Recommendation request for well built small battery saw.

[MS261CM]

I live on a heavily wooded suburban .7 acre lot and have two rentals that fit the same description. I had a DeWalt 620 that I used to cut up dropped branches and such. I bought the 261 just before an ice storm took down a dual trunk 80' Cedar. I limbed the Cedar with the lighter DeWalt and numerous battery charges.

The bar mounting hardware on that saw was torque limited to a level below that required to prevent movement. The bar would loosen up, throw a chain and cut up the plastic saw housing. I ordered a new plastic panel, filled the torque limit mechanism with construction adhesive and continued cutting. The brushless inverter eventually gave up and I trashed the saw. When it *did* function it bounced a lot due to the low chain speed you get with a 12V power source.

I know my needs and wants don't match yours but you guys know your equipment. My *big heavy* saw is the 261. I worked it hard at the stump of that Cedar but it handled the rest of the job with ease. For smaller tasks that I would like to handle quietly I would appreciate a suggestion for a quality battery saw. I won't buy another DeWalt. I have looked at Echo, Husky and Stihl.

The requirements are reliability, lighter package than the 261 and smooth cutting. A 12" bar would probably do. Does such a machine exist? What is it?

Also Stihl doesn't seem to want to share whether their small battery saws are brushed or brushless. Do any of you know?

Thanks in adv

 

[Dustin4185]

We got a couple of the Stihl MSA 220 saws for the guys that don’t use a saw a lot (aka, supervisors). They seem to be holding up better than the big tool brands. I do have a ryobi 40v that was given to me by my wife’s grandmother. I run Dewalt and Milwaukee tools, so I would lean that way to decrease battery platforms, but I also have several gas powered saws to use and one rides in the toolbox of both my trucks. If you are leaning towards an OPE brand, talk to the dealers and see if they have a demo. My dealer usually hs a demo of most models he carries and a pile of logs to cut on.

 

[HumBurner]

The Husqvarna 540i is a decent little saw but has drawbacks. For homeowner occasional use, most of the issues may not arise. I can get half a days work on one battery, generally, unless bucking rounds all day.

Stihl has a new 50cc equivalent coming out in the near future. No idea on the timeline. Rumor is Husqy is working on a bigger/better battery saw, too.

 

[Philbert]

Look at STIHL, Husqvarna, Makita.
Greenworks gets decent reviews for homeowner use.

As with gas saws, some models are designed for heavier, ‘Pro’ use, but at a higher price point.

Some battery powered chainsaws are ‘afterthoughts’ to go with an existing battery platform, and may be OK for occasional or limited use.

Philbert

 

[IffykidMn]

Until someone comes out with a better saw the 540i is at the top for best available battery saw.

 

[Hundred Acre Wood]

I have a DeWalt DCCS 620 20V that I use for pruning, light limbing, trail maintenance, shooting lanes, etc. Nice to have in the back of the UTV for a quick cut. I put a 14" bar on it for reach and it's been reliable for the light use it gets.

20V MAX* XR® COMPACT 12 IN. CORDLESS CHAINSAW KIT | DEWALT

This Cordless Chainsaw Kit adds versatility to your battery system. Gas-free operation eliminates the cold starts, fumes, carburetor issues, and maintenance involved with gas-powered chainsaws. Use ...

www.dewalt.com

For larger homeowner tasks including cutting several cord of firewood I have a Greenworks 80V saw with a 4Ah battery. Plenty of torque to run its 3/8 LP chain on an 18" bar in hardwood but the chain speed isn't fast. It's been great for the last ~3 years getting consistent use for smaller jobs.

Anything bigger than firewood I move up to a gas saw (Stihl 034/046/500i) but the electric saws are nice for a quick light job.

 

[TreeLife]

The stihl battery saws I've had the fortune to use (msa220) were very impressive for what they were. Big ole battery! As per usual, having a good sharp chain will make any saw perform at its best.

But nothing trumps a gas powered saw.

 

[Wilhelm]

I live on a heavily wooded suburban .7 acre lot and have two rentals that fit the same description. I had a DeWalt 620 that I used to cut up dropped branches and such. I bought the 261 just before an ice storm took down a dual trunk 80' Cedar. I limbed the Cedar with the lighter DeWalt and numerous battery charges.

The bar mounting hardware on that saw was torque limited to a level below that required to prevent movement. The bar would loosen up, throw a chain and cut up the plastic saw housing. I ordered a new plastic panel, filled the torque limit mechanism with construction adhesive and continued cutting. The brushless inverter eventually gave up and I trashed the saw. When it *did* function it bounced a lot due to the low chain speed you get with a 12V power source.

I know my needs and wants don't match yours but you guys know your equipment. My *big heavy* saw is the 261. I worked it hard at the stump of that Cedar but it handled the rest of the job with ease. For smaller tasks that I would like to handle quietly I would appreciate a suggestion for a quality battery saw. I won't buy another DeWalt. I have looked at Echo, Husky and Stihl.

The requirements are reliability, lighter package than the 261 and smooth cutting. A 12" bar would probably do. Does such a machine exist? What is it?

Also Stihl doesn't seem to want to share whether their small battery saws are brushed or brushless. Do any of you know?

Thanks in adv

In Your own post You admit to torture and abuse both Your battery and gasoline powered saws.
You admit You circumvented the battery saws safety/protection feature just to keep it going.

There is no battery powered saw that will withstand Your abuse of equipment!
You got lucky with the 261 being a well built Pro saw.

That been said, I have two Makita battery powered chainsaws, one brushed, the other brushless.
IMHO the brushed motor is the tougher one, the brushless one overheats quick and shuts itself down.

Good luck finding what You are looking for!
I'd say try Echo.

 

[MS261CM]

And that's why I can't have nice things...

Thanks for the suggestions guys! The 540i is more electric saw than I need. I'll check out the other suggestions. The Makita might be nice if it would work with DeWalt battery adapters. I have one adapter so I could test fit that if I find a saw on display. I'll check that out first as I have batteries and then go on to Echo, Stihl and the smaller Husky offerings.

FWIW the bar clamp torque limit on this saw is not a safety/protection feature. In fact it torque limited too low to adequately clamp the bar. As a result the saw regularly threw the chain and chewed up its own housing. All of this stopped after the modification and the saw ran as expected. The saw ran without incident until a later electronics failure. The modification actually made the saw run safer but the next weakest link then failed. Reports can be found online detailing inadequate bar clamp force. What is your personal experience with this exact model?

--------------------------------------

Update: I picked up an MSA140. It should take care of anything that doesn't warrant the 261. The bar clamp tightens adequately and it doesn't leak bar oil so it's already ahead of the Dewalt. Time will tell.

8/7/2023 and stihl happy with the MSA140. My DeWalt pole hedge trimmer has sadly passed as well. I replaced that with a Stihl HSA60 and initial impressions are positive. I performed an autopsy on the DeWalt DCPH820BH. The motor mounts into a plastic recess and should be fixed by two screws. After mounting a grease slinger plate is pressed onto the shaft and the screws are no longer accessible. On my unit the screws protruded into vent slots on the end bell instead of being threaded into the correct holes. That left the motor free to turn about 15 degrees and flop around a bit. Any significant torque requirement would bind up the slinger plate and drive gears. It might have lasted had it been built correctly - but it wasn't. There is no alignment tab or feature to clock the motor correctly and the vent slots are much larger than the threaded screw holes. I would suspect many of these are assembled incorrectly.

That leaves the DeWalt pole saw and string trimmer stihl working. The bump spool on the string trimmer does act up a little. Many replace those with a Husqvarna part. We'll see how long these run. So much for standardizing on DeWalt batteries...