 4040-06

Bar Length: 14″

Chain Manufacturer: OEM

Weight: 10.9 Lbs.

Battery Size: 4.0 Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 5 Year Limited

Makita 18V X2 / 36V LXT

Model: XCU04PT1

Bar Length: 16″

Chain Manufacturer: Oregon

Weight: eight.3 Lbs.

Battery Size: 5.Zero Ah (X2)

Tool-Free Chain Tensioner

Adjustable Oiler

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Milwaukee M18 FUEL

Model: 2727-21HD

Bar Length: sixteen″

Chain Manufacturer: Oregon

Weight: thirteen.Nine Lbs.

Battery Size: 12.Zero Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 5 Year Limited

Oregon 40V

Model: CS300

Bar Length: sixteen″

Chain Manufacturer: Oregon

Weight: 10.2 Lbs.

Battery Size: 6.0 Ah

Tool-Free Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: three Years

Ryobi 40V

Model: RY40550

Bar Length: 16″

Chain Manufacturer: OEM

Weight: 12.Four Lbs.

Battery Size: 4.Zero Ah

Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Screw Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: five Year Limited

Stihl 36V

Model: MSA 220C-B

Bar Length: sixteen″

Chain Manufacturer: Stihl

Weight: 6.Four Lbs.

Battery Size: 7.2 Ah

Tool-Free Chain Tensioner

Automatic Oiler

Manual Chain Brake

Flip Cap Oil Reservoir

Warranty: 3 Year Residential / 2 Year Commercial

Cordless Chainsaw Evaluation Criteria

Up till lately, cordless chainsaws had been simply form of a funny story. But the cordless revolution and upgrades in battery era have now given producers the inspiration they need to build simply capable chainsaws. In order to very well evaluate our sample frame of equipment, we conducted a chain of disturbing checks. Each saw became ranked based totally upon a total of nine assessment categories.

When figuring out our evaluation standards it turned into essential to select checks that applied to a extensive variety of users. Our compiled facts needed to be as relatable to tree care professionals as it is to contractors and domestic/landowners. Testing every noticed to its restrict was also important on the way to virtually set up the line that separates the capability of a cordless noticed from a traditional gas-powered model. It is also worth citing that every one of our exams were performed on hardwood timber as they may be common and extensively available all through the Northeast.

Bearing all this in thoughts, we settled on the subsequent classes:

Run-Time Cutting

Speed Cutting

Torture/High Demand Cutting

Tool Size and Balance

Weight

Features

Ergonomics

Decibel Output

Price

In addition to those ranked classes, we desired comments from true professional users and reached out to a nearby tree enterprise to be part of the testing. They were on-site with us for the day of checking out and brought their bucket truck. We placed every saw within the palms of an skilled tree pro and placed them to work limbing up a status useless ash tree. This is a real-global application that has always been completed with a gasoline-powered noticed. Performing this assignment gave us treasured remarks in figuring out if any of the battery-powered equipment were geared up for traumatic professional carrier.

Cordless Chainsaw Run-Time Test

Run-time checking out appears pretty uncomplicated, proper? Put a battery in the thing and just reduce a few stuff. Our aim is to in reality take a look at the boundaries of these gear and run-time trying out became a most desirable possibility for us to try this.

Our run-time take a look at consisted of placing a totally charged battery in each noticed with a manufacturing facility sharpened chain after which proceed to reduce as many crosscut slices thru a tree duration log as viable on a unmarried battery rate. Each saw become filled with Stihl Woodcutter bar and chain oil previous to starting the test and chain anxiety changed into also set properly.

The take a look at logs have been Maple, all approximately 13.5″ in diameter. The logs had sat off the floor seasoning for approximately  years. Because no tree is an excellent column, we had some variation in diameter. The average diameter of the logs calculated out to thirteen.6875″.

Maple isn't the toughest species of wooden available, however those have been some BIG logs. In truth, they have been probably larger than what maximum of these saws had been designed to reduce, that's why we selected them. This check compelled the saws to work tough, and it confirmed. In order to preserve things uniform, we stored the same two test cutters for the entire check. Both operators have been advised to carry out five cuts at a time and then pause for 25 seconds to permit the batteries a short relief and avoid thermal overloading.

First Place: Ego

Ego beaten this take a look at, plain and simple. The Ego noticed completed a complete of 31 complete intensity cuts and then a partial reduce of four.25″ at the thirty second cut earlier than death. Ego has a rock-solid battery platform, and this check highlights that.

The electronics of the Ego noticed are extraordinarily green and switch the energy in their 56V ARC technology seamlessly to the 16″ bar and chain. The Ego changed into the first noticed we examined and as we watched the stack of cookies upward thrust, we started out to worry that we would run out of check material. Our crew did point out that after the fifteenth cut, there was a exchange in slicing speed and the device regarded to slow down slightly, but stored going.

Second Place: Milwaukee

The Milwaukee FUEL noticed was the bottom voltage device of the day, however still shined as a cutter. The FUEL finished a complete of 21 cuts with a partial depth of 9.25″ on the 22nd. The confirmed M18 platform with the huge 12.0 Ah battery did thoroughly in our checking out. However, this saw did experience a battery overload at the 18th reduce. We had to do away with the battery, let it quiet down for nearly ten mins, after which maintain the check. The Milwaukee noticed uses a slower chain velocity compared to a number of the alternative saws, however grants a ton of torque and power while reducing.

Third Place: Greenworks

The Greenworks Pro 60V noticed is no stranger to the Tool Box Buzz crew. It achieved a total of 21 complete cuts and maintained constant chain speed and electricity during. Overall our check cutters agreed that it had fantastic energy and was a “Top Cutter”.

Learning to Cut Differently

While evaluating run-time, our check cutters discovered that operating a cordless chainsaw is drastically special from a conventional saw. A fuel-powered saw will generally will let you lean right into a cut and placed extra leverage and force on the tool. A fuel-powered motor will strength via this at the same time as bogging down without incident. However, an electric saw will close itself down whilst encountering extreme resistance to prevent unfavorable the motor. Our operators needed to permit the saws to do the reducing and maintain back from leaning on them an excessive amount of.

Of the saws we examined; Makita, Stihl, and DR Power had troubles with stalling out and needed to be reset to hold slicing. The Stihl especially needed to be reset, battery removed, and cooled off, several times to preserve the take a look at.

Speed Cutting Test

Published chain speeds, RPM rankings, producer reducing claims can all get pretty difficult. So we made it a concern to peer just how rapid our cordless saws should perform a reduce in a chunk of hardwood. A seasoned duration of Ash become decided on to carry out the rate cutting test. Our pattern log measured out to a median diameter of 11.02″ based upon measurements taken earlier than the start of each test reduce.

We chose to maintain the same operator for the whole check to maintain consistency. Our test cutter then done 3 timed cross cuts as quick because the noticed turned into capable of. After the effects were recorded, we reset and completed the take a look at a 2d time. The average of the 2 times changed into calculated and used to rank every noticed.

First Place: Echo

One of the take a look at cutters summed up the Echo flawlessly; “This element appears like a chainsaw!” The Echo saw powered thru the rate cuts with a median time of forty four.5 seconds. Echo’s 58V system makes use of a slower chain pace however provides quite a few felt torque inside the cut. This stability of speed and electricity allowed the Echo to bite thru our take a look at material speedy without bogging down or losing in pace.

Second Place: Stihl

Stihl is a large name, if not the biggest within the chainsaw international. Their recognition is built upon their strong construction and expert-grade engineering and capabilities. This lineage in reality showed itself at some point of out speed reduce checking out. With a median reduce time of forty eight seconds, the Stihl had zero issues reducing via the eleven″ Ash log. While the Stihl struggled with the bigger diameter run-time log, the smaller log used right here, in conjunction with Stihl’s very competitive profiled chain yielded outstanding consequences.

Third Place: Greenworks

With a mean reduce time of fifty.2 seconds, Greenworks persisted to shine as a “Top Cutter.” The Greenworks PRO 60V noticed’s performance inside the velocity slicing test is an great instance of a tool that turned into built from the floor up as a cordless chainsaw.

Cordless Chainsaw Torture Test

In order to break down a large spherical of wooden to a greater doable length, chainsaw customers will regularly perform a rip cut or “Noodling” cut as it is greater normally referred to as. We selected a noodling cut as our torture take a look at because of the reality that it substantially exams the full powerband of the cordless noticed. A noodling cut is completed parallel to the grain of a full log round.

What makes it so difficult is the chain has to pull the lengthy-stranded chips via the complete kerf duration of the bar and chain. These lengthy-stranded chips resemble curly noodles, subsequently the name Noodling. Traditionally a user could need a bigger and greater powerful fuel-powered saw to perform this type of cut.

For our test, twelve pre-cut rounds, of wet Red Oak, have been positioned standing on a block and reduce parallel to the grain. Our rounds have been every twelve inches long and averaged sixteen.Seventy eight″ in diameter. The longevity of the grain shape of the Red Oak and the moisture content of the wooden positioned a large demand on our saws.

We selected to make this check a Pass/Fail assessment specially due to the fact we had been unsure if the saws could be able to complete the take a look at. To our surprise, almost every device handed the test! The most effective noticed which failed to finish the noodling reduce was the Milwaukee M18 FUEL. During the check reduce, the Milwaukee jammed with sawdust and noodle strands absolutely binding and seizing the blade. The saw had to be disassembled and cleaned out earlier than it changed into useful once more.

Cordless Chainsaw Head-2-Head

The performance of those battery-powered saws all through our torture take a look at turned into extraordinarily amazing. It confirmed us the gain of present day electric powered automobiles and their potential to maintain a regular output irrespective of demand.

Weight

We ranked our saws primarily based upon the bare device weight of each version. Based upon the posted naked tool weights we ranked the saws as follows:

Overall Size and Balance

Numbers on my own do no longer constantly tell the full story of the overall sense of a tool in hand. We selected to include length and balance further to weight throughout our assessment. Some of the saws did a exceptional job of balancing this elevated weight and length even as others did not. One of our test cutters remarked that operating some of these saws felt like “using a large Cadillac boat like my Grandma used to power”.

Our expert tree cutter felt that common length and balance was one of the biggest factors for him while finding out if he would take any such saws up in the bucket. If the saw become bulky and unwieldy, then it would be an absolute no-go for them to even do not forget.

First Place: Stihl

The Stihl felt like a compact professional-grade tool inside the fingers of every consumer. The ordinary length and stability is exquisite and felt extra like a chainsaw with a battery in it than a battery-powered chainsaw.

Second Place: Husqvarna

Husqvarna is the alternative biggest and most well-known name within the chainsaw international. The 536li XP felt nimble and balanced in hand. It’s light-weight and compact layout makes it a real professional-grade device. Our tree cutter said that the Husqvarna had “incredible balance and light-weight in hand”. He felt that it changed into the most practical desire of all of the saws for use in a bucket or tree because of the burden.

Third Place: Makita

The Makita XCU04PT1 saw offered a extraordinary mixture of weight and balance. The Makita 36V  battery machine locations the battery packs better up and focused on the noticed. This cuts down on the overall duration of the noticed frame and streamlines it as nicely. Much like the Stihl and Husqvarna, the Makita noticed balanced in addition to a conventional gasoline-powered saw and was easily managed with the aid of our check team.

Cordless Chainsaw Features

Our saws ranged from simple and Spartan in phrases of capabilities to jam-packed. We tested every saw and in comparison functions together with guide chain brakes, chain tensioning structures, bar oil fill cap layout, onboard device garage, bumper spikes or felling puppies, and lots of other regions as nicely. Based on this special contrast, we have been capable of rank our equipment as follows.

First Place: DEWALT

The DEWALT Flexvolt noticed has an first rate set of functions that make it very consumer friendly. The manual chain brake, specially, stood out to our group as a nicely concept out and achieved safety feature. The brake lever had an super contour to it with very brief travel to interact and disengage. DEWALT’s tool-unfastened mini chainsaw cordless device turned into additionally the most user pleasant. As a right-passed operator, I should easily preserve the saw by way of the ahead handle in my left hand while using my right hand to modify the chain tension. All of the controls featured wonderful, turn-down levers which are easy to apply and shop securely. The flip cap design of the bar oil reservoir become also extraordinarily easy to use. One place of development for the noticed might be a fixed of metal bumper spikes instead of the modern molded plastic ones.

Second Place: Oregon

The Oregon call is well referred to as a manufacturer of extremely good bars, chains, and different forestry products. But the CS300 chainsaw become a bit of an unknown surprise to our group. Having never examined a device from Oregon before, we had been pleasantly surprised by using this powerful monster. Oregon saw became full of features that had been very simply designed by way of chainsaw people. The first of which became the Oregon Self Sharpening system and 91PS056X chain. Oregon covered a self-sharpening device in which the person truly pulls upwards on a manipulate lever for 3-five seconds while running the noticed to mechanically sharpen the chain. The lever lowers a contoured sharpening stone down onto the chain and sharpens as it runs. This characteristic makes the often foreboding task of sharpening a sequence resultseasily. The chain is proprietary and the sprucing stone will best work with the special chain. Oregon additionally has excellent bumper spikes and a responsive chain brake as well as a device-free chain tensioning machine.

Third Place: Stihl

It comes as no marvel that a professional-grade device just like the Stihl includes expert-grade capabilities as properly. Stihl consists of an inboard grasp design in conjunction with metal bumper spikes and chain trap with the MSA 220 C-B. The tool-loose chain tensioning gadget is very consumer pleasant. The finger rotary dial design for adjusting anxiety become found to be slightly much less intuitive than the DEWALT Design.

Of all of the saws that had been examined, Kobalt was the simplest model to not function a manual chain brake lever and it’s putting in this category displays that. The Kobalt additionally requires a device to tension the chain. Our crew discovered an overwhelming choice for saws with a device-unfastened chain tensioning method in preference to a traditional tooled gadget. For saws of this elegance, device-free appears to make the maximum experience.

Overall Ergonomics

The time period ergonomics receives thrown around loads and is absolutely person-structured. Bearing that in mind we ranked our tools in phrases of ergonomics primarily based upon the way they worked with us during use. The regions we focused on were treated angles, grip textures, control locations, and felt vibration. All of those features are well worth thinking about to find the device that is comfy to the person.

First Place: Husqvarna

The Husqvarna noticed turned into designed for all-day expert use. The contoured perspective of the handles turned into secure as well as made the controls easy to attain. The saw featured a simple push-button strength switch as well as a guide chain brake, and grip tang safety release. These controls all labored easily collectively in hand. There is also little felt vibration with this noticed and no warm spots on the grips.

Second Place: Stihl

The compact body design of the Stihl in conjunction with ergonomic controls makes this one of the maximum comfortable gear in hand. The Stihl functions a push-button safety launch on the left facet of the rear grip in place of an on/off switch, this button is easy to reach and unobtrusive for the duration of use. The ease of battery access and brief exchange were great at the Stihl.

Third Place: Makita

The Makita noticed followed the equal layout direction as the Husqvarna, with a push-button on/off transfer and a grip tang safety launch. This easy feature on my own became determined to be a fave amongst our checking out crews. The tree care execs additionally significantly desired this gadget and located the Makita to be extraordinarily much like their present day gas-powered saws.

Decibel Output Rating

One of the primary benefits of cordless chainsaws and cordless OPE in preferred is the lack of noise. But simply how quiet is a cordless chainsaw. To check this, the saws were positioned on a concrete slab open storage space in the identical general region. An common Decibel score from each saw at approximately palms duration away. The same hard distance as users ears would be from the tool at some point of use. The decibel score turned into captured in the course of the loudest rev-up phase of the gear, much like how they would carry out while slicing.

Husqvarna metered the lowest at seventy four.4 and DEWALT observed carefully in the back of at 74.Five. The majority of the saws fell among 74.5 to seventy six.5 decibels, Greenworks turned into the loudest noticed at eighty.1 decibels.

All of the saws tested fell within the OSHA secure hearing stage standards and are appreciably quieter than a comparable size fuel-powered saw. For extended use, a set of hearing protection is a superb concept in my opinion. I discovered the pitch of the electric cars to be stressful after extended use. Similar to taking note of a miter saw all day.

Price

Using a number of various online providers and local sellers, the saws had been ranked based totally upon the contemporary marketplace charge on a naked tool, on the time of this newsletter. The naked tool charge is the quality manner to rank a comparison inclusive of this due to the fact lots of our manufacturers promote their saws as a la carte device. They permit the person consumer to choose the battery packs and charger proper for them.  Such as Stihl, Husqvarna, and Oregon.

Looking at bare device costs, we see three of our pinnacle-performing saws all the manner at the bottom. This wide difference in rate is a right away reflection of a absolutely seasoned-grade device as opposed to a residential or homeowner grade tool. The Kobalt will now not be capable, or predicted to perform, to the identical degree because the Husqvarna or Stihl. Stihl is likewise precise in that they do no longer provide online sales. In order to buy a Stihl chainsaw, you must visit a Stihl supplier. This dealer experience is a trademark of the Stihl brand and is some thing that TBB Crew Member Jeff Williams discussed in a preceding evaluate.

Below is some “Buy Now” hyperlinks to buy some of the saws featured on this Head-2-Head from our sponsor at Ohio Power Tool.

Buy Now From Our Sponsored Retailers

Ohio Power Tool

EGO

Ego Power+ Chainsaw Kit

Milwaukee

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Chainsaw Kit

Other Options

60V FLEXVOLT Chainsaw (ACME Tool)

ECHO 16" Cordless Chainsaw (ACME Tools)

EGO 16" Cordless Chainsaw (ACME Tool)

Husqvarna Cordless Chainsaw (ACME Tools)

Makita Cordless Chainsaw (ACME Tools)

Oregon Cordless Chainsaw (ACME Tools)

Ryobi Cordless Chainsaw (Home Depot)

Best Overall Value Cordless Chainsaw

Echo CCS-58VA Chainsaw

Of all of the cordless chainsaws featured on this comparison take a look at, the Echo stood out as a exquisite price sponsored through superb overall performance. The Echo changed into our fastest cutter and ranked inside the pinnacle five for run time and weight. But extra importantly, it tied for 1/3 for the fee as a naked device. The echo has a solid heft to it that makes it experience like a conventional gas noticed in hand but continues to be relatively light. Because it cuts at a decrease chain pace with higher torque, the 58V Echo chewed thru each species of wood we threw at it and not using a problems.

While a bit cumbersome for a tree climber or bucket saw, the Echo is an extremely good noticed for firewood reducing or widespread smooth up round a domestic or assets. Echo also offers customers the choice of on line ordering as well as the nearby provider revel in or shopping from a massive home center. The CCS-58VA is part of a larger lineup of cordless OPE from echo and could serve any owner of a house properly as a part of a entire machine of merchandise.

Best Cordless Chainsaw Results – Winner Stihl

Based on our evaluation standards, each saw was ranked and a factor value changed into recorded. These rankings were then brought and a final rating order turned into decided. The decrease the score, the higher the placement of the tool. Based upon this, Stihl took pinnacle region normal with 36 points. DEWALT and Husqvarna tied for 2d place with 41 points. Makita accompanied close behind with 42 points and turned into a stable performer.

Overall our test saws set up themselves into three classes. Power tool corporations that made a cordless chainsaw, chainsaw agencies that designed a battery-powered saw, and battery-powered corporations that built a chainsaw round their platform. Each individual device had its own strengths and weaknesses and their overall performance became sincerely based totally upon their battery system. Overall our team was extraordinarily impressed with the strength and skills that these cordless saws must offer.

If you're currently invested in the battery platform, you then probably can’t go incorrect with selecting up a matching chainsaw. If you're thinking about purchasing a noticed and aren’t invested in a platform, take a look at the overall range of gear from each manufacturer while making your selection. Cutting a tree a few seconds slower is not anything in comparison to the expense of investing in a couple of battery structures.

For the tree care pros out there, a battery noticed is well worth looking at as well. Charging a battery is manner less complicated than filling a gas can and less messy. More importantly, a battery-powered saw is going from on to off with the flip of a switch. While high-priced, the professional-grade tools highlighted in this take a look at are extraordinarily capable and powerful. A pro may be surprised at how regularly they would locate themselves attaining for a battery-powered saw over a gas-powered model.

So whether you are a outdoor lumberjack, a rugged tree cutter, or an eco-conscious cannibal from Texas, a cordless chainsaw is likely a extremely good choice for you.