SAME
I quite like the pole saw, feels a lot safer than a regular chain saw. I’ve used it on up to about ~8" diameter branches, and the battery lasts about an hour of constant cutting.
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The battery powered saws are great for cutting what you need to get rid of on the farm. I got mine 6 (?) years ago, it was the only one available at the time, a Greenworks (in Canada). I’ve used gas powered saws occasionally in the last 50 years, but have not be particularly happy with them. So insisted trying the battery powered one, and it’s been very good for what I do. I do a LOT of clearing and cleaning up tangled bush and windfall, and building burn piles on 160 acres that needed it badly. Gotta keep the chain sharp, and know how to put the chain back on when it comes off (but that happens with all saws). Other than that, just charge the battery, put the chain oil in when necessary, press the ON button, and you are ready to get to work. Cuts 6" stuff OK, deadfall and branches, good for fencing, easy to operate. It can still kill ya if you get sloppy or careless though… keep that in mind. But it’s light to carry and handle, and quiet when running.
If you want a gas powered one, the new “Echo” saws seem to be very good, we have one of those too. Hubby likes it better than anything else. Easy start for a gas powered saw.
Happy cutting!
My inclination would be to hire someone to do the bigger stuff and get things under control. Then you can finish and maintain with a smaller battery powered saw.
Not to hijack, OP but I have a Greenworks 40V 12" chainsaw that my DH used ONE TIME and lost the little piece inside that holds the chain and bar onto the handle :no::lol:. Does anyone know what that piece is called or where to find a replacement?! It’s the little wheel spoke looking piece that the chain goes around then screws in? I feel like I saw somewhere it’s called a “sprocket”? But Greenworks doesn’t offer a replacement on their website…
Ahhhh…what? No, the chain should never just randomly come off of ANY saw! Yikes! :eek:
I hope you’re talking about being able to put the saw back together after taking it apart for cleaning, or maintenance, and I am just reading you wrong? :lol:
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Where I used to live, ex- and I bought a Stihl from a local guy that did all the chain sharpening for all the immediate area wildland firefighters.
Took the time to show us how to use it, ex- did most of the hands-on, recommended appropriate safety gear.
I figured when all the local ‘pros’ (wildland firefighters) use Stihls, there’s a reason.
We couldn’t get him to sell us a ‘pro’ chain however :lol:
I agree to take a class and the big box retailers probably won’t offer those.
Oh good! I was hoping I wasn’t crazy for wanting a battery operated one! Just ordered this one. It will be here Sun: well, it would let me cut and paste Home Depot’s site. It is a 14" 18v Makita. The reviews are good.
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We have the ryobi chain saw and the Milwaukee one. The Milwaukee one, hands down, is the better chain saw. It has more power and the battery lasts longer than the ryobi one. My son prefers the Milwaukee to the Stihl gas saws we have.
We have a battery operated pole saw and my husband loves it!
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OMG I love this thing! Got a chance to use it and it is a beast! Doesn’t bog down at all with 4-6" trees. Battery didn’t even show a decrease in charge when we were done and it came with an extra set. Highly recommend. Home Depot. Makita 18V 14" chainsaw . I certainly could have handled the 16".
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After the derecho storm this summer in Iowa, we still have trees down all over the farm. Normally Mr HH does all the chainsaw work and I load/move the logs and branches out of his way. But there’s just so much damn wood to cut, it’s overwhelming at times.
So I decided to get my own chainsaw so we can both be sawing at same time, and I can tackle some of it on my own. Mr. HH’s Stihl 18", is too hard for me to start and I just don’t feel comfortable using it. More power than I have skill to control, ya know? So I got a 10" battery-powered job from Harbor Freight (brand is Baer) and I’m so happy with it. I totally respect its ability to kil/main me, but it’s easy to control, almost no kickback. Rather easy to get it bound up, so you really need to think about where the weight of the log is, and make some relief cuts to make sure it doesn’t get pinched.
Anyway, a 6" limb is no problem for it. We also have a battery pole saw on a 12’pole, and I highly recommend one of those. So handy!
i have two stihls. One is 10" and one is 20". As i recall, there was a learning curve to starting the first one. But by now, they are both old, trusted friends. When buying your chainsaw, make sure you get a couple of wedges too. They will be invaluable.
I got a Ryobi battery-operated 12" chainsaw. It’ll cut through 10" of limb, is incredibly easy to operate. I have an artificial elbow and can only lift 10 lbs with my left arm and 20 lbs total. This easily fits the bill while getting the work done. My husband and nephew have reached for my chainsaw at times when theirs was available. It’s that convenient!
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We have a pole saw also and I am trying to get my husband to upgrade to the 18V Makita. Very handy.
Same sort of thing happened here–huge storm, tons of stuff down, no way was it just going to work for Mr S to get it done all on the weekend with his saw! Never, ever, ever thought in a million years that I’d do that :lol: And now I do nearly all of our work, including dropping. Life is so weird.
Pick up 2-3 wedges and a mallet. When you get the bar bound, turn the saw off and pound a wedge or two into the cut to free the bar. Easy peasy 
Some may laugh at this, but for pruning and cutting up branches and small trees, I use my baby chainsaw — a Milwaukee Fuel Hammer with a 6 inch bar. It weighs around 7 lbs. and is perfect for doing the bulk of the work on our 4 acre, partially wooded farm. I can do a great deal of work with a single battery charge, and I routinely cut 4-5 inch branches with ease.
I won’t be taking down any of our large Douglas Firs with this, but at our age we should probably hire out for those jobs. (Gone are the days when my husband climbed tall trees with his full-size Farm Boss.)
The only caveats with this mini beast:
- you need to keep an eye on the oil level, and
- it is easy to forget that, despite its small size and light weight, it is still capable of taking off fingers and more and demands the same safety measures as the big chainsaws.
I LOVE my ryobi!!!
Love mine too! It’s powerful!!
I am a total convert for the electric saws. They are lightweight and quiet and small enough that I feel I cannot get myself into too much trouble because I will not be tempted to cut some thing I can’t handle.
Also I am curious as to how an electric saw will not be stopped by Kevlar pants or chaps. can someone explain that please
Something about battery chainsaws having more torque and possibly higher tendency to kickback. Make no mistake, my Makita is a cutting beast that doesn’t bog down. I know there are safety videos testing safety chainsaw pants on a battery operated chainsaw and the higher layer count on the pants was recommended than for a standard chainsaw.
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