Battery Chainsaws Are Way Stronger Than You Think (One Surprised Me)

Overview and Verdict

The video compares 13 compact battery chainsaws on price, setup and maintenance, softwood and hardwood cutting, torque, runtime, noise, and battery efficiency. The reviewer’s overall takeaway is that compact saws have improved considerably and are useful for pruning and property maintenance—especially when one hand needs to stay free to control a branch.

• Best overall: Milwaukee M18 Fuel, which led by a wide margin and had the best average finish (1.5).
• Strong value: The Milwaukee imitation performed surprisingly well for its price, though the reviewer cautions that it is less durable and well-built than established brands.
• Other standouts: Kobalt was a strong all-round performer; DeWalt was fast in softwood; Craftsman and Ryobi produced high torque.
• Main trade-offs: Some inexpensive saws struggled under load or overheated, while several higher-priced models were disappointing in torque or hardwood cutting.

Product-by-Product Findings

Chainsaw Features and price mentioned Main test results and drawbacks Mechanicant / “Mechanics Hand” About $35; 21V battery, two chains, and charger; no automatic oiler; chain tension needs a screwdriver; right-handed safety lock. Very light, at about 2.5 lb. Started quickly and was relatively quiet (91.7 dB). Best 2×8 cut was 12.08 sec, but it stalled when pushed hard. Hardwood took 27.84 sec. Runtime was 4:46 on the torture test; 3:17 per Ah. The reviewer said it worked reasonably well for a $35 kit. DeWalt imitation About $40; uses a DeWalt 20V battery, but no battery is included; claimed brushless motor and spare chain. Tool-free cover removal, though small spring-loaded parts can be lost during repairs. Fast chain speed (4,424 RPM). Best 2×8 cut: 5.72 sec; hardwood: 9.91 sec. Overheated after 4:10 with a 5Ah battery, then ran again after cooling, for 8:35 total. Loud at 101.2 dB. The reviewer found its maintenance arrangement the hardest of the group. Makita imitation About $49; accepts original Makita batteries; claimed brushless motor. No automatic oiler; tool-free cover removal, but tension adjustment needs a screwdriver. 3,897 RPM. Best 2×8 cut: 6.34 sec; hardwood: 10.01 sec on its faster pass. Overheated after 4 minutes of continuous use, then ran for 8:37 total after cooling. Noise: 97.9 dB. Milwaukee imitation About $54 after coupon; automatic oiler, 6- and 8-inch bars, oil included, brushless motor, tool-free tensioning, and safety switches for either hand. Strong value and the fastest of the imitations: 4,219 RPM, best 2×8 cut 3.34 sec, and hardwood cut 5.26 sec. Its oiler worked. Reached speed in about 0.35 sec and handled 26 lb on the torque test. Did not overheat during the torture test; a 3Ah battery lasted 5:44. Noise: 99.5 dB. Average finish: 3.75. The reviewer liked its performance for occasional use but said it was not as durable or well-built as name-brand saws. Worx $79 tool only; 5-inch bar, no automatic oiler or brushless motor; screwdriver included and stored in the saw. 3,148 RPM; best 2×8 cut 4.9 sec, but it stalled when pushed too hard and lacked torque. Hardwood also caused stalls. Ran 6:38 with a 4Ah battery. Quietest tested at 90.3 dB. Workpro $90 including saw, charger, two batteries, and two spare chains; no automatic oiler or brushless motor; tool-free tensioning. 3,372 RPM, but the tensioner knob was awkward to use. Best 2×8 cut 10.47 sec, after struggling and stalling on early attempts. Hardwood cuts took about 23 sec and 19.72 sec. Runtime was only 2:44 on one battery. Noise: 97 dB. Greenworks $100 tool only; 24V, brushless motor, tool-free tension adjustment, and two-handed safety lock. Highest measured pinion speed, about 5,200 RPM, but slow to reach speed (1.75 sec). Best 2×8 cut 4.58 sec; hardwood 8.93 sec. It needed less downward force than most saws but stalled during testing and could use more torque for hardwood. Runtime: 5:17 with a 2Ah battery. Loudest tested at 103.1 dB. Craftsman $129 with 2Ah battery and charger; up to 4-inch cutting capacity; no automatic oiler; right-handed safety lock. Tools for chain adjustment were not included. Low pinion speed (2,088 RPM) but relatively high torque (36 lb). Best 2×8 time was 4.84 sec with the included 2Ah battery and 3.75 sec with a 4Ah battery. Hardwood cuts were around 8.6–9.0 sec. The larger battery helped maintain chain speed. Heavy at about 5.8 lb; noticeably vibrated. Noise: 95.2 dB. DeWalt $130 tool only; 20V battery platform, brushless motor, 8-inch bar, and automatic oiler. 4,709 RPM and 21 lb on the torque test. Best 2×8 cut 2.87 sec. Its oiler initially failed to deliver oil, but began working after the bar and chain were removed. Hardwood: best pass 7.07 sec, though it stalled when pushed too hard on an earlier attempt. A 5Ah battery ran 6:54 in the torture test. Noise: 97.2 dB. Kobalt $149 with 24V 2Ah battery and charger; 6-inch bar, adjustable trigger speed, automatic oiler, and tool-free tensioning; works for either hand. Strong all-round results: 3,933 RPM, 18 lb torque, and a working automatic oiler. Best 2×8 cut was 2.72 sec with 2Ah and 2.1 sec with 4Ah. Hardwood: 3.39 sec. With a 4Ah battery, ran 7:10 in the torture test. Noise: 97.3 dB. Average finish: 3.5; second in cuts per Ah, at 31.7. Ryobi $150 tool only; 6-inch bar, tool-free maintenance, no-oil design; brushed motor and safety lock for either hand. Reached speed quickly (0.2 sec) but had low chain speed (2,563 RPM) and high torque (31 lb). Best 2×8 cut 3.7 sec; hardwood 5.26 sec, tied with the Milwaukee imitation. A 4Ah battery lasted just over 7.5 minutes in the torture test. Noise: 94.7 dB. Makita $166 tool only; brushless motor, automatic oiler, tool-free chain adjustment; oil and sharpening file included. Good chain speed (just over 4,000 RPM) and a durable-looking bar-mount design, but very low torque (4 lb). Best 2×8 cut 5.93 sec; it struggled badly in hardwood (12.29 sec on its first pass). Oiler worked. A 5Ah battery lasted close to 10 minutes, though the saw struggled during that test. Noise: 98 dB. Milwaukee M18 Fuel $279 with 6Ah battery and charger; 8-inch bar, variable-speed trigger, automatic oiler, and safety lock for either hand. Milwaukee claimed it could cut faster than a 25cc gas saw. Clear leader: best 2×8 time 1.79 sec, hardwood 2.92 sec, and more than 94 lb on the torque test without being stopped. The oiler worked and it reached speed in 0.3 sec. A 3Ah battery ran about 6.5 minutes in the torture test. Noise: 94 dB. It made 41.5 cuts per Ah, the best result, and had the best average finish (1.5).

Comparisons and Test Highlights

• In the 2×8 softwood test, the fastest best times were Milwaukee (1.79 sec), Kobalt with a 4Ah battery (2.1 sec), and DeWalt (2.87 sec). The $35 Mechanicant took 12.08 sec on its best pass.
• In hardwood, Milwaukee led at 2.92 sec, followed by Kobalt at 3.39 sec. The Milwaukee imitation and Ryobi tied at 5.26 sec. Mechanicant, Workpro, Makita, and Worx struggled more.
• On the torque test, Milwaukee exceeded 94 lb, far ahead of Craftsman (36 lb) and Ryobi (31 lb). Makita was lowest at 4 lb.
• On noise, Worx was quietest (90.3 dB) and Greenworks loudest (103.1 dB). Battery-powered models were not uniformly quiet.
• For battery efficiency, Milwaukee made the most cuts per amp-hour (41.5), followed by Kobalt (31.7) and the Milwaukee imitation (21.8). The reviewer considered cuts per Ah more informative than runtime alone because saws cut at different speeds.
• The reviewer considered ease-of-maintenance scoring subjective. Tool-free adjustment was convenient, while tool-dependent designs were less appealing after using tool-free saws.

Overall Recommendation

For the strongest cutting performance, torque, and efficiency, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel was the clear winner, but it was also the most expensive. Kobalt was another strong performer, and the Milwaukee imitation stood out as a budget option for occasional use, with a caveat about build quality and durability. The reviewer recommends compact chainsaws generally for pruning and maintaining wooded properties.

Speakers

The subtitles present one reviewer/narrator; no distinct second-speaker opinions are evident.