Can’t Decide Between a Gas- or Battery-Powered Chainsaw? Here’s Where I Draw the Line

Whenever we discuss gas-powered versus battery-powered equipment, we often get some flak from the “never electric” crowd. Inevitably, there are statements along the lines of “What am I supposed to do? Stop and wait for a battery to charge?” Well, no—you’re supposed to plan for the job that needs doing, just like you would with gas equipment.

We’re used to the planning and preparation associated with gas-powered gear, to the point that it doesn’t feel like planning and prep because it’s second nature. We need to make these same accommodations when using battery-powered equipment. With gas equipment, you need to have gas on hand and have it mixed for two-stroke equipment. The same logic applies to electric power tools: have a spare battery on hand.

For the sake of this discussion, I’m putting aside opinions about which is better—at least as far as chainsaws go. And you should, too, because each has its advantages and disadvantages. But practically speaking, most folks don’t need multiple chainsaws. If you’re doing occasional yard/property maintenance or storm cleanup and only use a saw two or three times a year, then a battery-powered saw is probably the best option.

After all, having an extra gas can around filled with premixed fuel likely isn’t worth the hassle—especially considering that gasoline breaks down when stored for long periods, whether in a gas can or in your saw. This can cause issues with the saw’s fuel system, making it hard to start. For infrequent use, a battery-powered saw can be easier to deal with. And if you have other cordless equipment, getting a saw that runs on the same platform makes sense because you can share batteries between the tools to extend runtime.

A Case for Having Both

For those who need to use chainsaws more frequently, there is a case for using either or both battery- and gas-powered saws. Choosing one over the other is going to depend on what you’re doing and how big the trees you’re cutting are. The biggest battery-powered saws are going to have a 20-inch-long bar, so you’ll be able to safely cut trees up to 18 inches in diameter without repositioning the saw.

Yes, you can fell trees bigger than that, but it requires a fair amount of experience. The geometry of the face and back cuts used to drop a tree in a specific spot can be difficult to cut accurately when you can’t see the tip of the saw out the other side of the tree. If you’re cutting down trees as large as 24 inches in diameter or more, a gas chainsaw with a 24-inch bar or longer is the one you should be reaching for. Ultimately, the decision to use a gas or battery saw may be dictated by the size of trees you have to deal with.

It’s not all about tree size, though; it’s also about the task at hand. For maintenance like trimming back trees, thinning smaller trees, or cutting and clearing tree limbs after a storm, my “go-to” is a battery-powered saw. This type of work often involves a few cuts, stopping to clear debris or load a cart or truck, followed by more cutting, more clearing, etc. In these scenarios, a battery-powered saw is more convenient because you’re not constantly having to restart it. Plus, electric models run more quietly, so it’s easier to communicate if you’re working with others, which is important from a productivity standpoint—not to mention more pleasant.

Finally, it can come down to how much wood you need to cut at once. If you cut down trees to process firewood to heat your home, then you’ll probably want to use a gas saw. Limbing a tree, sectioning it up, and then cutting it into firewood lengths involves a lot of successive cuts if you’re working toward a couple of cords of wood. Especially with bigger trees, those successive cuts through a big log can build up heat in a battery as it discharges rapidly.

During testing, we’ve seen battery-powered saws hit their thermal limiters and stop working, requiring them to cool down before continuing. To be fair, you can adapt your process by cutting for a bit and then doing some splitting and cleanup before returning to using the saw. But when it comes to the productivity of processing firewood and trying to get it all done, my preference is to do all the cutting, then splitting, then stacking, and finally, cleanup.

What I Learned From the Experts

A storm earlier this year wreaked havoc on a grove of pine trees on my property, with fallen limbs and the broken-off tops of some trees hanging up in others. It was a lot more work than I could safely take on myself, so I hired a local tree service to make the area safe, pulling down the widowmakers and chipping a lot of the debris.

When I noticed their equipment was a mix of gas- and battery-powered models, I took the opportunity to discuss the topic with Red Saw Tree Service’s Matt Sponenberg. And while some specific considerations would be reserved for professional tree work, their choice as to when to use one saw over another often had to do with convenience and capability, much the same as it is with me.

So, both gas- and battery-powered saws may have a place in your toolshed. When to use one or the other is going to depend on the nature of your tree work. Both types of saws are useful, keeping in mind their strengths and capabilities. The more work you have to do, the more likely you’ll run into the need for a couple of different saws to get the job done.