You don’t need to have the biggest, loudest, or most powerful gas-guzzling chainsaw to achieve some major heavy-duty work in your yard.
In fact, more and more homeowners and construction workers are making the shift to more mobile equipment, making battery powered chainsaws an efficient choice for a wide variety of jobs.
Our Tool Nerds team has already written a few reviews on our favorite battery powered chainsaw brands and models, such as our review on the Black + Decker LCS1240 Cordless Chainsaw, which is one of the leading brands in the industry. Since we’ve already covered some of the brands, we now want to take the time to establish a guide that can answer any and every question you may have about these types of chainsaws.
You can learn about what battery powered chainsaws are, what makes them unique, and what advantages they have in terms of functionality and affordability. While there are a wide variety of chainsaw options out there, you can never go wrong with a reliable battery powered saw to fulfill the needs of your dynamic DIY projects.
What Makes a Battery Powered Chainsaw Unique?
A battery powered chainsaw is different from a gas or electric chainsaw in that it is completely cordless, making it a much more mobile device. If you need to reach difficult heights or cut your way through nooks and crannies, this task is a lot more easily achieved with a battery chainsaw.
Most battery powered chainsaws use rechargeable batteries of different power capabilities and functions.
They usually last for hundreds of recharges before the battery needs to be replaced, marking them as often longer-lasting than their gas powered counterparts.
These chainsaws are the easiest to understand and turn on as well, with a push-to-turn-on mechanic installed right on the machine. The battery can be easily taken out of the chainsaw in a safe way, and recharged in its own port before being put back into the chainsaw.
What are Some of the Advantages of Battery Powered Chainsaws?
Battery powered chainsaws are becoming a hot new trend by homeowners and professionals alike due to their ability to outlast their more traditional brethren. Not only do they last longer with rechargeable lithium batteries, but they are often a lot more eco-friendly as well.
After comparing some of our top battery powered chainsaws with electric and gas powered chainsaws, we’ve been able to determine that battery chainsaws pose the following advantages over the other two:
Battery powered chainsaws are portable and smaller. There is no cord to limit your movements or restrict your distance requirements. You can carry this chainsaw up a tree, into a ditch, or into those hard-to-reach areas that only a smaller saw can get into.
Battery powered chainsaws do not emit any smoke or gas fumes. This automatically makes them a pretty eco-friendly power tool. In fact, they’re one of the most environmentally safe power tools on the market. Since they only require a battery for use, they do not even take up too much electrical energy. Gas chainsaws can become dangerous over time due to the fact that the user is breathing in dangerous fumes. You won’t have this problem with a battery powered chainsaw.
Battery powered chainsaws never dull or go bad. With other types of chainsaws, if you leave them for too long, they can refuse to start up after several attempts. Plus, the blade usually dulls or becomes rusted. These types of problems don’t exist with battery powered chainsaws, as the battery preserves power when it’s not being used.
Battery powered chainsaws are quiet and efficient. Your neighbors will appreciate how quiet a battery powered saw can be. You don’t need to rev them up like you would with a gas motor, since the battery doesn’t use fuel energy. The carburetor uses a different form of energy to power the motor, making it quieter and more fuel-efficient. You can even use it in the comfort of your backyard without disturbing the neighbors.
Battery powered chainsaws never fluctuate in speed. A disadvantage of gas powered saws is that sometimes the blade rotates and bursts in different speeds. The battery keeps the blade nice and consistent.
What are the Different Types of Battery Powered Chainsaws?
Believe it or not, there are actually two different types of battery powered chainsaws. Or, rather, there are two different types of batteries that can be used in the saw. Both batteries are comparable to each other, and they can output different forms of energy depending on how much or how little power you need.
We’ve broken down some of the details to help you understand what these batteries do if you need to make a choice between them:
Nickel-cadmium batteries are highly affordable batteries for this type of chainsaw. They can help resolve the issue of expensive and hard-to acquire chainsaw batteries when yours runs out.
The only drawback is that they don’t output quite as much power as the other battery option.
Lithium-ion batteries are a common choice for the battery powered chainsaw. This is one of the most popular batteries across all types of power tools, as it offers a great range of consistency and power. Plus, it stays charged for a long time, giving you more time to have fun with your projects.
Who Uses This Type of Chainsaw?
Typically, homeowners who are looking to get a variety of different jobs done will find a lot of uses out of a battery powered chainsaw. Those who are just starting out with chainsaws, or who aren’t exactly sure how to use them to their full extent can benefit from this kind of chainsaw as well.
It checks out for control and versatility pretty well. Usually these chainsaws are a bit smaller than their counterparts, but that doesn’t stop them from being one of the most flexible and usable power saws available on the market. It’s a great choice for any light to medium-ranged yard work that you might need done around the house, or for small construction projects.
Are Battery Powered Chainsaws Better than Gas and Electric Chainsaws?
All three types of chainsaws are excellent tools for a number of construction and lumber-related jobs. While no one type is better than the other, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both kinds of saws.
It is easy to confuse an electric saw with a battery powered saw, since they both technically use electricity to operate. However, the two are not interchangeable.
Battery powered saws are immediately recognizable from electric saws as they do not use a cord to operate, they do not need to be plugged in, and they are usually a little smaller than electric ones.
Gas chainsaws are even bigger, of course. Plus, they usually come with a long cord and sport the largest blade sizes. They are immediately recognizable as there is a pull lever to start revving the motor, and they usually require two hands to hold as they can be quite heavy.
There are significant benefits of all kinds of saws. When it comes down to it, it is ultimately your choice based on your yard work needs and your budget.
What Are the Disadvantages of Battery Powered Chainsaws?
While battery powered saws are an amazing product for general housework and amateur saw users, it cannot solve every issue. There are a few situations in which other types of chainsaws might perform a little better.
We feel it is only fair to assess some of the drawbacks you might be faced with if you choose to select a battery saw for your needs. Again, the choice is yours to make, and it all depends on your budget and what you need to use your saw for. But if you’re interested in knowing some of the pitfalls of limiting yourself to a battery powered chainsaw, take heed of the following list below.
Some disadvantages of battery saws include:
They need to be consistently recharged. Battery life is quite long, but they still require recharging every once in a while. If you’re in the middle of a project and your battery dies, you have to wait for it to be recharged before you can use it again. Fortunately, recharge time is pretty quick. You can have your chainsaw up and running again in less than an hour.
It’s expensive to replace batteries. The battery in your chainsaw will die eventually, and it will need to be replaced. These batteries are often hard to come by, making them a little pricey when the time comes.
These saws are not as powerful or as strong as gas and electric saws. Of course, you may already know this. Since battery powered chainsaws are smaller and more portable, they sacrifice a little bit of power in order to achieve that range of versatility. The blades can be small, but they are usually still strong enough to get most average-sized jobs done.
Final Verdict
Overall, battery powered chainsaws are one of our favorite tools, especially since they provide so much convenience and portability. We like to be able to move around while we work, and this chainsaw definitely helps us achieve that. While it is not the most powerful type of chainsaw around, it is certainly a useful one for a variety of different projects. If you’re a DIY enthusiast or a homeowner with some yard work needs, definitely consider investing in this type of chainsaw.
