Stihl’s New Chainsaw Cuts Like It Runs on Gas—and Its Battery Life Outlasted Every Saw I Tested

Stihl’s new battery-powered MSA 260 C-O tops the list of my favorite chainsaws tested this year. The two main reasons why it’s my top pick? Runtime and constant, consistent power. Coincidentally, these are the two most common concerns or complaints I hear from people when it comes to electric saws. The MSA 260 C-O made significantly more cuts on one battery charge than any other saw I tested. That’s only partly attributable to the saw—it’s also due to Stihl’s new AllPro 300.0 battery. Working in concert, the battery and saw deliver power at a constant level, maintaining a chain speed through most of the saw’s runtime.

Aside from runtime and consistent power delivery, the MSA 260 C-O has the ability to chew through big, tough logs. I should point out that the MSA 260 C-O is positioned “for professional applications” so the performance does come at a cost: $770 for the 18-inch model we tested, plus another $350 for the battery. While that might seem like a lot, it’s in line with other pro battery and gas saws. So if you’re a frequent chainsaw user, the investment is going to be worth it.

Run-time Cookie Test

We use the cookie test as a way to compare how much each saw can do on a single battery. We cut cookie after cookie from 5- to 6-inch logs, without releasing the trigger, until the saw stops. For the test, we take saws right out of the box, with a fresh chain and battery. This gives each saw the best opportunity for a good result.

Pulling the MSA 260’s trigger and holding it down for cut after cut through the logs, I kept waiting for the chain to start slowing and the battery to start dying—but it didn’t until the charge indicator on the battery got down below about 25 percent. That’s pretty remarkable, as many saws will start slowing a little as high as 75 percent.

When batteries are discharged rapidly, they can heat up, and heat is wasted energy. Stihl does a great job managing heat with its new AllPro battery line. The battery packs are made with tabless cells, which allows for the whole end of the cell to transfer energy, rather than through a small tab as most batteries do.

Stihl also spaced the cells out, to allow airflow between them, so the heat from one cell has less impact on those around it. On the MSA 260 itself, Stihl has a steel mesh air filter to prevent debris from packing up around the electric motor, keeping it cool.

We cut 209 cookies on one battery charge, and averaging the area of each cookie yielded a total area of 6,412 square inches cut—54 percent more than the next closest saw.

Simple and Informative Controls

The MSA 260 C-O has a display above the handle that I found simple and helpful when using the saw. It has three icons, one for the chain brake, one to indicate the saw is on, and one to let you know when the bar oil is low. A single orange button turns the saw on, indicated on the display with a green arrow. If you don’t pull the trigger to start cutting, the saw automatically turns off in a few seconds. This is an important safety feature because if you set it down, it shuts off and no one can pick it up and accidentally pull the trigger to activate the chain.

Of course, you should set the chain brake if you put the saw down. With a gas saw, if you set it down running, the engine idling alerts you that it’s on and active. A silent saw doesn’t do that, so the auto-off feature helps ensure everyone’s safety.

The chain brake icon lights up when the brake is set. So, if you turn the saw on, it will be lit up if the brake was on when it shut down. I found myself checking the screen when I turned the saw on to confirm the brake status. The last icon, for low bar oil, can help save your chain. I’ve had times when I went through bar oil faster than I anticipated, and just a minute or two running the saw with no bar oil can smoke a chain—so I appreciated the warning.

The Verdict

The MSA 260 C-O is a professional-grade saw that is every bit as good and powerful as a gas saw—in some ways, arguably better. I found its ability to cut through tough logs and its consistent power through most of the battery’s charge impressive. The cost may not be warranted for everyone, but if you use a chainsaw regularly, its capabilities and performance warrant the expense.

Buy the Stihl MSA 260 C-O