Topic: Best Battery Chainsaws of 2023 (Read 37 times)
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The Stihl MSA 220 C-B would make for a good mid-sized saw to take on light duty at home or around camp. It could buck a weekend’s worth of firewood or clean up a few smaller trees without problem. However, don’t expect a battery chainsaw of this size to take on bigger jobs.
It performed admirably during the speed and battery test. It barely had enough usable bar to get through the 12-inch diameter tree on one cut, but still managed to slice more cookies than the Worx or Ryobi saws and it put up respectable speed scores, too. The Stihl also displayed a higher build quality than the other saws in its weight class. The pieces fit together tighter, more seamlessly. Notably, the saw is made in Austria, not China like many of the other chainsaws in this test.
Like the Husky saw (below), the chain tensioning system did get gummed up at times, but not too badly. The only other ding I have on this chainsaw is that it’s not quite big enough to tackle serious jobs, but it’s also not quite small enough to be highly portable. The saw is also offered with a 16-inch bar, which I would reco*mend. You can cut smaller stuff with a bigger saw but you can’t cut bigger stuff with a smaller saw.
The Husqvarna Power Axe smoked the co*petition in the full-sized field. It was only three tenths of a second slower than the DeWalt, which is still impressive considering it has a shorter bar, but it cut twice as many disks and it never got bogged down while cutting. One of the performance features that impressed me about the Husqvarna is that it cut with full power until it ran out of battery—then it was dead. Other saws would begin to stall or not fully make it through a cut while still showing a quarter battery life. Even though those saws technically had battery power, they limped along but did not cut larger logs effectively. Not so with the Husky.
The saw has a nice on/off feature on the handle that lets the user know if the saw is turned on and if the chain brake is engaged. The Husky was the lightest large-sized saw in the test, and it felt well balanced and nimble when working in the woods. With its performance and ease of use, I think the Husky is the best battery chainsaw choice for most users. After the original test I used the Husky to buck a big pile of firewood and found that it cut through mid-sized oak logs with ease.
The only thing to ding the Husqvarna on was that its chain tensioning system got jammed up with saw dust and crud. A couple times I had to unscrew the plastic cap, clear the tensioner of debris and then screw it back on. This is a relatively small quibble, but I prefer the traditional tensioning systems that require scrench. It’s a bit of a pain to keep the tool on hand, but that classic system seems to get gummed up less often. A few other saws in the test had issues with their “easy” tensioning systems, too.
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If you want an affordable chainsaw to cut down small jobs in the backyard or around camp, the Worx Nitro is a solid choice. Here’s the bad news first: The saw got bogged down with sawdust during the disk cutting test. I had to keep banging the housing on the log to knock the blockage free (yes, the chainsaws were tested roughly). I’m not sure if ultimately the saw’s batteries died or if it overheated, but either way, it only made 13 cuts through a 12-inch diameter log.
Here’s the good news: While clearing trails and felling small trees (more practical uses), the Worx performed much better. It was able to handle everything I threw at it, and by the end of the day I was convinced the saw was a pretty damn good deal at just over $300. The one-dial tensioning system worked nicely at first but then gave in to the abuse and the saw ultimately threw the chain. Under regular working conditions—not a torture test—I would have stopped to take the saw apart to properly re-tighten the chain.
It runs on two 20v batteries which lock into both sides of the unit. These batteries can be found much more affordably than some of the other batteries required for saws in this test, which would give the Worx Nitro substantially longer run time.
The Ryobi chainsaw has a handguard but no chain brake. In other words, when you press the safety and squeeze the trigger, the chain starts running. Experienced chainsaw users aren’t going to love that feature. Besides that, the Ryobi did have trouble working through the willow log, recording only 11 full cuts on a 12-inch diameter log. It’s worth noting the saw barely had enough usable bar to make it through the log in a single cut.
On the upside, this is one of the most affordable chainsaws in the test and it co*es with a five-year limited warranty (three-year warranty on the battery). I liked the traditional and unsophisticated chain tensioning system and Ryobi includes a clever wrench holder in the handle of the saw. Plus, Ryobi has more than 85 products that run on a 40v battery. So if you’re already using Ryobi products—and already have the battery—you can get the saw for only $189. That’s a solid deal for a decent little saw.
This is the little brother to the Worx Nitro, and it was the lightest chainsaw in the test. It runs on a single 20v battery. The Worx recorded significantly lower scores than the Echo chainsaw, but to be fair, it also costs about a quarter of the price. This saw is meant for very light work; you will not be bucking firewood with it. It has a similar chain tensioning system to the Nitro, but with a different knob. I’d reco*mend spending the extra money and stepping up to the Worx Nitro. Even if you only need a saw for light duty in the backyard, the Nitro will perform better for you.
Think of this saw as the defensive end on a football team: hefty, strong, and fast, but he’s going to tire out quickly running at full speed. This was the most capable all-around chainsaw of the test. With its longer bar length and fast cutting speed it’s well suited for bigger jobs. It was the fastest large-sized saw in the test, though it still got through the 14-inch diameter log three seconds slower than my gas chainsaw.
The DeWalt has a double bumper spikes (one on both sides of the bar) with aggressive tines. It brings the most voltage of any saw in the test, and co*es with sturdy carrying case, unlike many of the other saws.
On the downside, this bad boy is heavy. It’s a good 3 pounds heavier than my gas saw. The battery alone weighs 4 pounds. Plus, it ran out of juice relatively quickly. It got bogged down a few times going through the willow log at the tail end of its battery life. If you have your heart set on this saw for bigger projects, I’d reco*mend getting a second battery—unfortunately, they’re spendy at about $360. The only other negative thing about this saw is that the bat