We have one, a Stihl. DH *loves* it. We got the rapid charge battery, but find we get a lot of life out of one charge. What we like about it...no maintenance vs. the gasoline models. It only runs when you're making a cut vs. a gasoline one which you leave running in between cuts. It's a lot quieter. It's a little heavier than we'd like, but not bad. It's great for going up and down ladders where you don't have to carry a running chain saw up and down. I've even used it whereas I can't use the gas one.

We still use the gas one for big jobs, but the little one has made our life so much easier.

We have one. My husband is done cutting down a tree by the time he would have started the gasoline one. Love it!

Awesome, that's great to know. I have asked my neighbor several times if he'd cut something for me over the years. He has a big gas one. So I think that we will get some use out of it past this tree. The tree is almost all small limbs that could probably be cut with a hand saw but then you get to the trunk and that needs a chain saw. It's only about a foot in diameter for about 5 ft too and then it branches out into a small limbs. It's a small Cleveland Pear (for reference).

Go buy a $60 electric DH says.

arcy, he means just a corded type?

I wouldn't buy a corded one...too easy to get tangled up with the cord and in trouble. And then you can only go so far.

DH says the one you are talking about is $150. I think the one he means has battery. No cord to cut through or get tangled in and will do small jobs.

I was looking at the Stihl and also thought it seemed a bit heavy.
There are others in catalogs that are tempting but Stihl is a great
brand. The ones in the catalog mention: " enough power for six cuts on
one charge" Currently I have a reciprocal saw that I have used so much on pruning privet hedge branches (larger ones, not the foliage) and other small shrub and tree branches. Surprisingly it holds a charge a long time and saves so much work instead of the pruning saw.

I'm buying a new mower this month, so I'll check on the Stihl again when I go. Is it like $300?

Yes! We have both gas powered and cordless. DH recommends getting a 4 amp-hour battery not the smaller one (2.5) and it will last longer. Ours is a Greenworks brand. We also have a pole trimmer which we use a lot (also Greenworks), so the batteries are interchangeable. I use them both with no problem. We have 9 acres, about half in trees, so there is always something to trim or cut, especially after a storm.

All our other battery powered things are Ryobi and the gas chain saws are Stihl.

I use a bow saw and Sawzall (AKA reciprocating) for most of the small caliper work. A 9" pruning blade is $4 and will cut up a small tree.

If you only have one tree and it will depend on what you call a small tree using the method that Michael mentioned above is much more cost effective. I have a corded one that I use and enjoy the ease of using it. While you might trip over the cord if you do you are not paying enough attention to be using a chainsaw in the first place. They are dangerous and care should always be taken to use them in the safest manner.

I purchased a battery one but found it was too heavy for regular use. It is also unbalanced and tended to tip which is not safe.

LOL at Raye! That sounds like us minus the axe though.

So, I had not really thought about a bow saw(as Michael suggested) but I have one and went out to experiment and low and behold, that darn thang can cut through a largish limb in less than a minute! I actually timed myself cutting a 2 1/2" limb and it took all of 25 seconds to cut through it. This thing is full of brush though, so I need to cut with the loppers first because the little limbs are in the way of sawing. I think this isn't going to be nearly as big of a deal as I thought it was but I think I still need a small chain saw for the trunk.

I've never had or used a battery operated chain saw, but I'd vote for the electric (corded) version. I had one, and loved it! All the pluses of a battery powered saw, without the aggravation of waiting for a battery to charge, or having to switch batteries. Probably not as heavy as a battery operated one, either. And, as Maifleur says, if you trip over the cord, you're not paying close enough attention. How often do you trip over your vacuum cleaner cord?

Mine was a Stihl. I speak of it in the past tense because I gave it to my son. I only gave it up because I have serious balance problems, so no business using a chainsaw any more.

Rusty

Another vote for Stihl products! A fresh blade on a bow saw will fly through cutting off limbs. Plus you get a free arm workout.

The limbs on the tree I was cutting were too high up to cut in advance. This was a Poplar tree and they are notorious for splitting right down the middle and it was too close to the house.

Raye, that's a lot of work...ask me how I know!

;)

I wouldn’t get a corded one either. Not enough amps to do anything heavy duty. And dangerous really.

Do you know how to use a chain saw? Gas, electric corded, or battery operated they can all kill or maim you just the same. It is a common misconception that electric are not as dangerous as gas A bow saw will easily cut up such a small diameter tree into pieces you can move. It just takes a little time.

Chain saws call for proper gear, hard hats and chaps. Those will cost more than the saw.

Yes we know how to use one. Between DH and I we have over 100 yrs experience in cutting trees. We don't use hard hats and chaps though we do wear steel tipped shoes and safety glasses. For the gas one, we also wear hearing protectors and of course gloves.

The electric ones can maim you just as easily, but are less dangerous as they run only with your finger on the trigger. The gas ones run even when you're not cutting, and if the brake isn't right or the idle speed set too high, even after you let up on the trigger, the chain can still spin.

I've used and still have various versions of hand pruning saws, but in the last several years I'm looking for a bit of ease. Yes, they still come in handy at times but as mentioned above, oh my arm. I can get a lot done with the cordless tools and faster. Well, in between charges. lol

You can be extremely careful and still get hurt. Kickback is a killer. My husband nearly lost a finger and a toe because of kickback. Wear protective footwear! It saved his foot. Kicked back, hit his foot, came up and nicked his little finger. He was very lucky! He has never picked up a chainsaw again. He has used just about every kind of equipment, having been raised on a farm. So be careful, prepare for accidents, and dress properly. The battery power is a little bit safer but it is still a dangerous tool.

Annie, I was asking Arkansas girl. I could see you knew what you were doing-more or less. As a former EMT in a logging country I would urge everyone to wear proper safety gear. We have chain saws that DH uses but I have something called a Gator which has clamping jaws plus a Sawjaw which is cordless. They are great for safely cutting small stuff but only up to four inches.

A Sawzall can cut larger if you get the correct blades but you'll use the battery much faster. I still find the bow saw easier to grab be done, plus if it's right after a hurricane they don't need power.

Using a chain saw is something to take very seriously, regardless of how it is powered. Using safety gear is paramount. Just ask every ER room in the country when spring comes and yard work resumes and all those dead branches that came down in winter storms are being cut up by chain saw novices.

If you only need this for one tree, go to one of the big box stores and rent one for 1/2 day or so. Far less expensive and they will show you how to operate it.

OOh, chainsaw wise I just remembered one of DH's bosses accidentally cut off his wife's head-no kidding. Apparently he turned around, while limbing, with it running and she was standing behind him. Doesn't bear thinking about. Saws are getting safer all the time with kill levers, antikick chains etc but people still manage to mangle themselves or as likely the person working with them.

Have you considered renting a chainsaw for a day?

It really depends on how big your yard is and how many trees you have and how often you'll need it. I can't see buying a saw if you don't anticipate needing it again after this one tree. We have over 11 acres, much of it wooded and we cut and split about 2 cord of wood each year, so it makes sense for us.

If you're not experienced with a saw, then hire a pro to take care of it. Even with our experience, we hire pros to take care of big jobs.

Y'all are making me scared...HA! It made me think of how my EX had a gas chain saw and cut up a bunch of trees when I lived in Arkansas. Laughing because I'm sure he was probably wearing flip flops, shorts and a tank top with lots and lots of beer. HAHAHA! Surprised he didn't cut HIS head off!