Chainsaw Advice

[drillbit]

Can anyone recommend a good electric chainsaw for cutting up large logs into blanks?

I don't want a petrol one - because of noise basically, so I am looking at something electric.

So far, the choice seems to be


Black and Decker


Bosch


Makita


They all seem to have similar features, and all of them have at least one person saying they broke immediately, so it feels like the only potential differentiator is brand...

Are any of these brands more reliable than others? Or does anyone have one of these models and can recommend / advise against?

Thanks

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

My chainsaw (a very old B&D) packed up, so as a stop gap I bought one of the "Florabest" electric ones from LiDL. Never misses a beat, so the stop gap has now become a permanent feature.
It's got a 42cm bar, 2200W motor with soft start and chain brake. Chain stops as soon as you release the trigger.

Probably not the best quality in the world, but TBH I've bought a few bits & bobs from LiDL and have had no complaints. 3 year warranty as standard too.

The guide bar and chain are made by Oregon, which I am led to believe is quite a good brand. I find it much safer in use than my old B&D one, in as much as the chain brake works well, and the soft start prevents any sudden torque.

Only cost £60 and came with a bottle of chain oil. Very similar to the 2000W Titan in Screwfix or Challenge in Argos

The electric ones still need ear protection if used for longer periods, and still require the use of safety gear. (At the very least use a mesh shield, gloves, steel toe boots, and safety trousers)

 

[Blister]

Toby

Why not a Petrol one ?

If used at the correct times of day no one can complain

the difference between electric and petrol is like chalk and cheese

I tried several 230v models and was never happy

I now have a husqvarna chainsaw :mrgreen:

Dont forget to factor in all the safety gear you need and maybe a chainsaw course , as you can damage yourself very easily with one of these :wink:

 

[wincho84]

I've got the Bosch one. Does well for light work and prepping logs into turn-able blanks. For anything larger than 1 foot diameter, I get the petrol one out. I reckon that the Bosch would cope but with plenty of patience...

 

[Silverbirch]

I've recently bought a Makita (40 cm bar version) to replace my Ryobi, which fell to bits. It's well made and has ample power for my needs. I've just finished turning a batch of maple and ash up to 14/15 inches diameter into rough bowl blanks with it and it has coped admirably.

Ian

 

[Finial]

I'm very pleased with my Makita. I used to have a B&D and a Skilsaw. This one is so much better and I would happily buy again. A bit slow ripping down the grain, but quite usable.

 

[dickm]

Saying this, I'll probably sound like the Big Soft Moose that used to be seen around these parts, but if you can afford it, go for an electric Stihl, preferably a 110V one. The old E220 will happily pull an 18" bar in softwood.
OK, you can probably buy two or even three of the budget saws for the price, but.... it's money well spent.

Husqvarna electrics used to be good, and may still be, but they are part of Electrolux now and according to my experience and that of our local garden machinery folk, the backup has really gone off.

 

[drillbit]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Looks like the Makita gets a thumbs up.

Blister - reason for electric is manyfold. I won't be using it often, or for big stuff like felling trees (just smallish logs into blanks if and when I can get hold of them..) so I like the idea of low maintenance, low noise, low emission. Also, it's cheaper, lighter, and most things I have read say they are a little bit safer (less power means less power to bite back I guess?). I will only be using it in the back garden, so power will not be a problem. What do you think?

 

[Blister]

What do you think?

Best to take the advice of the electric users as posted above :wink:

 

[drillbit]

Be honest...you're expecting me to come crawling back with my tail between my legs when I end up having to upgrade to a petrol one..aren't you :lol:

 

[Blister]

Who ME

Never :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[duncanh]

I had the Bosch one, although to be honest I still have it, it's just in pieces waiting to be taken for repair (waiting well over 12 months now...). The trigger mechanism developped a fault that I can't fix and from testing with a multi meter I expect it needs a new trigger. Whilst it worked it was ok but wasn't particularly good at keeping the chain oiled. I liked the easy, tool-free method for changing the chain tension and removing the bar.
Since then I've got a small petrol Stihl and a recently confiscated Mcculloch from my dad taken before he injured himself!

Whilst I like the Stihl it's definitely noisier (quite a bit noisier than the Mcculoch as well, despite being smaller) and has the disadvantage of not really being useable inside the shed. An electric one would be useful for truing up large out-of-balance logs etc once mounted on the lathe - I currently do this with an angle grinder + lancelot cutter.

 

[Tony Spear]

Don't know much about chainsaws, although I've used other peoples at odd times, but just out of interest, can you get ripping chains for those little electric jobs?

 

[bobham]

I have a Stihl MSE 220 electric and it is a pretty serious saw, with enough power to sport a 20" bar. The Stihl electrics use the same chain as their petrol powered brothers and have the same oilers and chain brake systems. The only drawback is the initial cost of the saw. They don't come cheap. I just don't get on with 2 stroke motors, though, so it was worth it to me. I originally tried a Poulan electric with a 16" bar and then a Remington electric with a 16" bar, but neither of them were up to the task of cutting the log lengthwise. Both of them are fine for crosscutting or trimming the corners of a blank to make an octagon, but they feel like toys compared to the Stihl. You can see mine in use in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1gf5_3WZTE

Take care
Bob

 

[Gilogrt]

I have a Stihl MSE 220 electric and it is a pretty serious saw, with enough power to sport a 20" bar. The Stihl electrics use the same chain as their petrol powered brothers and have the same oilers and chain brake systems. The only drawback is the initial cost of the saw. They don't come cheap. I just don't get on with 2 stroke motors, though, so it was worth it to me. I originally tried a Poulan electric with a 16" bar and then a Remington electric with a 16" bar, but neither of them were up to the task of cutting the log lengthwise. Both of them are fine for crosscutting or trimming the corners of a blank to make an octagon, but they feel like toys compared to the Stihl. You can see mine in use in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1gf5_3WZTE

Take care
Bob

Being a tree surgeon, I like my chainsaws. I have wondered why all the electric saws have been so lame when the advantages of the torque from an electric motor are so clear. Got to say, that 220 seems to be spot on! If I needed one for the op's situation then I think the 220 would be it!

 

[dickm]

To support the OP, another big advantage of a decent electric saw is that there's no problem with using them only intermittently. As others have said, 2-stroke engines can be a total PITA, especially if left standing with old fuel in the tank.

Can't see any reason why the electrics won't take a ripping chain - it's just a matter of specifying the correct gauge + pitch + number of links for the chain. Teeth form shouldn't make any difference. Look on the Oregon site, which gives details of (almost) every chain you could ever need

 

[drillbit]

Thanks dickm. Good to know I'm not a total idiot! Have ordered the Makita. Hopefully it will be up to cutting the logs I have, even if it take a bit of patience.

I love the sound of the Stihl, but just way out of my price range

 

[Mark A]

Chains Direct have a good choice of chains, and were very knowledgeable when I phoned a few weeks ago.

 

[dickm]

The other knowledgeable source for chains is Terry Bass chainsaws in Hereford.

I'll be interested to know how the Makita performs. Makita took over Sachs Dolmar,who actually invented the chainsaw back in about 192-something and were making really excellent saws. Not sure if the Mak electric was originally a Dolmar or not, but it seems that Dolmar have now been spun out of Makita and are being sold under the old name again. Unless it's just an evil marketing ploy to fool oldsters like me......