Greenworks 80v Chainsaw vs Stihl Farm Boss 290 

I was running this saw for about 2 hours at about a 30-50% duty cycle ru-vid.comUgkxfQm1wmg0ItKDLavxj1nXtQY9HP7EF504 and it did a great job. I used the lever for the built in sharpener to clear chip buildup out more than to actually sharpen the chain. It managed to cut some hardwood stumps much larger than it's size without bothering the neighbors with hours of 2 stroke noise.

I’ve changed my view on cutting firewood after 5 months using the Makita. I put a 16” bar on it and also changed to a full chisel chain. Improved speed and functionality. I’m cutting all my firewood with my battery saw now. For those who aren’t familiar with batteries and electrical terms, voltage doesn’t measure power or capacity to do work or chain speed. It does allow the manufacturer to use thiner wires and smaller lighter motors. Amp hours isn't power either, you need both volts and amps and time to calculate power. It appears that most good battery saws draw something around 1000 to 1300 watts. The Greenworks draws 1200 watts at full load. This is about as much as most corded electric saws. (note: corded saws aren't brushless and are less efficient) To get total power multiply the voltage of your saw by the amp hour rating to get watt hours. Watt hours tells you how much potential wood you can cut before needing batteries. Some tool companies use "max" right off the charger. The actual run voltage is always multiples of 3.6V per cell which is the nominal voltage (nom), this must be used to calculate watt hours or power. Switching batteries isn’t a big deal like fueling up with gas, but it's nice not to have to switch, especially if you only have one battery. Since batteries are the expensive part, stick with a single platform and buy a lot of batteries if you're cutting firewood. I happen to already have a rather large collection of Makita LXT batteries and chargers. Here’s some data for comparison that I’ve acquired for those who are interested: Ryobi 40V (36V nom) 5Ah battery weighs 3.05 lbs (32) x (5) = 160 watt hours Briggs & Stratton (Victa) 82Vmax 72V nom 5.7 lbs (72) x (4) = 288 watt hours Husqvarna 36V (nom) 4.2 Ah battery weighs 3.21? lbs (36)x(4.2) = 151 watt hrs Greenworks 72V nom (80 max) 4 Ah battery weighs 5.5 lbs (72)x(4) = 288 watt hrs Greenworks 72V (80 max) 2 Ah battery weighs 2.8 lbs (72)x(2) = 144 watt hrs Milwaukee 18V (nom) 12Ah battery weighs 3.7 lbs. (18)x(12) = 216 watt hrs Makita takes two standard tool batteries of any amp hr rating. They all weigh nearly the same. Two (2) Makita 18V (nom) 6 Ah batteries weigh 2.7 lbs. (2)x(6)x(18) = 216 watt hrs. Makita also runs on 5, 4 and 3 Ah batteries with progressively lower run times with the same approximate weight. (2) x (5) x (18) = 180, (2) x (4) x (18) = 144, and (2) x (3) x (18) = 108 Echo 54V 2Ah weights 2.65 lbs (54) x (2) = 108 watt hrs Echo 54V 4Ah weights 4.1 lbs (54) x (4) = 232 watt hrs Dewalt 54V (nom, not max) 4Ah battery weighs 3.2 lbs (54)x(4) = 216 watt hrs Still with 36V 4.9 Ah battery weighs 3.8lbs (36)x(4.2) = 178 watt hrs Stihl with 36V 6.3 Ah (AP 300) weighs 3.8lbs (36)x(6.3) = 226 watt hrs Redback 120V [108?]3Ah battery weighs 4.0 lbs (108)x(3) = 324 watt hrs EGO 56V 5 Ah battery weighs 4.9 lbs (56) x (5) = 280 watt hrs McCulloch 36V (nom) (36) x (4) = 144 watt hrs Most of these saw brands appear as though they cut equally well during use. My Makita with a 16" bar and full chisel chain it seems to cut about the same as the best I've seen in videos. I take a sack of tool batteries equivalent to about 500 watt hours and cut all that my RZR can safely pull in steep terrain. I cut 9" length, which requires twice the normal amount of cutting for the same amount of firewood. Let's say you're using a Greenworks 4Ah battery that contains 288 watt hours of energy and it draws 1200 watts while under full load. It can maintain full load draw [(60x288)/1200] = for 14.4 minutes. Of course one seldom maintains constant full load in the normal course of cutting wood, so the battery appears to last much much longer than that. I’ve been cutting a lot of big >16” diameter stuff and that burns through 218 watt hours pretty fast. But hey, changing batteries is no big deal, right? If you’re gonna use battery for firewood collection, have a lot of batteries. Fortunately I was already in good shape with batteries and chargers.

Love the battery saws! Have used Stihls, Dolmars, chinese 2-stroke saws etc since 1980. Bought a little 40v saw a couple of years ago; instant start, very quiet (no ear muffs required); love it!!! That cant hook looks great

Excellent review. Helluva tree to test on. I'm from the forrests and we all know a Kant and a Peevy are standard required tools. Enjoy the mechanical advantage and safety of a great tool. Green horns never know about traditional tools. You have done a credible and encouraging demonstration. In my 70s with a lot of hard miles on a busted up old body. Looking foward to leaving my Stihls and Huskies sitting. Thanks for your effort. Well done.

Had 2 trees blow down across my fence and drive. At 13 degrees outside my Echo CS400 took a few pulls to get going and I was able to buck up the trees and clear the fence and drive. I went online and bought a Greenworks 16" chainsaw because I really like the less vibration and weight for the small jobs I have. Besides, once I passed 70 years old that gas powered saw gets more difficult to start in cold weather. I like the idea that I can keep the battery powered saw in my rig without gasoline smells.

13:03 "First lockup" / "pretty common thing" Your chain is too tight, and/or you're loading the saw too much. Give the chain some slack, and back off the load. Let the saw do the work.

Having to wrestle with my gas-powered chainsaw to start and keep it from chocking is PRECISELY why I'm looking into battery powered ones!

please, is stihl msa 160c-be compareable with greenworks 80v that you test right now?

I also got 4 cuts, but it was on a 15in pine log and my saw was the Greenworks 60V. I didn't see it in your description, but can you add in the time it took for the full cuts for the GW vs Stihl? Couldn't tell for sure with the sped up video. Just trying to estimate effective hp when compared to electric. I got 14 14in-15in cuts with the Greenworks 60V 5ah battery. I wish GW gave specs on kW with their saws.

I just bought that Greenworks 80 volt cordless electric chainsaw. It works very well. I love it. I have already been using it several times. I will NEVER go back to gas. Greenworks is the brand. I no longer have to use hand saws either. This is the best chainsaw I have ever owned. It is no hassle.

Very useful comparison. I now have a much better understanding of the advantages and limitations of the Greenworks 80V chainsaw. Nice intro to the use of the log cant as well. Thank you!

I currently own the 80v Lawn mower, weed eater, leaf blower, and single stage snow thrower. The smaller batteries (2.0Ah) charge in 30 min. The snow thrower came with a 4.0Ah battery and that takes a full hour to charge. The greenworks people have been very good to work with, recently one of my smaller batteries died and they replaced it right away thru the mail.

How much for the batteries and how long do they really last? Very important info. Happy New Year. Doug

Really good review - especially some details like the note on the bite of the log grip sharpness.

I love my green works chainsaw 60v, however I hope there’s an option to change the bar to something with more bite (like you mentioned it lacks a firmer bite than the stihl).

Have you sharpened the chain? Are chains and bars readily available?

I have an older 40 volt greenworks. I am pretty handicapped. Using electric is nice for me. The vibration of gas saws can wear you out. I haven't used my stihl in years. I have 3 batteries, so I can cut for a good hour or more. I throw the saw on my 4 wheeler a lot when hunting, to cut up trees in my way etc. I cut 3-4 core of wood every year.

I have a older model and it seems to work much better, I am a framer and I can cut a hole floor worth of joist with one battery I have the 18" model and my oil fill is in a different spot. my batteries also charge in 15-20 max. I believe these newer chainsaws are not as good, I have 2 batteries and with one always charging I never have to wait for a battery. I also like the video mate.

I use stihl equipment at work and I can tell you that after a long day at work pulling a rope is the last thing I want to do when I come home. It sure would be nice to just pull a trigger to get the equipment going even if I have to sacrifice a bit of power.

Great video. Somehow kind of relaxing to watch

Idk if it was mentioned already but the 4AH battery makes a huge increase in performance for the Greenworks. Probably makes it about as heavy as the Stihl then. Love mine, never going back to gas OPE!

For thick logs a gas saw will make more cuts, however for logs of six inches or smaller the electric is going to outshine in it's zero drain down time between cuts. Make a hundred small cuts with the electric and 100 with the gas and you will see what I mean, the gas saw has to keep running or if you do set it down to turn it off it can be difficult to restart and so will add time to your work load. But for one long hard cut it is a heavy drain on the battery pack to just keep running under a heavy load, whereas the load on the gas saw does not significantly reduce the amount of saw time.

I have a pacemaker so I cannot run gas chainsaws. I wanna get me one of those 18" bar Greenworks saws. And also a Silky Katanaboy 1000. Just bought the Silky Hayate pole saw and a Corona 14" hand saw. Both are incredible.

Great video. Thanks for all the good information.

I have a Ryobi 18v brushless chainsaw and a Husqvarna 16'' gas chainsaw. I love the little cordless saw so much that I am thinking about getting a greenworks 60v or 80v. There is an 18'' version of each. I am not sure which would be a better choice.

Great review video - Thanks !

Nice review you didn't cut dead rotten wood like everyone else does

Where is the Wrench located on the Greenworks Saw?

im considering getting the greenworks for my uncle for christmas. He just does yard clean up and random yard work and i think it would be a good saw for that. What do you think? He always gets pissed at his gas saws.

Good video. I'm not sure if you know, but for the Greenworks there is a tool for loosening the nuts and adjusting the chain in the butt end. At least on my 18 in saw.

You've got the type of videos I like to watch! Why the long break? I'm trying to get some real world numbers on the 60V vs 80V. With the 300wh battery, I can get it to 0 with 7 minutes of cutting. That's with a standard low profile(not skip) chain. Would love to know the actual time on those 4 cuts done with the 80V GW.

I have a small tree service.In the early hours I use a Makita cordless top handle saw.When the batteries go dead I fire up the stihl 192 or echo cs3000 until the batteries recharge.Its really nice up in a bucket.I can communicate with the ground guy much better.

I bought the GW 40 volt 14 inch saw for limbing trees and brush. Its light enough to cut one handed if on a ladder. It came with a 2ah battery and runtime wasnt great. Bought a second 5 ah battery which cost more than the saw with battery and charger. I Could run for an hour working my way through multiple oaks, hackberry and sycamore trees thinning 1" to 3" limbs and branches out of live trees. I used it to cut firewood out of 4" to 8" limbs . I often got more runtime than I needed for the job so I rarely used the 2ah battery . IMO , it was as good as my Stihl MS 170 gas for power and will be buying another, especially since some dirtbag took it off the truck while I was inside a gas station getting a drink coming home from a job.

Good vid ... nice comparison no bias honest .. Good job ...

Impressive for a battery unit considering the size of the tree. Most people will be using this, including myself, for much less stout cutting. AND it does not stall

MS290 is the swiss army knife of saws.......great Mid range saw.

For most homeowners Corded chainsaws with 100 foot 12 gauge extension cord Beat cheap chainsaw who break and won’t start after awhile Just take your time I owned 26 rental properties And have husqvarna and Stihl chain saw But the Worx corded pole saw , Jawsaw and small electric chainsaw get lots of use The cordless one is a bit more expensive because of the battery But in a few years the price should come way down Good and great video Yeah those hook are great

Great test. I have an echo Dcs5000 eforce with the 18" bar. I have it for storm damage, smaller jobs and if a tree ices over and falls in the winter when my gas saws have been drained/ winterized. Kind of a grab and GO RIGHT NOW GO GO GO saw without all the extra stuff. Bar Oil, saw with a charged battery in it. Two backup batteries in a backpack, sweatshirt between the two batteries so they don't bang together and it's go time.

I Have the Kobalt 80V 18" chainsaw, same as Greenwork. I have 5 batteries and 4 chargers so no issue with run time.

Great job there! You really pushed that cordless saw to the max. It's really designed as a pruning and limbing saw. We have a local tree cutting guy that does it all in which I suggested he look into a small cordless saw to use up in the trees to prune and cut off smaller limbs. He says naa, I'll stick to my hard to start stinky loud gasser! I watch him like 60 feet up in a big tree, all roped up yanking on the gas saw to start it and then the thing is like inches from his head! I don't get it. You can get an inverter and charge up a spare battery in the truck. Whatever.

I have greenworks mower, string trimmer and looking to buy a chainsaw. I really like them.

What battery are you using?

What is the model number on your 80v greenworks? I haven't seen that one for sale online anywhere.

Fantastic reviews!

It's the vibrations from gas chainsaws that wear on the body. Also, the added difficulty in starting them.

got a craftmens from lowes, still in box im bout to take back for this....hope i dont regret bit i have two 80v batteries already for my greenworks lawn n weed eater

I bought a 40v pole saw along with a trimmer and chainsaw. Not really impressed with the chainsaw or trimmer but the pole saw rules. I might add that for the money they are all well worth having.

Five pounds can add up if youre out cuttin all day 0:54

was it 2, 3 or 5mAh battery?

How many hours of continuous sawing is the battery power of an 80 V battery saw

Good comparison. BTW, if you roll the log TOWARDS yourself you can use your weight to pull down on the cant hook rather than doing the weight-lifter trick. Much easier.

My 80 volt Greenworks saw came with a 18 inch saw blade and chain. My 40 volt Greenworks saw came with a 16 inch chainsaw blade and chain. The 80 volt will perform much better with the 18 inch set up. I like mine, but am looking at the new Milwaukee M18 Fuel saw with a 18volt 12. amp battery. I have slowly been buying more of the Milwaukee products. I will still use my Green Works tools till the batteries wear out.

I happen to own the same saw, in my opinion, it will rival any gas saw in its class. When I purchased this saw I moved to a new home with trees on 5 acres some dying some dead and needed trimming this saw handle the ones I could do with no problem. And I didn't have to worry about buying fuel, mixing and trying to use the fuel before it gets old, I will never but a gas power chain saw. The noise level is low no fumes no ripcord, release the safety, and get busy.

10:58 try running a file once or twice across the little hump links that keep the profile low- sorry about my nomenclature. I just realized you have an 80V that looks exactly like my 60 and its 16in rather than 18in. Other 80V GW saws I've seen had an 18in bar and aluminum handle.

Can you measure the fuel cost comparison ? the gas saw will cost far more in fuel energy ,charging the electric costs will be be minimal although both have their place ,if you had access to mains power would you use a corded saw?

That looks like the 60v saw that they modified to run the 80V batteries...If you've got the cash you should review the original 80V saw!

4 cuts from one tank of gas? I have cut 4 trees on a tank of gas. Now on the battery. Was it fully charged the 1st time?

Well done young Ron Swanson

Fair evaluation between gas vs battery. As a homeowner and casual user I'm probably going to get a battery. However it is worth mentioning having an extra battery is going to cost another 125-150 bucks. Even with $5 gal 2022 gas that's still 30 - 1 gallon cans. Not sure how long the battery life expectation is but over the long term it seems a definite increased investment. Yes, there is engine maintenance to consider on gas. Over the lifetime of each saw it may come close to being a wash? Definitely the power still goes to the gas.

I don't know how you only got 5-6 cuts with the stihl saw. You should of had that whole log cut plus another on one tank.

Conclusion of extensive gasoline vs battery chainsaw video: Cant hooks are awesome! Buy yourself a cant hook.

I would like to know how much longer the greenworks would have lasted if the battery was a 80v 4.0 AH instead of the 2.0 AH

My solution to charging away from the grid is to use my 750 watt inverter on the 12v battery in a vehicle to charge my Ego saw at 500watts and then you can just swap 2 battery’s all day.

Should have mentioned battery Amp-Hour rating. Also having 2 batteries solves the recharge wait.

Bar and chain like $60 us. Saw looks fine

For a log that big, I'd bring out my Husqvarna 390xp. My little gasoline top-handle chainsaw can do three small diameter pine trees that measure 6in DBH limbed and bucked up for firewood, 45cc generic Chinese chainsaw can do maybe six trees, and the 390xp can do eight trees before needing fuel. Really want to get one of these chainsaws, then charge it off of a solar panel system. With he Greenworks charging, that will give me plenty of time to chip the brush and stack the firewood.

I am shocked at your battery performance of only 4 cuts! I have a 40VDC GreenWorks Saw and I get between 85 and a 100 cuts of 16 inch logs. HUMMMMMMMMM!

A solar charger and 3 battery packs.seems the best choice

I have the 40 dc greenworks chain saw and get much more than 4 cuts before I need new batterie more like 25 + with a log that size

How long a chain stays sharp shouldn’t matter whether it’s electric Or gas. Unless you are forced to use their chain and it’s sucks. I rarely need a chain saw but when my poulan dies I’ll go electric. Makes more sense for me. Mostly palm trees here. They cut even with a dull chain.

Bring a spare battery, check the amp hour rating. I want one soooo bad. I hate gas saws, they do not work for me. I didn't know there was an 80 volt version. I saw the 60 volt version cut up an entire 10 inch tree with two trunks. But I agree, I would like the 18 inch bar.

Mine lasted 2 hours on a charge.Start with a freshly charged battery.And I saw 4.5 cuts.

Your video was good but with one huge mistake: that being not showing the actual cutting with the Greenworks saw. I really would like to see that. Maybe an inconsequential thing but still would like to see it.

If you have big logs like this to cut, get the 4ah battery. The 2ah is getting really stressed, shown by how it was too hot to charge. I use 2ah on my string trimmer and small blower jobs, but the 4ah is more powerful for demanding work. I cut 60 lawns a week with GW 80v. Thinking about getting the chainsaw.

It sucks when you can't start a Stihl chainsaw and only 4 cuts per tank of gas. That is why I got a 24" Husky 460 Rancher, one tank can go much longer than Stihl. Would like to get a Greenwork 18" Pro with a 4 Ah battery or a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Brushless 16", but I prefer a 18" bar.

the batterys prefer to do more on/off work not a straight full pull from full to dead like this, they heat up and get less efficient, if you were bucking like8 inch logs or felling trees i think theyd come out equal.. real test though is if the extra battery is charged before the first one is dead

Two things come to mind watching this.... having to speed up the video speed when using the green saw is..telling. And I like the concept of those class saws. And there is constant development in that area.. next few years will be really interesting. Hoping you do follow up video's on the subject. Might want to look at some of the Stihl & Husqvarna offerings over this next couple of years. Second....while not a "safety" nut, to me giving advise about chainsaws to those in the business...in shorts... is a qualifier as well. :) (You asked for feed back! Put the reaction here in the comments..:) )

I’m getting the 10 inch Greenworks saw I don’t need a big one because I’m not cutting regular size trees more branches than anything I’m not experienced whenever it comes to cutting trees so that’s why the regular size trees I leave to the professionals.

Why speed up the video when you're cutting?

wow 4 cuts man let's see I cut 4 cords each year so yeah I'm sold ..lol

Greenworks looks like better than Dewaly 60v Ave took apart the Dewat - the Chain Bar Did not have bolts to adjust but PLASTIC RATCHET KNOB !!!!!!!!! WTF were DEWALT Thinking Good Review !!! Maybe Review 80v String trimmer

It’s a larger cut with a gas saw and you just went through a huge knot

Why if thru the most important part? I wanted to see it cut in real time...

This is why i would get a gas chainsaw but other garden tools would be electric

*If you use your equipment for a living you can't compare gas power equipment to battery powered because the runtime of battery and true power and torque don't compare to gas operated equipment that is properly tuned and running good, period.*

If the Greenworks saw had their 4.0 Ah battery the run time would be double and from the looks of it, cut more than the gas saw. Nice side by side test! Most homeowners won't be dropping or cutting stuff that large anyway.

What do you do when you’re in the forest plug into the nearest tree

i stay with gas saws for bigger trees on my farm

That starting problem is why I’m looking into going electric. My Farm Boss never wants to start.

What does battery saw cost and extra battery ?

Seems a bit underpowered, my ego 2.0ah battery runs my ego for 2 full trees limbed and cut to length, the trees I cut were maple and birch

why the hell wouldn't you track the time it took to cut for each saw?!

Part of a comparison is to watch the cutting difference. And you have a dud battery, they never run out so fast.

Bad review. Why would you fast forward the cutting process? I want to see and hear the power of each one.

The only downside is the cost of spare batteries

hmmm. I have the 18" greenworks 80v., have had for a couple years. Mine will cut more than that.

I know I do things a bit different, You mention about the log dogs being a little sharper on the stihl, than the green works, I remove them from my saws, that way I can run the saw up against the tree trunk , it glides though smoother and faster, also gives you that extra 1/2 to 1 inch bar length, those dogs are, too me, useful when felling, but serve no real purpose when bucking. One other thing I like, is your near comical attitude about things that ''just are not quite perfect'', that attitude keeps you from getting mad and not enjoying what you are doing

The whole point of a video is to watch how much time it takes to make a cut. By speeding that up the video goes out of it's way to avoid demonstrating both a comparison of cuttings speed and give a sense of cutting time on the Greenworks.

I can cut a chord of firewood with one tank of gas lol

Plugging for the battery saw He use wedges