Electric Chainsaw?

[Steve Bistritz]

Hi guys, new guy here that usually just lurks around soaking up all the info ....I was wondering about getting an electric one to use in the driveway making blanks, keeping the noise level down in the neighborhood. Anyone using one like a certain brand and model? Thanks...

[alex carey]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100615525

16" Homelite Electric chainsaw. This is what I have and has worked really well for me.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100615519

14" same brand chainsaw. If you want to save a buck.
I'd go with the 16" but thats just me. 14" might be a little small sometimes while rounding blanks. They are super quiet compared to my gas chainsaw. I have had it for about 2 years and have given it quite the beating. The only thing you need to worry about is bar oil. It goes through it quite fast.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I've used a number of electric chainsaws, they all died a premature dead, till I got the one I have used for several years now, it has to work hard, and is often cutting larger pieces than the bar is long but has withstood all what I have thrown at it but for one, I did have to replace a big nylon gear ones, as I was doing a plunge cut through a large piece and the chain grabbed when going through with the bar, it damaged one tooth, and after a few more days it had to be replaced, I think I paid $13.-- for a new gear, and the saw is still going strong, Oh yes it is a Poulan Pro, the yellow colored one, got it at the borg ;-))

[Bill Bolen]

+1 for Alex's Homelite

[Jim Kountz]

I have about four of them I'll sell you cheap!! We use them for log home building. Ive got a Poulan, Craftsman and I think a homelite but Im not sure, havent used them for some time now since we started building the kit homes.

[jim carter]

depends on how often you would use it and how reliable you want it to be. if you can afford it, go stihl or husqvarna, everything else is junk. do you want to make some noise for a while or alot of noise very fast?

[Frank Stolten]

If you can find one, Makita makes several excellent electric chain saws. Typical Makita quality, right up there with Stihl and Husqvarna, in both quality and price. I went through several Remington and Poulans, replacing nylon gears and putting up with chain bar oiling problems. Than I found a like-new Makita at a woodworker's estate sale for $25 - Big Gloat!!- and have been very satisfied ever since. It's built like a tank and easily goes through anything I've tried it on. Now I rarely use my gas saws around the house unless the work is out of range for the electric saw.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steve - Welcome to the Creek! Let us know which saw you finally decide on and how well you like it! Looking forward to seeing some of your turnings real soon!

[Darryl Hansen]

Stay away from any that use a plastic drive gear. They burn out very quickly. The Remington and Poulan both bit the dust with very little effort. I finally purchased a Makita and boy what a difference. Still going strong after a year of violent usage. I use the electric during the winter and cut my stuff inside. Makita is quiet and very dependable. Just my 2 cents.

[Julian Nicks]

I've got an electric all metal milwaukee chainsaw that's from the 60's(craigslist score for only $30). It's a workhorse, that I have used to cut down 30" diameter trees with. I hear that the new milwaukees are almost as good as this one.

[john taliaferro]

i got a huskey two years ago . it leaks oil in to the motor and smokes up the shop as bad as a gas stihl or more . sold a bowl yesterday , ill be ordering a stihl elect today:D

[Barry Richardson]

+1 for the Makita. They occasionally have the 16" on sale on Amazon for around $200, the 14" probably less. Sounds like a lot, but much cheaper than Sthil or Husky, but on the same par quality-wise IMO. The Makita is German made and very tough. I use it to cut Mesquite and Desert Ironwood almost exclusively. My 2 cents.

[Burt Alcantara]

I wouldn't buy a chainsaw based on noise. I have a Stihl 390 which I found in a roadway. It's large and heavy and as a first chainsaw it took over a year before I dared start it up.

Now, I dream of a Stihl 440 Magnum. When it comes to cutting wood, power is everything. Once you begin cutting over 5 tree segments at a time, you will come to appreciate a big saw.

But, that's just my vanishing 2 cents.
Burt

[Chris Rae]

+1 for the Homelite 16"

[Matt White]

I can also vouch for the Makita http://www.cookiewriter.com/trafficreport/img/3758/j09s0423emrh/a.gif even in my limited experience, German stuff is great.

[Reed Gray]

I have a Husky, but don't use it any more. I got a big bandsaw that works a lot better, and cuts 16 high. The thing to remember with an electric chainsaw is to let it cut at its own pace, don't push it or you will burn up the motor. The electric motor has to run at a certain speed/rpm or it will burn up. Do keep the chain sharp which means learn to sharpen them yourself, or keep a couple extras handy. Get the best saw you can afford. In retrospect, I should have gotten a Stihl, but Husky is a close second.

robo hippy

[David Hostetler]

FWIW, I started out with an electric 16" (?) Remmington. It is noisy as all get out, and lacks the power to be all that useful. Not sure if the Homelite or Makita are any better in the power department.

I have been using a friend's Echo 20" gaser and want one sooo bad I can taste it... Quieter than the electric (go figure) no shortage of power, good balance, etc...

Don't rule out gassers. A lot of the electrics are enough to rattle the brain noise wise. Gassers make very quick work of whatever they are cutting. So even if they are a little louder, the loud work takes FAR less time. And honestly, in most neighborhoods, as long as you aren't running the chainsaw after about 8:00 P.M. nobody is going to care...

[Jim Becker]

I have a Remington 18" electric that I keep around for convenience including use "inside" of my shop.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I personally would not get an electric. The new gas saws need to conform to noise laws, so they don't make a lot of noise. No more than a gas lawn mower, for example.
Power is king. We're talking 15 amps, maybe 1 hp, compared to 2 or 3 or so.

If you do get one, follow the above advice. Don't force the saw to cut. keep the blade clean and sharp. Don't let the saw bounce when cutting. (Don't try to cut end grain vertically. Cut along the grain to section the log.) Keep the blade clean and sharp. Keep the oiler working. Sharpen the blade after you're done. Buy that round file they sell and the guide for sharpening. It's NOT as hard as you may think. You must also use a flat file and file down the guide nub too.

[Dave Halter]

I've got a Sears 18" that cost around $110 dollars on sale. For an extra $15 bucks I got a 3 year replacement warranty. I did a little research online before I bought it and it seemed to be rated fairly decent. It looks to be the same saw as the Poulon Pro. I haven't used it real heavy at this point, but I have had no problems with it.

Dave

[Roger Wilson]

FYI: There is an older thread on SMC that states that Kevlar chaps are ineffective when used with electric chainsaws.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=48569

[Jeff Nicol]

Well I have 2 gas Stihls for outside and in the winter or in the middle of the night when I can't sleep I use the Remington. So far I have put the little remington through some rough use and it is still going strong! I only paid $45.00 for it and keep the chain sharp and let it do the work like Reed said. I you try to force the bar through it bogs down and cuts slower than just using it correctly. I was at a local Menards store and they had a 4hp electric on the shelf, I can't remember the brand but it looked pretty beefy! I will use the Remington untill it gives up and then look for a different one.

Great to see you on the forum! Good luck and money is usually the determining factor. Buy the best you can afford.

Jeff

[jim carter]

i was first saw on a hot shot crew and fought many wildland fires. i logged more than 6000 hours on the fire lines. i had 2 saws. a stihl 075 and a husqvarna 141. the 075 for big stuff and the 141 for brush. that was in my younger days. i have a 141 now that i have had for 10 years that i cut alot of manzanita with. i backed over it 4 years ago and broke the plastic above the trigger. this is a 1 piece assembly that includes the gas tank. i used bailing wire and duct tape to fix and am still using it today. also i was a tree faller for 7 years after fighting fires. i have a little experiance in chain saws

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Same here Jeff, I have a couple of Gas powered Chainsaws Stihls, but I don't want to use them in my shop, the exhaust fumes kill me, so that's why I bought and use the electric one, I had 3 or 4 green Poulans (owned by Husqvarna) and they didn't stand up, got a remington and I'm not kidding it didn't last 2 hours, that's when I tried the Poulan Pro, and I'm quite satisfied with it, yes I know it isn't my Stihl MS 361, but then I could buy 5 Poulans for the same price ;-))

[Jim C Bradley]

Hi,

Jim Carter has a lot more experience than I. However here is my experience:
We have two wood stoves in the house. At previous homes I also had wood stove in the garage (shop).
I cut a couple chords of wood per season. It is anything I can get for free. Anyone near knows I like to get tree toppings or complete trees. Usually euclyptus.

I gave up on gas saws. Reason: I might not use them for a couple months and they wouldn't start and I would have to do a complete rehab. Therefore I went to electric.
People (including tree trimmers) who bring wood dump it on the North side of the driveway. I have an electric outlet there.

In electrics I have gone through 16" Remington, Echo, Poulan, and Craftsman. Then I purchased a Husqvarna. I have been using it for years, completely trouble free. I wish Husqvarna had been my first choice. I thought that they were too expensive. I spent more money on my collection of "home owner" saws than the Husqvarna would have cost me and I would not have had the down time.

I have a muscular neighbor who comes over once or twice a year and spends a day using they Husky. The thing is like the Everready Bunny...It just keeps going.

The pevious is pretty long for my 2 cents worth. However, I was really teed off with chain saws and ready to quit firewood...Husky was my last stand. I'm glad I tried it.

Enjoy,
Jim

[Mac Carlton]

whatever you by,don't by at big box store. They are made for homeowners only. In other words not much useage.
I have been in lawncare business for a long time, with outdoor power equipment you definitely get what you pay for.
makita weedeater 17 years old and still going strong
makita chainsaw with 18in bar bought at equipment rental store looks rough but they had all records, Starts and runs longer than I can.
So if you can afford it by the best, but if you are not going to use but once or twice a year by all means by a big box store saw .
Anytime that you can take something to get it repaired and the tech tells you that it would be cheaper to replace than to fix ,you might need to rethink what to buy . if its not worth fixing its not worth buying.

[Steve Bistritz]

I thank you all for the collective information, I have a box store gas for now, think i am going to look for a nice used Stihl............