Stihl battery chainsaw

[Grizzly]

Has anyone used or bought one yet? I've seen the reviews but not sure what kind of users they are. I'm thinking a battery type unit would be real convenient around the mill and slab rack. Instead of firing up a saw every few minutes just grab and pull the trigger. I'd like to know more before I go to the dealer asking.

Lyle

[Texas-Jim]

want the good or the bad first? First its not a bad saw for what its made to do, it will eat up small stuff. Stihl claims you can cut 100 4 inch logs on one charge. So we tried but i only got 92 which impressed heck out of me. The bigger one msa 200 will cut and stay up with a ms170, the the msa 160 is tad smaller and less power. 

Now the bad, the msa 200 does not come with battery, its and charger are sold separately. The msa 160 comes with both. If your going cut small stuff its great saw but it doesnt have power to really crowd into something.

[Grizzly]

Thanks. That helps me understand their ability a little more. It would all be flitches I'd be cutting to length before they go to the edger so that should work. I haven't counted but I doubt I'd make 150 cuts per day? I'll have to check out prices to see where they fall.

[Stuart Caruk]

I've had one of these since the day they came into the local Stihl dealer. There are 2 battery sizes, the smaller one is useless on this saw. I really bought this saw for my wife, since she loves her Stihl battery powered weedeater. I love the fact that I no longer have to try to start the gas weedwhacker after she always floods it.

It cuts as well as my Stihl gas arborists saw, and I tend to grab her electric saw for pruning jobs in the orchard. It does great up to 4" diameter stuff. She'll use it to whack down stuff up to 8".... I'll go for something bigger and gas powered once it gets over 4".

Buy an extra battery or 2 and you never have to quit. The battery powered blower is great for cleaning up around the mill as well.

If you hand file the blades, they last a long time. If you send them in for sharpening, they will be worn out after a couple resharps.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Dont know about the Stihl but her are a couple o things about my DeWalt 40v if you are considering that saw.
Probably a little less powerful than my 345 Husky but serves around the mill adequately.
I have bucked an 18" Beech and several 15 to 18 inch hemlock logs with a little stoppage of the chain if I lean too hard.
Chain brake is a little too close to my hand and I trip it fairly often.
Trigger lock out is not very user friendly
bar tightening is woefully inadequate as it is ratchet operated and when I tried a small plunge cut the chain came off and is clumsy to put back on.
Battery life is about what I had hoped, a day at the mill is accomplished without a problem.
Also carry it on my RTV for trail clearing.
I would have gone for the Stihl if I wasnt such a cheapskate.

[Texas-Jim]

if you go with stihl msa 160 it comes with battery and charger. Check that the battery is an ak20, if its ak10 its wrong one. Lot of techs dont even know theres two.