Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Stihl Battery Chainsaw MSA220 C

Just got one yesterday for cleaning up the yard after some madman dropped 17 birches... amazing job for such a light saw and with sharp chains there is not a lot of difference between the half-dozen or so Stihls around here. The gas 271 is obviously faster, but the difference is lot when the extra time for starting, gassing and such comes into play.

I realize birch is a soft wood, but that sounds as though it did well.

How was the battery life?
What was the average trunk diameter on this birch?

My wife likes hers.

Awaiting more reports

Are you implying it's a "girly saw"? LOL

Kidding?
Putting fuel in[and bar oil which I assume you have to do] takes maybe one minute, starting another 20 seconds.
Then I'm good to go for 45 minutes or so basically non-stop.
I could see the advantage if I had one long limb to cut into manageable pieces or a few saplings here and there.

My next chainsaw will be a 220C.

Get one Bristoe and lay it into some hickory

I want a real review

I see tree trimmers using the around my area. I have no experience with the stihl. One hunting partner bought a harbor freight electric. It's good for one 10 inch dia. lodge pole for fire wood at camp, and a little limbing, then needs a battery swap! Since I have little use around the house for a chain saw, I just use my husky, when the need arises!

Don't have any hickory on my place. But I've cut quite a bit of black walnut with my Echo 58V.

The hardest wood I've used it on so far is a couple of hawthorn trees. Hackberry too.

If you really want to test a saw, find an osage orange to cut.

The trees were up to 2' at the trunk... well over 100 cuts.

Dang, impressive


What was your pricing like

I’m seeing saw, charger, 1 batt
$750 ish

I'm sure they have a use for some situations, but I can't see them replacing for a strong gas saw. When I go to our deer camp, we always have to take a saw in case we have to cut our way in or out to get back home. I won't be taking an electric saw anytime soon. It would take a lot of convincing before that would happen.

People have a hard time wrapping their minds around a battery chain saw. But if there was ever an aggravating piece of equipment, it's a gas powered chain saw.

The high grade cordless chain saws they're making these days eliminates about 80% of the aggravation associated with chain saws.

Like I said before. If you get used to using a high grade cordless chain saw, nobody will be able to give you a gas powered chain saw.

The only downside is,..the good ones cost some money. My Echo 58V was considered top of the line when it came out. But from what I've seen of the Stihl 220C, it's raised the bar on cordless chain saws,...and it has a price that reflects that fact.

It would take using one for a couple of days.

Pick up the saw. Pull the trigger. Cut what you want. Set it down.

When you're ready to cut some more just pick it up and pull the trigger.

It's the best thing that's ever happened to chain saws.

Cut 5-6 cords of hardwood for a years use and get back with us.
They have their place, much like a good 2-stroke does.

Never been aggravated by good quality equipment that is properly fueled and maintained properly. Still running a 1984 vintage 266 husky as a back up. Ran it professionally in the timber for years. Can’t wrap my mind around the infatuation with battery operated chainsaws with perhaps the the exception for use while climbing

A chain saw needs two things. Torque and chain speed.

Electric motors wrote the book on torque. The only thing that's been holding back electric chain saws is battery technology,...and that's been worked out to a large degree and getting better all the time.

My neighbor has a Makita electric chainsaw for Pinon. For his needs, it's perfect. For hours of work, I'd stay with gas. For pruning and spot trimming, I think electric is worth at least a look.

Pinon isn't a large tree compared to many trees, but it's slow growing and very dense. The BTU for heat exceeds most hardwoods 33.5 vs hickory 27.7.