Best electric chainsaw for turners

[Bill Bell]

My old gas powered Stihl chainsaw is getting finicky and I’m thinking of investing in a cordless electric saw. I know this topic has been discussed on the forum but don’t see anything in the past few years and technology seems to be moving fast. I’d welcome any recommendations from folks who’Ve had experience using a cordless electric for bucking logs and preparing blanks for turning. Especially interested in how they perform on the ripping operation necessary to prepare blanks - most of the ratings I see just look at how saws perform cross cutting, which is only part of the picture for us turners. Thanks for any advice.

[John Kananis]

I have a corded greenworks with an 18" bar that's a total joke and I have the battery operated dewalt with a 16" bar that you'll be hard pressed to take away from me. Fantastic saw... as far as rip cuts, (assuming enough power in the motor) that's "mostly" technique and maybe chain (I don't buy into rip chains though - I'm sure they work well enough but i just don't want to be bothered). Regardless, the greenworks needs to be in a perfect world to complete a cut the first go. The dewalt shreds anything I throw at it.

[Michael Schuch]

I have the 60v 20" Dewalt chainsaw with a 15ah 60V battery. It cuts, cuts, cuts, and cuts some more. I use it for taking out trees on my acreage. I have not had a need to rip with it. I bought the 20" Dewalt chainsaw when a tree fell in a storm that was too big for my Dewalt 12" 20v saw to effectively handle. I still get a lot of use out of the Dewalt 12" 20V chainsaw which is what I usually grab for smaller stuff.

My only disappointment is the 20v/60v 15ah battery does not work with most of my 20v Dewalt tools... it is an excellent battery on the 60v chainsaw though.

Electric chainsaw chains are narrower than my gas chainsaws chains. When I first bought the 20" Dewalt it took some hunting to find the proper spare chain. I would assume availability has gotten better since then.

I haven't used my big Husqvarna gas chainsaw since getting the big Dewalt chainsaw. I REALLY don't miss tugging on starter cords!

[Richard Coers]

Stick with a Sthil. I can't say it's the best, I haven't used them all.

[Larry Frank]

I got rid of my Stihl that was several years old and becoming very difficult to start. And, it was hard on my old worn out body.

I got an Ego battery chainsaw and works great.

[Kevin Jenness]

I don't know what the best is- you won't go wrong with Stihl, but $$. My son uses a Milwaukee cordless in his timber frame operation and seems to like it. I picked up a used corded Makita UC 4030 with a 16" bar and it works well.

[Edward Weber]

What size (bar length) are you looking for?
Is there a budget?

[Richard Coers]

I got rid of my Stihl that was several years old and becoming very difficult to start. And, it was hard on my old worn out body.

I got an Ego battery chainsaw and works great.

I was saying get a Stihl electric.

[Neil Strong]

I went with a Makita 36V (2 x 18V batteries) because I already had a lot of Makita kit. It's OK

If I didn't have Makita I would have gone with Husqvarna because I know how good they are from all of my fuel chainsaws that are also Husqvarna. Stihl are equally as good. You are paying a premium for those brands but you can expect very reliable and long service from them.

I have a 16" bar on my Makita and that will cut through most things I want to cut with it. You can always make a 2nd cut from the other side if the bar length doesn't cut all the way through from one side. You don't need a long bar for most prep work for woodturning.

I have much longer bars on my big saws, but prefer to use the smallest bar/saw that will get the job done. Unlike when I'm doing lumber or firewood work, I like to take my time when I'm prepping wood for turning and a smaller chainsaw is best for doing that. I spend as much time looking at the wood and thinking about which cut to do next as actually cutting. Working with a battery CS is also quieter and more in keeping with the thoughtful processing of the wood.

[Edward Weber]

I like to take my time when I'm prepping wood for turning and a smaller chainsaw is best for doing that. I spend as much time looking at the wood and thinking about which cut to do next as actually cutting. Working with a battery CS is also quieter and more in keeping with the thoughtful processing of the wood.

ZEN and the art of chainsawing

[Neil Strong]

ZEN and the art of chainsawing

....... : ~}

[Gary Pennington]

I went with a Makita 36V (2 x 18V batteries) because I already had a lot of Makita kit. It's OK

I did the same--no complaints.

Gary

[Bernie Kopfer]

I have the Makita 36v chainsaw. Cuts well enough but not nearly as powerful as the same size corded version, which I really enjoy using. The cordless is great for smaller stuff but really struggles with the larger 12”+, logs.

[George Yetka]

If your carving you may wanna run around to places that have them so you can pick them up. I have the milwaukee for yard cleanup and love it but its a 20" bar rear trigger and the body itself is pretty long. I wouldnt want to carve with it. They do have a few top handled ones that are 12" and 14", they even have an 8". The bar is very thin on the 16 and 20 though. The electric get away with being in existence by having a thin blade creating less drag. I've never tried chainsaw carving and im not sure if theres forces side loading the bar.

[Roger Chandler]

Husqvarna Power Axe 350i, hands down! My friend and I both got one of these electrics on the same day. We’ve both cut trees with them clearing the ATV paths on the mountain behind his house. Battery is 40v and lasts a long time on a charge. I have a friend who is an arborist, and takes down trees for a living, and he tells me that for an electric, he wouldn’t have anything but a Husqvarna pro model. He uses a top handle when up in the bucket lift trimming limbs, and the upper part of the trunk. His gas saws are Stihl, but he likes Husqvarna as well. He has taken down at least a dozen trees [large white pines] on our property.