Do gas chainsaws make any sense for a homeowner?
- Thread starter SupremePossum
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I have 4 gas saws, and a Dewalt 20v pruner saw. The Dewalt has certainly surprised me with its capability, but if you heat with wood like I do, the gas saw wins every time.
To be honest I don't remember, but no, nothing high dollar. The last one was from Tractor Supply and was probably a Poulan Pro.
I bought my small echo used in 2008 and my big echo new in 2017.
Longest my old echo sat was 2 years started up like I just set it down.
That's what happens when you buy junk.
Junk I'm sure.
My buddy still runs my old Stihl ms460 that I bought used back in like 2005. It was out of commission in 2021 for a bit during the great everything shortage in need of a carb.
With electric battery outdoor power equipment comes with it the sense that it a disposable piece. The people I hang around and myself included tend to stray away from purchasing anything disposable. The reason is manufactures are putting BMS systems inside the tools that make it impossible to use cheap batteries when they become obsolete. Maybe the tool is still in perfect shape but you have to throw it out. Also the tools seem to cost as much as new batteries.
If you compare the big three gas OPE manufactures, Echo, Husky, Stihl, in my opinion they are not very disposable. Most of them support the units 5-10 years, and even longer in the used and aftermarket.
Name one battery tool where the aftermarket makes a new circuit board, or electric motor?
Having said all of this, there are applications where battery tools make sense over gas.
If you compare the big three gas OPE manufactures, Echo, Husky, Stihl, in my opinion they are not very disposable. Most of them support the units 5-10 years, and even longer in the used and aftermarket.
Name one battery tool where the aftermarket makes a new circuit board, or electric motor?
Having said all of this, there are applications where battery tools make sense over gas.
So things are great until your battery no longer takes a charge? I need to replace a Husqvarna saw I bought in 1989. I'll go with a conventional gas powered saw. A gallon of gas with fuel stabilizer lasts me three years, and I won't have to buy cheap replacement batteries made in China.
Yes for trimming, yard clean up, and a cutting a smaller tree down and bucking it up. No, for someone who does 2-3+ cords a year of firewood. Although the dual battery Milwaukie is basically a 60-70cc saw in terms of power, but also costs the same and should get about 15 min of cutting out of the batteries, but none of the "reviews" says anything about it? So if you add another pair of batteries for $500, you probably could cut a cord of firewood with a couple swaps? So I guess for a homeowner, you could buy a serious 60cc pro saw for $8-900, keep it for 20 years, burn maybe $1000 in gas. Or spend $1700 on the electric equivalent, with 4 batteries and probably spend another $1000 in batteries.
If my cheap 40cc plastic husky ever dies(going on 15 years now), I'll probably replace it with a little rigid electric as we'll have 5-6 batteries then. The 372xp does all the big stuff and its always worth fixing, so I probably won't ever get a large battery saw.
If my cheap 40cc plastic husky ever dies(going on 15 years now), I'll probably replace it with a little rigid electric as we'll have 5-6 batteries then. The 372xp does all the big stuff and its always worth fixing, so I probably won't ever get a large battery saw.
JHZR2
Staff member
My in laws needed a saw after Irma/Maria. I cut a LOT of various island woods with it. It still works.
Would I use it on a big oak tree? No. Is it slower? For sure. Does the battery charge time make a difference? It can for sure unless you want to own a lot of batteries.
Would I use it on a big oak tree? No. Is it slower? For sure. Does the battery charge time make a difference? It can for sure unless you want to own a lot of batteries.
sycamore
$50 Site Donor 2025
I generally avoid battery-powered tools when I can, the exception being an M12 screwdriver and an oscillating multi-tool for odd jobs around the house. For everything else, I stick to corded electric where reasonable and it's generally been a good decision for this average homeowner.
I've gotta say, I didn't feel that the $75 corded electric Bauer was wanting for power. My neighbor (who has invested heavily in the Ryobi battery ecosystem) seemed impressed, and dare I say, a little jealous? It cut up the tree pretty easily, the partial results of which are shown. Truck his.
A gas-powered chainsaw would certainly be a better choice if I had any significant property, but for a suburbanite like me living on a third of an acre I feel I could've done worse. All I needed was a lengthy 12 gauge extension cord and I was good to go.
I've gotta say, I didn't feel that the $75 corded electric Bauer was wanting for power. My neighbor (who has invested heavily in the Ryobi battery ecosystem) seemed impressed, and dare I say, a little jealous? It cut up the tree pretty easily, the partial results of which are shown. Truck his.
A gas-powered chainsaw would certainly be a better choice if I had any significant property, but for a suburbanite like me living on a third of an acre I feel I could've done worse. All I needed was a lengthy 12 gauge extension cord and I was good to go.
Wrote a lot of experience and advice, then attached a pic. Was too big. Page said "Oops! try again"
Everything I wrote was lost.
Sorry
Everything I wrote was lost.
Sorry
No, your post is automatically saved as you type. If you go back to the thread, you'll see your saved post.
It doesn't necessarily need to last forever. If that's your ethos, that's fine, but in the shop cordless allows me to complete more work in less time. The additional expense is offset by more invoices issued.
However, I can't say this is always the case for cutting firewood. In that case it's just more convenient for me to use my M18.
I realize others are different, but consider everyone spends their money with different expectations and not all need or want a tool that "lasts forever" if there are other potential upsides for that person.
TTI, Milwaukee and Ryobi. Dewalt no doubt does too. I have had to order a few parts, no issues except a backlog once or twice. Also, buy a broken one on Ebay and merge them together. Its no different vs a gas chainsaw.
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/milwaukee-chainsaw-parts-c-131_16774.html
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I live on an 8 acre piece of land just on the outskirts of town and have plenty of woods. I burned wood for additional heat for over 25 years, and only a few years ago stopped burning wood. To think that a I would ever own a cordless chainsaw would have been laughable. I have had many saws over the years, and the last two were my favorite Echos. I liked them more than any saw I've ever owned and that included many Stihls. Well, fast forward to a year ago and I decided, since I had a Ryobi lawnmower, blower, and weedeater, that I would give their arborist saw a try. I can say, it is an amazing saw, easily cutting as well as the Echo or Stihl arborist saw. It has a 3/8" .045 chain and it cuts like a razor. I was absolutely blown away at how well it worked. I wouldn't want to cut down a huge oak tree with it, but for cleaning up around the property it is fantastic. I've stopped cutting big trees as I'm getting old enough that it's not a smart idea, so I have no need for a larger saw, but even if I did cut trees, this would be an excellent saw for cleanup and limbing. I now have no need to keep oil and gas around for such tasks. Frankly, I've been impressed with my mower, trimmer and blower too.
I honestly never thought I'd be an electric/cordless proponent, but I am.
I honestly never thought I'd be an electric/cordless proponent, but I am.
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That's how the ladies like it!
Id say it depends how much you use it. When I lived in Wisconsin I used to have a wood burner and would cut 2-3 truck loads of firewood every year. If you tried to cut that much wood with an electric saw, youd need so many high capacity batteries that it wouldnt make sense to have an electric. I can buy a lot of gas and oil for what a large capacity Milwaukee battery costs.
However, if you just use it a couple times year for trimming small trees or other small jobs a battery saw is fine. I have a small urban lot where I mostly just keep trees trimmed up and maybe have to cut up the occasional fallen branch from my oak tree and Ive just got a corded saw that I bought at Aldi for like $40. It works fine for what I need. Any job bigger than that and I will just borrow my buddy's Stihl.
However, if you just use it a couple times year for trimming small trees or other small jobs a battery saw is fine. I have a small urban lot where I mostly just keep trees trimmed up and maybe have to cut up the occasional fallen branch from my oak tree and Ive just got a corded saw that I bought at Aldi for like $40. It works fine for what I need. Any job bigger than that and I will just borrow my buddy's Stihl.
Because you are still better off with a corded electric chainsaw.
Battery saw? Funny stuff when the dangerous battery costs as much or more than the saw. Then there is where do I charge it at, if its cold and snowy its difficult to put it in the middle of the yard to charge it. And then where to keep the battery after charging it?
I got a free crappy ryobi battery saw, with a funky bulb pump up oiler that is a big joke, with the junk safety chain it would not cut a thing, even with a good chain I think a hand saw would be as fast. I can't see gambling $400 plus on something that will need a $200 battery again down the road. Corded saws with good auto oilers would be a good choice for some jobs. Especially when you don't need a bunch of noise. Other wise can't beat the good old gas saws, just don't buy a pull in saw "poulan" = not good. Unless you like to keep pullin and pullin
I got a free crappy ryobi battery saw, with a funky bulb pump up oiler that is a big joke, with the junk safety chain it would not cut a thing, even with a good chain I think a hand saw would be as fast. I can't see gambling $400 plus on something that will need a $200 battery again down the road. Corded saws with good auto oilers would be a good choice for some jobs. Especially when you don't need a bunch of noise. Other wise can't beat the good old gas saws, just don't buy a pull in saw "poulan" = not good. Unless you like to keep pullin and pullin
My snowmobile club has 3 M18 E saws. Great for cutting up small blow downs to clear off the trails. But we also carry a 20'' Husky or Echo for the big stuff. No hassles starting a small gas saw for the small stuff in winter conditions that's been bouncing around in the back of a Gator, batteries kept in the cab warm. It's nice to just hop out and do a quick E saw clean up with smaller 12'' stuff than to have to stroke over an ice-cold gas saw. Sharp chain is a must for max battery life. Always have a gas saw backup onboard, those E saws like to jump chains off, I assume it's because they are direct drive, no chain clutch to slip and with multiple users they rush the cuts with the E saws jumping chains where the gas saw clutch just slips.
Both types have their place and faults.
Both types have their place and faults.
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