Name: Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ Battery Chainsaw
Brand: Stihl
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

March 18, 2023April 8, 2024

5 Battery Chainsaws For Residential Use + 1 Surprise

Battery chainsaws are some of those tools I didn’t expect to be as powerful as they are. When I think about chainsaws, my mind immediately goes to the tree removal services that are dangling way up in the air with a super powerful gas chainsaw tethered at the hip.

But not all chainsaws are like that. For example, where I live in North Carolina, we get hurricanes that fell trees left and right. Just about every neighbor of mine has a chainsaw for the inevitable storm that takes down one of our Bradford Pears or Oaks.

Let’s get started with our list of the top battery chainsaw for home use:

Greenworks Pro 80V Chainsaw
EGO Power+ 56V 18″ Chainsaw
Ryobi ONE+ 12 inch battery chainsaw
Dewalt 60V Flexvolt chainsaw
Stihl MSA 120 Battery Chainsaw

The biggest surprise that I want to add to this list: the Wild Badger Cordless Chainsaw

Battery Chainsaws For Homeowners: Ranked

Let’s jump right into our ranking of the best battery chainsaws for home use with our number one pick.

Greenworks Pro 80V 16 inch cordless chainsaw

The Greenworks PRO 80V 16 inch cordless battery chainsaw is the best battery powered chainsaw for home use. It has the ultimate combination of power, durability, battery life, and price.

We chose the Greenworks Pro 80V chainsaw after using it head-to-head against our Stihl MS251C chainsaw – where it won handily against a gas powered counterpart.

Here are a few things we loved about this chainsaw:

Brushless motor – which is an absolute must in any of these
80V battery can be used in a bunch of other tools – like their 80V lawn mower
120 cuts per charge (with 2.0 Ah battery) – also helps you know when you’re getting low
Equivalent power to a 42cc gas engine (where most gas chainsaws are)
Electronic chain brake reduces risk of kickback by shutting off if kickback occurs

It has a great length at 16 inches that is going to get through just about any tree that gets knocked down around your home without being so big that you can’t handle the small stuff.

We also love that you can save BIG money on this tool if you already own a Greenworks battery. While some of the others on this list, you’re looking at spending well over $300 – this one is on sale on Amazon right now for about $200. If you get the tool-only version, you’re looking at significantly less.

You can’t get that with some of the bigger names – both a great tool and the extensive usability with other lawn tools that run the whole spectrum.

Around the home and in the yard, this is pound-for-pound the best battery chainsaw money can buy.

EGO Power+ 56V 18” electric chainsaw

What can we say? We are suckers for EGO products because they rule. They hands down have the best feel when using them and just about every tool they make is on par with gas-powered tools (like their EGO 765 CFM blower).

So obviously, they knocked it out of the park with their 18 inch battery chainsaw. It is by far the best analog to a gas powered chainsaw on this list – mostly because it has a crazy powerful motor, a big ole battery, and super long bar.

At 18 inches of bar length, this is probably a little too much power for the average homeowner – but if you already have EGO products you might as well get it. At a 45 cc gas equivalent displacement measurement, this thing is true gas-like power (which I think is EGO’s motto).

A few other bells and whistles include bright LED light, which is actually helpful for chopping down a fallen tree early in the morning, a brushless motor, a tool-free chain tensioning system, and a 5.0 Ah battery.

The 5.0 Ah battery here is definitely going to add a little bit of weight to this already large tool. It does offer up to 300 cuts (tested on a 4×4), which is more than you’ll ever need most likely.

The good news is – if you already have the battery, this tool is about $100 cheaper than if not. You can grab it on Amazon for a reasonable price here.

Ryobi ONE + 18V Brushless 12 inch Cordless Battery Chainsaw

On the lighter side of things, Ryobi’s ONE+ 18V Brushless 12 inch cordless battery chainsaw is a great tool for smaller jobs. If you are just taking down the occasional branch here and there or cutting up a little bit of firewood – this thing is perfect.

The best part is that the Ryobi ONE+ series has a TON of 18V tools you can use both in your lawn, but also your garage and even inside your house. The reason I chose this cordless chainsaw to be on our list isn’t because it’s the most powerful, but because it is the easiest.

This is one of the best battery chainsaws for women (according to my wife) because it is lightweight and really easy to use around the yard.

Not only is it great for around the yard – but it comes with a dang brushless motor, a 4.0 Ah battery and can still cut up to a 20 inch diameter.

This is an incredible product for the size and may be pound for pound be one of the best chainsaws on this list considering the voltage.

This Ryobi chainsaw can be found at Home Depot for a great price.

Dewalt 60V Max 16in. battery chainsaw

Dewalt is a bit of a lurker in the lawn tool space because they simply aren’t well known.The folks you trust with your power tools in the garage or workshop are the same ones making these lawn tools. And they’ve been making brushless motor, heavy-duty products for years. So why not trust their Dewalt mower or Dewalt weed eaters?

We did a full review of the Dewalt 60V Flexvolt chainsaw here that you should check out if you want to learn more about this product. But here are the highlights:

Dewalt 60V battery can be used with a ton of other Dewalt 60V tools
Big 16 inch cutting length
Brushless motor
All the safety features you’d want
Easy to start and put together
Automatic oiler

It looks and feels just like the EGO and Greenworks one, but doesn’t come with the same breadth of tools as the others – so sadly it is down further on this list.

Photo courtesy of Home Depot (linked below).

But this battery chainsaw is perfect for anyone who is a Dewalt loyalist or already owns the 60V battery. It is also available at Home Depot for a reasonable price.

Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ electric chainsaw

The Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ we also did a long form review about. And honestly we nailed it. But it is growing on us. We’ve deepened our research on it and had some bad first impressions that got us started off on the wrong foot.

For starters, Stihl makes incredible tools and is known for their chainsaws. But the transition to battery is a really tough move for a brand like Stihl because they have everything to lose. The motors are completely different, so how are you supposed to copy the quality that you’ve had for years in gas-powered over to battery?

And they just can’t do it. So sadly, they aren’t meeting the expectations of their gas counterparts. That isn’t to say that this is a bad chainsaw – heck we put it on the list for a reason.

Using the gas one myself in this picture.

The Stihl MSA 120 is a fine chainsaw that has all the bells and whistles you could want – and even a brushless motor. Stihl did a good job keeping most of the body intact with this chainsaw.

But Stihl just doesn’t have a big presence in the battery world yet so you can’t do a whole lot with these batteries in terms of using them on other tools. So if you are going to buy a one-off battery powered chainsaw, you don’t get the value from this one that you do on some of the others. For that reason, it falls down to the bottom of our list.

For background, some of the other brands like Greenworks STARTED as a battery company. They understand the battery process and electric motors like the back of their hands. Then they started building tools around it. Stihl is starting from the other side and quite frankly hasn’t caught up yet. I do think at some point they will get more even in terms of quality, but not sure if they can ever be perceived as leaders in the battery space.

Frequently asked questions about battery chainsaws

We are going to keep adding to this list as we get questions from readers and viewers of our Youtube channel – so feel free to ask away!

How long will a battery chainsaw run?

Battery chainsaw run time is totally dependent on the voltage and the amp hour of the battery (mostly the amp-hour). The higher the Amp hours, the longer it will run.

This obviously depends on the type of cutting you’re doing, but many measure the run time in terms of number of cuts – which I’ve seen range from 100 cuts to 300 cuts. Make sure to check that out before you buy one.

Are battery chainsaws any good?

Yes – they work very well for residential purposes but still have a long way to go for professionals.

The main reason I don’t recommend battery-powered for professionals is that your battery can die and leave you in a bad spot. Up in a tree, almost finishing a precarious cutting job and boom – you’ve got to reset and have a dangerous tree swaying around above you.

Do battery chainsaws need oil?

Yes, battery chainsaws need oil for the chain. Most come with an automatic chain oiler that will keep it nice and oiled for you.

One thing to note is that battery chainsaws with automatic oilers need to be stored flat so that the oil doesn’t drip out all over your garage (I learned this one the hard way).

Is an electric chainsaw powerful enough?

Electric chainsaws are powerful enough for homeowners looking to cut firewood, chop up a tree that fell down, or saw through thick branches.

As mentioned earlier, I don’t recommend electric chainsaws for professionals. Not because of the power, but because of the battery run time.

Why we started The Lawn Review

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

What to look for in a battery chainsaw

Battery chainsaws for home use are nuanced machines that in many ways differ from their gas counterparts. Let’s break down what we look for in one of these bad boys.

Bar length

The length of the bar is the length of the cutting area. Generally, the larger bar means more cutting ability. If you’ve ever used a hand saw for example, you know that you don’t just go really fast back and forth with a small section of the saw. The proper way to use a saw is to move it the entire length of the saw in a controlled manner.

You can think about that similarly with bar length. More cutting area = more cuts that are going to happen which means the faster the job gets done.

Battery run-time

I can’t think of a battery powered tool that is more important to have a solid run time. If you are in the middle of chopping down a tree, it could be extremely dangerous to run out of battery. Make sure to opt for a battery with not only higher voltage, but more importantly higher Amp-hours. Amp-hours are important in determining the amount of battery run-time.

Usability and safety

Again, these are probably some of the most dangerous tools that you will use. Make sure it has safety features like kickback prevention, a safety mechanism, and is easy to use. Chainsaws that are difficult to handle, put you in awkward positions, or don’t feel natural will be the reason an adverse event occurs.

Make sure to pick it up and put your hands on it first – I’d rather use a dull chainsaw that was comfortable than a sharp one that felt uncomfortable.

August 3, 2022March 15, 2024

Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ Battery Chainsaw Review: 2024

Stihl’s battery chainsaw, the MSA 120 C-BQ has high expectations surrounding it. The king of chainsaw’s, Stihl (pronounced steel) is known for making super high quality chainsaws used by the most serious of loggers all the way to the most normal backyard dads.

But now they have a new battery line of lawn tools, including this chainsaw. Sadly, I’ve already tried out the string trimmer and blower and frankly……….was unimpressed.

Well let’s find out together.

Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ Battery Powered Chainsaw: Features and benefits

To really give this chainsaw a thorough review, we have to compare it to its gas counterpart, the Stihl MS 251 C gas-powered chainsaw. So, let’s get started.

Stihl Battery Chainsaw Power Comparison

It is always hard to compare power when it comes to battery powered equipment because they don’t use ccs like gas chainsaws do. Fortunately, we can still get a good grip on what the power is like by thinking through what types of jobs it does.

Gas chainsaws reign supreme when it comes to power. Battery chainsaws just aren’t there yet. In fact, on Stihl’s website they even describe their battery chainsaw as being “for suburban homeowners with various cutting needs”. Notice that they do not say “for loggers who dangle from trees and chop down forests”. So let’s get our expectations aligned.

Stihl does a great job of describing what this chainsaw can do. According to their tests, you can get up to 100 cuts of a 4 inch tree branch before the battery dies.

In just about every test we have done with other tools who make claims like this, it’s never quite accurate. Tree type, density and water composition could change this drastically. So to be sure, I would expect probably 50-60 cuts reliably.

Gas powered chainsaws will go as long as you keep them fueled and the saw sharpened.

Stihl battery chainsaw run time

I usually put battery life at the end, but battery life is actually extremely important for these chainsaws. When you purchase it, it offers you three different types of batteries:

This chart is a little confusing, but basically if you get the AK 10 battery, expect this Stihl battery chainsaw to be wimpy. The minimum is the AK 20, but to be safe I would probably go with the AK 30 and the AL 300 charger. These maximize your performance and can keep you out doing the job longer without having to stop and take breaks for battery charging.

Fortunately, you can use these same batteries on other Stihl battery powered tools, like Stihl’s new battery trimmer and Stihl battery leaf blower.

Usability of the Stihl Battery Chainsaw

Bells and whistles – this thing has them. For whatever this lacks in power, it has all the awesome things you could ever want in a chainsaw. Here’s a quick reference:

Quick chain adjuster – a no-tool way of adjusting tension in the chain (this is nice)
Coast-down brake – stops the chain when you stop pulling on the trigger
Stihl Quickstop – basically stops the chain when you get too much kick back, a safety feature
A nice rubberized handle
5.5 lbs without a battery – very light
Automatic chain lubrication – make sure to store this flat so it doesn’t drip oil all over the place

Anyways, this thing is sweet. It definitely doesn’t feel “stock”. It feels just like a gas powered chainsaw and has all the nice additions that remind you that Stihl is still the best game in town when it comes to chainsaws.

Durability and maintenance

Durability and maintenance on Stihl’s battery chainsaw are both super important.

The beauty of the maintenance required for Stihl’s battery chainsaw is that it is basically nothing. It has an automatic chain oiler system which helps keep it oiled, only requiring you to add more occasionally.

Otherwise there are no requirements for gas and oil mixtures, cold starts, or anything else that can make this a pain to maintain. Simply pop in the battery and get started.

The MSA 120C-BQ does have a brushless motor (EC motor line, thanks Marek) – so I do expect some decent durability from the motor itself.

Stihl MSA 120 C-BQ Battery Chainsaw Review: Final thoughts

In the battery powered chainsaw world, this thing is above average. It has all the bells and whistles and even has a brushless motor – but it all comes at a price.

As compared to gas chainsaws, it is going to be a light-duty alternative, perfect for the backyard suburbanite but not for the true professionals.

This thing is going for about $350 online at Ace and Northern Tool. Honestly, I would check out some of the other battery powered chainsaws like the Greenworks chainsaws for a great comparison.

Why we review lawn tools

What to look for in a chainsaw

A solid chainsaw is one of the most important tools a homeowner can have. Buying the right one is absolutely essential to your kids thinking you’re a cool man or woman. Chainsaws come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, types and models. Most are either gas or electric powered. Depending on your application of course, most people can get away with a 14” bar and chain. Unless you’re cutting up massive trees you probably don’t need anything bigger than that.

In addition to that, most people nowadays can probably get away with an electric model vs a more powerful, smoother cutting gas powered model. But it’s all personal preference. However, honestly I tend to always go with the bigger more powerful engines because I think they’ll last longer. So far that’s proven to be true, but I could just be wasting money.

Must-have chainsaw features

Just make sure your chainsaw at least has a kickback reduction feature. This prevents you from losing one of your precious fingers! You only have 10 of them ya know! Kickback reductions can be in the form of the chain or bar itself. Basically these just prevent you from cutting too aggressively which prevents your saw from bouncing back on you. Or a chain brake which causes the chain to stop when it hits something hard or moves too abruptly

Other features that are nice to have are more comfort-centric. These include tool-less tensioners, mufflers, anti-vibration, automatic chain oilers, etc.

May 9, 2022March 15, 2024

Greenworks 40V Cordless 16 inch Chainsaw Review: 2024

Greenworks 40V chainsaws are top tier chainsaws that are perfect for use around your home and neighborhood.

If you’ve read any of our stuff before, you know that we are kind of obsessed with Greenworks. They did not pay us for this post and haven’t paid us for anything – we are being honest.

They are probably our favorite all-around electric lawn tool provider.

As self-proclaimed chainsaw experts who have reviewed a handful of Stihl gas-powered chainsaws and a couple electric chainsaws as well, we decided to give the Greenworks 40V chainsaw a spin.

You can save the planet with a battery-powered chainsaw as you chop down trees!

Jump ahead:

What to look for in a chainsaw
Greenworks 40V chainsaw power
G-max series usability and feel
Maintenance and battery life
Greenworks 16 inch vs 12 inch

Greenworks G-MAX 40V 16 inch cordless chainsaw: Benefits and features

Let’s check out all of the features available in the Greenworks G-MAX 40V 16 inch mower. Many of these comparisons will be against a gas chainsaw, which are the most commonly used chainsaws. We also do some comparisons to other electric chainsaws.

Greenworks electric chainsaw Power

The first thing I will say that I love about the Greenworks cordless chainsaw is that it comes with a brushless motor.

For those of you who haven’t heard of brushless motors, they use magnets instead of friction to generate power. This comes with a few benefits:

Longer run-time
Significantly quieter and less “whiny”
More durable motor life
Double the torque

These things take a battery powered chainsaw from good to great. Oh, and the motor here is equivalent to a 35cc gas chainsaw. Woah.

Don’t believe us? Check this video out that we made comparing it to a Stihl.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8Zk4zotT3XQ

Speaking of torque and power, this chainsaw can cut through a 15 inch piece of lumber pretty reliably. This is perfect for any homeowner who is trying to cut up a fallen tree after a storm.

Usability and feel of the Greenworks battery chainsaw

Another great thing about cordless chainsaws is the decrease in noise. While this isn’t absolutely quiet, it is significantly more quiet than a gas chainsaw.

The lack of fumes is also pleasing, meaning I can stay focused on a single cut without choking through the fumes.

The Greenworks 40V 16 inch chainsaw has some pretty slick anti-vibration technology. Compared to a gas chainsaw, and even some of the electric chainsaws out there, we loved the feel this one had. It was extremely “tight” feeling in that you knew it was delivering some serious linear power, but it didn’t make your hands go numb with vibration like some of the others.

Also, coming in at just over 10lbs makes it maneuverable and easy to use. The whole experience is pretty pleasant.

Maintenance, safety and battery life

Unlike most gas chainsaws, the Greenworks 16 inch 40V G-MAX chainsaw doesn’t require any gas or oil mixtures. The battery is a 40V 4 Ah lithium ion battery that can make it through about 140 cuts of smaller lumber – mostly the size of smaller branches (around 4 inches).

Still, this battery life puts it in the top tier of battery powered chainsaws.

The Greenworks cordless chainsaw has a chain brake and a low kickback chain that helps prevent accidental kickbacks.

The tool-less tension adjustment on the body of the chainsaw allow for quick adjustments to chain tension and easy loosening to maintain the chain.

The last-piece here which is important is the auto-oiling function. Candidly, a lot of chainsaws have this function, but it is always good to see it in the Greenworks one. Make sure to store this flat instead of hanging, otherwise the oil will drip down the blades and onto whatever surface is below.

Greenworks 40V 16 inch chainsaw vs 12 inch chainsaw

The 16 inch chainsaw is super popular, but so is the 12 inch chainsaw.

A few key differences include the brushless motor on the 16 inch chainsaw vs the traditional brushed motor on the 12 inch. The 12 inch chainsaw is obviously shorter as well, not giving you the same cutting depth as is possible with the 16 inch chainsaw. Lastly, the 12 inch chainsaw comes with a 2 Ah battery instead of a 4 Ah battery, meaning it will not be able to make as many cuts.

All in all, the 12 inch is great for residential folks as well, but is going to limit you with larger trees and branches. Totally fine if that isn’t what you’re looking for.

The 12 inch can still do a lot of jobs, but falls short in power.

From a price perspective, the 16 inch chainsaw is only slightly more expensive. To me, it makes the most sense to go with the 16 inch to get a stronger battery, better tool, for only a little bit more money.

Final review: Greenworks GMAX 40V 16 inch cordless chainsaw

This is a top tier cordless chainsaw, on par with some of the gas chainsaws available on the market. In comparison to some of our other cordless chainsaws, this one is not only more powerful and longer lasting, but more durable as well.

You can grab it directly from the Greenworks website, or on Amazon for a big sale. For some reason, this one is much cheaper on Amazon than it is on the Greenworks website.

Why we review lawn tools

What to look for in a chainsaw

Must-have chainsaw features

Other features that are nice to have are more comfort-centric. These include tool-less tensioners, mufflers, anti-vibration, automatic chain oilers, etc.

December 11, 2021April 21, 2024

The Husqvarna 395XP is a Beast Chainsaw

The Husqvarna 395 XP is an absolute beast of a chainsaw. As one of the more powerful gas chainsaws on the market, you will see both commercial and residential people using this hoss. This animal will chew up and spit out just about anything you throw it’s way.

Brought to you by some of the best to ever do it, this Husqvarna lives up to the brand hype. Specifically designed for heavy duty jobs, this machine might be a little more than most people need but heck, if you can afford it, why not?

Why we review lawn tools

About Husqvarna

Husqvarna is one of the most respected names in lawn care. Not only are they producers of great, high quality lawn care tools for residential property owners, but they also create really great machinery for commercial use in parks, golf courses, and all over construction sites.

Husqvarna’s bread and butter is the heavier, commercial machinery for sure. For example, they don’t have a huge presence in the push mower space, but have some absolute units in the zero-turn mower space. Likewise, they produce big boy commercial lawn mowers and chainsaws that you will see clearing forests – which falls more in line with what we’ll be reviewing today, The Husqvarna 395 XP.

Let’s dive in….

Chainsaws vs Axe vs Handsaws

When purchasing a chainsaw, it’s important to understand if you actually NEED a chainsaw. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a lil vroom vroom but when it hurts my cha ching cha ching, it makes me wonder… Is this the right tool?

All three virtually do the same thing, which is make big pieces of wood smaller. However, each one is targeted for different tasks and frequencies. If you’re cutting down a small tree, clearing some brush or splitting some logs an ax is probably all you’ll ever need.

If, however, you’ve got A LOT of small trees to take down, or some big branches to remove then a chainsaw is probably better for you. A handsaw is somewhere between, usually like a branch that is 2 to 3” in diameter that you want a clean cut for, like removing a branch close to the trunk of a tree.

There are also battery powered chainsaws and even plug-in electric chainsaws, but neither of those are in the same atmosphere as this one.

What to look for in a chainsaw

A solid chainsaw is one of the most important tools a homeowner can have. Buying the right one is absolutely essential to your kids thinking you’re a cool man or woman. Chainsaws come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, type and models. Most are either gas or electric powered. Depending on your application of course, most people can get away with a 14” bar and chain. Unless you’re cutting up massive trees you probably don’t need anything bigger than that.

Other features that are nice to have are more comfort-centric. These include tool-less tensioners, mufflers, anti-vibration, automatic chain oilers, etc.

Husqvarna 395 XP Chainsaw Functionality

For most homeowners, this Husqvarna is the absolute definition of bringing a gun to a knife-fight. This is honestly probably more than 95% of users need in a chainsaw. But for those of you who would rather be overloaded than under loaded, this saw has more than a few bells and whistles that make it topnotch.

Usability of the Husqvarna 395 XP

When you’re powering through tons of logs and time is of the essence, a low vibration level and comfortable ergonomics is key. The Husqvarna 395 XP uses the patented LowVib® technology, basically reducing vibration, which SUCKS when you’re using a piece of machinery for a long time. Also, it comes with a 7 degree offset on the handle, further reducing fatigue.

The magnesium crankcase in the Husqvarna 395xp makes it super easy to use and start.

Another couple other features I like about this saw is the air injection and quick release air filter. The air injection prevents large particulates and other crap from even entering the air filter. And the quick release air filter makes it super fast to change when time is of the essence.

This saw also comes in 20in, 24in, 28in, 32in and 36in varieties depending on your need.

Dependability

The Husqvarna 395 XP also comes with a magnesium crankcase and a three-piece crankshaft. The magnesium holds up super well with those higher RPMs and high temperatures. The three-piece crankshaft provides serious durability for the commercial or heavy residential usage. Basically this thing won’t quit before you do. And in the off chance it does, Husqvarna offers a 5 year extended warranty on this guy. All you have to do to get the extended warranty is to buy the Husqvarna oil and register it online. Easy enough.

From a maintenance perspective, the great thing about this chainsaw is that it has easily accessible filters.

The quick release air filters on the 395 XP.

Power

If you’ve made it this far you’ve heard me say this before but let me reiterate my point, THIS BAD BOY IS AN ABSOLUTE UNIT. Legend says one of these Husqvarna 395 XP chainsaws could clear half the Amazon. 94 cc’s on a chainsaw. If you changed the saw to helicopter blades this could easily take you to the moon. The power output is 6.6 hp (4900 W). That’s a lot. Compared, to the 4 HP offered on the electric Dewalt 60V Chainsaw this will be a massive uptick in power. Understandably so, as this is targeted to professional loggers not your everyday homeowner.

The Official Review of the Husqvarna 395 XP Chainsaw

Do you need this? Almost certainly, no. Do you want this? Almost certainly, yes. As mentioned several times in this review, the intended use of this chainsaw is commercial tree servicing companies and professional loggers. 99% of homeowners do not need this. BUT if you find yourself in one of the aforementioned categories then you will absolutely not be disappointed in this.

This thing will cut a small forest down like butter. At an average cost of $1,319.99 this is a very expensive model. But you’re buying a Cadillac, not a Kia. Sorry Kia.

October 19, 2021April 20, 2024

Dewalt’s 60V Chainsaw Provides Raw Power: My Experience

The DeWalt 60V Chainsaw comes from of the most trusted tool brands in American history. The company has been around since WW1 so you know they put out a good product.

DeWalt is actually owned by Stanley Black & Decker. All these companies are intertwined somehow.

This 60V chainsaw incorporates DeWalt’s new FLEXVOLT battery technology. Basically the interchangeable battery back “flexes” it’s voltage to the appropriate setting for the particular type of tool it’s attached to. So the same battery that runs this chainsaw can also run your drill or grinder but at a reduced voltage. Saving you tons on runtime and energy on the jobsite. How about that!?

Here is what we will review today:

Chainsaws 101
Dewalt 60V Chainsaw Power
Maintenance and chain system
Criticisms of the Dewalt chainsaw
The official review of the Dewalt 60V chainsaw

Dewalt has a few other products we have reviewed including their 20V hedge trimmer and their 20V lawn mower as well as their Dewalt Air Compressors.

Dewalt Chainsaw Review: Features

On to the product review itself… Man I thought there was no way an electric chainsaw would stand up to the likes of Stihl or Husqvarna but this buddy ain’t no joke! This saw cuts about 70 6×6 inch logs per charge.

Is that enough? Seems like a lot to me.

Power and cutting ability

For the average homeowner or small-scale professional this should be ample power! If not, you could buy another battery pack. This uses a lithium ion battery so there should be no power drain, basically you keep cutting at the exact same rate until the battery runs out. That’s pretty cool man.

Chain system operations

This chainsaw comes stocked with a tool-free chain tensioning system. This is big. If you’ve ever tried to adjust the tension of a chainsaw with a tool you’ll know what I’m talking about. Last year I took down a Bradford pear (these stupid trees should be illegal in my opinion) in my front yard and spent half the dang time adjusting the tension. It was very obnoxious.

At this point, we were already sold – so we got it on Amazon. You can check the price by following this link.

Maintaining the Dewalt electric chainsaw

A pretty much standard function on all chainsaws now is the auto-oiling system for chain lubrication. Honestly, I didn’t even know you had to put chain oil in chainsaws when I first started. I thought it was like oil for your car that you just changed out periodically. Burned up a good Stihl chain that way. Whoops. You live and you learn.

This product is not extremely light like you’d think it would be for an electric saw. It weighs just over 12 lbs which isn’t light. I guess I could use the workout but after a while my arms would be worn out.

Downsides to this chainsaw

Some of the cons I’ve seen in other reviews are the chain cover is made of plastic and easily slips around. This causes you to need to tighten the bar and chain constantly.

For a small job I don’t think this is a huge deal. I’ve also seen quite a few complaints about the oil reservoir being too small. Every chainsaw I’ve ever used has a small oil reservoir. That’s pretty par for the course honestly.

Another issue I’ve seen has been the battery being difficult to remove. I could see that as a pretty sizable annoyance but nothing to cause me not to buy the product.

The Dewalt 60V chainsaw has more power than meets the eye.

My Recommendation: This is a keeper

Ultimately, would I recommend you buy this? If you live on an acre with some moderately sized trees or own a small landscaping company where you’d need to do occasional trimming, yes. I think the power and battery life would more than suffice for your project needs. If you’re doing a lot of big cutting then you’d need something a little more substantial.

This fireman is using it according to Dewalt.

Dewalt has some great 60V lawn tools like their string trimmer, which we reviewed.

Where to buy Dewalt battery-powered chainsaw

Dewalt tools, including this chainsaw can be found online at Home Depot and picked up in store. Check out the price at Home Depot here.

We always recommend grabbing products like this on Amazon because you can check for sales frequently. You can go straight to this product on Amazon by clicking here.

Why we review lawn tools

How chainsaws came about

Chainsaws as we know them today have been around for about a hundred years or so. They started out in California when Samuel Bens was cutting down giant redwoods. Can you imagine cutting down one of those big huge trees with a hand saw? Gotta be impossible, right? There had to be a better way. The original products were actually used by two people and not on a bar like they are today. Talk about danger.

Wow. Dangerous. Photo cred: Antique trader.

Nowadays they’re more compact and used by a single operator. They can be electric or gas powered chainsaws. Most people assume gas is more powerful and rightly so. But the tides are beginning to run as battery technology continues to evolve. People use chainsaws to cut down trees, knock off limbs, harvest wood and scare people during Halloween!

What To Look For In a Chainsaw

A solid chainsaw is one of the most important tools a homeowner can have. Buying the right one is absolutely essential to your kids thinking you’re a cool man or woman. Chainsaws come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, type and models. Most are either gas or electric powered. Depending on your application of course, most people can get away with a 14” bar and chain. Unless you’re cutting up massive trees you probably don’t need anything bigger than that.

Other features that are nice to have are more comfort-centric. These include tool-less tensioners, mufflers, anti-vibration, automatic chain oilers, etc.

To summarize, look for:

Bar length
Kicback reduction
Anti-vibration technology
Automatic chain oilers