area where it falls a bit short

2021/05/21

One area where it falls a bit short, however, is that it does go through more bar and chain oil than we'd like to see. For those that have no interest in fumbling with or losing tools while trying to tune their saw, this is the way to go. If you are looking for a model with maximum bar length and maximum battery life, it is hard to beat the price for the performance of the Ego Power+ CS1800. The Ego Power+ was our favorite model of the bunch. For the second part of this metric, we took our fleet of saws to a commercial wood yard for a more subjective test to see how they functioned bucking rounds of pine. We tested the 18-inch model and were happy to be able to buck large pine rounds without huffing exhaust fumes, yanking on a pull cord, or destroying our eardrums as we would have been with a two-stroke motor. This model provides abundant power with a 56V 5Ah battery that also charges fairly quickly. At GearLab, we purchase all of the products at everyday prices from typical retailers to reduce bias while creating our reviews. 340i chainsaw And you also get a little more convenience than the other guys. Saws in this class are equipped with a chain brake (this one is), not just a hand guard, and a large bar-oil reservoir. Battery chainsaws make this entire operation clean, quiet, and devoid of hassle. Its built for pruning and woodworking, yet its surprisingly capable and can punch well above its weight. One of the best things about electric tools compared to gasoline-powered machines is that they are much quieter. During our dimensional woodcutting tests, the Greenworks Pro 18V showed an average cutting time of 5.3 seconds, while the CS1800 put up a time of 5.9 seconds. Rapid repeat cuts through hardwood generate a lot of internal heat in the tool, both from current flow and in the chain drive. The Worx WG322 had an okay wind-up time of 2 seconds and a rather slow average cutting time of 38 seconds, but taking into account the 20V battery and 10-inch bar, we were pleasantly surprised to see this thing ripping it up in the woodlot. The majority of the remaining models scored just above average for this metric. Key Specs: Volts: 20 | Number of discs cut: N/A | Weight: 9.9 lb (approx.). Close behind the CS1800 are the Milwaukee M18 Fuel and Worx WG322. The 20V battery used on this model is significantly lighter and smaller than the ones used by most saws, which range from 36V up to 80V. It looks, feels, and cuts like a solid little saw, as its disc count more than amply illustrates. The CS1800 has the most innovative, easiest-to-use tool-free chain tensioning system that we have seen. The test exposes vibration, stalling, hesitancy, and lack of trigger response. Fill the saw with bar oil, and minutes later youre cutting wood. Key Specs: Volts: 18 | Number of discs cut: 41 | Weight: 12.7 lb (approx.). A fueled 50-cc gas-engine saw, with an 18-inch bar, weighs 11 to 12 pounds. We particularly appreciated several of its features, like its long bar reduces the amount of stooping you do to get at wood you need to cut, Also, its equipped with a chain brakenot merely a front hand guardto protect you against kickback. But there are steps you can take to reduce that, such as storing the saw without bar oil and turning down its adjustable oiler. If you don't mind your task taking a few extra minutes, we think this saw offers fantastic performance for the associated price tag. We paid close attention to how difficult it was to slide the bar cover off or back on and how well they do at actually protecting the chain. Our favorite thing about the 120i is its unmatched battery life. Both types of saws require bar oil and a sharp chain. This one? The Milwaukee exhibited a runtime of 33 minutes and took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get back to full charge. The Makita easily slices through logs that are nearly the diameter of its bar length. The 540 LiXP is equipped with a massive 9.36-Ah battery, and that certainly helped boosts its number. We measured, weighed, timed, and took note of more than a dozen variables on each one of these models over the course of a month. Youve got two bar nuts and a slot for a screwdriver. Our top-tier professional saws can make as many as 100 cuts (or more) through a 6-inch-diameter hardwood log. We charged each saws battery, strapped a log onto a saw buck, and proceeded to rapidly and repeatedly cut test discs (or cookies, as theyre called) by pivoting the saw through the log. This is a reasonably hefty power tool, with a 40-volt motor. The M18 was one of the fastest during our dimensional cutting tests. At 10.7 pounds, the Husqvarna is one of the lightest chainsaws in our review. Also, the WG322 can't hang with the best in overall cutting performance. The oil tank cap is located on the top of the saw body, which is convenient, but unlike the Power+ 1400, the Black+Decker model goes through a lot of bar & chain oil, so you end up dealing with the cap often while operating the saw. Because these are largely considered to be consumer models, we also wanted to consider how much the sound produced by the tools might bother your neighbors. Flip up the lever on the adjustment wheel located adjacent to the bar and turn it counterclockwise to release tension on the tightening mechanism. However, where the Pro 80V really shines is its charge time the Greenworks rapid charger is able to bring the massive 80-volt battery up to 100% in a lightning-fast 30 minutes. Key Specs: Volts: 40 | Number of discs cut: N/A | Weight: 12 lb (approx.).

We then took every model to the wood yard to get a feel for them in a real-world environment. When youve got the chain where you want it, flip the lever back down and turn it counterclockwise to lock the position of the tightening mechanism. One of its best traits is that it goes from being completely stopped to full speed instantly. Taking it out into the real world during some mountain bike trail building, we found its performance equally outstanding. However, because all chainsaws are inherently loud due to the spinning of the chain and the tearing of cutting wood, we only weighted it 10% of the total score. This chainsaw includes several features that serve overall ease of use and performance, including an LED light, metal bucking spikes, and an 18-inch bar. Battery compartments that are located on top of the saw body make it easy to attach and remove the power bank. We call this number "wind-up" time. In general, this saw is very easy to use. We produced a shed full of wood in the process. The saw is so light, you can hold a branch in one hand and saw it with the other. The latter is noticeably quieter. And youd be right. We also removed and reinstalled the chain on each saw several times to gauge how difficult or technical the various tensioning systems are to operate. The downside is that if you really try to produce firewood with this saw, youll quickly wear the bar out. Drawbacks aside, we think this saw is the way to go if you want a longer bar and don't want to wait all day for your battery to recharge. We'd say this model is quiet and only slightly whiny. While the noise pitch of the Makita LXT wasn't quite to the annoying level, the sound meter told a different tale. And in the course of the work, we tackled a number of spring poles that were bent under tension. However, to test these awesome tools side-by-side, we went well beyond just the saw performance. But theres more to it than battery girth. The CS1800 has the system that we like the most, with a simple thumb safety switch and a chain brake. At 8.4 pounds, it is more than 2 pounds lighter than any other model. The MSA 220 C-B is power tool excellence. One of the main ways that battery chainsaws are superior to gas-powered models is that they are much quieter. The tool clips into a compartment on the bottom. As for weight, cordless electric chainsaws are equal to or a couple of pounds heavier than their gas-engine equivalents. Consider that, at its widest point, the saw is only 5.5 inches across. Take a look below at quick info of some of the best chainsaws from our testing. Finally, it is affordable. Other electric chainsaws that we would classify as professional, but are not as effective as our top performers, produce 40 or 50 cuts. No. This can be very useful on occasions when time and workflow efficiency are essential. These tools can get very pricey if you don't need the extra bar length, battery life, and power, then there's no need to drop the extra cash on a super high-performance model. For any sawyer doing a lot of firewood bucking, the Makita comes with metal bucking spikes to make the job easier. Many homeowners are turning to these power tools for simplified, quiet, and speedy yard cleanup. The cordless chainsaws we tested weigh anywhere from 11 to about 14 pounds. In side-by-side testing in the lab, the CS1800 made some of the fastest cuts in our lineup. The HLCS01s disc count tells nearly the entire story; 46 hardwood discs is equal to a mornings work, especially when youre talking about cleaning up a small tree that blew down in a storm or a bunch of branches that fell over the course of the winter. Our testers also paid close attention to whether or not certain saws subjectively stood out as being unpleasant to use while cutting due to excess noise. We find electronic power buttons to be a redundant feature when there's already a chain brake, safety switch, and trigger on most models. Also, the bar's length might be more than is necessary for those with smaller projects to complete. The tool-free chain tightening further improves our opinion of it. All of the saws other features were likewise designed for speed and ease, from oil filling to chain tightening. The Worx WG322 was once of the slowest in our controlled tests but performs fantastically for many smaller homeowner projects. One area where the Milwaukee may lose a little appeal to some people is the weight. Our only dislike is the thumb-activated safety switch, which is too stiff. If not, but you're interested in buying tools with interchangeable batteries, we recommend going with the Milwaukee line of products. The quietest model in our review is the Worx WG322. Just push in a charged battery and go. The Greenworks Pro 80V had a solid runtime of 27 minutes during our assessment, which is far from the longest-running models. Clearly its got a great motor and drivetrain. Adjusting the chain tension is easy, requiring no tools. To establish the scores for this metric, we used a panel of judges to decide which saws had the best balance, were the most comfortable to hold, and were the easiest to turn on and off. This saw is one of the slowest to react to a fully pulled trigger and took 2.5 seconds to get up to speed. Looking for the top drill around for your next home We tested the top models on the market. We found the RY 40580 to be a good, fast-cutting saw, with an ability to hang in there during difficult cuts without tripping the thermal overload switch. The metal bucking spikes on the Milwaukee M18 Fuel are great for digging into logs for extra leverage. The longer your cutting session, the more wood you expect to cut. Were mystified why the company put such a puny timber spike on the saw. It can zoom through even large-diameter hardwood logs, and it comes with a five-year warranty. During these two different tests, we closely monitored how quickly the saws went through bar and chain oil. The biggest limbs it hewed through were the 6-inch-diameter branches coming off the trunk of the main branch. The tool is so quiet, the walkers seemed unaware that a chainsaw had just cleared the way. Cordless saws, however, are not all created equal.

Key Specs: Volts: 40 | Number of discs cut: 124 | Weight: 10.39 lb (approx.). The Milwaukee M18 Fuel is a beast of a chainsaw. And its plastic. We've also put handsaws and cordless circular saws to the test. A homeowner-duty saw will make 20 to 30 cuts through the same log. Our analysis Searching for a new cordless leaf blower to make clean up After dozens of hours of research, we bought the best 11 Searching for a new cordless string trimmer? A significantly reduced weight coupled with its 10-inch bar and smaller body size allow the sawyer to tote, lift and operate the WG322 with ease. Similar to the top-tier models, the Ego Power+ 1400 has a simple control system that we like but is lacking any features that set it apart from the rest. Key Specs: Volts: 40 | Number of discs cut: 78 | Weight: 13.3 lb (approx.). Uses a substantial amount of bar & chain oil. We think it's a great compromise between good performance and a reasonable price tag. We also love that this saw consumes a small amount of bar & chain oil compared to many other models. Key Specs: Volts: 40 | Number of discs cut: 43 | Weight: 13.2 lb (approx.). Next, we sliced a ton of wood up to time cuts and measured each saw's performance. Pro-duty electric saws powered by a battery are expensive, costing in the range of $300 to $400; a mid-duty saw is likely to cost about $250, and an inexpensive saw suitable to handle the occasional downed tree limb is going to cost roughly $150 to $200. With this Makita, you get a compact saw that exhibits outstanding fit and finish, in line with the companys other power tools. For a handful of these saws, we used them to cut up trees felled by storms.

Despite these flaws, we still think the Worx takes the cake for 20V battery chainsaws. Key Specs: Volts: 58 | Number of discs cut: 56.5 | Weight: 16 lb (approx.). If you're shopping for a battery chainsaw, the most pivotal element to consider is what its primary application will be.