Electric chainsaw for specific purpose

[billiebob]

I know there's a very long thread about this. Considering everything that was said in that thread, can anyone recommend a cordless chainsaw for my specific use? Given the very high cost of oil right now, I'd like to harvest some wood on my property for my wood stove. Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Lightweight. I'm too old to handle a heavy saw.
2. I have a maple on the ground, maybe 16" in diameter, so the saw should be able to handle that. I don't expect to do that very often. Usually I would be picking up branches up to maybe 5".
3. Cost is really important to me right now, so as cheap as possible.

My sources would probably be Lowes or Home Depot.

You don't say where you live but I'll take a jump and say you live in logging country.....
With the qualifiers of age and infirmity..... budget
I'd say hire a guy with a chainsaw and avoid the risks and hazards of running a tool which can change your life in an instant.
I'm 66, I sold my chainsaw 6 years ago. I know it was the most dangerous tool I have ever owned.

On cheap, go to garage sales, Black and Decker made the BEST corded electric chainsaw ever and if they still made it it would still be under $100.

But 16" is a big stick. Hire a guy who earns his living cutting wood.

 

[billiebob]

As mentioned, the tree is on the ground. It's partly cut up. I need to make about 10 more cuts on that tree. The quotes I had for cutting up the rest of the tree were about half the cost of a cord of cut and split firewood.

Rent one or hire a guy for 15 minutes.... Done... yes, everyone wants to make a buck. Pay the guy.
Or just buy the old fashioned kind at auction.

Get a buddy and a good file and have some wall art with a story for the man cave.


It might even be fun

 

[PlacidWaters]

Hi, I’ve recently bought a dewalt 20V chainsaw with a 12” bar. I already had the batteries. I’ve got nothing but good to say about that saw. It’s not super fast like a gas saw, but it has done everything I’ve asked. It might take a bit to get through that 16” log, but it will do it. I’m now a fan.
Mike

Mike, thanks. I don't already have batteries. For small wood, I can just drag it out of the woods and cut it by the garage with my corded electric saw, which I really like. Unfortunately this large maple is about 100 feet from the house, so I was thinking I needed a larger noncorded saw.

If it is on the ground and just one tree, buy a good buck saw. Always has power, never needs oil.

Hmm . . . I hadn't thought of that. That might be a good idea. Do you have a buck saw to suggest?

[/QUOTE]187, member: 64498"]

Which Cordless Chainsaw Should You Buy? - Fine Homebuilding

Discover the best cordless chainsaws from DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee. Watch the video for more details!

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[/QUOTE]

Thank you! I'll read that article.

 

[PlacidWaters]

You don't say where you live but I'll take a jump and say you live in logging country.....With the qualifiers of age and infirmity..... budget
I'd say hire a guy with a chainsaw and avoid the risks and hazards of running a tool which can change your life in an instant. I'm 66, I sold my chainsaw 6 years ago. I know it was the most dangerous tool I have ever owned. On cheap, go to garage sales, Black and Decker made the BEST corded electric chainsaw ever and if they still made it it would still be under $100. But 16" is a big stick. Hire a guy who earns his living cutting wood.

You make some good points. My point about hiring someone is that I might as well buy a cord of cut and split wood instead of paying someone $200 to make 10 cuts. $20 a cut? Seriously?

Based on the replies above, I'm leaning toward abandoning my idea and seeing if I can cut up the big tree by hand. One cut per day, done in 10 days. The tree has been lying there for two years.

I also gave up my gas saw years ago. I did nick myself with it once due to fatigue. I have a little corded Poulan which has worked very well for smaller stuff.

 

[bas157]

Are you on facebook or any other social media sites like Nextdoor, if so just post up in marketplacethat you are looking for someone to cut up a log. If local to me, I certainly wouldn't charge $200, nor would my brother. Would be an licensed and insured person, but I would think you could find someone close to do it for you for cheap.

 

[PlacidWaters]

What do you think is the maximum safe cord length for my small electric saw?

 

[gatorgrizz27]

The Poulan corded saw still listed on Home Depot’s site draws 9 amps, which isn’t a lot. Assuming you don’t have the ultra light 16 gauge extension cords, there’s no reason you couldn’t use 200-250 ft of cord. There may be some voltage drop, which isn’t great for the tool long term, but that’s the only real issue. If the cord starts feeling too warm, give it a rest and let it cool down.

The $200 estimate isn’t really to make the 10 cuts. It’s stopping whatever else they may be doing, driving over there, putting gear on, fueling and oiling up a saw, and then making the cuts. It’s simply not worth it to someone in the business to do it cheaper unless they’re already working at your neighbor’s house, then it would probably be $20.

This is really the kind of stuff where having competent friends shines. Somebody has to have a son or know a guy from church, etc that would be happy to help. Sometimes it just takes asking. If you insist they are licensed and insured to cut up a tree that’s lying on the ground, that’s another story.

 

[Wilbah]

If you have other Wood for harvesting you might trade some of that for getting someone to cut up the tree you mentioned and leaving some wood. Find out who heats with wood near you and approach them and offer them some wood in exchange for cutting up the downed tree.

In lieu of that a good Swedish saw/bow saw would be cheaper than buying a cordless saw, although slower certainly. Two person saws can move a lot of wood but you really need that second person to be efficient.

 

[Superduty]

Some home depot's rent battery operated chain saws. Do you have an HD near you?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[14JKURX]

I purchased a Dewalt 20 volt 12” bar saw and am very happy with it!

 

[jbaucom]

A Fiskars 30" bow saw is $16 at our local Home Depot. That and an axe, plus a bit of your time, should take care of it. Since you're not invested in any cordless platforms and don't want a gas saw, it really isn't feasible to buy a chainsaw for this project. Is it possible to make 1 cut near the stump and drag the log to wherever you usually cut up firewood with the corded electric saw?

 

[jbaucom]

I have a Ryobi 18V brushless 12" that I've tested to its limits, and it didn't disappoint. Battery life with a 4AH battery wasn't great burying the bar for multiple cuts, but I was able to work up a lot of a 20" tree with it. I felled the tree with my gas saw though.

 

[Wallygator]

What you asking of the saw for your situation is not going to be cheap. I have a Milwaukee 16" cordless that I keep in the truck full time. Does 100 cuts on one battery charge and the saw has been nothing but flawless. Here is a link but I got mine at Home Depot.

https://www.acmetools.com/m18-fuel-16-in-chainsaw-kit-2727-21hd/045242482320.html

 

[billiebob]

I'm leaning toward abandoning my idea and seeing if I can cut up the big tree by hand. One cut per day, done in 10 days.

If I was yer neighbour, I'd be on the other end of the saw.
No matter how you do it keep the saw sharp.

 

[PlacidWaters]

The Poulan corded saw still listed on Home Depot’s site draws 9 amps, which isn’t a lot. Assuming you don’t have the ultra light 16 gauge extension cords, there’s no reason you couldn’t use 200-250 ft of cord. There may be some voltage drop, which isn’t great for the tool long term, but that’s the only real issue. If the cord starts feeling too warm, give it a rest and let it cool down.

I had no idea you could put a cord that long on ANY outdoor power tool. Thank you.