Electric chainsaw recommendations?

[Ebbs]

I have the RYOBI 40V HP Brushless 14 in. Battery Chainsaw (see at Home Depot).

View attachment 270583

Full honest review here, as I've been using it for several years now both in my yard and on the trail.

PROS- The battery life is great, I have 2 batteries but rarely on a job in my yard have I needed to swap over to #2. The charger is great and all the lights and indicators are easy to use. I also like how firmly and secure the battery feels attached. It's a nice sized saw, not too big or small, I have felled a few large Pines in my yard with no issues. The chains are widely available and are pretty inexpensive.

CONS- In my experience, this thing drips too much bar & chain oil. So much so that I keep it on a sheet pan when not in use in my shed. When on the road for a few days, it looks like about 1/2oz lost in the truck bed. Not the worst but still a huge mess. Another common problem for me is this chain loosens quickly, it will need to be checked often or it will fall off mid-cut.

For a cheap saw that I can take anywhere, it gets the job done well. I would buy again, but I'm sure better options are out there.

I have the Milwaukee and I like it a lot, never needed anything more, though it's size is a bit annoying (the way the body is designed it is longer than most 16" saws).
but what you say about the leaking bar&chain oil rings true for me too! I now never fill the thing up, just add about a 1/4 tank at a time each time I use it (never for too long) or I end up with the saw swimming in oil when I reach for it (I have the milwuakee case for it). I need to get a Silky for backup, but I carry 2 12a/h batteries, a charger and 2 spare chains on trips if I think there might be some blow downs to clear. (my charger will run off my inverter in the GX). overall happy except size and leaking

 

[CR-Venturer]

I have the 18v Ryobi and have owned it for over a year now. I've used it extensively, both in the field and on my 5 acre property to fell fully grown standing dead poplars, which are pretty signifcant in size. I think mine has a 14" bar, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

I bought the saw because I already have a bunch of Ryobi 18v tools and have been very happy with them. I can tell you right up front, I highly recommend this saw. The value for money is HUGE because it's one of the cheapest battery saws you can buy, but it runs like a top and is well built.

I can echo another poster's comment about it leaking a bit of chain oil, but honestly mine isn't all that bad. I've also found that putting it down on its side largely negates the issue.

As I said, I've felled full size trees with this saw without issues, and used it quite extensively for clearin trails. I would say if you encounter a tree across the road thst's legitimately beyond the capability of this saw, you probably shouldn't be trying to cut it unless you're a professional logger or arborist.

Another huge bonus is that Home Depot now carries the 6ah 18v batteries, which I do recommend if you have this saw. I use 4ah batteries currently, and the battery life is quite decent all things considered, but I have often wished for more juice. When I have the money, I plan to buy a 2 pack of them on sale.

If you want to spend more money, something like a Makita 36v might give you slightly better performance, especially if you already use their tools and have the 18v batteries for them, but for a budget saw the Ryobi is fantastic bang for your buck. Highly recommended.

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

I have the Milwaukee and I like it a lot, never needed anything more, though it's size is a bit annoying (the way the body is designed it is longer than most 16" saws).
but what you say about the leaking bar&chain oil rings true for me too! I now never fill the thing up, just add about a 1/4 tank at a time each time I use it (never for too long) or I end up with the saw swimming in oil when I reach for it (I have the milwuakee case for it). I need to get a Silky for backup, but I carry 2 12a/h batteries, a charger and 2 spare chains on trips if I think there might be some blow downs to clear. (my charger will run off my inverter in the GX). overall happy except size and leaking

Which Milwaukee saw do you have? I was looking at the 16" a while back but the reviews I read were mixed and anyone I talked to that had them hadn't used them much.

 

[Ebbs]

Which Milwaukee saw do you have? I was looking at the 16" a while back but the reviews I read were mixed and anyone I talked to that had them hadn't used them much.

the original 16". M18 FUEL™ 16" Chainsaw Kit
they now have one that has a shorter body and 14", which I might end up getting...

M18 FUEL™ 14" Top Handle Chainsaw 2 Battery Kit | Milwaukee Tool

The MILWAUKEE® M18 FUEL™ 14" Top Handle Chainsaw Two Battery Kit cuts faster than 35cc gas, delivers the power to cut hardwoods, & eliminates gas headaches.

www.milwaukeetool.com

I've had 0 issues with mine and it's cut everything I've asked, largest being about 12" in diam. with no issues. Battery life is solid with the12 a/h but I carry an extra and a charger just in case. I should add that I don't have a ton of experience with chain saws, so maybe my expectations aren't as high as others?

 

[Ethan N]

I have the RYOBI 40V HP Brushless 14 in. Battery Chainsaw (see at Home Depot).

View attachment 270583

Full honest review here, as I've been using it for several years now both in my yard and on the trail.

PROS- The battery life is great, I have 2 batteries but rarely on a job in my yard have I needed to swap over to #2. The charger is great and all the lights and indicators are easy to use. I also like how firmly and secure the battery feels attached. It's a nice sized saw, not too big or small, I have felled a few large Pines in my yard with no issues. The chains are widely available and are pretty inexpensive.

CONS- In my experience, this thing drips too much bar & chain oil. So much so that I keep it on a sheet pan when not in use in my shed. When on the road for a few days, it looks like about 1/2oz lost in the truck bed. Not the worst but still a huge mess. Another common problem for me is this chain loosens quickly, it will need to be checked often or it will fall off mid-cut.

For a cheap saw that I can take anywhere, it gets the job done well. I would buy again, but I'm sure better options are out there.

I have the Milwaukee and I like it a lot, never needed anything more, though it's size is a bit annoying (the way the body is designed it is longer than most 16" saws).
but what you say about the leaking bar&chain oil rings true for me too! I now never fill the thing up, just add about a 1/4 tank at a time each time I use it (never for too long) or I end up with the saw swimming in oil when I reach for it (I have the milwuakee case for it). I need to get a Silky for backup, but I carry 2 12a/h batteries, a charger and 2 spare chains on trips if I think there might be some blow downs to clear. (my charger will run off my inverter in the GX). overall happy except size and leaking

I'm guilty of always filling it to the top. I'll try that trick next time!

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

I hadn't seen the new 14", I'll have to look into it. When I was shopping the 16" there was a lot of reviews saying it likes to throw the chain off. Most things I read blame the chain tensioner and how narrow the chain is for it not staying on. You could possibly switch to a beefier bar and chain but from what I saw they went that narrow with the chain to be able to run a 16" bar on an 18V platform. That and the leaking bar oil convinced me to hold off until they updated it, I have a ton of other Milwaukee stuff so I'd like to stick with them.

 

[Ebbs]

I hadn't seen the new 14", I'll have to look into it. When I was shopping the 16" there was a lot of reviews saying it likes to throw the chain off. Most things I read blame the chain tensioner and how narrow the chain is for it not staying on. You could possibly switch to a beefier bar and chain but from what I saw they went that narrow with the chain to be able to run a 16" bar on an 18V platform. That and the leaking bar oil convinced me to hold off until they updated it, I have a ton of other Milwaukee stuff so I'd like to stick with them.

Yeah I have had a few issues with the chain, but again I guess it might just be my in experience with other saws, so was just figuring it was normal and more a ME issue than the saw. it didn't happen so often that I thought it was a big concern, at least for me.

 

[zimm]

I found this thread searching for a chain saw to carry in my Jeep. You never know when a tree will be blocking the trail. I already carry a Milwaukee M18 impact, so I have the batteries and charger.

I'm looking at the new "top handle" 12" that's pretty compact:

M18 FUEL™ 12" Top Handle Chainsaw | Milwaukee Tool

The Milwaukee® M18 FUEL™ 14" Top Handle Chainsaw Kit gives you the performance of a gas powered chainsaw without the headaches.

www.milwaukeetool.com

Or the "hatchet" which is even smaller with an 8" bar.

M18 FUEL™ HATCHET™ 8" Pruning Saw | Milwaukee Tool

The MILWAUKEE® M18 FUEL™ HATCHET™ 8" Pruning Saw delivers increased control & access, has the power to cut hardwoods, and is the fastest cutting pruning saw.

www.milwaukeetool.com

I figure if the tree is too big to cut all the way around it with a 8 or 12 inch bar, it's beyond my skill level to be messing with in the first place and I can turn around.

 

[brien]

We carry the 12" DeWalt with a 6ah battery and it's been incredibly useful on a number of occasions. One time when out on a remote recovery we had to clear a path down an extremely overgrown wash. We had to stop and trim branches about every 30 feet for TWO HOURS and it somehow lasted the whole time, although it was getting noticeably less effective towards the end.

DeWalt (and most of the other brands) offers two sizes, so I started with the 12". This was a strategic move so that in the future i can convince my wife that I also need the 16" because the 12" is "too small". If you buy the big one first you'll have a harder time finding an excuse to convince your partner that you need another chainsaw. ;)

 

[Nomad]

I found myself asking this several years back, definitely more options in the market now

I purchased a pruning blade for my reciprocating saw as a stop gap for a trip (also only cost like 10 bucks) and never got around to actually getting a chainsaw as that stinking blade has been so useful and exceeded anything I’ve needed from trail clearing up to 10” thick logs and branches, to processing firewood around camp

Also so nice to not worry about new batteries, or gas, or bar oil

I really like this idea of the reciprocating saw no leaking oil as that is a big complaint on all chainsaws and it would cut logs of thickness that I would use and cut with a chainsaw anyways..
Also a much cheaper option to get into..
Right now I have a 14" gas powered chainsaw and the oil/gas is a pain and takes up so much space...
So thanks for the idea I think this is what I will be switching too...

Nomad