Best Battery Powered 14″ Concrete Cutter (Cut-Off Saw) | Head-To-Head

A Concrete Cutter sometimes called a cut-off saw, masonry saw, road saw, “consaw,” or concrete saw is a hand-held tool designed to cut concrete, asphalt pavement, rebar, steel and plastic pipe. Typical uses include making openings in walls, floors, manhole structures, road surfaces, and curbs.

We all recognize that battery-powered saws require less maintenance, are easier to start, and forgo the need for the 50:1 fuel mixture.

Our industry is now experiencing an increased focus on the integration of battery-operated equipment across the job site, driving the discussion of gas tools vs. battery-powered tools. For us to even have this conversation we need to agree battery tools need to compete with gas in performance, power, and run-time.

We decided to perform a Head-to-Head test on four cordless concrete cutters (cut-off saws) to determine which one was the best saw and if these saws could compete with gas saws.

To give clarity to our testing we included the Husqvarna K770 gas saw, as a comparison standard.  Husqvarna has been making cut-off saws since 1958, and we chose the K 770 because it is a powerful, all-around concrete cutter with features that make it one of the best saws on the market.

Cordless Cut-Off Saw | Line-Up

Four manufacturers sent their cordless cut-off saws and saw blades.

NOTE – The Hilti cut-off saw is a 12″ saw but was allowed to participate in this test because it has a feature called OutCut, which allows it to cut at similar depths as the other three 14″ saws. To understand what OutCut is, the arm of the saw narrows to a smaller point compared to other saws and uses a smaller diameter flange-set for use with steel core diamond blades.

Hilti

• Model – DSH 700-22
• Max Cutting Depth – 4.75″
• Weight w/ battery provided – 31.0 LBS
• RPM – 5,080 RPMs
• Blade Size: 11-13/16
• Blade:  Hilti 12″ Equadist SPX 22-87947
• Battery Watt Hours – 255Wh x 2 batteries = 510 Wh

Husqvarna

• Model – K1 Pace 14″
• Max Cutting Depth – 5-5/8″
• Weight w/ battery provided – 30.8lbs
• RPM – 3,400 RPMs
• Blade Size: 14″
• Blade: S35S 14-inch Segmented Diamond Blade
• Battery Watt Hours – 749 Wh 
  

Makita

• Model – GEC01PL04
• Max Cutting Depth – 5″
• Weight w/ battery provided – 34.25 LBS
• RPM – 5,300 RPMs
• Blade Size” 14″
• Blade: 14″ Thin Kerf Diamond Blade Segmented General Purpose
• Battery Watt Hours – 288 Wh x 2 batteries = 576 Wh

Milwaukee

• XF315-2XC
• Max Cutting Depth – 5″
• Weight w/ battery provided – 33.35 LBS
• RPM –
• Blade Size: 14″
• Blade: Diamond Ultra 49-93-7540
• Battery Watt Hours – 576 Wh
  

Our Testing Criteria

Our team scored the cordless cut-off saws on eight criteria, each ranked independently, and the “Overall Best Cordless Cut-Off Saw” was determined using the combined test results.

We include but did not rank Watt-Hours Per Cut, and Best Value categories, but list them here for your own informational purposes. We did NOT include decibel testing since all of these saws are well over the OSHA rating for hearing protection.

Scoring Criteria – Cordless Cut-Off Saws

1. Concrete Cutting Test – Most lineal feet cut in concrete with embedded rebar [Ave. speed]
2. Rebar Cutting Test – Fastest cutter of five ganged #4 rebar. [Ave. speed]
3. Watt-hour per cut – we include this for your reference
4. Depth of Cut – Saws were ranks for cut capacity
5. Charging Time – We ranked the time it took to charge depleted batteries.
6. Ergonomics – Ergonomics is really important to users and an important category to consider when purchasing any power tool.
7. Features – We discuss stand-out features and team favorites
8. Size and Weight – Size matters and weight can get cumbersome. We measured the dimensions and scored weight of each concrete cutter as tested (with Batteries)
9. Best Value – Not ranked.
10. Price – The kit price at the time of publishing.

Concrete Test Blocks

We poured 3,500 psi concrete blocks, 12” x 24” x 4.5″ deep. We made the blocks deep enough for all cutter blades to be able to cut all the way through and allow ¼” for any blade wear.  Each concrete block also had two embedded # 4 rebar running along its length. 

Performance Testing  | Concrete with Embedded Rebar Cutting [Ave. Speed]

Each cordless concrete cutter was outfitted with a fresh battery and manufacturer specific blade. All of the manufacturers insisted on us using their branded blades with their saws, claiming that the blades were designed and optimized for the saw.

Run-time on cordless cut-off saws is important when discussing how battery and gas operate differently.  The number one question we are asked is,  “How do these saws compare to a gas concrete cutter? In order for us to address this question we included the  Husqvarna K770 gas saw as a comparison.

Run-time Test Procedure:

Without a test rig to eliminate these types of variables, it is very hard to have a controlled test. Technique is important and we recognize that we needed to let the tool do the work and not bog it down, which is why we designed our tests with the following criteria:

1. All 4 battery saws had two sets of fresh batteries and new Manufacturer blade.
2. The Husqvarna K770 had a full tank of gas and a fresh Milwaukee Diamond blade.
3. 4 operators per saw.
4. We used the 24″x12″x4.5″ concrete test blocks.
5. Each cut was timed and recorded.
6. Water was used on each cut.
7. Each operator made 3 cuts and swapped out to prevent fatigue. [Fatigued users tend to lean on the saw]
8. Every operator employed a “stepped” cutting method.
9. Every operator let the tool do the cutting, and listened to the motor for feedback. Operators applied pressure when the tool would allow it, and if the motor seemed like its bogging down they let up on the pressure.
10. The test ended when the saw battery died, and when the K770 ran out of gas.
11. The total slices [including partial cuts] were recorded for a total lineal foot measurement.

Note – The Husqvarna K770 gas saw has a fuel tank capacity of 0.95 qt.

Note on Step Cutting:

Step Cutting, also known as incremental cutting, involves making multiple incremental cuts with the saw until the overall desired depth of cut is reached. The number of cuts taken to reach the desired depth depends on the material being cut, the saw’s horsepower, and the operator’s experience.

• Step Cutting Increases Cutting Efficiency
• Step Cutting Increases Blade Life
• Step Cutting Results in Cleaner, Straighter Cuts

Note on Run-time Testing

With any cut-off saw you will experience varying results based on the material you’re cutting, you’re cutting style, operator experience, blade used, etc.  Ambient temperature also affects run-time. The more demand you put on the motor, for example leaning into the saw too much, the more Amps it will pull from the battery to keep the power output. The same effect can happen with a gas saw, except run-time is just not usually taken into consideration given the quicker refueling vs. recharging time.

Run-Time Testing | Winner –    Husqvarna

In all cases, it is necessary to supply two sets of batteries in order to compete with the expected run-time of a single tank of gas, on a gas saw. Manufacturers recognize this, and most are starting to sell these saws as a kit with two sets of batteries

The Husqvarna concrete cutter was able to complete 36 cuts, or 36 linear feet, in the concrete blocks, compared to the K770 gas saw which completed 30 cuts (30 linear feet). Second place was the Hilti cut-0ff saw with 29 cuts (29 linear feet), followed by the Makita with 24 cuts (24 linear feet) and Milwaukee with 23.5 cuts (linear feet).

One interesting fact was the average speed to complete these cuts.

The gas K770 saw completed 30 cuts  [30 lineal feet] with an average speed of 35.5 seconds.  The Milwaukee which brought up the rear with the least amount cut, was powerful enough to cut the concrete blocks even faster than the gas saw at 34.9 seconds.   The Husqvarna cut an average of 40.7 Seconds and both the Hilti and Makita tied with 45 seconds.

Note – photos in this article show K1 Pace with a smaller battery. This saw was photographed, and tested with a smaller battery, and later that week, tested again with a larger battery. The stats in this article are from the larger battery.

Watt-Hours Per Cut

While many sectors of the power tool industry have transitioned to battery power and cut the cord, there remains some specific tools like cut-off saws (concrete cutters) where there is no cord to cut.  Instead the power source is a small engine that runs on gas.  In order for the cordless cut-off saws to compete with the gas power standards, they need to not only have similar cutting power but also carry enough potential energy on board to get the job done. 

With all the tools running at different voltages, the quickest way to get a snapshot of how big a “gas tank” the tool has is to see how many Watt-Hours the batteries on board have.  We ran our endurance test with one battery swap so Watt-Hours are doubled in the chart.  By calculating Watt-Hours per cut we can get a good idea of how efficient the tool is at transforming that battery potential capacity into concrete cut. 

The Husqvarna had the largest battery of the group which helped it achieve top rank of cuts.  But it was also the second most efficient at using its “gas tank.” The Hilti had the least amount of Watt-Hours but cut the second most amount and was a standout as the most efficient with 35.17 Wh/cut.

The Makita and Milwaukee have exactly the same Watt-Hours on board and cut almost an identical amount concrete.  The Makita edged out a half cut over the Milwaukee which translates to a lower Wh/Cut value of 48.00.

An interesting observation when comparing the efficiency ranking of the tools is to compare them to the following speed and power rankings.  It’s clear there are always design tradeoffs between power and efficiency and these tools are no exception.

Performance Testing  |  Rebar Cutting [Ave. Speed]

Each cordless cut-off saw was outfitted with a fresh battery and the same brand specific abrasive cutting disk. One operator was used to make three cuts in five ganged #4 rebar for an average time.

Speed Test Procedure:

1. The same operator and timer teamed up to make 3 through cuts in five #4 rebar.
2. Each cut was timed separately.
3. The operator pushed as hard as the saw would allow.
4. The three cuts were averaged and scored.

Fastest Rebar Cutting |  Winner – Milwaukee

The Milwaukee was able to cut through five #4 rebar in. 7.78 seconds. Second place was the Makita at 10.3 seconds, and third was Husqvarna at 16.4 seconds, Hilti fourth at 17.0 seconds.

The team felt that this test, with all of the saw using an identical blade, was a great indicator of the available cutting power.

Depth Of Cut | Winner – Husqvarna

The depth of cut on a saw is important to all users. Husqvarna had the deepest depth of cut with 5-5/8 inches. Second place was the Makita and Milwaukee both with 5 inches, followed by the smaller Hilti saw at 4-3/4″. Husqvarna’s unique design where the arbor is offset from the drive band allowed for this impressive cutting depth.

Power Cutter Ergonomics | Winner – Husqvarna

The ergonomics evaluation in this section is purely subjective and based on the opinions of the testing crew. After a full day of running performance tests, the team sat down and ranked each tool in several categories on a score of 1-4 [1 being the best]. For the ergonomics evaluation, the team evaluated the following criteria:

1. Grip
2. Balance
3. Line of Sight
4. Vibration
5. Blade change
6. Battery change

The Husqvarna was the clear winner and a team favorite with final ergonomic score of 9. It won three categories with top score for grip, balance and line of sight.

The team did not like that the Husqvarna does not have rollers but all agreed that it had excellent vibration damping, excellent balance, was the smoothest cutting and its streamlined design contributed to its excellent line of sight. It was very obvious to the team that Husqvarna has been making these cutters for a long time, and the form factor of their battery powered and gas powered saws is very similar.

Second in ergonomics was a tie between the Hilti and Milwaukee. Hilti took tops in vibration, and scored second in balance. Milwaukee came in second in grip, line of sight and blade change.

The team liked the Hilti grip and balance and felt it had a really good line of sight. All of us felt that it was a smooth cutting saw  and was one of the easiest saws to start and operate. The only criticism was that the batteries tucked under the tool and are not as easy to insert or remove compared to the others.

Milwaukee is a powerful cutting saw that you can lean on. It has a nice grip, excellent line of sight, great balance, good battery removal but is a bit bulky and heavy.  The Milwaukee saw has no visible decoupling  but had surprisingly low vibration. Milwaukee does isolate the drive systems gear box to minimize vibration.

Makita which scored tops in blade change and had very easy battery changes. However its bulky size, weight, and uneven balance hindered its ergonomics score. The Makita had the easiest blade change, was a super powerful saw, it was the only saw that you never had to back off on while cutting.

While cutting concrete the Makita seemed to vibrate quite a lot. However when more force was applied the vibration lessened considerably. Basically the user was forced to “preload” the decoupling spring to prevent blade chatter. This seemed to be a non-issue in rebar cutting and led us to wonder if it was due to the blade more than the saw itself.

Cordless Concrete Cutter Features | Winner – Hilti

We considered 8 features on these cut-off saws:

1. Tool Activation
2. Water connection
3. Decoupling [vibration]
4. Blade Brake
5. Wheels
6. Handles [Multiple Hand Placement]
7. Indicator Light
8. Arbor Lock
9. LED Light

Hilti took first place in features with a top score in tool activation, blade brake, had the best wheels, and second best water connection. Second place went to the Makita with a well designed arbor lock, water connection and the only saw to feature an LED light. Third place in features was a tie between Husqvarna and Milwaukee.

Husqvarna has an electronic brake called “X-Halt,” which  stops the blade in a fraction of a second if a kickback occurs. The function cannot fully prevent personal injury from a kickback, but it decreases the risk.

Husqvarna had the most informative user interface, great decoupling and tool activation.  It will also time out [turn off] after 3-minutes, a time period we feel is too short.

Makita had the best auxiliary handle in terms of the amount of usable space or hand positions. It is also the only tool in the test to feature a push-button arbor lock.

Makita is equipped with “Active Feedback-Sensing Technology,” which electronically turns off the motor if the rotation of the cutting wheel is suddenly forced to stop. It also features Extreme Protection Technology, which is engineered for improved dust and water resistance.

No one on the team liked how the Makita lock-off button is actuated. This single-sided safety switch  [set up for right-hand thumb] is difficult for left-handed users to activate. Instead of a safety switch integrated into the palm grip which naturally gets depressed when holding the tool the users must push this button with their thumb 90 degrees offset to the spine of the tool. It’s neither intuitive, nor comfortable to actuate, and we all fumbled with it.

Milwaukee had a fantastic blade brake, and incorporates their RAPID STOP technology to help prevent damage from kickbacks and unexpected handling behavior. It has a unique trigger activated water valve which turns on or shuts of the water with the trigger.  This initially received high praise from the review team but later in testing proved to be a hindrance due to erratic behavior likely due high water pressure.

The Milwaukee states in the manual that the MAX water pressure for the tool is rated for 60 psi. We measured 97 psi at our test site. Milwaukee needs to address this, as contractors do not want to add an additional accessory, like a pressure reducer, to their set up.

Bluetooth Functionality

Husqvarna has built-In connectivity for asset management, allowing you to monitor location, run-time, service intervals and receive wireless updates.

Milwaukee has One-Key connectivity which allows for fleet management, location tracking and lockout.

Power Cutter Weight | Winner – Husqvarna.

Weight can cause fatigue with cut-off saws. The lightest saw was the Husqvarna weighing in at 30.8 lbs. Second lightest saw was the Hilti at 30.1 lbs, third went to Milwaukee at 33.35 followed by Makita at 34.25 lbs.

Note – the Husqvarna K770 gas saw has a weight of  26.12 lbs. without gas.

Best Concrete Cutter Battery Charging Time | Winner – Milwaukee and Hilti

In order to achieve gas saw performance you will need two sets of batteries. The theory is to have a battery(s) on the charger while you are working. This reduces downtime and maximizes your productivity. That being said, will the battery reach a full charge before you need it? The answer to that depends on how much cutting you are doing at one time.

The fastest battery charging time was a tie between Hilti and Milwaukee MX battery, both with charging times of 45 minutes. Its important to note that the Hilti ran off of two B22-255 batteries and to achieve this time you will need two chargers. Otherwise you’ll have to double this time.

Husqvarna was third with a 55 minute time, thanks to its “express charge” feature on the charger. This feature allows the user to press a button on the front of the charger to activate. However, you don’t want to fast charge batteries on a regular basis because it’s hard on the cells. A standard charge time is about 75 minutes. The express charge is there for when you need it. We are based in the North East USA and our electrical system is based on a 110V AC standard.  Its important to note for European customers that the Husqvarna charger is able to perform slightly faster on the 220V AC standard and give a 45 minute express charge.

The Makita dual charger simultaneously charges both Makita 40V 8.0Ah batteries at the same time in 76 minutes.

Best Priced Power Cutter | Winner – Hilti

These four saws are unquestionably pricey tools. In order for these saws to achieve gas performance you will need two sets of batteries. Replacement blades on these machines runs approximately $150.

The Milwaukee and Makita saws are offered in a kit that includes two sets of batteries and a charger. The Milwaukee comes with two batteries, whereas the Makita comes with four (the saw requires two batteries to function).

Our conclusion is that these cut-off saws all require two batteries to match one tank of gas. For pricing we included the saw, two sets of batteries, and a charger for the Husqvarna and Hilti.

The winner of the best price is the Hilti DHS 700-22 priced in our kit form at $2,493.00

• Tool cost: $1,183.00
• 4 batteries:  $243.00 each
• 2 chargers: $169.00 each

Second place was the Makita Power Cutter Kit totaling $2,699.00 and third was Milwaukee, sold as a kit for $2,999.00.

The most expensive cut off saw was the Husqvarna which when added all together was $3,996.00. This extremely high price is due to the cost of the batteries. The B750X battery is $939.00 each and when adding in two of them it contributes 50% of the total price. At this cost users could almost purchase two competitor saws for the price of the Husqvarna.

Overall Best 14″ Cordless Cut-Off Saw (Concrete Cutter) | Winner – Husqvarna

Its important to note that ALL of these cut-off saws performed well and were extremely close. Two of the manufacturers Hilti and Makita also have huge power tool platforms that their batteries will interchange with.  The other two Husqvarna and Milwaukee, only have a few dozen tools currently that their batteries will power.

The overall Best Cordless Cut-Off Saw in our testing was the Husqvarna with a score of 21.  Hilti came in second with 23 and Milwaukee just one point behind with 24.

Note: Given the number of categories scored for our overall ranking we decided to double the value of our performance tests.  Both the Concrete Endurance and Rebar Speed scores were multiplied by a factor of 2 in the final chart.  We feel that the cutting endurance and cutting power of these tools carry the most weight and importance to the potential end user.

The Hilti saw is technically a 12″ power cutter, had the shallowest depth of cut, but clearly punched above its weight in this test with a great feature set, low weight, and impressive run-time and speed scores.

The Husqvarna K1 Pace power cutter was a team favorite and a clear winner with top scores in five out of nine categories. It is a lightweight, well balanced cut off saw with great runtime, functionality and line of sight.

The Makita saw was heavy and powerful. It was the only saw we NEVER had to let up on and you can actually lean into cuts with. It has excellent features and ergonomics, a generous depth of cut and was second fastest in our metal cutting test.

The Milwaukee MX saw is a Gen 2 saw and was a speed demon when cutting metal averaging almost 3-seconds faster than the next concrete cutter. It too was a powerful cutter with an excellent depth of cut, great price with good features and ergonomics. The water connection issue hurt the MX saw and kept it from standing alone in 2nd place.

Best Value Cordless Concrete Cutter | Winner – Hilti and Milwaukee

Best value is typically awarded to the saw that performed well and is lowest or low in price. The Hilti and Milwaukee were close in scores and $500 apart in cost. With regard to performance the Milwaukee power cutter performed slightly better than the Hilti. One tool did well in concrete endurance, and the other in cutting speed.

The Hilti cordless cut-off saw surprised us all in its performance and frankly price. Hilti has historically been at the top of the pricing charts in all of our head-2-Head tests. The bottom line is both concrete cutters have great feature set, good ergonomics, and excellent charging times which is important to keep you in the “cutting” game.

Either of these cutters are great! ~ Rob

Closing Thoughts

The biggest issue with cordless cut-off saws is charge time. It’s our opinion that contractors who cut concrete with 2 tanks of gas or less a day are in the “sweet-spot” to convert to a battery power cutter.  If you are cutting all day and using 5 to 7 tanks of gas you should stay with a gas cutter or invest in more batteries.

Speaking of batteries, the Hilti and Makita tools both use batteries that are compatible with a wide variety of smaller tools (Hilti’s Neuron line and Makita’s 40v XGT line). This could be a factor in purchasing decisions.

Lastly, charge time, and power to charge is a consideration.  Many of these batteries require 45 minutes to charge, and  you also need to consider how remote you are working. Do you have access to electricity or an inverter to charge your batteries?

We get lots of comments about how we make the final rankings. There are dozens of ways to compare tools, our goal when testing is to achieve repeatable, consistent results. We share ALL the data from our tests, so you can re-rank the tools however you want. If you don’t care about an item we ranked? No problem. Remove that from the matrix above and re-rank them.

Hopefully you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful when considering purchasing a larger cordless power cutter, or comparing them to gas models.

Please take some time and check out our other head-to-Head tests at ToolBoxBuzz.com.

Thanks, “the TBBCrew.”

Best Cordless 14″ Cut-Off Saw (Concrete Cutter) | Video Review

Best Cordless 14″ Cut-Off Saw (Concrete Cutter) | Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Battery-Powered Top Handle Chainsaw Testing

This Head-2-Head will take a look at the best battery top-handle chainsaw for 2023.  Battery technology has evolved to become arguably the king of outdoor power equipment. But does it measure up to what dedicated Pros need? In 2020 the ToolBoxBuzz crew hosted our first Best Cordless Chainsaw Head-2-Head where we evaluated twelve traditional rear handle saws. During that testing it was clear that a battery saw was an excellent option for a homeowner or DIYer, but not for full-time use in the forestry and tree care industry.

Fast forward to 2023 and the battery tool industry has continued to evolve. Additionally, the pro arborist and landscaping trades have seen an increased demand for pro-grade battery offerings. Many communities and even some states, like California, are moving to ban gas-powered OPE altogether. Bearing all this in mind, the TBB Crew set out to find out who makes the best battery top-handle chainsaw.

Top-handle chainsaws are often commonly referred to as climbing saws or bucket saws. They are designed for in-tree use by trained climbers or when working from a bucket truck in the air. These environments require the user to make cuts at adverse angles or from overhead or unsupported positions. They are often hung from the belt harnesses worn by arborists when climbing trees for takedown work. These unique demands require a saw to be compact and robust and move the handle location to the top of the saw to scale down the overall length.

Pro User Feedback

Scott Angelovic of Angelovic Tree Service, LLC.

Pro-user feedback is something we pride ourselves on at ToolBoxBuzz. In order to ensure that our testing protocols catered to tree care pros, we enlisted some local help. Our tests were conducted in Oxford, Connecticut by crew member Wes Bartosik. Additionally, Wes reached out to his friend Scott Angelovic of Angelovic Tree Sevice LLC. Scott is a long-time friend of Wes and a local business owner. Scott provided invaluable feedback on how each of our saws stacked up for pro use.

Jake Pollak better known as @DudeRanchDIY

ToolBoxBuzz was also fortunate enough to work with Jake Pollak of @DudeRanchDIY  for the first time on this project. Jake is an arborist by trade but also sells firewood and operates his own Youtube channel showcasing his firewood operation and equipment as well as arborist and chainsaw-related content. Jake is another Connecticut native and was able to provide us with some excellent feedback on the saws. Check out Jake’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram accounts where he cross-posted a lot of the content we worked on together.

Testing Criteria

In order to keep the sample pool as consistent as possible, we developed a set of selection criteria. First and foremost, the saw must be a purpose-built arborist saw designed for professional tree work. There are several saws on the market that happen to have a handle on top but are not tailored to professionals in any other way. Next, we limited the bar length to between 12″and 14″. Some models that were sent by manufacturers had their OEM bars swapped out to the proper length for testing. While we could not narrow down the pitch or gauge any further amongst samples, the bar lengths were kept consistent. Finally, we limited the battery pack Ah size to the kitted offerings from each manufacturer. Some of our manufacturers offer their saws as an a la carte system with multiple chargers and battery offerings (such as Husqvarna and Stihl). For these manufacturers, we selected the recommended battery offering for the tool.

The above-mentioned criteria provided us with a sample size of eight saws from six manufacturers. Makita and Stihl both had two models included in the testing. Makita with their legacy 36V 18V LXT X2 saw as well as the new 40V Max XGT and Stihl with their legacy pruning saw as well as their newest offering.

Saw Lineup

Echo

• Model: DCS-2500T
• Bare Tool Weight: 3.84 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 56V eFORCE
• Battery Tested: 2.5 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″ Low Profile
• Chain Gauge:  0.050″
• Tool Warranty: 5 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial
• Battery Warranty: 2 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial

Greenworks Commercial

• Model: 48TH12
• Bare Tool Weight: 6.10 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 48V DualVolt
• Battery Tested: 4.0 Ah
• Automatic Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″
• Chain Gauge: 0.050″
• Tool Warranty: 2 Year Limited
• Battery Warranty: 2 Year Limited

Husqvarna

• Model: T540i XP
• Bare Tool Weight: 5.66 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 40V
• Battery Tested: Bi200X 5.2 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″, 14″,16″
• Chain Pitch: 0.325″ Mini
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Tool Warranty: 3 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial

Makita 36V LXT

• Model: XCU08
• Bare Tool Weight: 6.28 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: (2x) 18V LXT
• Battery Tested: (2X) 5.0 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 14″, 16″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″ Low Profile
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Tool Warranty: 3 Year Limited
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Makita 40V XGT

• Model: GCU03Z
• Bare Tool Weight: 5.74 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 40V Max XGT
• Battery Tested: 4.0 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″, 14″, 16″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″ Low Profile
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Tool Warranty: 3 Year Limited
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Milwaukee M18 FUEL

• Model: 2826-22T
• Bare Tool Weight: 7.30 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: M18 FUEL
• Battery Tested: 8.0 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″, 14″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″ Low Profile
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Tool Warranty: 5 Year Limited
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Stihl MSA 161T

• Model: MSA 161T
• Bare Tool Weight: 4.86 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 36V AP Series
• Battery Tested: AP 300S 7.2 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 12″
• Chain Pitch: 1/4″ PICCO Micro 3
• Chain Gauge: 0.043″
• Tool Warranty: 3 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial

Stihl MSA 220TC-O

• Model: MSA 220TC-O
• Bare Tool Weight: 6.10 Lbs.
• Battery Platform: 36V AP Series
• Battery Tested: AP 500S 9.4 Ah
• Manual Adjustable Oiler
• Bar Length: 14″
• Chain Pitch: 3/8″ PICCO
• Chain Gauge: 0.050″
• Tool Warranty: 2 Year Commercial Only
• Battery Warranty: 3 Year Consumer / 2 Year Commercial

Testing Criteria

Our saws were evaluated and ranked based on the following categories;

• Ability to Stall Out
• Small Diameter Speed Cut Testing
• Large Diameter Speed Cut Testing
• Weight
• Decibel Output
• Price
• Features
• Ergonomics

Based upon this information we named a best overall winner as well as a best value winner.

Safety Considerations

Chainsaws are an inherently dangerous tool by design. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 28,859 chainsaw-related accidents in 2020. The majority of those accidents (11,630) were to users’ legs. Bearing this in mind proper safety gear was mandatory for our testing crew. Each test cutter was required to wear safety toe boots, leg protection, as well as eye protection.

The ToolBoxBuzz crew strongly recommends any user interested in purchasing or working with a chainsaw invest in some quality protective gear. It is a simple initial investment that can save your life.

Ability to Stall Out

Before beginning our performance testing, we wanted to measure the ability of the user to stall out the saw during a cut. Traditionally a pro-grade gas saw can be “leaned into” when cutting to push through tough material, pinching forces of the wood,  or overcome a slightly dull chain. Battery-powered saws are far more temperamental and less forgiving of the user levering them during use. Many manufacturers include overload protections in their battery tools to shut the saw down if the motor or the battery is being overworked. While this is a great idea in theory to protect the tool, it can be problematic for pros in the field.

An arborist may be suspended in the air making an intricate hinge cut on a limb. At that moment, the user needs the saw to be able to power through and not bog down or stall out completely and need to be reset. Based upon this we set up a testing rig using a section of maple log. The test cutter was then instructed to make a crosscut while burying the saw to the nose and leaning into the cut. The test cutter was also instructed to apply the same amount of force each time in order to cause the saws to stall out.

The Two best performers in this test were the Milwaukee and the Stihl MSA220TC. Our test cutter described both as “Beastly” and was unable to stall them out in the test log. Both saws provided outstanding consistent power throughout the cut. In second place was the Greenworks saw, which slowed during the test but continued cutting while being pushed through the cut. All three of these saws demonstrated an excellent low-end torque band that is ideal for demanding cutting tasks.

The Husqvarna and smaller Stihl MSA161T were our next best performers, stalling out only once the bar was at a depth consistent with the full width of the bar. Both Makita saws stalled out once the saw bar reached approximately half the width of the bar into the cut. Once this occurred, both saws had to be lifted up and then re-engaged to begin cutting again. The Makita XGT then stalled a second time before completing the cut. It seemed to our test crew that the Makitas were stalling in order to preserve the electronics, but this additional stop/start represents wasted time and productivity for professional users.

The Echo struggled the most in this test. The saw stopped multiple times and struggled to perform when being leaned on by our cutter. The Echo is also the smallest saw we tested and appears to be ideally suited for cutting smaller-diameter limbs or pruning work. Our test crew all agreed that the saws with larger full-size chains were preferable for commercial work and that reset buttons belong in video games and not on chainsaws.

Speed Cut Testing

In order to determine our fastest cutter amongst the sample group, we designed two speed-cutting tests. The first was a smaller diameter cut to simulate a limbing or pruning job and the second was a larger diameter cut to simulate a full takedown job. For both tests, we used a green hardwood log from a tree species native to New England. We focused on green wood with this H2H in order to simulate the conditions that pros would encounter in the field. To keep it as green as possible, we dropped some trees on the day of testing!

Scott using a Stihl MS400 to drop our test log tree.

Both tests were performed on sugar maple logs. Maple was selected as a medium-grade hardwood to offer a compromise between some harder species like oak which is plentiful in the Northeast and some of the pine species that are common on the West Coast. The Janka scale, which is the industry standard for hardness, lists sugar maple at approximately 1,450 Lb./Ft. The smaller diameter piece had an average measured diameter of 4.87″ and the larger diameter piece averaged at 7.75″.

Moving our test log into position with a Vermeer mini-skid machine with a hydraulic grapple.

The test cut pieces were strapped securely to a log stand and the same test cutter performed the cuts with all eight saws. The instructions for the crew member were to guide the saw through the cut without leaning into it and allow gravity and the weight of the saw to do the work. For the smaller diameter test (T1), the cutter performed a down, up, and down cut to make a total of three cookies. The larger diameter test (T2) was limited to a down and up only in order to prevent stall out or thermal overload. This was the first test performed; all eight saws had fresh factory sharp chains.

Small Diameter Speed Cut T1

The winner of T1 was the Stihl MSA220 at 8.47 seconds, finishing almost three seconds faster than the runner-up. Milwaukee came in second at 11.10 seconds and Husqvarna in third at 11.56 seconds. The slowest cutter for T1 was the Echo at 23.35 seconds.

Larger Diameter Speed Cut T2

The Makita XGT saw powering through our larger diameter speed cut test.

The winner of T2 was the Stihl MSA 220 at 10.97 seconds. T2 showed the Makita XGT rising to second place at 11.59 seconds and Husqvarna beating out Milwaukee for the number three spot by 0.01 seconds. The slowest cutter for T2 was the Echo again at 39.29 seconds.

The Stihl was absolutely unstoppable. The saw’s heavier weight and powerful battery system allowed the saw to rip through both tests. This test also demonstrated the capabilities of the new Makita XGT platform compared to the legacy Makita 36V saw. The XGT platform provided constant speed and power throughout the trial.

The Echo was the smallest saw we tested and lagged behind in both tests by a substantial margin.

Weight

Weight is a huge factor to consider when selecting a top-handle saw. By design, these tools are meant to be used at adverse angles and uncomfortable positions. A tree care pro may use one of these saws at shoulder height or above for hours at a time. Therefore in order to paint the complete picture of what each of these saws weighs, we took two measurements.

The first was the bare power-head weight. We weighed each saw with an empty bar oil reservoir and removed the bar and battery. Then we attached the bar and chain, filled the oil reservoir, and inserted a battery. We ranked the tools based on the fully assembled weight but thought that the bare powerhead weight and subsequent increase in weight was a good data point to collect.

The lightest assembled saw was the Echo at 7.46 Lbs. Second place went to the Stihl MSA161T at 9.84 Lbs. and third place to Husqvarna at 10.16 Lbs. The heaviest assembled saw was the Stihl MSA220TC at 12.38 Lbs.

The Echo is an incredibly light saw in the hand at under four pounds as a powerhead. Even fully assembled the Echo is almost as light as the Milwaukee powerhead. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Stihl MSA2210TC powerhead is about one pound heavier than its gas counterpart the MS201T.

Decibel Output

The level of received noise at the ear is a concern for the longevity of all professionals. According to OSHA standards, any exposure for eight hours of 85 decibels or higher requires hearing protection. In order to measure the noise output of each saw, we placed them on a jig with a decibel meter placed in a designated location to measure noise output. We then ran each saw for ten seconds at full speed, while not under load, and recorded the decibel range.

The quietest saw was the Stihl MSA161T at 80.8 decibels. This was the only saw that was under the 85-decibel threshold as well. Second place was Milwaukee at 91.3 decibels and third place went to Husqvarna at 92.4 decibels. The loudest saw tested was the Makita XGT at 100.9 decibels.

An interesting field note from our pro-user testers was that decibel ratings were really not a concern to them. They all wear helmets with built-in hearing protection and radio capabilities for communicating with their ground guys. However, the lower decibel output of all of our battery saws, compared to their gas counterparts, can be beneficial when working in areas with noise-based work hour restrictions, such as residential neighborhoods.

Price

For this H2H we chose to rank the tools based on a kit price. While carpenters, plumbers, and electricians, are likely loyal to a battery platform and heavily invested, the same cannot be said of most tree care pros. A tree care pro is likely buying a battery top handle saw for the first time and has no other tool that runs on that platform. Therefore we chose to select a kit option for the price ranking that includes the battery we used during testing.

The winner of the price rankings is a tie between Greenworks Commercial and Milwaukee. As of July of 2023, both companies are offering a kit with battery and charger for $499.99. In second place is Echo at $549.99 and third place is the Makita 36V at $579.00. Our most expensive saws are the Husqvarna at $1,049.00 and Stihl MSA220TC at $1,169.97 as kits.

While price is important to all users, we chose to not include it when determining our final rankings.

Features

Our entire saw lineup featured outstanding professional-grade features. For instance, all eight saws included manual chain tension adjustment systems. This traditional, tooled, style of adjustment is our preferred method due to its robustness. In order to determine which saw had the best set of features, we outlined nine total evaluation criteria. We then ranked each saw’s feature on a scale of one to three, with three being the best. The saw’s total overall score was used to determine rank. Our evaluation criteria are as follows;

1. Felling Spikes
2. Chain Brake Contour/Response
3. Lanyard Ring(s)
4. Electronic Chain Brake
5. Automatic Oiler
6. Manual Chain Tensioner
7. Additional Modes
8. Standout Features
9. Safety Auto Shut-Off

The saw with the best features is the Milwaukee. The M18 saw has outstanding aggressive felling spikes as well as a large manual chain brake lever that is responsive and has a very positive click action. The steel lanyard ring is in a great position and locks in the open position. It has a very responsive electric chain brake and the chain tensioner features an extra bar stud to lock the mechanism in securely. Our crew agreed that an automatic oiler system is their preferred option, but Milwaukee’s manual adjusting oiler performed well in the highest output setting. The Milwaukee is also the only saw with an onboard saw wrench or “scrench”. While not an absolutely mandatory feature, it is a nice bonus.

Second place went to the Stihl MSA22oTC-O, which has an outstanding billet of professional-grade features. In fact, the “O” designation in the Stihl’s name refers to their electronic bar oil monitoring system. The saw will monitor the flow of bar oil via an internal laser. The system also monitors for dirt and contaminants. When the oil is low or full of debris, a light will activate on the saw’s main control panel to alert the user. This feature was unlike anything our testing crew had seen before.

Where Milwaukee excelled over the Stihl to our crew was with the different safety auto shut-off systems. The Stihl has a push-button activation switch to turn the saw on and off. There is also a warning light to alert the user when the chain brake is turned off as well as a tang safety in the top of the grip that must be depressed. Once the user releases that tang safety, with the chain brake off, the saw shuts off in about five seconds. This was a real annoyance to our crew during testing and our pro users agreed that this was too fast. Conversely, the Milwaukee uses a spring-loaded tang safety in the grip with no additional on/off switches. It is intuitive to use and ruggedly simple. Our pro-user crew agreed that Milwaukee’s system would be more user-friendly and productive for them.

Third place resulted in a tie between the Echo and Husqvarna saws. The Echo is an extremely lean-built saw and doesn’t have many extra bells and whistles. It lost points due to the shorter felling spikes but has a simple and excellent push-button activation switch. The Husqvarna features an excellent digital battery display at the activation switch to show power consumption in real time as well as an Eco mode for battery conservation. However, the Husqvarna chain tensioning mechanism makes it difficult to get seated properly when removing the clutch cover and changing bars and chains. Twice the Husqvarna saw chain completely slacked out during our test cutting. We experienced the same issues in our 2020 Head-2-Head testing.

Rounding out the category, the Makita 36V saw has an impressive feature set, including a high-performance “Turbo” cutting mode. But the mode is difficult to switch back and forth from. The Makita XGT lacks some of the additional features of the legacy 36V saw, but both offerings have excellent felling spikes and chain brake designs. The Greenworks Commercial and Stihl MSA-161T had very basic features compared to the rest of the test sample. The Greenworks saw lost points due to having rounded felling spikes that did not grab into our cutting materials during testing as well as a confusing power activation button.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is one of our most subjective categories, but is one of our favorite and most discussed evaluations. If a tool is not comfortable or works against the user in any way, it is almost worthless. Similar to our Features section, we chose a total of six evaluation criteria to rank our battery top-handle chainsaws. The ergonomics of a top-handle saw are critical to a pro user in the field when working in the air, wearing gloves, or working in inclement weather. That is why we selected the following categories for evaluation;

1. Grip Comfort
2. Grip Contour
3. Forward Handlebar Angle
4. Bar Oil Fillcaps
5. Weight and Balance
6. Ease of Battery Change

The winner of this section is a three-way tie between Echo, Makita XGT, and the Stihl MSA-220TC. All three saws featured well-contoured and comfortable grips. The texture on all of them is excellent and all of the controls are easy to reach with one hand. The forward handlebars are also out of the way but easy to reach with an off-hand. Weight and balance were interesting with these models because they represent the best of our small, medium, and large offerings. The Echo is lighter and more compact, but both the Makita XGT and Stihl are compact in their overall design with no wasted space.

Although all three saws received the same overall score, the Echo had the best and most comfortable grip of the three as well as the nicest bar oil reservoir caps. However, the Makita XGT and Stihl have superior battery-changing mechanisms. The Stihl is the easiest to change batteries thanks to the battery being spring-loaded and inserted from the top of the saw.

Husqvarna took second place in ergonomics for battery top-handle chainsaws with excellent weight and balance as well as very comfortable grip material and handlebar angles. The criticisms of the Husqvarna were that the chain brake lever is too close and can be cramped on the user’s hands. Additionally, the sliding tang safety on the top of the grip was awkward to all of our test cutters. The Milwaukee came in third place with excellent grip materials as well as the most room for your hands of all of the saws test. The Milwaukee is a very big saw though. It sacrificed compact size for more room and feels bulky compared to most of the other saws. The side handlebar of the Milwaukee also bows out further than any other saw and gives it a Beachcomber bicycle feel.

Finally the Makita 36V saw was bulky and more off-balance than its counterparts due to the two-battery system. While they are easy to change, managing two batteries was not something our test crew viewed as desirable. The triple manual grip safeties of the Stihl MSA-161T were our least favorite and seemed almost impossible to use, safely, for lefties. The Greenworks saw felt off-balance and the controls were cramped and on top of each other.

Best Value Battery Top-Handle Chainsaw

One of our favorite categories to name is the Best Value, especially when we are talking about a battery top-handle chainsaw. These are expensive tools and present pro-users with a large financial investment. So which saw gives the best performance while still remaining reasonably priced? It is hands down the Milwaukee M18 Fuel.

The Milwaukee battery top-handle chainsaw finished in the top three of every category except for weight. Additionally, it achieved a first-place finish in the features category while tying for first place in the Stall Out test. Furthermore, Milwaukee also tied the Greenworks saw as our most affordable saw tested.

Overall Best Battery Top-Handle Chainsaw

At the completion of our testing, all of the data we gathered on the saws was compiled. When then used this to create rank structures for every category and finally used those ranks to create an overall final rank structure. The saw with the lowest number of points in this final ranking structure was our overall winner.

With a final overall score of nineteen points, our best battery top-handle chainsaw is the Milwaukee M18 Fuel. The Milwaukee is ergonomic and powerful with well-thought-out features. The safety system on the M18 saw was also one of the most preferred designs by our test crew due to its simplicity and similarity to their traditional gas-powered saws. The Milwaukee is a large saw though and is heavy. Because of that, our pro users weren’t sure if it would be suitable for full-time climbing work. The fact that the Milwaukee battery platform is so widespread and commercially available is a nice bonus but was not a determining factor for our tree care pros.

Second place was a tie between the Stihl MSA-22TCO and the Husqvarna. The two biggest names in the chainsaw world and both companies make an incredible battery-powered top-handle chainsaw. The Husqvarna has been on the market for several years now and has remained mostly unchanged. After testing it we realized that this is because Husqvarna got it right with the first generation. It is a fast, light, powerful, and nimble saw. The Stihl is brand new to the market and focuses more on raw power. We described the saw as “Beastly” earlier and that really is the best word for it. The Stihl is hands-down our top choice for demanding take-down work. Our test crew all greed that the Husqvarna and Stihl would be their top choices as tree care professionals and likely the only choices that would earn a coveted spot in their tree trucks due to the commercial warranties, dealer support networks, and overall reputation of both brands in the industry.

Third place went to the Stihl MSA-161T which shares many of the same perks as its younger, but bigger, brother. However, the MSA-161T has a proprietary bar design and uncommon chain size that make it less desirable. Stihl also does not do online sales, even for parts, making it more difficult to source these bars and chains.

All smiles!

The Makita XGT took fourth place overall. Showing that it is a product-improved version of the legacy Makita 36V saw. The improved battery technology and electronics of the XGT platform make for a saw that is really enjoyable to cut with. The legacy Makita and Echo tied for fifth place. The Echo struggled in our performance cutting tests but was a crew favorite thanks to its lightweight, great ergonomics, and professional-grade features. For smaller-diameter cutting tasks, the Echo is definitely worth a look. The Greenworks Commercial came in sixth place overall. While powerful, our crew agreed that it lacked some of the features and ergonomics they want in a saw.

Final Thoughts

Overall our test crew was impressed by the evolution and capabilities of all of the battery top-handle chainsaws tested. The saws discussed above are true professional-grade tools and are capable of performing a variety of tasks common with the Arborist and tree care industries. We would strongly encourage any user out there considering a battery-powered option to give it a chance. The ease of battery-powered electric motors versus traditional gas-powered engines is well discussed and documented. They make for an exceptional user experience and will only get better with time.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the saws mentioned in this article, please check out our Buy Now links listed below. These links will bring you to some of our preferred industry partners such as ACME Tools. Additionally, you can find Echo, Husqvarna, and Stihl battery-powered OPE at your local outdoor power equipment dealerships.

Best Battery Top Handle Chainsaw Head-To-Head Video

Best Top Handle Chainsaw | Head-to-Head | 2023 is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Cordless Blower | Head-To-Head

What would the perfect cordless leaf blower be? Wait…can we even call them leaf blowers? I certainly don’t use mine for leaves, I use them to blow sawdust on my job sites, my tools, out of my van and tool shed, or to clean off my patio and porch. They’re just blowers!

Comparing 15 Blowers

Fifteen manufacturers sent us their best handheld cordless blower. The majority of these blowers can be found in kit configuration and are sold at most common and online retailers. In past testings, we’ve received comments that we should include Harbor freight tools, so in this head-to-head test, we’re happy to welcome Harbor Freight’s Atlas blower to this test.

ATLAS

Model – 56994
Voltage – 80V
Battery Watt Hour – 288 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 150
CFM’s – 605 CFM’s
Length – 35-⅜”
Weight – 4lbs, 6oz
Price – 274.99 (when added kit components)

CRAFTSMAN

Model – CMCBL730P1
Voltage – 20V
Battery Watt Hour – 100 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 110
CFM’s – 410 CFM’s
Length – 33-½”
Weight – 5lbs, 7oz
Price – $149.00

DEWALT

Model – DCBL772X1
Voltage – 60V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 125
CFM’s – 600 CFM
Length – 36-¾”
Weight – 6lbs, 2oz
Price – $299.00

ECHO

Model – DPB-2500
Voltage – 56V
Battery Watt Hour – 252 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 158
CFM’s – 549 CFM’s
Length – 36-¼”
Weight – 5lbs, 6oz
Price – $199.99

EGO

Model – LB7654
Voltage 56V
Battery Watt Hour – 280 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 200
CFM’s – 765 CFM’s
Length – 36-½
Weight – 4lbs, 11oz
Price – $329.00

GREENWORKS

Model – BLB489
Voltage: 80V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 170
CFM’s – 730 CFM’s
Length – 37-1/8
Weight – 5lbs, 8ozs
Price – $342.99

HART

Model – HLB07VNM
Voltage: 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 155
CFM’s – 600 CFMs
Length – 37-⅜”
Weight – 6lbs, 12ozs
Price – $138.00

KOBALT

Model – KLB 1040A-03
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 160 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 120
CFM’s – 520 CFM’s
Length -33-¾”
Weight – 5lbs, 4ozs
Price – $169.00

MAKITA

Model – GBU01M1
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 160 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 143
CFM’s – 565 CFM’s
Length – 33-1/2″, 35-1/2″, 37-1/2″ (ADJUSTABLE)
Weight – 5lbs, 5ozs
Price – $439.00

MILWAUKEE

Model – 2824-20
Voltage 18V
Battery Combined Watt Hour – 288 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 145
CFM’s – 600 CFM
Length – 37-⅜”
Weight – 6lbs, 1oz
Price – $707.00 (not kit)

RIDGID

Model – R01601K
Voltage – 18V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 130
Battery Watt Hour – 288 Wh
CFM’s – 510 CFM’s
Noise dB – 83.1
Length – 34-¼”
Weight – 5lbs, 7ozs
Price – $241.53

RYOBI

Model – RY404100
Voltage – 40V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 190
CFM’s – 730 CFM’s
*Battery Watt Hour – 144 Wh
Noise dB – 84.6
Length – 37-⅞”
Weight – 6lbs, 4ozs
Price – $269.00
*Wh based on one battery

SKIL

Model – BL4713-c-11
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 100 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 193
CFM’s – 500 CFM’s
Length – 36”
Weight – 4lbs, 3ozs
Price – $159.00

STIHL

Model – BGA 86
Voltage: 36V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 154
Battery Watt Hour – 337 Wh
CFM’s – 459 CFMs
Length – 38-½” (ADJUSTABLE)
Weight – 6lbs, 5ozs
Price – $839.97 (not kit)

TORO

Model – 51822
Voltage – 60v
Battery Watt Hour – 216 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 157
CFM’s – 605 CFMs
Length – 37-½”
Weight – 5lbs, 8oz
Price – $290.03

Cordless Blower Testing | 7 Criteria

Our goal was NOT to verify marketing claims, instead, we used ANSI testing standards as a guide, to create consistent, repeatable, and measurable data that you can make intelligent decisions on.

Our team scored the blowers on seven criteria, each ranked independently, and the “Overall Best Cordless Blower” was determined using the combined test results.

We include but did not rank price and best value categories, but list them here for your own informational purposes.

7 Scoring Criteria

1. Pitot Tube Run-time Testing – Directly measure air speed with a pitot tube and calculate MPH and CFM during a runtime performance test
2. Weighted Sled Test – tested the thrust performance with a sled rig on rails.
3. Ergonomics and Features – Ergonomics is really important to users and an important category to consider when purchasing any power tool.
4. Balance – Measured the balance and resulting rotation in the off and full throttle states.
5. Noise -Measured Decibels at full throttle
6. Best Value – Not ranked.
7. Price – The kit price at the time of publishing. Not ranked.

Anemometer | Pitot Tube Air Test

I’ll be honest, I had to ask Jeff what a Pitot tube was. Jeff, also a helicopter pilot, explained that a pitot tube probe measures the pressure difference of an air stream and can calculate fluid flow velocity. The Pitot Tube was invented by a French engineer, Henri Pitot, in the early 18th century.

Pitot tubes are widely used to determine the airspeed of aircraft, the water speed of boats, and the flow velocity of liquids, air, and gasses in various industries.

When manufacturers test their blowers to come up with the MPH and CFM values they follow an American National Standard (ANSI) procedure to measure the force or thrust. This is effectively an electronic scale that measures the force in Newton’s 5 inches from the blower nozzle.

Using fluid dynamics theory and measured environmental parameters like temperature, pressure, and humidity, the average and peak MPH and CFM values can be calculated.

We replicated this ANSI procedure to validate the measured MPH values gathered from our pitot tube instrument. Both measurements aligned. Here’s a summary of that procedure:

1. We used a 13.8 in ± aluminum plate as a force plate for our electronic scale.
2. We vertically mounted and centered the blowers in our rig and off the force plate 5”.
3. The blower was operated for 10 seconds, and the result was recorded.
4. Three tests were performed for an average measurement.
5. Barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity were recorded
6. Used ANSI blower performance equations to calculate theoretical peak and average blower speed

Anemometer and Pitot Tube | Testing

The Pitot Tube was set up 5 inches from each blower in the center of the air stream. Batteries were fully charged and measurements were taken at full throttle. The data was collected at 1 Hz sample rate or once per second until the battery was drained.

An ExTech HD350 Pitot Tube Anemometer was used to perform this test. The chart below shows data for all 15 blowers.

Using this data we were able to determine and calculate 4 important metrics for each blower, ranked them separately, and also combined them for an “Airflow Performance” winner.

1. Run-time in minutes
2. Average Speed
3. Average CFM
4. Total air moved

Run-time | Sustained Performance Winner | Stihl

You can see from the chart that the Stihl ran the longest, at 25.4 minutes. Second place was ECHO with 19.4 minutes, followed in third place by Milwaukee at 16.7 minutes.

This is a good time to talk about open and closed-loop battery control and how it relates to sustained performance. One of the biggest complaints with cordless blowers is their poor run-time and tendency to suffer a drop in sustained performance over time, as the battery discharges.

Three blowers Makita, Milwaukee, and Stihl all have closed-loop control on the battery output enabling them to run at a consistent [not peak] speed, for the life of the battery. While these blower batteries may have more power that could be drawn from them, these closed loop controls limit the output so an expected level of sustained performance can be delivered over a longer period of time. This is a feature that appeals to Pro users.

In contrast, most of the blowers, we tested, showed open-loop control.  Their peak performance was delivered within the first few moments of battery discharge, and then a variable level of declining performance results, as the battery discharges.  For example, the Ryobi blower showed a 22% drop in performance when comparing a fully charged battery to one that is half “empty”.

The three closed-loop control blowers we tested, all handle the dwindling voltage of their batteries a bit differently:

• Makita ran at a consistent speed until it quit.
• Milwaukee ran at a consistent speed for over 90% of the battery life before rapidly fading.
• Stihl ran consistently for over 80% and then when the voltage began to drop, it forced a reduction to 75% peak power to continue on for an additional 5 minutes.

As pro tool users, we feel that having a blowers power stay consistent, and maintain its performance over the entire battery charge is really important.

Average Speed Winner | Stihl

Speed is measured in miles per hour and measures air velocity, or more specifically, the rate at which air passes through the blower’s nozzle.

A higher mph rating, results in the ability to push more dense or sticky debris like gravel or wet leaves. One interesting fact is that many tool companies market their blower’s performances by their PEAK measurement. We used average recordings to give you the MOST realistic and honest measurement.

The Stihl performed the best with an average speed of 124.5 mph. Second place was Milwaukee at 119.8 mph and closely followed in third place was Makita at 119.5 mph.

Note – The chart shows the EGO with the highest initial peak speed, but its average performance over time dropped, resulting in a fourth placement.

CFM Winner | EGO

Cubic feet per minute or CFM was calculated by taking the measured speed data and combining it with the area of the nozzle opening, to calculate the volume of air moved per minute.

The EGO came in first with 659 CFM. Second place was Makita with 643 CFM, and third was HART with 628 CFM.

The higher the CFM value, the more air your blower produces, resulting in a wider area cleaned in a shorter time.

Total Air Moved Winner | Stihl

The winner of this category is a combination of run-time and average CFM. This is an indication of the total amount of work performed on a battery charge.

The Stihl performed the best, coming in at 11,550 cubic feet, followed by ECHO with 11,126 cubic feet. Third place was Milwaukee with 10,032 cubic feet.

Overall Airflow Performance Winner | Milwaukee

It’s important to note that two of the above categories are power performance values, and the other two are indications of battery size and runtime. In order to level the playing field between tortoises and hares we combined all four categories to see how the blowers performed in totality.

The winner was Milwaukee, followed closely by EGO and Stihl.

Weighted Sled Test | Power Test Winner | EGO

Who doesn’t like a strong-man contest?  We’ve touched on the importance of MPH and CFM, but the importance of where these two values intersect is the overall “force or thrust” that a blower can produce.

Manufacturers measure this force in Newtons in their development and testing. We developed a test rig to indirectly measure thrust and provide a good visual understanding.

We built a weighted sled that rides on low-friction wheels attached to inclined rails.

Sled Procedure

Prior to each blower test the rails and wheels were cleaned and lubricated with silicone. To perform this test we placed each blower’s tube onto a v-shaped rest, mounted to the sled. We placed the blower body onto a tool rest setting the blower in the same plane as the sled rails. Once set, we ran each blower for a 10-second count and recorded the sled movement on a measuring tape mounted to the sled. Three tests were completed for an average measurement. All blowers were tested with a 5.5 weight placed on the sled rig.

Two blowers maxed this test out, they were the EGO and Ryobi. We then added a second 5.5. lb plate and retested both blowers. The Ryobi was able to move the sled approximately halfway, while the EGO maxed out the rig a second time!

The sled topped out at 70 inches. Our chart below does not account for the additional weighted tests for EGO or Ryobi. EGO was the clear winner, Ryobi was second followed by Harbor Freight’s Atlas blower which was able to move the sled 66 inches.

Blower Nozzle or No Nozzle | What’s Best?

We wanted to see the direct impact of the nozzles on our weighted sled rig. The nozzles are designed to narrow the opening of the chute and increase the speed of air coming out.

Many people don’t realize that manufacturers will often use a nozzle to measure higher peak MPH values and will use the wider chute opening without the nozzle to list their peak CFM number. The same blower, but tested with different configurations.

Most manufacturers supply a nozzle because many users feel it increases performance, and they ask for it. The reality is that adding a nozzle may increase the localized air stream speed, but the added friction and constriction reduce the overall performance.  [E.g Milwaukee reduces from 17.5 to 17 Newtons, but increases from 145 to 155 mph]

Our sled test results showed that adding a nozzle to the blower drastically reduced the blower’s performance on the sled test. For example, the Ryobi which was able to max out the test sled at 70-inches without a nozzle, was only able to achieve 58-inches with a nozzle. Similar results were observed with EGO and Milwaukee nozzles.

Ergonomics and Features Winner | EGO

This category is compiled from the combined opinions of the TBB crew after using the tools. Grip, throttle, battery removal, intake placement, and adjustable chute length were evaluated.

The EGO eked out a win with 10 points, followed closely by Makita and Milwaukee which tied for second place each with 11 points.

Grip

While all blowers had relatively comfortable grips, both the EGO and Milwaukee stood out. They have base stands that can double as a two-handed hold for overhead use or off-balance use.

Throttle | Trigger | Power On

When it came to evaluating the blower’s throttle, the TBB crew favored blowers with a single point of activation. Unfortunately, most blowers employ a boost button, which we feel is an unnecessary hassle and a marketing gimmick.  Some of the blowers, like the Craftsman, have boost features that can be locked on – we preferred that to having to hold the button down. Pro users definitely do not want to have to engage a second button.

The Milwaukee throttle stood out with ambidextrous use and had a very responsive throttle control and no boost button.

Lastly, some blowers have a power-on switch, or safety feature, in order to power on the trigger. Most of the crew found these features frustrating.

Battery Insertion and Removal

When considering the battery removal and installation, the crew really liked those blowers, like the Kobalt, that offer a spring-loaded ejection.

Milwaukee lost points in this category by being the only blower to employ dual batteries.

Adjustable Chutes

Makita, along with Stihl offers an adjustable chute, with several configurations. We felt this may appeal to users who might want to adjust their blower chute to their height.

Air Intake Location

Intakes were also evaluated. The team favored rear-mounted over side-mounted intakes due to side-mounted intakes sucking in the user’s pant legs when held close to the body.

Balance and Rotational Force Winner | ECHO

Too much rotational force can result in a blower that you’re constantly fighting to control, or worse results in a wrist injury like tendonitis. Wrist tendonitis is frequently caused by activities requiring sideways motion of the wrist while gripping. Activities such as using a blower in a side to side motion can lead to Dequervain’s tendonitis.

Rotational Force Rig

We built a rig to hold each blower’s handle to simulate a neutral grip position. The rig allowed the blower to rotate freely on this axis.

We used some image analysis to capture the angle of the blower chute relative to the horizon. The angle at rest with the blower powered off was measured, followed by the blower in the full throttle state.

We considered two values to be the most important when analyzing this data and used their individual rankings to determine the blower with the best balance.

1. Angle under load
2. Difference between no-load and full load

The first was the angle under load relative to the horizon. We found the most strain on the wrist was felt when the blower wanted to pitch down directly at the ground, forcing the user to pull the blower back up to a useful working angle.

The blowers we tested pitched down between a comfortable 40 degrees, to a very uncomfortable near vertical 89 degrees.

The second value we considered important was the change or Delta between the blower at rest and under load. A well-balanced blower should have minimal change in pitch when the throttle is activated. A bower that swings a large amount is likely to be harder to control. The smallest delta observed was 15 degrees and the highest was 57 degrees.

The ECHO took the best Balance category. The Echo had a no-load balance of 19 degrees and deflected to 40 degrees down under full throttle. This comfortable 40 degrees nose-down attitude coupled with the relatively small change of just 19 degrees scored it top marks.

Craftsman came in second with a  no-load measurement of 31 degrees and a full load of 46 degrees. Stihl followed in third place with 19 and 41 degrees.

Cordless Blower Noise Winner | Stihl

OSHA sets legal limits on noise exposure based on a worker’s 8-hour work day. For noise, OSHA’s permissible exposure limit is 90 dB.

To measure relative decibels mounted the blowers. back into our rotational rig, and mounted a decibel meter 24” away from the blower to simulate the distance between a user’s ear and wrist. Three readings were captured and an average was recorded.

The blower that was the quietest was the Stihl coming in at 81.5 dB. The second quietest was the RIDGID averaging 83.1 dB followed by the RYOBI averaging at 84.2 dB.

The blowers that were the loudest were the DEWALT and ECHO averaging 97.9 db.

Best Price Winner | Hart

When purchasing tools, price is unquestionably a crucial factor, particularly for those of you who are just beginning out in the trades or are DIY/Homeowners just starting out.

We ranked pricing as *kits and with blowers that weren’t sold in kit form, we included a battery(s) and charger to even the playing field.

* Ryobi kit comes with 2 batteries.

At the time of testing, the best-priced blower kit was the Hart coming in at $138.00. The second lowest price was the Craftsman at $149.00 and the third was the Skil at $159.00.

The most expensive blower we tested was the Stihl BGA 86, coming in at $839.97.  The majority of these blowers can be purchased at ACME Tool or your local big box store.

Best Value Blower Winner | Hart

Price and quality will continue to be the top deciding factors for consumers. In today’s economy, consumers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars further, and tool companies need a solution to deliver a well-made, powerful tool at a competitive price, without sacrificing quality.

As we have indicated, we do not include pricing in our overall scoring, but we include it and always suggest our pick for best value.

The Hart was an easy decision for us, it performed exceptionally well in our testing, and is priced the lowest, guaranteeing a seat at the “best value” table. Hart scored in the fourth place in noise, and mid-pack on pretty much all the other categories scored, finishing in 6^th place.

Best Cordless Blower Winner | Milwaukee

Milwaukee 36-volt cordless blower came in first place scoring a total of 20 points. It scored tops in airflow performance, second in features and ergonomics, and fourth in balance.

The Milwaukee operates easily in either user’s hand and has a responsive trigger. Its sturdy base plate doubles as a secondhand grip, and the heads-up battery display is a nice touch. The crew appreciated that there was no boost or turbo button to engage, everything you need comes from the trigger. Milwaukee did suffer in the ergonomic battery scoring category due to the fact that it was the only blower in the lineup with two batteries.  That second battery, while inconvenient, clearly helped push the power and runtime up where it needs to be.

The formidable EGO came in second place with 22 points. EGO scored tops in both ergonomics, features, and the sled thrust test. The EGO was clearly the most powerful of the blowers out of the gate.  The open loop battery control and resulting performance drop over time coupled with the mediocre balance numbers pulled the EGO down from walking away with the top spot.

The EGO is a powerful blower but some users will find that they have to fight to hold it in position, it has a recessed throttle control which the team appreciated. Like Milwaukee, the EGO has a base stand that allows the user to place a two-handed hold for overhead use. Ego also has a nice spring-assisted battery removal feature, which one would not appreciate unless you were testing 15 blowers!

Stihl took third place with 25 points. Stihl took tops in noise and third place in both balance and airflow performance. The Stihl is a robust tool with a nicely designed spring-assist battery removal setup. The team liked that it has an adjustable-length chute, but did not like having to manipulate the awkward safety lever to power it on.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re considering purchasing a blower you should first think about the application, you’re using it for, and then performance. A lot of these blower measurements we shared result in a compromise, so if you want our advice, we feel you should choose a blower that is “stronger for longer.”

Our Head-to-Head tests take time to complete and we are ultimately limited in scope as we’re not a professional testing company. We cannot do long-term testing that would shed light on longevity or durability, and we can’t possibly test every application that you might use a blower for.

We receive a lot of comments about how we arrive at our winner.  We’ve openly shared ALL the data from our tests, and you can rank the tools however you want. In this article, if you hover over the line or column in our graphs, you’ll be able to see the actual values. Hopefully, you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful when comparing compact cordless blowers.

If you have a moment, please check out our other Head-to-Head Tests.

Best Cordless Blower | Head-2-Head Video | 2023

Best Cordless Blower 2023 | Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Cordless Chainsaw Comparison Test – 2020

There is nothing cooler than a chainsaw. They are aggressive tools that make processing heavy timber materials effortless and enjoyable. But are cordless battery-powered chainsaws ready for the spotlight? A chainsaw requires a high output of power in order to cut efficiently, without stalling or bogging down. With the advancements in battery and electronics technology over the last few years, we were anxious to see how the cordless tool world applies that technology to chainsaws.

The benefits of cordless OPE are well known. Ease of maintenance, effortless long term storage, reduced noise, no more exhaust fumes, no more mixing fuel, just to name a few. Many pros are tired of dealing with the maintenance of gas-powered saws as well. But what kind of performance can you realistically expect from a battery-powered chainsaw? That’s what we set out to find with this latest Head-2-Head.

Cordless Chainsaw Head-2-Head Selection Criteria

Currently, there are dozens of different models of cordless chainsaws in a variety of different voltages and bar lengths. In order to limit our sample size, we determined what size saw would be most practical across a wide range of applications. We identified three main categories of users that could benefit the most from a cordless chainsaw.

The first is arborist’s or tree care professionals looking for a smaller, maneuverable saw, requiring less maintenance for limbing work or cleaning up brush piles to be chipped. The second is contractors or construction professionals who are already invested in a battery platform and looking for a saw for occasional use or home use. And finally, homeowners or landowners looking for a tool for occasional use or storm cleanup.

Based upon this, we chose to test saws with a bar and chain between 14″-16″ long. A saw of this size would be practical in the hands of most users for a variety of tasks. Likely in place of a gas-powered chainsaw in the 30-45 cc range. We also limited the voltage from 18V-62V. This gave us a sample size of twelve saws from all of the major brands and manufacturers.

Cordless Chainsaw Lineup

DEWALT Flexvolt MAX 60V

• Model: DCCS670X1
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: OEM
• Weight: 12.2 Lbs
• Battery Size: 3.0 Ah
• Tool-Free Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited /1 Year Free Service / 90 Day Money Back

DR Power PULSE 62V

• Model: 414170
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Oregon
• Weight: 9.9 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 2.5 Ah
• Tool-Free Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir W/ Replaceable filter
• Warranty: 2 Year Residential / 90 Day Commercial

Echo 58V

• Model: CCS-58V4AH
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Oregon
• Weight: 13.7 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 4.0 Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 5 Year Consumer / 2 Year Professional

Ego Power+ 56V

• Model: CS1604
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: OEM
• Weight: 8.69 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 5.0 Ah
• Tool Free Chain Tensioner
• Autimatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 5 Year

Greenworks PRO 60V

• Model: 2014502
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: OEM
• Weight: 10.0 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 2.0Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 4 Year Tool and Battery

Husqvarna 536li XP 36V

• Model: 536li XP
• Bar Length: 14″
• Chain Manufacturer: Husqvarna
• Weight: 5.29 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 9.4 Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 3 Year Residential / 2 Year Commercial

Kobalt 40V

• Model: KCS 4040-06
• Bar Length: 14″
• Chain Manufacturer: OEM
• Weight: 10.9 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 4.0 Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 5 Year Limited

Makita 18V X2 / 36V LXT

• Model: XCU04PT1
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Oregon
• Weight: 8.3 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 5.0 Ah (X2)
• Tool-Free Chain Tensioner
• Adjustable Oiler
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Milwaukee M18 FUEL

• Model: 2727-21HD
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Oregon
• Weight: 13.9 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 12.0 Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 5 Year Limited

Oregon 40V

• Model: CS300
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Oregon
• Weight: 10.2 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 6.0 Ah
• Tool-Free Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 3 Years

Ryobi 40V

• Model: RY40550
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: OEM
• Weight: 12.4 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 4.0 Ah
• Manual/Tooled Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Screw Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 5 Year Limited

Stihl 36V

• Model: MSA 220C-B
• Bar Length: 16″
• Chain Manufacturer: Stihl
• Weight: 6.4 Lbs.
• Battery Size: 7.2 Ah
• Tool-Free Chain Tensioner
• Automatic Oiler
• Manual Chain Brake
• Flip Cap Oil Reservoir
• Warranty: 3 Year Residential / 2 Year Commercial

Cordless Chainsaw Evaluation Criteria

Up until recently, cordless chainsaws were honestly kind of a joke. But the cordless revolution and improvements in battery technology have now given manufacturers the foundation they need to build truly capable chainsaws. In order to thoroughly evaluate our sample body of tools, we conducted a series of demanding tests. Each saw was ranked based upon a total of nine evaluation categories.

When determining our evaluation criteria it was important to select tests that applied to a wide range of users. Our compiled data needed to be as relatable to tree care professionals as it is to contractors and home/landowners. Testing each saw to its limit was also critical in order to clearly establish the line that separates the capability of a cordless saw from a traditional gas-powered model. It is also worth mentioning that all of our tests were performed on hardwood trees as they are common and widely available throughout the Northeast.

Bearing all this in mind, we settled on the following categories:

• Run-Time Cutting
• Speed Cutting
• Torture/High Demand Cutting
• Tool Size and Balance
• Weight
• Features
• Ergonomics
• Decibel Output
• Price

In addition to these ranked categories, we wanted feedback from true professional users and reached out to a local tree company to be a part of the testing. They were on-site with us for the day of testing and brought their bucket truck. We put each saw in the hands of an experienced tree pro and put them to work limbing up a standing dead ash tree. This is a real-world application that has always been done with a gas-powered saw. Performing this task gave us valuable feedback in determining if any of the battery-powered tools were ready for demanding professional service.

Cordless Chainsaw Run-Time Test

Run-time testing seems pretty straight forward, right? Put a battery in the thing and just cut some stuff. Our goal is to truly test the limits of these tools and run-time testing was a premier opportunity for us to do this.

Our run-time test consisted of inserting a fully charged battery in each saw with a factory sharpened chain and then proceed to cut as many crosscut slices through a tree length log as possible on a single battery charge. Each saw was filled with Stihl Woodcutter bar and chain oil prior to beginning the test and chain tension was also set properly.

The test logs were Maple, all approximately 13.5″ in diameter. The logs had sat off the ground seasoning for approximately two years. Because no tree is a perfect column, we had some variation in diameter. The average diameter of the logs calculated out to 13.6875″.

Maple is not the hardest species of wood out there, but these were some BIG logs. In fact, they were likely bigger than what most of these saws were designed to cut, which is why we chose them. This test forced the saws to work hard, and it showed. In order to keep things uniform, we kept the same two test cutters for the entire test. Both operators were instructed to perform five cuts at a time and then pause for 25 seconds to allow the batteries a brief relief and avoid thermal overloading.

First Place: Ego

Ego crushed this test, plain and simple. The Ego saw performed a total of 31 full depth cuts and then a partial cut of 4.25″ on the 32nd cut before dying. Ego has a rock-solid battery platform, and this test highlights that.

The electronics of the Ego saw are extremely efficient and transfer the power of their 56V ARC technology seamlessly to the 16″ bar and chain. The Ego was the first saw we tested and as we watched the stack of cookies rise, we started to worry that we might run out of test material. Our crew did mention that after the 15th cut, there was a change in cutting speed and the tool seemed to slow down slightly, but kept going.

Second Place: Milwaukee

The Milwaukee FUEL saw was the lowest voltage tool of the day, but still shined as a cutter. The FUEL completed a total of 21 cuts with a partial depth of 9.25″ on the 22nd. The proven M18 platform with the massive 12.0 Ah battery did very well in our testing. However, this saw did experience a battery overload at the 18th cut. We had to remove the battery, let it cool down for almost ten minutes, and then continue the test. The Milwaukee saw uses a slower chain speed compared to some of the other saws, but delivers a ton of torque and power while cutting.

Third Place: Greenworks

The Greenworks Pro 60V saw is no stranger to the Tool Box Buzz crew. It performed a total of 21 full cuts and maintained constant chain speed and power throughout. Overall our test cutters agreed that it had excellent power and was a “Top Cutter”.

Learning to Cut Differently

While evaluating run-time, our test cutters learned that operating a cordless chainsaw is drastically different from a traditional saw. A gas-powered saw will typically allow you to lean into a cut and put extra leverage and force on the tool. A gas-powered motor will power through this while bogging down without incident. However, an electric saw will shut itself down when encountering extreme resistance to prevent damaging the motor. Our operators had to allow the saws to do the cutting and hold back from leaning on them too much.

Of the saws we tested; Makita, Stihl, and DR Power had issues with stalling out and had to be reset to continue cutting. The Stihl in particular had to be reset, battery removed, and cooled off, several times to continue the test.

Speed Cutting Test

Published chain speeds, RPM ratings, manufacturer cutting claims can all get pretty confusing. So we made it a priority to see just how fast our cordless saws could perform a cut in a piece of hardwood. A seasoned length of Ash was selected to perform the speed cutting test. Our sample log measured out to an average diameter of 11.02″ based upon measurements taken before the start of each test cut.

We chose to keep the same operator for the entire test to maintain consistency. Our test cutter then performed three timed cross cuts as quickly as the saw was able to. After the results were recorded, we reset and performed the test a second time. The average of the two times was calculated and used to rank each saw.

First Place: Echo

One of the test cutters summed up the Echo perfectly; “This thing feels like a chainsaw!” The Echo saw powered through the speed cuts with an average time of 44.5 seconds. Echo’s 58V system uses a slower chain speed but delivers a lot of felt torque in the cut. This balance of speed and power allowed the Echo to chew through our test material quickly without bogging down or dropping in speed.

Second Place: Stihl

Stihl is a big name, if not the biggest in the chainsaw world. Their reputation is built upon their solid construction and professional-grade engineering and features. This lineage really showed itself during out speed cut testing. With an average cut time of 48 seconds, the Stihl had zero issues cutting through the 11″ Ash log. While the Stihl struggled with the larger diameter run-time log, the smaller log used here, along with Stihl’s very aggressive profiled chain yielded impressive results.

Third Place: Greenworks

With an average cut time of 50.2 seconds, Greenworks continued to shine as a “Top Cutter.” The Greenworks PRO 60V saw’s performance in the speed cutting test is an outstanding example of a tool that was built from the ground up as a cordless chainsaw.

Cordless Chainsaw Torture Test

In order to break down a large round of wood to a more manageable size, chainsaw users will often perform a rip cut or “Noodling” cut as it is more commonly referred to as. We selected a noodling cut as our torture test due to the fact that it greatly tests the full powerband of the cordless saw. A noodling cut is performed parallel to the grain of a full log round.

What makes it so difficult is the chain has to pull the long-stranded chips through the entire kerf length of the bar and chain. These long-stranded chips resemble curly noodles, hence the name Noodling. Traditionally a user would need a larger and more powerful gas-powered saw to perform such a cut.

For our test, twelve pre-cut rounds, of wet Red Oak, were placed standing on a block and cut parallel to the grain. Our rounds were each twelve inches long and averaged 16.78″ in diameter. The toughness of the grain structure of the Red Oak and the moisture content of the wood placed a huge demand on our saws.

We chose to make this test a Pass/Fail evaluation mainly because we were unsure if the saws would be able to complete the test. To our surprise, almost every tool passed the test! The only saw which failed to complete the noodling cut was the Milwaukee M18 FUEL. During the test cut, the Milwaukee jammed with sawdust and noodle strands completely binding and seizing the blade. The saw had to be disassembled and cleaned out before it was functional again.

The performance of these battery-powered saws during our torture test was extremely impressive. It showed us the benefit of modern electric motors and their ability to maintain a constant output regardless of demand.

Weight

We ranked our saws based upon the bare tool weight of each model. Based upon the published bare tool weights we ranked the saws as follows:

Overall Size and Balance

Numbers alone do not always tell the full story of the overall feel of a tool in hand. We chose to include size and balance in addition to weight during our evaluation. Some of the saws did a great job of balancing this increased weight and size while others did not. One of our test cutters remarked that operating some of these saws felt like “driving a big Cadillac boat like my Grandma used to drive”.

Our professional tree cutter felt that overall size and balance was one of the biggest factors for him when deciding if he would take one of these saws up in the bucket. If the saw was bulky and unwieldy, then it would be an absolute no-go for them to even consider.

First Place: Stihl

The Stihl felt like a compact professional-grade tool in the hands of every user. The overall size and balance is excellent and felt more like a chainsaw with a battery in it than a battery-powered chainsaw.

Second Place: Husqvarna

Husqvarna is the other biggest and most well-known name in the chainsaw world. The 536li XP felt nimble and balanced in hand. It’s lightweight and compact design makes it a true professional-grade tool. Our tree cutter stated that the Husqvarna had “great balance and lightweight in hand”. He felt that it was the most realistic choice of all the saws for use in a bucket or tree due to the weight.

Third Place: Makita

The Makita XCU04PT1 saw offered a great combination of weight and balance. The Makita 36V two battery system places the battery packs higher up and centered on the saw. This cuts down on the overall length of the saw body and streamlines it as well. Much like the Stihl and Husqvarna, the Makita saw balanced similarly to a traditional gas-powered saw and was easily controlled by our test crew.

Cordless Chainsaw Features

Our saws ranged from basic and Spartan in terms of features to jam-packed. We examined each saw and compared features such as manual chain brakes, chain tensioning systems, bar oil fill cap design, onboard tool storage, bumper spikes or felling dogs, and many other areas as well. Based on this detailed comparison, we were able to rank our tools as follows.

First Place: DEWALT

The DEWALT Flexvolt saw has an outstanding set of features that make it very user friendly. The manual chain brake, in particular, stood out to our crew as a well thought out and executed safety feature. The brake lever had an excellent contour to it with very short travel to engage and disengage. DEWALT’s tool-free chain tensioning system was also the most user friendly. As a right-handed operator, I could easily hold the saw by the forward handle in my left hand while using my right hand to adjust the chain tension. All of the controls featured high-quality, flip-down levers that are easy to use and store securely. The flip cap design of the bar oil reservoir was also extremely easy to use. One area of improvement for the saw would be a set of steel bumper spikes as opposed to the current molded plastic ones.

Second Place: Oregon

The Oregon name is well known as a manufacturer of high-quality bars, chains, and other forestry products. But the CS300 chainsaw was a bit of an unknown surprise to our crew. Having never tested a tool from Oregon before, we were pleasantly surprised by this mighty monster. Oregon saw was packed with features that were very clearly designed by chainsaw people. The first of which was the Oregon Self Sharpening system and 91PS056X chain. Oregon included a self-sharpening system in which the user simply pulls upwards on a control lever for 3-5 seconds while running the saw to automatically sharpen the chain. The lever lowers a contoured sharpening stone down onto the chain and sharpens as it runs. This feature makes the often foreboding task of sharpening a chain effortlessly. The chain is proprietary and the sharpening stone will only work with the special chain. Oregon also has excellent bumper spikes and a responsive chain brake as well as a tool-free chain tensioning system.

Third Place: Stihl

It comes as no surprise that a professional-grade tool like the Stihl includes professional-grade features as well. Stihl includes an inboard clutch design along with steel bumper spikes and chain catch with the MSA 220 C-B. The tool-free chain tensioning system is very user friendly. The finger rotary dial design for adjusting tension was found to be slightly less intuitive than the DEWALT Design.

Of all the saws that were tested, Kobalt was the only model to not feature a manual chain brake lever and it’s placing in this category reflects that. The Kobalt also requires a tool to tension the chain. Our crew found an overwhelming preference for saws with a tool-free chain tensioning method as opposed to a traditional tooled system. For saws of this class, tool-free seems to make the most sense.

Overall Ergonomics

The term ergonomics gets thrown around a lot and is completely user-dependent. Bearing that in mind we ranked our tools in terms of ergonomics based upon the way they worked with us during use. The areas we focused on were handled angles, grip textures, control locations, and felt vibration. All of these features are worth considering to find the tool that is comfortable to the user.

First Place: Husqvarna

The Husqvarna saw was designed for all-day professional use. The contoured angle of the handles was comfortable as well as made the controls easy to reach. The saw featured a simple push-button power switch as well as a manual chain brake, and grip tang safety release. These controls all worked smoothly together in hand. There is also little felt vibration with this saw and no hot spots on the grips.

Second Place: Stihl

The compact body design of the Stihl along with ergonomic controls makes this one of the most comfortable tools in hand. The Stihl features a push-button safety release on the left side of the rear grip as opposed to an on/off switch, this button is easy to reach and unobtrusive during use. The ease of battery access and quick change were exceptional on the Stihl.

Third Place: Makita

The Makita saw followed the same design path as the Husqvarna, with a push-button on/off switch and a grip tang safety release. This simple feature alone was found to be a favorite among our testing crews. The tree care pros also greatly favored this system and found the Makita to be extremely similar to their current gas-powered saws.

Decibel Output Rating

One of the main benefits of cordless chainsaws and cordless OPE in general is the lack of noise. But just how quiet is a cordless chainsaw. To test this, the saws were placed on a concrete slab open garage space in the same general area. An average Decibel rating from each saw at approximately arms length away. The same rough distance as users ears would be from the tool during use. The decibel rating was captured during the loudest rev-up phase of the tools, similar to how they would perform while cutting.

Husqvarna metered the lowest at 74.4 and DEWALT followed closely behind at 74.5. The majority of the saws fell between 74.5 to 76.5 decibels, Greenworks was the loudest saw at 80.1 decibels.

All of the saws tested fell within the OSHA safe hearing level standards and are drastically quieter than a comparable size gas-powered saw. For prolonged use, a set of hearing protection is a good idea in my opinion. I found the pitch of the electric motors to be annoying after extended use. Similar to listening to a miter saw all day.

Price

Using a host of different online vendors and local dealers, the saws were ranked based upon the current market price on a bare tool, at the time of this article. The bare tool price is the best way to rank a comparison such as this because many of our manufacturers sell their saws as a la carte system. They allow the individual user to select the battery packs and charger right for them.  Such as Stihl, Husqvarna, and Oregon.

Looking at bare tool prices, we see three of our top-performing saws all the way at the bottom. This wide difference in price is a direct reflection of a truly pro-grade tool as opposed to a residential or homeowner grade tool. The Kobalt will not be capable, or expected to perform, to the same level as the Husqvarna or Stihl. Stihl is also unique in that they do not offer online sales. In order to buy a Stihl chainsaw, you must visit a Stihl dealer. This dealer experience is a trademark of the Stihl brand and is something that TBB Crew Member Jeff Williams discussed in a previous review.

Below is some “Buy Now” links to purchase some of the saws featured in this Head-2-Head from our sponsor at Ohio Power Tool.

Best Overall Value Cordless Chainsaw

Echo CCS-58VA Chainsaw

Of all the cordless chainsaws featured in this comparison test, the Echo stood out as a tremendous value backed by outstanding performance. The Echo was our fastest cutter and ranked in the top 5 for run time and weight. But more importantly, it tied for third for the price as a bare tool. The echo has a solid heft to it that makes it feel like a traditional gas saw in hand but is still relatively light. Because it cuts at a lower chain speed with higher torque, the 58V Echo chewed through every species of wood we threw at it with no issues.

While a little bulky for a tree climber or bucket saw, the Echo is an excellent saw for firewood cutting or general clean up around a home or property. Echo also gives users the option of online ordering as well as the local dealer experience or purchasing from a large home center. The CCS-58VA is part of a larger lineup of cordless OPE from echo and would serve any homeowner well as part of a complete system of products.

Best Cordless Chainsaw Results – Winner Stihl

Based on our evaluation criteria, each saw was ranked and a point value was recorded. These scores were then added and a final ranking order was determined. The lower the score, the better the placement of the tool. Based upon this, Stihl took top place overall with 36 points. DEWALT and Husqvarna tied for second place with 41 points. Makita followed close behind with 42 points and was a solid performer.

Overall our test saws established themselves into three categories. Power tool companies that made a cordless chainsaw, chainsaw companies that designed a battery-powered saw, and battery-powered companies that built a chainsaw around their platform. Each individual tool had its own strengths and weaknesses and their performance was clearly based upon their battery system. Overall our crew was extremely impressed with the power and capabilities that these cordless saws have to offer.

If you are currently invested in the battery platform, then you likely can’t go wrong with picking up a matching chainsaw. If you are considering purchasing a saw and aren’t invested in a platform, take a look at the full range of tools from each manufacturer when making your decision. Cutting a tree a few seconds slower is nothing compared to the expense of investing in multiple battery platforms.

For the tree care pros out there, a battery saw is worth looking at as well. Charging a battery is way easier than filling a gas can and less messy. More importantly, a battery-powered saw goes from on to off with the flip of a switch. While expensive, the professional-grade tools highlighted in this test are extremely capable and powerful. A pro will be surprised at how often they would find themselves reaching for a battery-powered saw over a gas-powered model.

So whether you are a backyard lumberjack, a rugged tree cutter, or an eco-conscious cannibal from Texas, a cordless chainsaw is likely a great option for you.

Best Cordless Chainsaw Video Review

Best Cordless Chainsaw Head-to-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Husqvarna 9 Inch Battery Powered Cut-Off Saw

Husqvarna 9 Inch Batter Powered Cut Off Saw K535i

3.5/5

Manufacturer: Husqvarna
Model number: K535i
Price: $599 Bare Tool
Power source: 36V 9.4ah Liion
Weight: 7.7 lb w/ bat

We recently tested the Husqvarna 9-inch 535i Off Saw as part of our Best 9 inch Cut off saw Head to Head.    The K535i performed well and is a great lightweight option for small to medium masonry and metal cutting tasks.  The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw K535i is powered by Husqvarna’s 36V Lithium Ion battery platform.

Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw Specifications

• Cut depth:  3″
• Blade Diameter 9″
• RPM:  5,940
• Blade Arbor 7/8 in.
• Onboard Water Connection: Quick Connect
• Blade brake 
• Fixed Blade Guard
• 36v battery platform
• Tool Length: 22.2″
• Tool Weight (w/ battery):   7.7  lb.

Lightweight and Compact

The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw has some serious power to weight ratio.  This is moslty due to the fact that with the battery installed this saw weighs in at a featherweight 7.7 lbs.  That’s almost 30% lighter than its closest battery powered competitors.  Pair that lightweight with a nice neutral balance due to the centerline battery position and you have a tool that is extremely easy to use.

The handle is has a smaller diameter, a nice gradual curve and is comfortable to use. The handles slight-slope to the side, was no doubt designed to support hand, wrist and elbow comfort. It allows for many hand positions and does an excellent job of providing comfort in overhead use applications.

The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw is belt driven and is very smooth.  Long session with the tool will welcome the very low vibrations due to the belt driven blade.  Vibrations measure at a low 2.1 m/s².

Water Feed System

The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw has a fixed blade guard with integrated dual side water delivery system.  The water hose is made out of PVC Flex and tucks away nicely into a grooved channel but may be susceptible to snagging and damage.

Husqvarna separated the valve knob from the water nipple by placing  high on the tool  giving it a much easier location to reach and activate.  The K353i water delivery system achieves OSHA Table 1 compliance for dust management when cutting concrete and masonry materials.

Battery Features

The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw uses the 36V lithium ion batter battery platform employed by all of Husqvarna’s battery powered tools. The battery is side-fed and positions itself centerline with no additional covers or compartments.  This open air cooling helps prevent overheating, something we saw in other similar tools during our Head to Head testing.

The battery comes with Husqvarna’s savE feature that allows the user to limit electric motor RPM in the effort to save battery and improve runtime during low load tasks.

Safety and Ease of Use Features

The Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut Off Saw has an on / off keypad switch that will time-out with 1 minute of non-use.   After this 1 minute period the keypad will have to be powered on again.  The rear handle also has a “power trigger lockout safety switch”, similar to other Husqvarna power tools.

The Husqvarna 9 Inch Battery Powered Cut Off Saw features an electric blade brake.  For increased safety and ease of use, the blade will stop its rotation – from full throttle to zero in 3.1 seconds.

The K535i  provides both a wide metal shoe plate and  two rubber feet to keep the tool from sliding when not in use.

Suggested Improvements

The fixed blade guard is something that could be improved on with the addition of a variable or multi location locking guard.

Price

Bare tool pricing for the K535i starts at $599.  The tested 9.4 Ah battery is sold seperately at $279 and quick charger for $184.99.

Husqvarna 9-Inch Cut-Off Saw K535i Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Battery Powered 9 Inch Cut-Off Saw – Head-To-Head Test

An abrasive saw, or cut-off saw, is a circular saw which is typically used to cut metal and masonry. The cutting action is performed by an abrasive disc, similar to a thin grinding wheel. Technically speaking this is not a saw, as it does not use regularly shaped edges (teeth) for cutting. In this Head-To-Head we determine 9-inch cordless cut off saw.

9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saws

In 2015 Stihl was the first company to introduce a 9-inch cordless cut-off saw. Husqvarna was the second. Both of these saws are 36 volts and have a reputation for impressive run-times but were sorely lacking in power.

Then in 2018 DEWALT introduced the 60V FlexVolt which we reviewed last winter, and have been using on our job sites. Last to market was the Milwaukee in the Fall of 2019.

You might be asking why would you want a 9 inch cut-off saw?

It’s a fair question. The TBB Crew feels that these saws are NOT entry-level tools, but more of an expansion tool for users already on the platform. We refer to them as “80% Tools,” meaning they will do 80% of the tasks a gas tool will do.

Cordless cut-off saws enjoy a great range of applications and “niche wins.” Some examples are; mechanical contractors who use it for fast, super straight cuts in 8” PVC pipe, masonry and foundation contractors like it for the basement drains and “first-pass” door entry cuts. [occupied spaces] And let’s not forget the call back cuts or punch list applications once space is occupied.

Advantages of a 9 Inch Cordless Cut-off Saw

• Fast Ramp Up
• No Gas
• No Fumes
• Less Noise and Vibration
• Lighter and easier to use overhead

The fast ramp up on a cordless saw means that you can still get the power needed for cutting and Go After It!

9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw Lineup

In order to keep the tools in this Head-to-Head somewhat similar, each manufacturer was asked to provide their most powerful battery. The following cordless cut-off saws were included in the test:

1. DEWALT
2. Husqvarna
3. Milwaukee
4. Stihl declined to participate

Cut-Off Saw Specifications and Features

DEWALT FLEXVOLT® 60V 9 Inch Cut-Off Saw DCS690B

• Cut depth:  3-1/4″
• Blade Diameter 9″
• RPM: 6,600
• Blade Arbor 7/8 in.
• Onboard Water Connection: Quick Connect
• Load Indicator Light
• Onboard tool storage
• Blade brake
• Tool Tag Ready
• Rotatable Guard – 5 Position
• 60v battery platform
• Tool Length (w/ battery): 26″
• Tool Weight (w/ battery): 10.85 lbs

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 9” Cut-Off Saw MODEL 2786-20

• Cut Depth: 3- 1/2”
• Blade Diameter: 9”
• RPM: 6,600
• Blade Arbor: 7/8”
• Onboard Water Connection: Quick Connect
• Load Indicator Light
• Onboard Tool Storage: For wrench and hex key
• RAPIDSTOP Blade Brake
• ONE-KEY Enabled: Yes
• Rotatable tool guard – Variable
• 18-volt battery platform
• Tool Length (w/ battery): 25.98”
• Tool Weight Bare Tool: 10.6 lbs Tool w/ 12.0 Battery: 14 lbs

Husquvarna 9 Inch Cut-Off Saw K 535I

• Cut depth:  3″
• Blade Diameter 9″
• RPM:  5,940
• Blade Arbor 7/8 in.
• Onboard Water Connection: Quick Connect
• Load Indicator – No 
• Onboard tool storage – NO
• Blade brake 
• Tool Tag Ready – NO
• Rotatable Guard – NO
• 36v battery platform
• Tool Length: 22.2″
• Tool Weight (w/ battery):   7.7  lb.

Best 9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw – Factors Considered

The challenge for any Head-to-Head test is developing the testing and evaluation criteria in order to create a valuable comparison for users. There are hundreds of tests that could be performed, however with limited time and resources for this article we chose tests that we feel give a good baseline comparison.

For this evaluation the tests we selected to give a good relative, measurable comparison of run-time and the speed of cutting. We feel these tests will give you a good baseline on overall tool performance. Clearly run-time is hugely important with high demand cordless tools, and productivity is always an important benefit to consider when buying a cut-off tool.

9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw Comparison Testing

1. Full Depth 3″ Granite block cutting for run-time evaluation
2. Rebar cutting for power and speed
3. Multiple metals and masonry cuts in various materials for ergonomic review
4. Cutting of concrete blocks and bricks

Cut-Off Testing Materials

Several test simulations were used which are considered typical of tasks where a contractor might use a 9-inch cordless cut-off saw for, these simulations include:

1. 1. Cutting concrete block [CMU]
   2. Cutting solid concrete block – this block has a very consistent matrix and is made in large precast batches.
   3. Cutting #5 rebar
   4. Gang cutting 5 pieces of #5 rebar
   5. Full-depth cuts in 3″ granite paver slabs
   6. ¼” thick steel channel stock cuts

Cut-Off Saw Testing Categories

In addition to the simulations, each of the crew members spent time cutting varying materials, to evaluate the cut-off saws independently. Our testing simulations and these individual evaluations were used to determine the Best 9 Inch Cut-Off Saw in several categories including:

1. Size and Weight
2. Features
3. Performance
4. Ergonomics
5. Price
6. Best in Class – derived from the above categories

Size and Weight

WINNER –  HUSQVARNA

The length, width, and height of the cut-off saws were used to determine their cubic volume,  and rank was assigned based on volume and tool weight. In the accompanying graph, the left column is the size ranking of the saw and the right column is the weight of the saw.

The Husqvarna is noticeably smaller and lighter than the other two. Its battery placement is the dead center of the tool and between the users’ hands, making a well-balanced tool.

9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw –  Best Features

WINNER –  DEWALT

The team felt that DEWALT beat out the Milwaukee and Husqvarna by two and three points respectively. DEWALT excelled in the disc guard, water feed, base plate, and battery compartment design.

Milwaukee excelled in their heavy load indicator and tool management [One-Key]. They took the number 2 slot in every other category.  Husqvarna excels in their safety switch, water valve location and lanyard hook. They came in a solid second place in tool management [SavE function] and their shoe plate design.

For each “feature” category, the team ranked the tools 1, 2 or 3, (1 being the best).

Stand Out Features

It’s one thing to tell you we rated the features and throw a number at it. It’s another to explain the differences and give you the detailed information. Below we break down the specific stand-out features on these saws.

Cutting Disc Disc Guard

All three tools have three different disc guard designs, they are:

• DEWALT – 5 positions, lock in position.
• Husqvarna  – fixed.
• Milwaukee – fully adjustable, friction slide.

Both DEWALT and Milwaukee cut off saws have adjustable guards that offer the exact same range of adjustment. The difference is in how the guard is adjusted. The Husqvarna guard is fixed, you get what you get!

The DEWALT uses a 5-position system that allows users to move in position and lock it. Their belief is that this design is best for avoiding future problems. They designed their guard with this motto in mind:

“Living with the tool past a year or two!”

The Milwaukee has a friction glide and allows you to adjust the guard without having to be limited to pre-set detents. Many gas tools have friction adjustments and all work great when new for the 1st year. The problem is that crud and grit get inside the guard and freeze it up – it gets stuck! Let’s face it, no one cleans the guard until its frozen.

Tool Management

DEWALT has a tool tag accessory you can purchase and attach to their saw. Husqvarna has a feature on their keypad called the SavE.  This feature decreases the blade speed [not power] and gives the longest run-time. Milwaukee is the only tool that offered true built-in tool management. They accomplished this with their One-Key system which provides the three options:

• Allows users to track tools that are lost or stolen
• Allows users to lockout the tool from unauthorized users
• Inventory management included in the app

Onboard Storage Wrench

Removing discs is easy on all three tools. The DEWALT stores its onboard wrench in the battery compartment. This wrench should never get lost! The DEWALT has a spindle lock that you hold in with one hand to lock the driveshaft, allowing the user access to the disc arbor nut.

The Husqvarna wrench is excellent but is not stored on the tool.  Husqvarna has the easiest push-button, spindle lock of all three saws. The button has a rubber boot to protect it from slurry and water spray.

Milwaukee stores two tools at the rear of the tool; a wrench and an Allen wrench. The Allen wrench indexes into a hole to lock the shaft, freeing your hand up, and allowing the user access to the disc arbor nut.

The team felt that while Husqvarna has the best spindle lock and a 1-wrench system, not having onboard storage was a massive drawback. The DEWALT 1-wrench system onboard storage and spindle lock approach was simpler than Milwaukee’s two wrench approach. They also felt that was much less of a  chance of losing the wrench given it is stored inside a latched battery compartment.

The nice thing about the Milwaukee is that once the Allen wrench is indexed, you can let go of the wrench – freeing one hand. The DEWALT arbor lock needs to stay depressed, if you let go of the arbor lock and move the blade slightly it will disengage.

Water feed

All three saws have water feeds on both sides of the saw – some companies offer only one side.

The DEWALT tool was designed with an enclosed Polyether-Class hose system. Polyether-class hoses are resistant to degradation, UV-resistant, durable, have good anti-aging properties and low-temperature-resistant properties. The DEWALT hose is also inside the tool until it transitions out of the tool at the guard handle. This encasing and shrouding protect the hose from snags and damage over time.

The Husqvarna water hose is made out of PVC Flex and tucks away nicely into a grooved channel, but the team felt that this hose is susceptible to snagging and damage.

The Milwaukee hose is exposed inside a small channel and secured with one clamp. Milwaukee uses PVC reinforced Nitrile Butadiene Rubber hose, designed for a long-life. The team felt that this hose could also be prone to snagging and damage. History and use have proven with gas model saws that have exposed hoses, over time they get hung up in metal and masonry – snag and rip off.

The DEWALT hose is visually smaller than the other two tools. One thing that we noticed is that DEWALT uses an internal stainless-steel spring inside the water hose as it travels up and over the saw to feed the other side of the disc. The spring results in a consistent hose radius.

Milwaukee’s hose was kinked in this location.  The Husqvarna and Milwaukee both use a larger water hose. The DEWALT hose nipple is stainless steel, Husqvarna is made out of brass and polymer and the and Milwaukee uses Nickel-Plated Aluminum. None of the saws suffered from water flow issues and the larger diameter Husqvarna, and Milwaukee hoses probably have a larger flow than the smaller DEWALT hose with the inserted spring.

Heavy Load Indicator

DEWALT and Milwaukee have a heavy load indicator.  This light tells the user that the tool is working hard, which will reduce battery life. Heavy load indicator light provides the user with real-time power and run-time feedback during demanding applications. If you want or need power it’s OK to keep pushing the tool “Go get it!” If you need additional run-time – back off.

Husqvarna has an indicator that will advise you when risking overloading or overheating the tool, and when the tool needs servicing. When seeing this indicator light both DEWALT and Milwaukee say backing off cutting pressure will increase run-time.

Milwaukee says pushing harder does NOT get you more with their tool. DEWALT says go get it and push if you need the power, but you’ll sacrifice on run-time.

We were able to stall all three saws by applying too much pressure. When pressing too hard, you can actually hear the saws struggle, indicating the need to back off slightly. This was something a user quickly gets used to and adjusts accordingly. On the DEWALT cut-off saw the light is either ON or OFF. Milwaukee says that the sweet spot is to get the light to flicker…. The perfect top-end of cut pressure/speed. They equate a flickering light to “Pushing to the edge of the cliff w/out overloading it.” [practice this to find sweet spot]

Milwaukee says when cutting rebar, you should “listen to the light,” and with concrete: pick a style and go!! [stay with it]

Drive System – Direct Drive vs Belt Driven

The folks at DEWALT say their shaft drive system is “Legit!” It’s a shaft drive system with a Lovejoy coupling. It is more efficient than a belt and helps minimize vibration. Because it is a shaft drive it will not slip and does not need regular maintenance unlike a belt that requires tensioning and replacement. DEWALT feels that their drive shaft is better than a belt-driven tool, resulting in no maintenance or slippage.

Husqvarna and Milwaukee both use a belt drive system and we noticed that the belt-driven saws result in slightly less cutting vibration. The Husqvarna and Milwaukee cut-off saws are smoother to run.

The Milwaukee vibrates at well under half of the vibration from the DEWALT. 
The Milwaukee has vibrations readings at 1.8 m/s² and the Husqvarna at 2.1 m/s².  All three of these tools vibrate 3 times less than an orbital sander, making them very smooth to operate and not imparting much vibration to the user. In contrast, an electrical demolition hammer is around 18-22 m/s^2.

All three saws have a similar design and size. The measurement from spindle to the rear handle set is the same as the popular gas models. On its simplest level, user experience [UX] is how you feel about every interaction you have with the tool in front of you, at the moment you’re using it. UX is a lot more than that; ranging from concept to research, engineering, prototyping, testing, and user testing, to list a few.

These tools were clearly designed to give users the same feel as a gas tool. Users are conditioned to the gas feel and these tools mimic that experience

Handles

All three tools featuring a front handle that can be held in three positions can be used to cut in both horizontal and vertical positions.

The DEWALT front rubberized handle looks a lot like the non-rubberized Husqvarna. It is comfortable, and the handle does an excellent job of providing comfort in overhead use applications.  The Dewalt front handle has a few indented places to rest a thumb when holding horizontal. We felt that these indexes were not great and would be hit or miss depending on the user.

The Husqvarna handle has more hand room than the other three, allowing for easy winter-gloved operation. The handle is has a smaller diameter, a nice gradual curve and is comfortable to use. The handles slight-slope to the side, was no doubt designed to user support hand, wrist and elbow comfort. It allows for many hand positions and does an excellent job of providing comfort in overhead use applications.

The Milwaukee cut off tool has a thick rubber rear handle, and a much a thinner, smooth plastic front handle. The handle design is straight across and allows more room for a gloved user. Comfort and securing the tool in the hands was the GOAL for these tool companies and they clearly approached their designs differently.

Base Shoe

DEWALT’s base shoe is wider than one would think it needs to be. The team felt that this shoe provided an excellent pivot point for plunge cutting. Husqvarna provides both a wide metal shoe plate with two rubber feet to keep the tool from sliding. The Milwaukee shoe plate is half the width.

The tools with the wider shoes result in the tool cutting straight and also helps with perpendicular plunge cutting.  The team felt that the wider DEWALT and Husqvarna bases provide more protection, better pivoting and provided better stability side to side.

Safety Switch

The DEWALT has a manual push-button on/off switch, once activated the tool trigger is live. The Husqvarna has an on / off keypad switch that will time-out with 1 minute of non-use. While this is outstanding as a safety feature, the team often picked up the tool to use it and were annoyed that they had to turn the saw back on repeatedly. The Husqvarna rear handle also has a “power trigger lockout safety switch”, similar to their chainsaws. Milwaukee uses a dual-trigger, which encompasses a small trigger safety- spring flap on the main trigger. The spring-loaded flap that needs to be depressed before activating the trigger.

Water Feed Valve

The DEWALT has a T-handle valve knob that is very easy to operate. The ease to operate also equated to valve slop – meaning that the knob had a lot of side-to-side play. Husqvarna separated their valve knob from the water nipple by placing t higher on the tool – a much easier location to reach and activate. The Milwaukee uses a  half t-style knob, we found it is stiff more secure and durable.

All three tools [dual-sided water delivery system] achieve OSHA Table 1 Compliant solution for dust management when cutting concrete and masonry materials.

Tool Head Style – Maneuverability

Left to Right [close] all three tools are small enough, and designed for a solid angle cut approach. With a fresh masonry blade attached, the DEWALT is capable of a 3-3/8” deep cut, the Husqvarna a 3″ cut and the Milwaukee a 3-1/2” deep cut.

9 Inch Cut Off Saw – Run-time Testing

WINNER – DEWALT

Which 9 Inch Cordless Cut Off Saw had the most run-time? We used several large 3″ thick slabs of granite scraps, fully charged batteries, and the same brand diamond blade for this test. After scribing lines on the granite, we had the same operators cut the slices of granite using the water cooling systems on the saws. We were careful not to push the saws too hard and monitored the load indicators to ensure that we did not use excessive pressure.

We continued to cut until the tool could no longer cut the granite. It was interesting to note that both DEWALT and Milwaukee [with the enclosed battery compartments] had thermal overloads activate before the batteries were exhausted. We allowed the hot batteries to cool and continued to cut until the battery registered no power. The Husqvarna battery is not enclosed in a compartment, so it did not have a thermal issue.

The DEWALT saw cut 3″ thick solid granite for a distance of  6’9-3/4″ on a single battery charge. The Milwaukee was able to cut 6’-4” and the Husqvarna 5’-7 3/4”.

Granite Cuts Per Watt-Hour

One interesting aspect of the run-time test came to light when the TBB Crew looked at the capacity of the batteries in the three cut-off saws. The DEWALT and Milwaukee saws have a 12.0 amp-hr battery. The Husqvarna has a 9.4 amp-hr battery. By using watt-hour (total battery pack energy) we level the field for both voltage and amp-hours.

Watt-Hours is calculated by multiplying the voltage (actual voltage, not the MAX that some companies advertise) by the battery pack Amp-Hours. This calculation allows us to compare the total energy available to do the work based on both the voltage and size of the battery pack (amp-hours).

The Husqvarna comes with a smaller amp-hour battery than the DEWALT or the Milwaukee (9.4 vs.12 amp-hr). However, the Husqvarna is a 36-volt battery. This means that the total watt-hr. for the Husqvarna is 338 vs. 216 watt-hr. for the other two saws. However, despite the size differential in watt-hr, the results look the same for the regular runtime test as for the normalized-runtime test. The DEWALT and Milwaukee saws are newer and the results of the normalized data show us that these two saws are more efficient than the Husqvarna.

9 Inch Cut-Off Saw –  Performance (Speed) Testing

WINNER  – MILWAUKEE

We performed a speed test in the 3″ granite to see which saw was capable of cutting the most granite in one minute. The operator pushed each saw to the point where the overload light came on, or rpm decreased, then backed off the pressure to operate in the tool’s performance “sweet spot.”   The test was timed and stopped after one minute of cutting.  The distance cut was measured at the bottom of the saw blade kerf. The Milwaukee cut slightly faster than the DEWALT and almost twice as fast as the Husqvarna.

What a great system to cut masonry and concrete with a tool that’s fully compatible with my BRAND  batteries ~ JEFF   [TBBCrew]

Steel Cut-Off Performance (Speed)

WINNER – DEWALT

The performance of the three saws were evaluated cutting steel. We put the saws through their paces by cutting five “ganged-together” set of #5 pieces of rebar. In addition, we cut through a piece of structural steel C-Channel. The TBB crew kept the saws spinning at, or near, they’re “sweet spots” for performance by modulating the pressure on the saws.

The DEWALT was the fastest cutting at 14.7 seconds followed Milwaukee 5-seconds after and third was the Husqvarna at 35.6 seconds.

• DEWALT was 14.7 sec
• Milwaukee was 19.2 – about 33% longer
• Husqvarna was 35.6 – 2.4 X  the DEWALT time

In both of these steel cutting tests, the DEWALT saw really outperformed the other two saws, as can be seen in the following two graphs.

In the 4” C-Channel steel cutting test, the DEWALT was the fastest saw, at 20 seconds, cutting almost twice as fast as the Milwaukee and four-times faster than the Husqvarna. The Milwaukee saw cut at 30.4 seconds and the Husqvarna at 80.5 seconds.

9 Inch Cut-Off Saw –  Ergonomics Evaluation

WINNER – HUSQVARNA

Ergonomics play a major role in all of our evaluations and 9-inch cordless cut off saw testing. Not only does a tool need to perform well, but it’s very important that tools are comfortable, which ultimately leads to more productivity and reduced risk of injury.

50% lighter than gas saws and with no gas headaches ~ ETHAN  [TBBCrew]

For the ergonomics evaluation, the team evaluated the following: grip, handle, blade guard, disc change, power switch, battery change, vibration, balance, and maneuverability. For each category, the team ranked them 1, 2 or 3, (1 being the best). Much of the ergonomics evaluation came from team members using the cut off saws. Each team member used each tool, cutting different materials to get a relative comparison of each tool.

The Husqvarna beat the DEWALT by one-point and the Milwaukee by six points. The Husqvarna excelled in almost every category but lost points due to its fixed disc guard, multiple switch operation,  and lack of onboard storage. Overall the team felt that the Husqvarna was the nicest, smoothest operating saw tested.

The saw starts with a squeeze of the trigger instead of repeated pulling on a cord and eliminates the need to mix gas and oil or maintain a gas engine, gotta love that! ~ STAN   [TBBCrew]

Both DEWALT and Milwaukee saws came out after the Husqvarna giving them time to improve their design. The DEWALT came in one point behind excelling on improvements to the grip, guard, and trigger switch.  The Milwaukee excelled in grip and was consistently number two in almost every category except blade change and maneuverability.

9 Inch Cut-Off Saw Best Price

WINNER – DEWALT

Pricing is a key part of the purchasing mix, and it’s crucial that you get it right in order to determine the Best 9-inch cordless cut off saw. For this Head-to-Head we looked at bare-tool pricing to eliminate discrepancies in the composition of the kits provided by different manufacturers. 

When you look at the bare tool pricing the DEWALT is lower than the competitors and a competitive kit price. Keep in mind that we tested the DEWALT kit with 12Ah batteries but at the time of publication the DEWALT kit comes with 9.0Ah batteries and the Milwaukee kit comes with 12Ah batteries which definitely adds value.

Below is a graph showing the pricing (at the time of publication) of each tool:

• DEWALT $549.00 
• Husqvarna $599.99
• Milwaukee $599.00

The DEWALT is $50.00 less than the Milwaukee and while a $50.00 difference is not a big spread, the bigger story may be purchasing this tool as an expansion to your current DEWALT or Milwaukee battery platform.

Less noise, less vibe, no maintenance and great for overhead work, that’s a win! ~ ROB [TBBCrew]

Buy Now From Our Sponsored Retailers

Ohio Power Tool

Milwaukee

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 9” Cut Off Saw MODEL 2786-20

Other Options

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 9” Cut Off Saw MODEL 2786-20 (ACME)

DEWALT FLEXVOLT® 60V 9 Inch Cut Off Saw DCS690B (ACME)

DEWALT FLEXVOLT® 60V 9 Inch Cut Off Saw DCS690B (Amazon)

Husquvarna 9 Inch Cut Off Saw K 535I (ACME)

Best 9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw Winner

WINNER – DEWALT

As usual, the Head-to-Head competition was very close but at the end of the Day the Tool Box Buzz Crew must pick a winner and the DEWALT is our winner of Best 9 inch cordless cut-off saw.

The Best 9-Inch Cordless Cut-off saw is the DEWALT Flexvolt DCS690B. This saw looks feels and performs like a pro-grade tool. It was pretty obvious during our testing that the DEWALT was a powerful cutter, and the results showed that.  The DEWALT saw took first place in five categories, and second place in two categories for a total of 8-points. The first place categories were; features, runtime, [2] metal cutting speed tests and the bare tool price evaluation.

The Milwaukee came in second, with 12-points.  The Milwaukee took first place in the granite speed test, third place in ergonomics and second place in every other category. It is a powerful, fast, and solid performing saw. Following up in third place, with 16-points, was the Husqvarna, which took first place in ergonomics, second in price and third place in all other categories. The Husqvarna has been out a lot longer than the other two tools and has not benefited from a “Gen 2” upgrade. If they do – watch out!!

Final Thoughts  

So why would you want a 9 inch cordless cut-off saw?  The simplest answer is that these saws are an extremely versatile solution for cutting a large variety of materials, these tools harness cordless technology to deliver the power to cut metal and masonry materials without using gas like most traditional cut off saws. That’s a win in our book!

Milwaukee M18 Cordless Switch Tank – Water Supply

When cutting masonry and concrete, most users turn to a water supply with a hand pump or even another worker with a bucket dumping water. The Milwaukee M18  SWITCH TANK provides a 4-Gallon Backpack Water Supply to be an OSHA® Table 1 Compliant solution. This water supply delivers instant, constant, and adjustable pressure up to 60 PSI and operates off Milwaukee’s M18 batteries.

M18 SWITCH TANK 4-Gallon Backpack Water Supply (2820-21WS)

• Dual Diaphragm Pump
• Pressure: 20-60 PSI (5 Mode Adjustable)
• Flow Rate: 0.16 – 1.13 GPM
• Run-Time: Up to 12 Tanks per Charge
• Seals: Nitrile
• Hose Length: 10’ w/ Quick Connect
• Nozzles Included: Water Spray Nozzle
• Weight: 18.45 lbs (M18 Powered Base, Tank Assembly & M18 XC3.0 Battery)

Who has the BEST 9 Inch Cut-Off Saw – Video Review

Best 9 Inch Cordless Cut-Off Saw is a post from Tool Box Buzz

World of Concrete 2016 Highlights

Whenever we go to a trade show or media event we often post in realtime to our Facebook page and Twitter feed. Many of you are not able to follow along during the work day so we like to do aggregate posts that catch you up to speed of the new developments we find interesting (like these past events 2015 WOC, 2015 KEEN Utility, and 2015 Milwaukee). We attended the World of Concrete 2016 show again this year and covered as much of the show as possible in two days but the show was massive. It was the largest one in 7 years. We tried to hit as many manufacturers as we could but it was impossible to hit everything. Below are some of the highlights that caught our eye this year.

World of Concrete 2016 Twitter Feed

Heard of @ReechCraftUSA? They offer fast access solutions for pros. Cool stuff. pic.twitter.com/fzhDTm96ug

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 3, 2016

Took a look at @kesonindustries booth at @WorldofConcrete. Their giant chalk reels are top notch. pic.twitter.com/6C7FmJC9Iw

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 3, 2016

At the @BoschToolsNA booth, demolition is in the air and on the wall. pic.twitter.com/3zztNtAnCB

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 3, 2016

Dust extractor attachment for the @BoschToolsNA Brute Turbo (and other brands hammers) works really well. pic.twitter.com/bzPec3yF44

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 3, 2016

Anyone tune into the @BoschToolsNA live stream tonight? pic.twitter.com/Tlp4S1XXzC

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 3, 2016

The @WorldofConcrete show was so big this year we needed a week to catchup with all of the content. #WOC2016

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Worlds smallest ride on trowel. 2 guys can carry it and it fits through a doorway. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/YDu89YYTft

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

The @HiltiNAmerica vampire chisel is now available for the big breaker. We've waited a year for this thing. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/ot8YIA0Jet

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

The @HiltiNAmerica chisel fits other brands too. Wave design helps it to break more and get stuck less. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/1kOEtpHwKs

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

With the biggest show in 7 years, @HiltiNAmerica couldn't be contained to just one booth. Try before buy. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/Coqc3Ht2kI

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

One of @HiltiNAmerica new tools this year was the TE-800 AVR. Welcomed update to the venerable 805. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/0WrC4jZX7X

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Used lots of cordless grinders. Most shutdown when the going gets tough. Try the @HiltiNAmerica , do it #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/DCvLO0AK1E

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Last year @HiltiNAmerica equidist was new with the core bits. Now they have made it to partner saw blades. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/hmdPVhcde9

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Last year the @HiltiNAmerica SF 10W-A18 was the fastest we've ever used. Now with active torque control. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/zcwIAEYgBv

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

The @HiltiNAmerica cordless drill/driver line has some new friends this year. 12V line! Screwdriver rocks. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/doiPm7PcZr

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Have a handful of partner saws in the crib including 2 900-x. @HiltiNAmerica is making recoil repair easier #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/w85oEvx8xm

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

Tried the new @HiltiNAmerica 12V line. The screwdriver was a real joy to use. $299 for 3 tools, 2 batts #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/dAhU6qjJmx

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

In need of asset management? Take a look @HiltiNAmerica entry. Solves a lot of problems of other products #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/UkTEwP3983

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

With a wave of the @HiltiNAmerica scanner the whole job box is checked back into the crib. Sweet! #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/mtWjVKN91K

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

See @HiltiNAmerica cup grinder in the foreground? Has been out roughly 10 years and it's still the best. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/qAVKq44jUz

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

The @keenutility booth was buzzing at #WOC2016 Lots of traffic checking out the new styles including the Glendale. pic.twitter.com/H7PqK7Snze

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

I have no use for one but really want a demolition robot from @HusqvarnaUSA and Brokk. #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/xOLjAWdmSE

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

The #WOC2016 show takes an army of forklifts to move the mountains of crates for the different vendors. pic.twitter.com/VTu7po1Prx

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

One of our readers is on the design team for the new @SchwingAmerica SCT ready mix control. Awesome system #WOC2016 pic.twitter.com/hTKNmUyvuY

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

There's more than just tools at #WOC2016. Plenty of heavy iron for the kid in all of us. pic.twitter.com/O5UdEwayZd

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

We love that there are more entries into the 12V realm. It's the sweet spot for MRO. #WOC2016 @MakitaTools pic.twitter.com/pjrYVtwJnq

— Tool Box Buzz (@Tool_Box_Buzz) February 13, 2016

World of Concrete 2016 Highlights is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Husqvarna Riding High with Z200 Series of Residential Zero-Turn Mowers

Six new models bring depth, improvements to extensive lawn & garden equipment lines

DIY homeowners who can’t wait for lawn mowing season to begin have another reason to be excited as spring approaches – the launch of the new Z200 series of residential, zero-turn riding mowers from Husqvarna, the world’s largest producer of outdoor power equipment.

The Z200 models – Z242F, Z248F, Z246, Z246i, Z254 and Z254i – add depth to Husqvarna’s already-extensive line of lawn & garden equipment, thanks to improved ergonomics, functionality, refinement, deck options and other features that improve and simplify the mowing experience.

A key addition to select models of the Z200 zero-turn mowers is SmartSwitch technology, an innovative operator interface offering one-touch starting, real-time feedback and keyless security.

“At Husqvarna, we take pride in continually striving to improve mowing performance and equipment durability, and we have achieved both with the Z200 series of residential zero-turn mowers,” said Sean Dwyer, Director of Regional Product Development, Husqvarna. “Its wide range of features takes easy and efficient zero-turn mowing to new heights.”

Borrowing from Husqvarna’s successful Residential Zero Turn platform, the new Z200 series offer a wide range of features and options, as follows:

The Z200 zero-turn mowers will be available in March 2015 in manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) ranges, from $2,699 to $3,499. All Z200 models can be purchased at a local Husqvarna dealer, while the Z246 model is also available at Lowe’s.

To learn more, join the conversation by “liking” Husqvarna on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HusqvarnaUSA) and by following Husqvarna on Twitter (www.twitter.com/HusqvarnaUSA).

Husqvarna Z200 Series Residential Zero-Turn Mowers is a post from Tool Box Buzz