Several years ago Big Brother gave me a gift of an electric chainsaw…
…and at first I responded with distain, because such a weak little thing couldn’t possibly be of any use. I was, as is my custom, completely wrong: I have gotten a lot of use out of it. It’s the bee’s knees for brush cutting, but it definitely isn’t up to real wood cutting. I think it has a thermal sensor that drops to its fainting couch if I even lean it toward any real wood. So not that much use during firewood-cutting season.
But it did point out something I already knew: I really hate working with real chainsaws. I didn’t ten-fifteen years ago but I sure do now. They’re heavy, loud, filthy, finicky, loud, maintenance-intensive, dangerous to be near, and really loud. One of the reasons I was happy to switch to burning old lumber and pallets for winter heat was I could leave the Husky in the shed.
And this little electric chainsaw wasn’t any of those things. Which endeared it to me, I must admit. For the past couple of years, as I ran out of old lumber and pallets, I started thinking, “I want one of these, but more.”
Yesterday, instead of going to the Palace of Food in the biggish town about 35 miles away, Neighbor L and I went to the one in the big town about 50 miles away in another direction. We did this because we had to go to Lowes to pick up her new dryer. Since there’s a Safeway there too, it didn’t make sense to make two trips. I tagged along for the Safeway, and also because I wanted to see if Lowes sold a more substantial cordless electric chainsaw than the one I already had.
And they did…
It wasn’t the one I wanted, I’d have been more confident dropping money on a Milwaukee or a Dewalt. But it had the specs I wanted, and it was there, so I took the gamble. As soon as I got it out of the box and the battery charged I knew it was at a minimum going to be as messy as a real chainsaw, because it was definitely going to need bar oil. I mean the chain really whizzed compared to the rather leisurely B&D. Maybe I had a winner? I brought it over to a limb I’d dragged into the yard a few days ago, and…
…like a hot knife through butter. Like a real chainsaw. It took the B&D two trips and two batteries to cut that limb off the tree. Yup, that was what I was looking for.
Tobie made out like a bandit this morning…
We had to go to D&L’s to get L’s new dryer off the truck and swap machines around, and then…
We drove to the old woodlot where I dragged all that driftwood out of the wash a few years ago. There was one particular big one that definitely needed a chainsaw if it was ever going to become firewood…
I wanted to see what the new offbrand chainsaw could do, and it worked just fine. By local standards, since we’re a little short on forests, that log is HUGE.
The new saw cut it all up into stove lengths with battery to spare. With smaller wood I think I might get a morning’s work out of it. We’re going to find out, because it’s wood-cutting season and I don’t have many pallets stored.
That’s good to know. I had no idea they made cordless chainsaws that had real capabilities.
I have the same 16″ EGO that you have as well as a 10″ Craftsman. Got them at Lowes 2 years ago and have been very satisfied with them (have used them a lot). My old 2 Poulan gas saws are a PITA.
This spring, I picked up a STIHL MSA-200, and I’ve never looked back. There’s no fussing with fuel/oil, it just works when I put the battery in. And, when I say works, I mean works. It will cut up everything I throw at it, within reason.
Gas n oil Tree Mike here is SO surprised. Congrats!
Does that bar say LEGO?
Seriously, congratulations, Uncle Joel.
My DeWalt cuts better than my Stihl of the same size, and is a helluva lot easier to maintain. Yes, there’s a chain oiler, but you don’t have leaky fuel all over the place, no gaskets to fail, it’s dead silent, and goes through a 12″ tree like it was made of oleomargarine. I keep it in my UTV that I used exploring the back country, and it has saved me from getting cut off by falling trees a couple of times now.
I hope the EGO works out for you. I haven’t heard any good things about their longevity.
Yeah, longevity is probably where it’s going to fall down. I’m not super impressed with the drive sprocket, for one thing. But at a minimum it will prove or disprove the notion that I can get by with an electric.
Joel Ego makes some great battery powered tools. I’ve switched most of my gas stuff over. The batteries can be stupid expensive. Often more than the tool, but I think you’re going to be surprised how long they last. My pole saw, Chainsaw and brush cutter have been great. It has me seriously thinking about the post hole digger. Yes you read that right. YouTube it.
My wife bought a DeWalt for me last year. $217 with a 5ah battery.
Its not for harvesting trees, but its handy for stove sized wood.
>They’re heavy, loud, filthy, finicky, loud, maintenance-intensive, dangerous to be near, >and really loud.
Yea, but sometimes local handymen are the best you can do.
I fucking HATE gas chainsaws. A really good one is as much as a used car, and anything less than that is just kleenex, not good for a whole season. My cordless power tools are all Ryobi, because a neighbor gave me a bunch of them with batteries before he went into hospice care, maybe 25 years ago. The battery form factor is still the same, unlike any other maker I can think of. December perhaps ten years ago, I’d just picked up a whole new combo set, wanting one for jobsite and one for home. Poor bastard 3 doors down had all his cordless power tools stolen from his locked truck. Idiots stole the tools but not -get this- not the batteries. Wonder of wonders, he used Ryobi tools too! So he got my old set, free, gratis, and it’s Christmas time you old coot!
I have one of those baby Milwaukee ones. It was a little over three hundred bucks ! Expensive , but I’m very impressed with the little thang. I carry it everywhere on the four wheeler.
Yeah, the apron guy warned me that if I wanted a second battery I’d be money ahead by just buying another Ego tool. 😀
A few years ago my son was in the forest with a group, jeep run. There was a limb across the trail about windshield high. The leaders were getting the winch straps out to move it. Son comes walking up with the electric beaver and cleared it . Took all of 3 minutes.
Joel, A few years ago I printed out your write up about chainsaw use and maintenance. It’s in my apocalypse binder. Useful information.
Thank you for the legwork of putting it together.
Joel, yes, the batteries can be pricey. However, you will have options. You can take your chances with a chinesium knockoff from Amazon. Or, you can try to rebuild the battery. This is where YouTube is your friend. 🙂
@ Malatrope… Yep, DeWalt and Milwaukee make great chainsaws and when I bought the STIHL, I agonized over buying one, specifically the Milwaukee. It all came down to price. The Milwaukee with battery and charger was almost 40% more expensive, and the Dewalt was around 45% more.
dunno from EGO, but I bought a ryobi set of weedeater and blower. Crap battery and crap charger. Bought another battery and charger – those were crap also.
Found a thingy on Ebay to mount a dewalt battery into a ryobi. WIN!
much better battery life.
Maybe there is sucha thing for EGO?
Electric saws are the shizzle. We have a pair of them, a pole saw (great to reach into thorny bushes and cut) and a 14″ chainsaw, both using an identical battery. Both Greenworx products – they have both held up to our roadwork needs admirably. Just don’t forget your bar oil – they are both thirsty beasts.