Chainsaw recommendations?

[Bernie]

I feel like I need to add a small electric chainsaw to my kit to clear trails or make firewood at camp. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good quality saw that won’t take up too much space?

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[quadna71]

If you are team yellow, then they have a great 12" bar saw that fits into their 20v battery system.
https://a.co/d/cTlMVu3

If you want larger than that, Greenworks makes a great 16" bar saw that cuts like a champ. It is for their 60v system but I know they also make them for the 40v and 80v families.
https://a.co/d/6wFlEza

I own and have used both of these saws and can stand by them. I use the GW saw up at my in-laws cabin for dropping trees when cutting firewood. The Dewalt saw I bought as a pruning option around the house but it has also taken down a couple trees as well. Both options, while not needing gas, still need bar oil. You'll want to factor that in when storing them in your 4R as they will occasionally drip a little.

 

[bshaunn]

I have a a 250 acre farm and have been a loyal Stihl buyer for years. I did divert about 5 years ago and bought a husqvarna 16” chainsaw and have had nothing but problems and it’s currently on IR so I’m done with that. When I went electric I naturally looked at Stihl but they were so much more expensive than the competition so purchased a DeWalt 8” pruner to start as I’ve used their 20V power tool system forever with great results. It worked well for a couple weeks and then started to profusely leak bar oil. Took it into DeWalt and they said it couldn’t be fixed. Hmmm. Also a close friend has a DeWalt 18” and has had nothing but problems.
So then my journey/research/reviews/articles/company research etc started for the best electric chain saw. Much to my surprise it landed on a a tool that looks like a toy, EGO. Never thought in a million years I’d buy this cheap looking laughable saw. But that’s where my research led me so I bought the 18”. As it turns out it’s a beast, solid, cuts amazing, battery life is the best and when that chain inevitably comes off it has a proprietary system to re attach the chain by hand with no tools needed. Yes you heard that correctly. Since then I’ve bought 2 other EGO power tools with great results. And they don’t even look like a toy to me anymore lol.

 

[Dead Horse]

I have a a 250 acre farm and have been a loyal Stihl buyer for years. I did divert about 5 years ago and bought a husqvarna 16” chainsaw and have had nothing but problems and it’s currently on IR so I’m done with that. When I went electric I naturally looked at Stihl but they were so much more expensive than the competition so purchased a DeWalt 8” pruner to start as I’ve used their 20V power tool system forever with great results. It worked well for a couple weeks and then started to profusely leak bar oil. Took it into DeWalt and they said it couldn’t be fixed. Hmmm. Also a close friend has a DeWalt 18” and has had nothing but problems.
So then my journey/research/reviews/articles/company research etc started for the best electric chain saw. Much to my surprise it landed on a a tool that looks like a toy, EGO. Never thought in a million years I’d buy this cheap looking laughable saw. But that’s where my research led me so I bought the 18”. As it turns out it’s a beast, solid, cuts amazing, battery life is the best and when that chain inevitably comes off it has a proprietary system to re attach the chain by hand with no tools needed. Yes you heard that correctly. Since then I’ve bought 2 other EGO power tools with great results. And they don’t even look like a toy to me anymore lol.

I have the same Ego chainsaw. I bought it because I had the blower already, and it's battery was far too small for how much I need a blower...Chainsaw came with a bigass battery.

It is one of the better lawn/garden purchases I've made in the last 10 years. It will cut down as large of tree as I should be cutting down, and the battery will last longer than I want to work.

My favorite part though, is that for the first time in my life, I don't dread getting out the chainsaw because I know I'll spend an hour fighting it just to get it started. When you only need one once or twice a year, even my Stihl saws were a pain to start/maintain. The electric just needs bar oil and a charged battery and it just works.

 

[TrdProGirl84]

Wasn’t expecting to see a chainsaw purchase. lol. Best brand recommendations?

 

[Gumpus]

I have 3 Ryobi 18V mini chainsaws (1 of the smallest -like handheld trimmer, 1 little one on a long pole, 1 next size up from smallest) and all work very well and have been troublefree. They are all brave little tools that do a lot of work...but it depends how much work you need to do. Even the larger Ryobi will need extra batteries if you plan to make more than a couple cuts in a tough 8" tree or limb. On the other hand even the small one will rip through lots of 1-2" branches and an occasional 3" on one battery.

 

[Archer]

I considered getting a small electric but can't justify the cost/storage space=usage.


https://www.amazon.com/CAMPNDOOR-Pocket-Chainsaw-36-Inch/dp/B09RHPF4K4?th=1

No oil, no batteries...


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[Joe Dirt]

Hellfire! I just use a long extension cord and drag whatever wood I can find nearby that reaches my electric Black & Decker CS that I got from the depot.
Used to use that with my 5th gen at the campsites and everybody would get a laugh when I used it to cut firewood. Just remember the engine has to be running.
I have not used it yet with my 6G,
But I would agree that a nice high powered battery packed CS is a nice technology upgrade as long as the battery is good . Dead batteries are no bueno , then you go down the rabbit hole of having a separate power station to charge your batteries!
Just my two cents here.

 

[Tarekith]

The Ego stuff is great, I've had no issues with any of their yard tools and always been impressed with how hassle free they are. The batteries last a lot longer than you would think.

 

[bakutheleo]

I had never known about that hand chain saw...interesting! I would think it would be a royal pita to use...take a long time, lots of hard work. But it seems to get good reviews. @Archer, have you actually used these? If so, can you comment on their use?

I have the Milwaukee M12 (12V) Hatchet (long before my 4Runner, I use it around the house). It is fairly small with a 6" bar, so suited only for fairly small stuff (3" seems to be recommended, although you could probably do a bit larger). It does work well as long as you let it do the work (it will stop if you push too hard). It is fairly small--of course you need to carry the charger, but still together they are pretty small. For me Milwaukee was the obvious choice as I have a ton of M18 and some M12 tools, so same battery--but they are also very high-quality tools (no, I do not work for them and get no commission!).

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