Are Electrical Chainsaws Worth it Overall?
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The question of whether electrical chainsaws are worth buying or not is best answered by defining what you want the chainsaw to do for you.
While there is no doubt that there have been huge leaps in the power output of electrical motors and the capabilities of batteries, you would still not buy a cordless chainsaw to cut down a forest!
Ditto even for a corded electric chainsaw
Don’t try this with an electrical chainsaw
So what don’t we like about the traditional gasoline powered chainsaws that have been around a long time.
In no particular order these are the main gripes!
- Noisy
- Smelly
- Often difficult to start
- Have to carry fuel around with you
- Heavy to carry
- Limited ability to operate outside the vertical plane i.e.you can’t usually turn them upside down to cut above your head
- Leak oil
- Generally environmentally unfriendly
- better suited to big jobs in one location
Gasoline Chainsaw Pros
Only one really but its a big one. They are generally pretty powerful and cut through logs/trees quickly.
Electrical Chainsaw Pros & Cons
Pros
- Operate far more quietly
- No gasoline smell associated with working
- No starting issues – just pull the trigger (sometimes after depressing a safety switch) and off you go!
- Can operate at all angles
- Generally lighter when comparing like for like e.g. a r 12 inch bar electrically driven chainsaw is usually lighter than a 12 inch bar gas powered chainsaw.
- Mini electric chainsaws can have a bar as short as 4 inches bar them easy to use for most people
- Easy to haul out and use and put back again. i.e. great for one off small jobs like garden pruning
- Overall more environmentally friendly
Cons
- If a corded electrical chainsaw then you need a handy power socket and extension cord(s) in order to operate as the actual cord that comes attached to the chainsaw is rarely any longer than about 18 inches!
- This point obviously varies with the capacity of the battery, but in general, battery operated chainsaws can work for 20 – 30 minutes before the battery needs recharging.**
- Recharging the battery will take a lot longer. Often 2 to 3 hrs
- Chain speeds are quite a bit down on gas powered chainsaws.
The mini electric chainsaws ( 4-8 inch bar) especially are prone to engine burn out if they are used for bigger jobs than they were not designed for.
** While 20 – 30 minutes does not seem very long, this is actual running time. That is usually more than enough time for most odd jobs, garden pruning and the like. Also, if you want, you can have a second, fully charged, battery on hand to keep working with when the first one runs out of charge
Overall Summary
Electrical chainsaws, whether corded or battery driven, normal size or mini, are ideal for anyone who needs a chainsaw from time to time but does not need to cut down a forest on a regular basis.
Keeping in mind that they can vary in size from a 4-inch bar to an 18-inch bar, they are ideal for many jobs and situations including:
- Pruning, especially around the garden (best suited to mini chainsaws)
- Cutting up firewood
- Cleaning up storm damage
- Taking camping
- Incidental trail clearing
- Small DIY woodwork jobs
The key to using an electrically powered chainsaw is to understand the limitations of the chainsaw and work within those limitations.
This is actually no different to using any other tool!
So once you know that, then selecting a suitable electrical chainsaw becomes more straight forward.
A Last Word on Electrical Chainsaws.
They can be powered by a brushed OR brushless motor.
Brushless electrical motors are superior to the older brushed motors and are more efficient, powerful and long lasting than their brushed counterparts.
However, they are (still) generally more expensive and so there are still many electrical chainsaws powered by the older generation brushed electrical motors that will do the job for you.
Check out more chainsaw options here!