Anyone carry/use an electric Chain Saw? (1 Viewer)

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I got to use the Dewalt cordless with 12" bar this past weekend. I was on a quads and side by sides run, and it was in the trail box. It felt decent and cut well. if I already had Dewalt stuff, it would be a no-brainer.
 
I bought the DeWalt because I had the DeWalt 20v system of hand tools=we were re-modeling the downstairs/basement bath and I had the power turned off while doing electrical, etc. Very convenient to just bring the batteries upstairs and re-charge (They re-charged quickly and lasted quite a while). NO REGRETS!!

The chainsaw has been used for trimming trees, removing shrubs, etc. As well as making my bee houses for donating to charitable groups!
 
A buddy and I completed the GA Traverse (300+ miles from AL to SC - forest service roads mostly with a little black top). We took an electric and gas chain saw. Used the electric for clearing some fallen tree limbs from a few roads. Used the gas saw for cutting a tree truck that had fallen across a road. The trunk was a good 24in diameter. We could have used a winch to move the trunk but that would have taken a lot of time.
The more room you have the more gear you can carry. (That's why I kept my backpack on the small size.)
 
well I got the little Makita 10" 18V arborist saw (model 06). I love it for pruning jobs, it's amazingly light (7 lbs or so with battery and oil) and quite powerful for the size. No regret, perfect for tree climbing or smaller jobs on the ground. However, when you start to cut above 6" or 8" or so, it's starting to take its time and you can't push too hard or it may overheat and shut down for a bit. Still goes but you can tell it's a bit small for that. So conceivably, in a pinch, you could probably deal with a 16" limb on the trail if you have the time, but for like 8" and over, I would prefer the more powerful 2x18V arborist model with a 14+" bar. From the reviews I watched on YT, it appears that the latter will cut twice as fast as mine, and will of course handle bigger limbs. Gonna have to get one of those too before too long, I'm afraid.
 
Just an example what the 20v 12" dewalt will do on less than 10 amp hrs!!!!
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I recently bought a like new Ryobi 40V chainsaw at a pawn shop for about 1/2 the price of new. A week or so ago a large tree limb fell across the alley during a storm and the Ryobi made quick work of it. It took a second to get up to speed but after that it went through the limb with no problem. I also had an Echo, that I just sold, that I hadn't used since last year. It took forever to get the gas saw started up after it had been sitting. As long as the battery's charged, I don't have that problem with the cordless saw.
 
for those who are shopping, there are of course many reviews videos on YT, but especially some of which thankfully do try to quantify the number of cuts one can do on a given battery size and also some that compare brands and models. That should give you a good feel for what you can do or not with your prospective model before actually purchasing.
 
I finally got one of these to go with the Little Makita Saw.

I realize there is one of these in every tool line.. as my neighbor has the Milwaukie version. BUT what a difference in changing a tire out compared with my older Dewalt.

XWT17Z - 520 Ftlbs on - and 740 FT-Lbs off. and weight is only 5 lbs.​


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I wish Bosch would make a 18V or 36V chainsaw here in the states. I would prefer to stay within the same battery ecosystem. For smaller pieces of firewood, I usually use my Bosch reciprocating saw.
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I recently bought a like new Ryobi 40V chainsaw at a pawn shop for about 1/2 the price of new. A week or so ago a large tree limb fell across the alley during a storm and the Ryobi made quick work of it. It took a second to get up to speed but after that it went through the limb with no problem. I also had an Echo, that I just sold, that I hadn't used since last year. It took forever to get the gas saw started up after it had been sitting. As long as the battery's charged, I don't have that problem with the cordless saw.
Good to know. I have all Ryobi 40v and have been looking at their chainsaws.
 
today I took out several hellish bushes of ungodly dense matted thick branches and zillions of smaller ones. Had to crawl under, cut the branches one at a time, pausing and tugging and swearing between each one. I used the little 10" electric chainsaw and I kept on thinking "I am so glad this thing is electric". Had I kept a gas one running for the several hours that it took, I would have ran out, and starting it so many times would have been too much. Plus the noise in close quarters...

So Yea for the cordless chainsaw!
 
After reading a few reviews, what do you Dewalt owner's think about the chain oiler? Biggest complaint seems to be that it's not regulated, just simply a reservoir that will drip oil onto chain bar until the reservoir is empty. Which leaves an oily mess anytime the chain saw is stored.

Are all the other brands Milwaukee, Ryobi doing the same thing?
 
I do not know about the other brands but the Makita doesn't drip when not in use.
 
After reading a few reviews, what do you Dewalt owner's think about the chain oiler? Biggest complaint seems to be that it's not regulated, just simply a reservoir that will drip oil onto chain bar until the reservoir is empty. Which leaves an oily mess anytime the chain saw is stored.

Are all the other brands Milwaukee, Ryobi doing the same thing?
The drippy DeWalt is my biggest problem with that saw. I have the traditional and the pole chain saws from DeWalt and they both need to be emptied after use. Sitting in a shed, both of mine emptied over a few weeks. Luckily I knew this so I had them stored in bins to catch the oil. Maybe someone will make an aftermarket lube solution.

My challenge now is to find a compact case to transport this drippy thing in the Cruiser on trail runs now that I'm surrounded by trees all the time.
 
I noticed a Ryobi reviewer state that the 18V model leaks if stored laying flat (on the floor or a shelf), but when hung vertically (blade down) on a pegboard hook it did not leak. Perhaps the Dewalt 20V would do the same?
 
It's worth a shot. If laying it on the side, cap up works, perhaps different orientations may work. I don't have any oil to test with right now.
 
Personally, I would consider a perpetually oil-dripping saw a No-go, and an adjustable oiler a strong plus.
My little Makita is good on both fronts.

added: TBF, I should also mention that none of my gas chainsaws (mostly Stihls, one Echo) drips oil all the time when not in use either. But it is true that if the oil flow when running is too high, then there could be accumulation of oil inside the saw around the sprocket and that could drip for a bit. Not the same as the reservoir emptying, though.
 
Personally, I would consider a perpetually oil-dripping saw a No-go, and an adjustable oiler a strong plus.
My little Makita is good on both fronts.

added: TBF, I should also mention that none of my gas chainsaws (mostly Stihls, one Echo) drips oil all the time when not in use either. But it is true that if the oil flow when running is too high, then there could be accumulation of oil inside the saw around the sprocket and that could drip for a bit. Not the same as the reservoir emptying, though.
For those of us neck deep in 20V DeWalt...maybe there's a battery adapter to enable moving to the Makita for this corner use case.
 
In one of the tool threads, someone mentioned suspicious battery adapters from either amazon or fleabay or both. It's been a long day though and I could be thinking about nicad to lithium adapters.
 

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